Åshild is a physiotherapist in her late 30s. She lives in Oslo, having achieved all the things she ever wanted. She has a husband with a good job in the oil industry, two children, a large house and a daily life she is content with. Still, something is missing.
This autumn the oil price starts falling. At the same time a Lithuanian worker, Darius, is paving a new driveway in front of their house, the detail that will finally make their property – and existence – complete.
The Way We Live Here is a disturbing portrait of how we live today and of an existence filled with images of a successful life. Mari Ulset has written a sharp, stinging novel about our lack of ability to see others, understand ourselves and reflect on the culture we are part of.
Praise for The Way We Live Here:
“A sharp portrait of our times … She lets her main characters stand still, what happens around her doesn’t change her in any noticeable way. In spite of this, the story of Åshild feels both suspenseful and captivating. In this novel the unfulfilled and unspoken aspects of the text feels like a plus. Because Åshild herself is so free of reservations, the subtext seems to be bursting with them … Beneath the surface of a normal, successful life, Ulset uncovers in a masterful way an abyss of the soul”
5/6 stars, Adresseavisen
“A technically temperate, but merciless exposure of insatiable people’s surface life … Through a carefully crafted third person perspective without either epic pretentions or flashy prose Mari Ulset (1980, debut 2011) manages to knead simple scenes from Åshild’s everyday life into an image of pure materialism … The façade is in danger of becoming a failure. But Mari Ulset leaves that to the reader to figure out. She is a master when it comes to portraying the churning frenzy of emptiness and boredom”
5/6 stars, Stavanger Aftenblad
