Title: Allt jag inte minns
Author: Jonas Hassen Khemiri
First published August 1, 2015
334 pages, Hardcover
ISBN: 9789100151041 (ISBN10: 9100151041)
Rating: 3.73
Overview
People say that Samuel and Laide were soulmates, that their love story was completely magical, that they were meant to be together. People say that Samuel did it for revenge, because he was jealous, because he wanted to force Laide to remember him.
People say that it never would have happened if Vandad hadn’t gotten involved, that it was Vandad’s fault, that Vandad would do anything for money.
All I Cannot Remember is a novel about love and finance. About friendship and violence.
About Samuel living on in everyone’s memories, now that Vandad is locked up, Laide has left the country, and the house is destroyed. A number of fates collide at breakneck speed in present-day Stockholm.
Behind all the voices about Samuel, a person fleeing from themselves is visible. Whose memories can be trusted?
And what is hidden in what we do not remember?
Jonas Hassen Khemiri has written an unforgettable love story about our hyperspeed time, about the price we humans pay to live together.
About the Author
Jonas Hassen Khemiri was born in 1978 to a Tunisian father and a Swedish mother, and grew up in Stockholm. He studied economics in Paris and worked as an intern at the UN in New York.
In 2003, he made a highly regarded literary debut with Ett öga rött/One Eye Red, which sold over 200,000 copies in Sweden and became the best-selling paperback of any category in 2004. This book earned him the Borås Tidning award for best literary debut, Sweden’s most important award for a first book.
In the fall of 2007, the film based on Ett öga rött/One Eye Red will open in Swedish cinemas.
Khemiri’s second novel, Montecore, was published to critical acclaim in 2006, and was awarded the P O Enquist Prize for the year. Later that same year, Montecore was nominated for the August literary award, and also won Sveriges Radio’s Romanpris award for best novel of 2007.
The book was praised for its beautiful, melancholic, and wonderfully funny depiction of Sweden in a unique light, making it hard to think of anyone who shouldn’t read it.
Khemiri has also received praise as a playwright. His first play, Invasion!, was written for The Stockholm City Theatre and played two seasons of sold-out performances.
This drama debut led to Khemiri’s participation in Royal Court’s International Residency in London. His new play is set to open at Riksteatern in 2007.
Khemiri’s novels have been sold to Germany, France, The Netherlands, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Russia, and Serbia.
Editoral Review
“Allt jag inte minns” by Jonas Hassen Khemiri is a stunning work of fiction that explores the complexities of memory, identity, and storytelling. Khemiri is a Swedish-Tunisian playwright and novelist who has been widely recognized for his unique voice and innovative approach to storytelling.
Published on August 1, 2015, “Allt jag inte minns” has received critical acclaim and has been translated into several languages.
The book is a modernist novel that challenges traditional narrative conventions and explores the fragmented nature of memory. The story is told through the perspectives of a diverse cast of characters, each of whom has a different relationship to the central event of the book.
The story revolves around the death of a young man named Samuel, and the aftermath of his passing as his friends and family try to make sense of the tragedy.
Khemiri’s writing is masterful, and his ability to create distinct character voices is truly impressive. Through his use of non-linear storytelling and shifting perspectives, he creates a rich and complex world that draws the reader in from the very first page.
The setting of the book is contemporary Stockholm, and Khemiri’s descriptions of the city are vivid and evocative.
One of the strengths of “Allt jag inte minns” is its exploration of themes such as identity, memory, and storytelling. Khemiri uses the fragmented structure of the book to challenge traditional notions of narrative coherence and to explore the ways in which memory and identity are constructed through storytelling.
The book also addresses issues of race, class, and gender, and the ways in which these factors shape our experiences and perceptions of the world.
While “Allt jag inte minns” is a stunning work of fiction, it is not without its flaws. Some readers may find the non-linear structure of the book confusing or disorienting, and the large cast of characters can be difficult to keep track of at times.
Additionally, the book’s exploration of themes such as memory and identity may be too abstract or philosophical for some readers.
Overall, “Allt jag inte minns” is a beautifully written and thought-provoking novel that will appeal to fans of modernist fiction and experimental storytelling. Khemiri’s innovative approach to narrative and his exploration of complex themes make this book a must-read for anyone interested in contemporary literature.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a challenging and rewarding reading experience.
Rating: 4/5 stars.
