Summary of Collective Works
Martin Berg finds himself in the throes of a midlife crisis. His wife has mysteriously disappeared, and his career is not what he had envisioned. The literary thriller “Collected Works” interweaves the present-day life of Martin and his children – the search for his missing wife is a central part of the plot – with Martin’s upbringing in Sweden during the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Reasons to read Collective Works
“Collective Works” is a sprawling novel (600 pages), with many layers, a diverse cast of characters, and a rich and ironic writing style. With this debut, Lydia Sandgren won the August Prize in 2020 (the ‘Augustpriset’, Sweden’s most prestigious literary award), making her a literary sensation in Sweden. The Guardian called the book “a magnificent doorstop of a novel”.
Setting: Gothenburg (Sweden)
Original title: Samlade Verk
Year of publication: 2020
Nr of pages: 608
