Eventide: A Novel by Therese Bohman

(Thank you to Other Press for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

An astute novel following the life of an art professor at Stockholm University as she navigates the academic world, with its undercurrents of sexuality, competition, deceit, and fear

In her forties and childless, Karolina Andersson feels adrift living alone after the breakup of a long relationship. She finds fulfillment in her work, and when she starts advising a new postgraduate student, she is struck by his confidence. He claims to have discovered new materials from a female artist working around the turn of the century that would change the historiography of Swedish visual arts. Karolina soon finds herself embroiled in a game with unexpected complexities, both emotional and professional.

Eventide is a perceptive novel of ideas about love, art, and solitude in our time, and the distorted standards to which women are held in their relationships and their careers.

my thoughts:

An art professor in her forties who is single and pondering the quality of her life after ending a long-term relationship.  She considers what is the meaning and purpose of her life.  She notices the vast differences between her friends that are married with children and her own single, childless life.  She's having one-night stands, walks of shames, affairs with married men.  She feels lonely and drinks too much. Her sole focus is work, work, work.  And she begins to wonder if career over family was the right choice to make.

Talk about an arresting read! I absolutely LOVED Eventide by Therese Bohman. It was a melancholy tale chock full of art references that I enjoyed learning about and a character that I couldn't help but relate to.  The story explores loneliness, relationships, academia, gender wars, and so much more.  The writing was elegant, realistic, and mesmerizing.  I found myself captivated by this character study of a woman and her life in progress.  I loved reading her thoughts about her life, her work, her art, her affairs, etc..  And I loved when she found herself involved with a postgraduate student who claims to have discovered an unknown artist who will change the art world - he is smart, confident, pretentious, sexy, and irresistible to her.  Their relationship reawakens a passion in her that is fascinating to read about. Such a great story!!

I would happily recommend Eventide to fans of Bohman's books and anyone looking for their next great read - you will LOVE this book!!


Thank you to Other Press for providing me with a copy of this book!

Willful Disregard: A Novel About Love by Lena Andersson and translated by Sarah Death

(Thank you to Other Press for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

Winner of the August Prize, Sweden’s most prestigious literary award: a novel about a perfectly reasonable woman’s descent into the delusions of unrequited love

Ester Nilsson is a sensible person in a sensible relationship. Until the day she is asked to give a lecture on famous artist Hugo Rask. The man himself is in the audience, intrigued and clearly delighted by her fascination with him. When the two meet afterward, she is spellbound.

Ester’s life is then intrinsically linked to this meeting and the chain of events that unfolds. She leaves her boyfriend and throws herself into an imaginary relationship with Hugo. She falls deeply in love, and he consumes her thoughts. Indeed, in her own mind she’s sure that she and Hugo are a couple.

Slowly and painfully Ester comes to realize that her perception of the relationship is different from his. She’s a woman who prides herself on having a rational and analytical mind, but in the face of her overpowering feelings for Hugo, she is too clever and too honest for her own good. Bitingly funny and darkly fascinating, Willful Disregard is a story about total and desperate devotion, and how willingly we betray ourselves in the pursuit of love.

my thoughts:

I had a friend in grad school who was the type of gal who would obsess over a guy.  She would try to bump into him on campus or in town.  She would playback their conversations over and over and over again.  She would imagine their happily ever after.  She would basically become devoted to this guy and their "relationship" all on her own.  And in the end she would wind up heartbroken.  You see, the guys never viewed their "relationship" in the same way and as a result they tended to flee ASAP.   I could never understand why she would behave this way, especially, as she was such a smart and savvy woman in every other area of her life.  This sad (and pathetic) behavior confounded me...until now.  Turns out she couldn't help herself.  Or at least that is what I surmised after reading Lena Andersson's superb novel, Willful Disregard.

Ester is a poet.  She writes for various media outlets and lives with her partner, Per.  Her life is pretty ho-hum, but she's okay with that.  She receives a writing assignment involving a famous artist named Hugo.  From the moment they meet, Ester is smitten.  She finds herself inexplicably drawn to him and even finagles another writing assignment that will involve interviewing him.  Her mind is consumed by thoughts of him.  Per notices Ester drifting away from him and confronts her.  They wind up breaking up, but Ester doesn't seem to care - she's too busy pursuing Hugo.  She is convinced they have a connection and finds herself waiting around his block so that she can accidentally bump into him.  She relishes any look or word he throws her way.  She imagines him thinking of her with hearts in his eyes.  Ester is in LOVE.  And after they sleep together, she is convinced that Hugo feels the same.  Except, he's not acting like a man in love.  In fact, if Ester would be honest with herself, she would notice that he doesn't really seem to like her all that much.  Of course, even when Ester is aware of his snubs, his snobbery, and his discomfort she brushes it all aside and makes excuses for him.  She refuses to face facts.  She even ignores the "girlfriend chorus", because they are of the opinion that "He's just not that into you."   Ester is the epitome of lovesick.  Its sad, infuriating, and frustrating to witness.  And, I loved it.  I absolutely enjoyed reading about Ester and her pursuit of love.  She was real, brave, and relatable.  A smart, rational woman upended by her emotional response to someone - who hasn't experienced that?  Not only did I see my friend from grad school in Ester, but I could see bits of myself in her as well.  I may not have created whole relationships based on one conversation with someone, but I have imagined a future with someone that I've dated.  Its human nature to love and to want to be loved.  So, I suppose for some people, they just can't help how much they love. 

Willful Disregard is a sharp, intelligent novel about obsession.  The writing is sparse, witty, and precise - I fell in love with it!  The characters are flawed and authentic.  The story explores unrequited love in all its raw glory; which was both fascinating and cringe-worthy.  Its truly a brilliant book and I absolutely LOVED it!  I would happily recommend Willful Disregard to anyone and everyone looking for their next great read - you will not be disappointed!


Thank you to Other Press for providing me with a copy of this excellent book!