Karl Ove Knausgård confesses that writing My Struggle, his six-volume autofictional work, felt like selling his soul to the devil. The project was a runaway success in Norway but sparked controversy for its portrayal of friends and family members. This Faustian experience lies at the root of his latest novel, The School of Night, the fourth volume in his Morning Star sequence.
The book follows the art school career of Kristian Hadeland, a young Norwegian who will stop at nothing to succeed as a photographer. Charting Kristian's rise and fall is an addictive and eerie reading experience. Knausgård wanted to have Kristian live in Deptford because of its association with Christopher Marlowe, the Elizabethan playwright who wrote about blasphemy, murder, and ruthlessness.
The School of Night takes its name from a group of supposedly atheist writers and scientists that included Marlowe, George Chapman, and Sir Walter Raleigh. Knausgård's novel is full of strange events and shadowy figures with obscure motives, echoing the mystery surrounding Marlowe's life. However, this was not Knausgård's first encounter with the Faust legend; he read Thomas Mann's 1947 novel Doctor Faustus as a teenager.
Knausgård doesn't really do research for his novels, instead writing with incredible freedom. He finds out where a story is heading as he writes and often realizes that characters are lacking in empathy. The School of Night is an example of this. Knausgård's method involves taking one step back to see life from a different perspective, making everything meaningless until you take another step forward, and it becomes full of meaning.
This approach speaks directly to the writer's distinctive synthesis of epic novels with intimate details. However, Kristian, the protagonist, is different; he is all about failure and finding his way creatively despite feeling like falling short. The School of Night explores this territory at length, drawing from Knausgård's own experiences as a creative writing student in Bergen.
Knausgård admits to having written My Struggle with a sense of uncertainty and doubt, but he didn't draw the line when it came to portraying his family members. He had a rule that if something was too painful, he wouldn't go there. However, Kristian doesn't care about others' feelings; this freedom is what Knausgård refers to as the Faust story.
The School of Night is Knausgård's 21st book, and he has spoken matter-of-factly about his productivity. He believes that writing daily can produce a novel in a year. The Morning Star sequence, however, could run for the rest of his life. While he intends to extend it, he also wants to do other things after completing volume seven.
In any case, Knausgård's latest work is a testament to his continued exploration of the darker aspects of ambition and the human condition.
The book follows the art school career of Kristian Hadeland, a young Norwegian who will stop at nothing to succeed as a photographer. Charting Kristian's rise and fall is an addictive and eerie reading experience. Knausgård wanted to have Kristian live in Deptford because of its association with Christopher Marlowe, the Elizabethan playwright who wrote about blasphemy, murder, and ruthlessness.
The School of Night takes its name from a group of supposedly atheist writers and scientists that included Marlowe, George Chapman, and Sir Walter Raleigh. Knausgård's novel is full of strange events and shadowy figures with obscure motives, echoing the mystery surrounding Marlowe's life. However, this was not Knausgård's first encounter with the Faust legend; he read Thomas Mann's 1947 novel Doctor Faustus as a teenager.
Knausgård doesn't really do research for his novels, instead writing with incredible freedom. He finds out where a story is heading as he writes and often realizes that characters are lacking in empathy. The School of Night is an example of this. Knausgård's method involves taking one step back to see life from a different perspective, making everything meaningless until you take another step forward, and it becomes full of meaning.
This approach speaks directly to the writer's distinctive synthesis of epic novels with intimate details. However, Kristian, the protagonist, is different; he is all about failure and finding his way creatively despite feeling like falling short. The School of Night explores this territory at length, drawing from Knausgård's own experiences as a creative writing student in Bergen.
Knausgård admits to having written My Struggle with a sense of uncertainty and doubt, but he didn't draw the line when it came to portraying his family members. He had a rule that if something was too painful, he wouldn't go there. However, Kristian doesn't care about others' feelings; this freedom is what Knausgård refers to as the Faust story.
