Naive. Super tells the story of a 25 year old Norwegian man who has the sudden realisation that life is meaningless, and his endeavours and thoughts and knowledge are ultimately, meaningless. He see's things for how they really are, so to speak. He struggles with these thoughts for a while, and tries to escape them or appease them or find meaning, through a new girlfriend or a new friend or some shopping.
This is all nothing especially new. There has been countless books with similar stories, if we look over the 20th Century there is book after book about European men trying to find reason and meaning and trying to deal with the nature of existence. This book doesn't get as heavy as say Nausea - the actual problem that the book deals with is not looked into with any great deal of depth. What the book does go into though, is the narrators (short) journey to rid himself of such worries.
The thing that sets this apart and makes it a really refreshing read, is the narrators outlook on life. The way he interprets the world around him, and the way he chooses to spend his time and how he talks to people are like a child would. But it is childish in such a charming way, I think any human being would warm to him, and want to read on and on about his thoughts and feelings. T
Just bear in mind when reading this, that it was written in Norway in 1996. The reason I mention this is the narrator befriends a young boy, and there is nothing funny going on at all. No one bats an eye - the boy's parents go on an unexpected day trip and leave him with the man who he has become friends with, even though they have never met him, and no one thinks anything sinister at all. Such is the world that Naive is based in.
I would strongly recommend this to anyone and everyone. This book's prose is lovely, the narrators personality is lovely and the conclusion it reaches at the end is lovely. I give this book a strong 8/10
What do you think? Have you read this book, do you agree or disagree? Let me know in the comments
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