This is the second installment in Knausgård’s trilogy, following “The Morning Star,” published in 2020. Knausgård has been exceptionally productive, completing two substantial books in less than two years. However, readers may question his preference for lengthy formats. “The Morning Star” was already excessively long at over 570 pages, and “Ulvene Fra Evighetens Skog” adds another 200 pages while reducing both the number of characters and the mystery. Despite reducing narrative elements, the focus does not sharpen but becomes the opposite.
“Ulvene Fra Evighetens Skog” serves as a prequel to the first book in the trilogy. It takes us back to the 1980s, primarily following a young man named Syvert, recently returned from military service as a cook on a patrol ship. He struggles with unemployment and reluctantly signs up for unemployment benefits, conflicting with his right-wing liberal beliefs. Syvert’s political views cause minor confrontations in his small town, but he usually keeps his thoughts to himself. A local newspaper interview, highlighting his unemployment, garners sympathy, which infuriates him as it contradicts his self-perception.
Syvert eventually accepts a job from a friend’s father, given his complicated family situation where his mother and brother rely on him. His mother works tirelessly as a cleaning lady to make ends meet and is burdened by her challenging job. Vivid dreams play a significant role in the narrative, beginning with Syvert’s younger brother dreaming of their mother’s death, which Syvert dismisses as superstition. Tragically, their mother is later diagnosed with cancer, and Syvert must care for his brother while their mother battles the illness in a cancer clinic.
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