Encirclement is a novel that covers a broad and deep spectrum, both psychologically and sociologically. The novel is cleverly composed – it changes easily between different narrators and points of view, as well as using letter form, dialogue and inner monologue.
David can not remember who he is. A notice in the newspaper encourages acquaintances and friends to write him letters so he can start remembering. The letters create a network of texts where the lives of David, the writers, and others, are rewritten and reassessed.
The letters were written in 2006, but concentrate on the past. This way, false perspectives are created, whether they focus on adolescent dreams, the ambitions of artists, or people’s plans for the future. It’s a story about what happened to one generation of Norwegians, about gender roles and the search for popularity and identity. It’s also about questions of what is a life and how is a life story created under the influence of other people’s stories?
