Hopes

"Hopes" is the fifth book of the grand autobiographical cycle "My Struggle" by Norwegian writer Karl Ove Knausgård. It describes the author's university period. Nineteen-year-old Knausgård is the youngest student at the Academy of Writing in Bergen. It seems that the whole world belongs to this lucky one: ahead lie love, friendship, student gatherings, creativity, and fame. But the endless series of Bergen rains quickly wash away the enthusiastic expectations: what comes from his pen appears immature and derivative compared to the texts of his classmates; teachers see him as a talented critic but do not believe in his writing gift; in groups, he feels lost and silent, while love lays its most treacherous trap, as usual. This is a book about youth, the difficulties of growing up, love, friendship, about one's own destiny, and, of course, the heavy labor of writing.