Karl Ove Knausgaard with Brandon Taylor | September 28, 2021

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Co-hosted with Skylight Books.
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Karl Ove Knausgaard became a literary sensation for his fictionalized series about himself, called My Struggle. The series hit bestseller lists all over the world, not just because he wrote six installments, or volumes, in one year. The New Yorker’s interview with Knausgaard illuminates more about the literary impact My Struggle had on readers and critics. We are proud to present Karle Ove Knausgaard for his new release, The Morning Star, in a joint program with Skylight Books.
The Morning Star (Penguin Press)
Translated by Martin Aitken
A major new work from the author of the renowned My Struggle series, The Morning Star is an astonishing, ambitious, and rich novel about what we don’t understand, and our attempts to make sense of our world nonetheless
It’s a normal night in August. Literature professor Arne and artist Tove are with their children at the resort in Sørlandet. Their friend, Egil, a driver by day, is staying in a cabin nearby. Kathrine, a priest, is on her way home from a seminar, the journalist Jostein is out on the town, and his wife Turid, who is an assistant nurse, has a night shift. Above them all, a huge star suddenly appears in the sky. No one, not even the astronomers, knows for sure what kind of phenomenon it is. Is there a star burning itself out? Why then has no one seen it before? Or is it a brand new star? Slowly the interest in the news subsides, and life goes on, but not quite as before, for unusual phenomena begin to occur on the fringes of human existence. Over these days in August, the characters the novel follows will each understand what is happening differently, and all face new struggles in their own lives.
The Morning Star is a novel about what we do not understand, about great drama seen through the limited lens of little lives. But first and foremost, it is a novel about what happens when the dark forces in the world are set free.
Karl Ove Knausgaard’s first novel, Out of the World, was the first ever debut novel to win the Norwegian Critics’ Prize and his second, A Time for Everything, was widely acclaimed. The My Struggle cycle of novels has been heralded as a masterpiece wherever it has appeared, and the first volume was awarded the prestigious Brage Prize.
In conversation with Brandon Taylor. Taylor is an acclaimed novelist and essayist, whose novel, Real Life, was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, as well as nominated for a National Book Critics Circle prize, among others. The New York Times included Real Life on its 100 Notable Books of 2020. His writing appears in many magazines and journals.

[@Noneatall246]

Really good interview. Relaxed and funny at times but full of good information without spoiling it for people who haven’t read the book yet

[@akeeperofsheep]

Hope we can get these two together again for The Wolves of Eternity...

[@gzmnsl]

Can’t stop reading this magnificent book. I strongly believe Knausgaard will be considered “classic” sooner than later.

[@josh440]

I think he already is with his My Struggle book series

[@gzmnsl]

@@josh440 in my eyes too.

[@mhbackman]

How is “Morning star” compared to his “My struggle” series?

[@gzmnsl]

@@mhbackman even though My Struggle is a masterpiece, I believe Morming Star takes him into master level.

[@marcinkene]

How odd, I'm reading 'My struggle' lately and today accidentally I met Karl Ove in Lewisham, best part of London btw. That made my day ☺️ aswell as the book is making most of my days lately

[@barbaraneu4854]

This was wonderful! Brandon asked the greatest questions. Thank you!

[@Hermopathic]

I think I’ve watched every KOK interview available online, and even watched him read in person once in Brooklyn. This has got to be my favorite interview ever, really fantastic pairing!

[@thundercheeks1989]

This was so lovely and enjoyable. Fantastic interview by Mr. Taylor, they have wonderful chemistry.

[@cyberlioness]

Love Knausgaard. Such an interesting person and a compelling writer.

[@Gedu1988]

Loved all of this a lot

[@audrey3579]

Great interview!! Thanks for sharing

[@charlesring9579]

All my favorite authors are dead since long ago now, Except from Fosse and Knausgård, I'm so lucky that I'm Swedish and can read the books in the original language! The Morning Star is an amazing book, the second in the serie was good, I think, and I just finished Tredje Riket, almost as good as The Morning Star

[@adam5588]

Great, fantastic interview!

[@renatajd7758]

I am new, did he ever talked to Sorokin?