Emily Forever

I went to Norway in September and I really wanted to know more about Scandinavian literature, other than thrillers. Emily Forever was a very interesting read to me in a way that is hard to explain. It's a slow paced book that really builds a narrative around a very ordinary girl in a complicated situation. It's giving Tove Ditlevsen The Copenhagen Trilogy vibes. If you're looking for something with a lot of action, this is not for you. Nor is it something you should pick up if you're in a romance mood, but if you want something different, without picking up a 500 pages brick.. This one should be on your list. There's a lot of doubt and uncertainty in the book, which causes for quite some repetition. It feels like you're peeking through a whole and watching someone's life develop in front of your eyes, while society is just not a very welcoming place. It's kinda grey and sad and feels like watching a slow, very descriptive film. I'd give it 3.5 out of 5 stars, because I think you really need to be in the mood for something like this and it's a tricky one in terms of storyline. I liked it, also felt very sad for Emily, wanted to help her out, be a friend to her. I'd recommend it to certain people, but it's not for everyone and I think no book should aim to be 'for everyone'.

Emily Forever is set in a deprived area of Oslo but could be any city anywhere where the poor make do and life is full of compromise and too often unwise decisions just to get by. 19 year-old Emily is a supermarket worker with a petty drug dealer for a boyfriend who can't get away quick enough when they discover she's pregnant. The book is uncompromisingly realistic about the life of what's often derogatorily called the Underclass, people almost doomed from the start with limited horizons and knowing that ambitions are pointless.
The book can be a bit confusing as it jumps from character to character and timeline to timeline ,often quite randomly, but it's a very effective and evocative piece of work. All of the main characters in their own way are stuck in a rut,one which Emily's Mother is desperate for her daughter to escape from while deep down realising that it'll never happen and there's almost a documentary feel to the whole thing as author Maria Navarro Skaranger paints a picture of life for the urban poor and the cycles of hopelessness that pass down through the generations.
This is a multi-award winning book in the author's native Norway and it's easy to see why. A short but very effective read.

I really enjoyed how realistic this story was and that the character was sympathetic and was everything that I was looking for. The story was really well done and I enjoyed how strong it was overall. I enjoyed how good everything flowed with each other and enjoyed the concept. Maria Navarro Skaranger has a great writing style and I can’t wait to read more from them.