Those Weird and Quirky Swedes: The Room by Jonas Karlsson

Björn is an inconsequential cog in the bureaucratic machine of The Authority. That hasn't stopped him from overestimating his abilities nor stopped him from prognosticating quick advancement through the company, leaving behind his inferior co-workers and their measly intellects. Of course this isn't how his colleagues see things, with most feeling Björn to be a weird and mentally unstable individual who threatens to disturb the the delicate equilibrium of their little department.

But how have we gotten here...look no further than the mysterious room that Björn spotted when he first began working for The Authority. He decides to see what is inside and discovers an ordinary office, with a desk and office supplies...but also a space where his mind calms and he is able to relax and think clearly.  He goes back again...and again...and again...he takes co-workers there to have conversations there...he brings a woman there for a romantic escapade. 

But something is not right. His colleagues give him weird looks, begin to avoid him, whisper behind his back. It isn't until one of his office mates asks him directly what he is doing that Björn begins to understand. While Björn tries to explain the room, he is met with consternation from the questioner who insists that there is no room and all that others have seen is Björn putting his head against the wall and shut down in silent calmness. 

This is the premise of Jonas Karlsson's weird psychological examination of bureaucracy The Room. Told solely through Björn's perspective, the reader is given the brutal details of government administration and the mental instability that comes with it. Whether its the vicious backstabbing or hideously boring work, it is little surprise that our protagonist has sought refuge in a mysterious room that may or may not exist.

For the most part this short novel was very enjoyable. While Björn is not a likeable character, we still are sympathetic to his quest, especially when his colleagues reveal their sharp talons when confronted with Björn's belief in the room. Especially enthralling, is how Björn meets the viciousness with determination and success (to the horror of his co-workers). While we are kept in the dark about the truth about the room, whether it's a fabrication of Björn's mind or something more, in the end it serves as a interesting metaphor about alienation and work. 

I did find the writing somewhat cold and clinical at times, something I have noticed before in Swedish authors, but for the most part the story moves quickly enough to get over the style. Karlsson is a playwright by trade, and if anything I can imagine this becoming a pretty amazing theatre production. 

So if you are in the mood for a odd, quirky psychological thriller...pick up this quick read and enjoy. 

Memory and Loss: Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey

Elizabeth is Missing was released last year, but got a lot more fanfare and buzz in the UK than in North America, winning the Costa first novel prize and long listed for the Bailey Prize. It got some rave reviews but didn't seem to be as hot off the shelves in bookstores on this end of the pond. That said, the amazing success of The Girl on the Train, with its slowly revealed story from the perspective of the unreliable narrator, may give readers here another reason to take a look.

I highly recommend it, since this book is equal in merit and intricate story telling. Healey, only 30 years old, has produced a riveting multi level mystery that had me turning pages and rushing to it whenever I had a chance to read.

Our protagonist is Maud, an octogenarian pensioner, whose memory is quickly failing her. Her daughter, Helen, is growing frustrated by Maud's repeated questions and poor decisions that regularly put her danger.  Yet Maud does not realize the stress she causes others, her thoughts are barely coherent, a thought she has quickly vanishes before she understands its significance. Yet with all the fuzziness clouding her mind, Maud is sure of one thing...Elizabeth is missing. Maud's closest friend cannot be found. Her house is empty, her things have been removed and no one seems to take her concerns seriously, dismissing her as an absent minded senior who cannot remember where she lives, let alone the location of Elizabeth.

Flash back to Maud's late teenage years in post-WWII England, where she still lives with her family and where her beloved sister Sukey has disappeared from her husband's home. Sukey is suspected dead, but uncertainty pushes Maud to try to track her down and figure out where she could have disappeared to. With her family blaming Sukey's husband, who appears to desperately miss his missing wife, Maud does not know what to believe as she tries to comfort him with memories of Sukey's initial excitement when first meeting her future beau.

This is the parallel story that Emma Healey has brilliantly told in her first novel. Cleverly told with little crumbs of clues, the reader is taken on a thrilling journey as Maud tries to discover what has happened to Elizabeth and Sukey. Healy uses crisp language that slowly provides clarity to what has happened but also conveys the messy confusion of an elderly Maud as she tries to put together her thoughts and solve these two great mysteries that bookend her adult life.

Although I have no particular criticism, I also think Healey had room to explore things more. The relationship between Maud and her daughter is fascinating. You can feel the seething frustration that Helen has about her mother, and Maud mentions in passing that she may have failed in some respect as a mother. But the back story around this is never explored. I really would have liked Healey to have gone there and it would have provided a depth to the book and make it more than just a thriller but also a family drama.

Nonetheless this was a great read and I'd recommend it as a not to heavy read for folks looking for a good vacation or summer read.