The School of Night is Knausgård's 21st book, and he has spoken matter-of-factly about his productivity. He believes that writing daily can produce a novel in a year. The Morning Star sequence, however, could run for the rest of his life. While he intends to extend it, he also wants to do other things after completing volume seven.
In any case, Knausgård's latest work is a testament to his continued exploration of the darker aspects of ambition and the human condition.
You know what really stood out to me in this article? It's the fact that even though Karl Ove Knausgård has been through some dark experiences, he's still able to write about them with such honesty and vulnerability. Like, his own experiences writing My Struggle felt like selling his soul... talk about taking a risk! 
But you know what? It paid off.
It shows that even though we're trying to be honest with ourselves and others, we also gotta take care of our own emotional well-being.
The way he weaves together these dark, eerie stories about creatives chasing their dreams is like, so captivating! I love how his writing style is all experimental and free-flowing - it's like you're just along for the ride with these characters as they stumble through life. 
I mean, if he's writing 21 books and still managing to crank out new stuff, it sounds like the whole 'selling his soul' thing is just a marketing gimmick. 
And can we talk about how every writer is supposed to have some kind of tortured past or inner conflict? Like, where's the self-awareness in that? It's all just a bunch of pretentious nonsense...
. Knausgård's approach to writing is so unique, too - just letting things unfold organically, without overthinking it 
. I'm intrigued by how that process works for him 
. I mean, can you even imagine having that much raw emotion bottled up inside you? It's like he was literally pouring his soul out onto the page, no pun intended 
. And now, with The School of Night, it feels like he's on a never-ending journey of self-discovery, exploring the darker corners of ambition and failure 
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. And that association with Christopher Marlowe? Mind blown 
. It's like Knausgård is trying to tap into something deeper, something that speaks to us all about our own struggles and insecurities.
. It's like he trusts the universe to guide his pen, you know? And that makes for some really compelling reading, because we get to feel the uncertainty and doubt alongside Kristian.
in my Struggle! The School of Night sounds like a wild ride, all about this photographer dude Kristian and his desperate pursuit of success. it's crazy that Knausgård writes daily & can churn out novels that fast 
but at the same time, it's also kinda sad that he doesn't really have empathy for his characters 
still, i'm super stoked to dive into this one! 
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. The way he writes about this Faustian story is really thought-provoking, makes me think about my own struggles and ambitions 
It's like he's speaking directly to my soul, you know? 
He's got this whole thing going on with the Faust legend and it's giving me LIFE 
Like, he's all about that failure life and finding his way creatively despite feeling like falling short. That's so relatable tbh! 
Can't wait to dive into The School of Night and see what other gems he has up his sleeve 
. Always pushing boundaries, experimenting with stories. I mean, writing six volumes of autobiography? That's like making 6 albums in a lifetime! And now, he's exploring the darker side of ambition and human nature through this new book about a young photographer... it just sounds like more of that intense, atmospheric stuff he's known for 
️.
. But at the same time, I think that's part of what makes him so compelling. He's not afraid to get real, even when it means confronting some dark corners of himself and others. And his approach to writing? I mean, who needs research when you've got a vision? 
.
. I'm definitely going to have to check out his other books now, especially the Morning Star sequence - it sounds like a wild ride! 
his writing process sounds so intense and almost painful - taking a step back to see life from another perspective and then bringing it all back to life again. it's like he's trying to make sense of this whole human condition thing. 
This guy Karl Ove Knausgård just spews out these dark stories that make you feel all uneasy, like your soul's being pulled out too 
. It's like he's tapping into some deep well of creativity that just flows out onto the page. But sometimes, it feels a bit dark and nihilistic, you know? Like, Kristian in The School of Night is just so consumed by his own failures and doubts... it's like he's walking around with a perpetual rain cloud following him 
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. And honestly, I'm just impressed by his productivity - 21 books in and counting? That's dedication 
. I'm intrigued by the way Kristian's character is all about failure and finding his way creatively - it's like he's speaking straight to my soul