Johanne wakes up to find herself locked in her bedroom, in the tiny Oslo flat which she shares with her mother Unni. She soon realizes that Unni must have wanted to stop her from going to the US with her new (first?) boyfriend, Ivar, whom she met at the canteen of the college where she studies psychology.

Over the course of the book, Johanne tells us something about her world. She doesn't tell us everything, though, and we cannot really trust what she does let us know. In fact, it doesn't take long for us to notice that although she leads a more-or-less normal life, Johanne has her psychological hang-ups and disturbing mood swings. In particular, happy-clappy spiritual visions tend to alternate with shocking, violent thoughts. These issues might be a result of the oppressive presence of Unni who, in turn, appears to have problems with her own mother. In this novella it seems that, to paraphrase Larkin, "woman hands on misery to woman".

Ørstavik’s work had been translated into eighteen languages but this was her first work to be translated into English (by Deborah Dawkin), thanks to the innovative Peirene Press. It is a brilliant, clever psychological/character study but not necessarily an "entertaining" book in the usual sense of the word. I confess I found it a challenging, occasionally painful read. ( )

Johanne wakes up to find herself locked in her bedroom, in the tiny Oslo flat which she shares with her mother Unni. She soon realizes that Unni must have wanted to stop her from going to the US with her new (first?) boyfriend, Ivar, whom she met at the canteen of the college where she studies psychology.

Over the course of the book, Johanne tells us something about her world. She doesn't tell us everything, though, and we cannot really trust what she does let us know. In fact, it doesn't take long for us to notice that although she leads a more-or-less normal life, Johanne has her psychological hang-ups and disturbing mood swings. In particular, happy-clappy spiritual visions tend to alternate with shocking, violent thoughts. These issues might be a result of the oppressive presence of Unni who, in turn, appears to have problems with her own mother. In this novella it seems that, to paraphrase Larkin, "woman hands on misery to woman".

Ørstavik’s work had been translated into eighteen languages but this was her first work to be translated into English (by Deborah Dawkin), thanks to the innovative Peirene Press. It is a brilliant, clever psychological/character study but not necessarily an "entertaining" book in the usual sense of the word. I confess I found it a challenging, occasionally painful read. ( )

Narrated by a young Norwegian woman, a psychology student, in a sort of stream of consciousness style. She lives with her mother but has just started a relationship with the guy who works in the college canteen. On the verge of going off to America with him, she finds her mother has locked her in her room. And while trapped, she runs through recent events in her mind.
Johanne is not an easy character to understand. She seems torn between the settled life at home and the excitement of her romance: "I wished I could split my body in two, give one part to Mum and the other to Ivar. Then they could both have their share, and I could keep my ribcage as a little raft on which I'd curl up and float away."
It's mildly interesting, but none of the characters really come to life and we never fully understand any of them. ( )

This was given a seriously good write up I the guardian. And it's ok as a mild diversion but there is nothing much special here. Characters are not very developed and the story is predictable and too slow in unfolding.myes it gives you mug to ponder about mother daughter relationships and sexual awakening but these have been done better than this before. Too much hype to live up to ( )

Oslo USA Reise am Morgen eingesperrt, Spannung,