Summary of Encircling
David, the protagonist of the Norwegian novel “Encircling”, has lost his memory. In an effort to reconstruct his identity, he places an advertisement in a newspaper asking former acquaintances to get in touch. The story unfolds through a series of letters written by his closest friend, his former girlfriend, and his stepfather. These testimonies sketch a portrait of David – yet, due to contradictions between the accounts, a clear and coherent image never fully emerges.
Reasons to read EncirclingÂ
“Encircling” is a moving psychological novel that delves into themes of identity, memory, and father-son dynamics. Originally written in Nynorsk (the lesser used of Norway’s two written language variants), the novel is the first in a trilogy, followed by “Encircling 2: Origins” and “Encircling 3: Aftermath”. Carl Frode Tiller, a Norwegian writer and musician, received wide acclaim for “Encircling”, including the Norwegian Critics’ Prize for Literature (2007), the Brage Prize (2007), and the European Union Literary Award (2009).
Setting: Namsos (Norway)
Original title: Innsirkling
Year of publication: 2007
Nr of pages: 336
