Sharp and original take on alienation as a shield against life

Pär Poromaa Isling's debut novel, "hollo" (meaning "crazy" in Meänkieli), offers a sharp and original exploration of alienation, centering on Pekka, a man who uses his outsider status as a shield against life.

The narrative begins with Pekka as a depressed high school teacher in Stockholm. He unexpectedly secures a doctoral research position at Umeå University, embarking on what the review describes as both a "Golgotha" and a "triumphal procession." The world gains definition only upon his arrival in Umeå, contrasting with the vague, unpleasant "Stockholm" of the initial pages. Pekka is determined to remain an outsider among the academic elite, a feeling exacerbated by his supervisor's demanding reading list, including Heidegger's "Being and Time."

Pekka draws bitter sustenance from his alienation, stemming from his background in Malmberget and a partially Finnish-speaking family. Despite his self-sabotaging behavior, including heavy drinking and constant mistrust, his academic work progresses surprisingly well. He frequently references Sartre in his internal monologues and discusses literature with his sole friend, John. However, he feels inadequate and out of place when conversing with academic colleagues about literature, reinforcing his self-perception as a country outsider.

The reviewer commends Isling's prose, noting the rising tension regarding the approval of Pekka's dissertation. The novel skillfully portrays the dual nature of self-perception as an outsider, suggesting it can be rooted in genuine experience or serve as a life-long deception. Isling's own doctoral dissertation on class differences in schools, drawing from Bourdieu, informs Pekka's academic focus, making the subject matter close to the author's own research.