Customer Reviews

Naive. Super

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought the english and norwegian version while trying to learn norwegian this past year, with the sole purpose of using it to strengthen my mediocre norwegian skills.

I was blown away, and could not put it down until I finished in the wee hours of the morning. The language (english, I still have not figured out norwegian) in the book is easily digestable, and the story is just so great it will really make your life better for having read it (seriously). I've since bought 5 or 6 copies for a few friends and my brother, and each of them were moved enough to buy a copy or passed their's along to someone else.

The only drawback is finding a copy somewhere, or even worse trying to find one of his other books. I cannot imagine they are anything less than extraordinary. Why this book hasn't hit the US like a lightning bolt - I will never understand.

The twenty five year narrator is confused, a graduate who has just withdrawn from his masters degree course he is confused, he is hung up on time and space, he has diffusivity understanding such concepts, and as he explains, it is easy to see why. He expresses himself in very simple terms, many sentences are just three or four words in length, yet what he is considering is frequently profound. He considers what he has, and what he does not, he likes making lists.

Looking after his older brother's apartment in Norway while his brother is away on business, he makes friends with a young boy of kindergarten age who lives in the same building, he meets a girl, and enjoys the caring attention of his brother.

Naïve. Super is like no other book I have read, while the narrator is concerned about certain concepts, he is also concerned about friendship, life, and being a good guy. It makes for a fascinating and very different reading experience.

This is one of the few books that a person can zip right through without even knowing about it. The writing style is blog-style which is free-form and first person. Erlend Loe gives the reader a window into the mind and soul of the main character. Since he does not conform to the conventional and formal writing style of most fiction writers, the formation of the main character is very fluid and natural. After reading a few pages, it feels like I know the main character very well and this gets me hooked into the story even more.

Give this book a read! It is unique and creative. Although it may not be for everyone, it is definitely worth giving a chance.

This gem was truly a thrill to read. Entertaining, funny, simple, and relevant. When I first read it I was about the same age as the hero. And boy could I ever relate! Erlend Loe has touched on universal themes here, and I think that the greatest value of this story lies in its ability to pinpoint simply and accurately the most fundamental questions of human existence and in turn cause you to think about them in a personal way. I don't see how anyone could read this book and walk away unchanged.

Erlend Loe's unique voice in "Naive. Super" is open and insightful on a level that reminds me of "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius" by Dave Eggers. And that is a compliment to both authors.

(To clarify: The title's spelling of "naive" is an English form, not Norwegian, and only appears in the translation.)

This book is wonderful! Simply written and oddly profound, it leaves the reader with a sense of serenity and hope. I first read this during a time of high stress, and it restored my sense of balance and priority. I read it periodically.

I want to learn Norweigan for the sole purpose of being able to read this in it's original text, as well as his other novels which no one has bothered to translate into english. This book is wonderful for brightening a dull day. It is a light, quick read and I reccomend it to anyone. But you don't have to take my word for it. I've lent my copy to 4 different friends who all ended up buying it. The translation feels smooth and fits the novel well. It's rare to find such a wonderful novel that also happens to be uplifting and fun, unlike many of the better works which tend to leave you miserable. Enjoy!

The book was a delightful read. I fell in love with the characters(even the bad friend)and could identify with the narrator's search for meaning and purpose in time and space. I discovered the authors accidentaly while studying in Norway, and am eager to brush up on my Norwegian so I can reread the book in it's original voice. I would reccomend this book to anyone, especially 20-somethings and Gen.X-er's.

It's hard to find something true and simple in this cynical world. But Naive. Super. is. It's a really funny book, but it's sad on the same time. Because it's about feeling confused, about growing up, about being obsessed with time. What do you do when you're lost? Maybe you write lists, because it gives you a feeling of control. Oh well. You have to read it to understand. Read it now.

I thought this was a great book. It was first introduced to me but a friend in Norway while I was living there for a few months, she insisted that I read this book. She was right, this book holds your attention the entire time while being not really about any spacific thing. He has writen several other books which would love to read more of his books but sadly they are not translated to English and remain for only the Norwegian people to enjoy. This is a must read for all kinds of people, a real eye opener.

Cameron

The only bad thing I can say about Erlend Loe's book is that it has an umlaut in the title. Get out of here with your fancy Norwegian punctuation.

Otherwise, what a novel. It's about the crushing angst we all felt in our 20s, which Loe portrays with plain prose and subtle humor that makes most of the American wunderkind (Eggers, Foer, etc) look like whining windbags. Mind you, Eggers and Foer are writers I like and admire. But neither they nor anybody else I've read are as adept as Loe at conveying the particular anxiety that set in after you finished school, got a job and started looking around going 'This is it?'

And he does it in less than 200 pages, using sentences that rarely exceed 10 words.

Best of all, "Naive. Super" is hilarious. Our narrator has an absurd, dry wit that often seems unintentional. This is key: without the laughs he would be totally unsympathetic, another self-absorbed 25-year-old jerk.

Finally, allow me to beg you to buy this book. Not because I want to see Erlend Loe rewarded (although that would be fine), but because I can't find translations of his other novels. A surge in sales and all of a sudden Borders will have him stacked up in the check-out lane.