First Impression Friday will be a meme where you talk about a book that you JUST STARTED! Maybe you’re only a chapter or two in, maybe a little farther. Based on this sampling of your current read, give a few impressions and predict what you’ll think by the end.

Synopsis:

In 1986, twenty-year-old Syvert Løyning returns from the military to his mother’s home in southern Norway. One evening, his dead father comes to him in a dream. Realizing that he doesn’t really know who his father was, Syvert begins to investigate his life and finds clues pointing to the Soviet Union. What he learns changes his past and undermines the entire notion of who he is. But when his mother becomes ill, and he must care for his little brother, Joar, on his own, he no longer has time or space for lofty speculations.

In present-day Russia, Alevtina Kotov, a biologist working at Moscow University, is traveling with her young son to the home of her stepfather, to celebrate his eightieth birthday. As a student, Alevtina was bright, curious and ambitious, asking the big questions about life and human consciousness. But as she approaches middle age, most of that drive has gone, and she finds herself in a place she doesn’t want to be, without really understanding how she got there. Her stepfather, a musician, raised her as his own daughter, and she was never interested in learning about her biological father; when she finally starts looking into him, she learns that he died many years ago and left two sons, Joar and Syvert.

Years later, when Syvert and Alevtina meet in Moscow, two very different approaches to life emerge. And as a bright star appears in the sky, it illuminates the wonder of human existence and the mysteries that exist beyond our own worldview. Set against the political and cultural backdrop of both the 1980s and the present day, The Wolves of Eternity is an expansive and affecting book about relations—to one another, to nature, to the dead.

Happy weekend everyone! That is another work week in the books. I am happy that I was able to make it through another unexpectedly rough work week. I hope everyone did cross the finish line with a smile on their faces. I hope that everyone ended the work week on a high note; thankfully, we had one day off as Monday was a holiday here in the Philippines. I hope the week went the way you wanted it to. I hope you were able to complete all the tasks you set out to complete at the start of the week. I hope that, after a long week at the office, you will be able to recharge and regain some of the manna you’ve lost during the weekend. I hope that you will be able to rest, relax, and reflect. I hope that you were able to pursue things that you are passionate about. More importantly, I hope that everyone is doing well, in body, mind, and spirit.

But before I could ditch my work clothes and don comfortable articles of clothing, let me cap another blogging week with a fresh but late First Impression Friday update. Time is flying fast, in a couple of days we will be welcoming the seventh month of the year. Woah. I hope that the year has been kind to everyone. I hope that the remainder of the year will shower us with blessings and good news. Reading-wise, my foray into European literature is in full swing; this was a journey that commenced last month. While May focused on the works of Nobel Laureates in Literature, my focus in June was on the rest of the vast European literary landscape. As always, the journey has, so far, been wonderful and insightful. While I encountered familiar names, this journey also introduced me to new ones, such as Norwegian writer Karl Ove Knausgård.

Before this year, I had heard many good things about the Norwegian writer. This naturally piqued my interest. Last year, when I heard about the release of the English translation of his latest novel, The Wolves of Eternity, I was looking forward to it. Further, I haven’t read that many works of Norwegian writers so exploring his oeuvre also presented an opportunity to explore uncharted territories. I was supposed to read the book last year but I got swamped by other books – ironically, by other European writers – so I had to push reading the book back. I included it in my 2024 Top 24 Reading List to ensure that I will read the book. This makes it the 13th book from the list that I read.

The novel opens in 1986 where the readers meet one of the novel’s two main characters. Nineteen-year-old Syvert Løyning was recently discharged from his Norway national service duties; he served as a cook for the Navy. Following his discharge, he returned home to his mother and twelve-year-old brother Joar; they lived in the countryside. His father, who he shares a name with, passed away when Syvert was just eleven. At this juncture, Syvert was unsure what to do with his life. He was considering entering university but he was not particularly enthused by the idea. For one, he had no idea what to pursue or study. In the interim and to occupy his time, he tried searching for a job. However, there were no jobs available for him.

Starting to be a nuisance to his sick mother, Syvert stumbled upon his father’s old things. Among these things are books and letters written in Russian. The letters were from someone named Asya. Syvert’s curiosity was further piqued when his mother confessed to him that shortly before his death, his father asked for a divorce. Syvert then tried to enlist help translating the letters, believing that his father’s request for a divorce was related to the letters. Soon enough, the letters revealed details about his father’s life he was not privy to, prompting him to reevaluate his relationship with him and his memories. The letters also revealed that he had a half-sister named Alevtina. Meanwhile, he developed a liking for a girl named Lisa who he met on one of his trips to the bar. When Syvert confessed his love for Lisa, she was neither put off nor enthusiastic. When his part concluded, it was unclear if Lisa and Syvert’s relationship developed into something deeper or more serious.

Brief chapters by two minor characters followed before the readers finally Alevtina in present-day Russia. She was a biology professor and a single mother. We learn about her backstory; during Syvert’s account, she was just nine years old. Her story started during her university years, with the story focusing on her friendship with Vasilisa. Vasilisa stood out for her eccentricity and unlike Alevtina, she was not quite as good looking. Belonging to opposite side of the spectrum, their friendship also did not start off on a good account. Nevertheless, an unusual incident brought them together. Their common interest in the works of Austrian poet Rainer Maria Rilke further strengthened their bond. As Alevtina remarked, it was unusual to find someone who shared the same interest in Rilke’s works; Alevtina’s interest in literature was cultivated by her book-loving stepfather.

The Wolves of Eternity is rather verbose and I am also trying to connect the dots between 1980s Scandinavia and Putin-era Russia. Death and sickness is ubiquitous in the story. The story was propped with historical contexts but they remain mostly on the back. Nevertheless, the book manages to be engaging. A discussion on the evolution theory during one of Alevtina’s class had me thinking. Now, I am looking forward to how the half-siblings will eventually reunite. I am just a little over a hundred pages away from completing the book. How about you fellow reader? What book or books are you going to take with you this weekend? I hope you get to enjoy whatever you are reading right now. Happy weekend!