We are born, we live and we die. For animals it’s all about reproduction. For Åsta, children were never part of the plan. She wants to keep existing in the moment she actually exists in for the rest of her life.

Åsta is tall and thin, and always hungry. She trained as a teacher, but is more comfortable working as a cleaning lady. She frequently dates men, but spends a lot of her time watching documentaries about topics that interest her, especially biological subjects. Åsta lives in a terraced house close to her parents. Her father believes in a God who will judge the living and the dead, while her mother places her faith in financial investments. Her brother Kristian is a public accountant with his own company, and Åsta can’t understand how he can be interested in any aspect of his work.

So, this is life, then? Åsta might be satisfied with it. But for the reader, a deadly seriousness lurks below the surface.

Joy of Life is an intense disturbing book, full of dark humour.