Book review:
AMATKA
(2012) by Karin Tidbeck
The protagonist Vanja - a bureaucrat
in a dystopian, backward society - is sent to the settlement Amatka
to perform a survey among the population.
The bleak,
emotionally repressed setting is strongly reminiscent of some
northern European Communist country. At a first impression, the
reader might think AMATKA is a satire or pastiche of life in the
Soviet Union. However, things are much more bizarre than
that.
Amatka, it turns out, is not located in reality as we know it. Vanja, who is
already feeling alienated, gradually uncovers the dark
secrets of this society and why it came to be so totalitarian.
I don't
want to spoil the plot by saying too much – but if you have read
novels like Stanislaw Lem's SOLARIS, or the works of Philip K. Dick,
you may recognize some themes in AMATKA.
This is a remarkable novel which can be appreciated both as science fiction and as
literature. It may require a second or third reading to catch all its subtleties and things happening beneath the surface.
I especially enjoyed how Tidbeck
creates a surreal, dreamlike mood and builds to an intense, ambiguous ending. AMATKA is highly recommended. Keep an eye on
this writer.
Other works by Karin Tidbeck:
-Jagannath
-Who
is Arvid Pekon?
Footnotes:
- Tidbeck has written a column for the Swedish
newspaper Expressen, about how the Swedish cultural climate is
hostile to fantasy and science fiction (I can confirm that this
unfortunately is 100% true):
”Varför krävs en pizzeria i Linköping för att räknas?”
- YouTube video:
The Swedish bookstore SF-Bokhandeln has interviewed Karin Tidbeck.
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#karintidbeck #böcker #litteratur #boktips
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