London Review Bookshop Podcast Solvej Balle & Chris Power: On the Calculation of Volume
Solvej Balle, Danish novelist behind the septology On the Calculation of Volume, discusses a protagonist trapped reliving 18 November and the novel’s thirty-year emergence. Short scenes, looping rules and sensory detail are explored. Influences from Beckett to Genji and the role of translation and solitude in shaping voice are also discussed.
56:42
Humble Self-Publishing Origin
- Solvej Balle recounts initially self-publishing and printing just 600 copies of the book in Danish. She was surprised by the international success that followed years later.
Repetition Elevates Sensory Time
- Tara wakes each morning to the same calendar date, forcing close attention to sensory detail and routine. That repetition foregrounds how material sensations and small acts structure subjective time.
Three-Decade Genesis
- Balle says the idea for the loop came to her in 1987 and she later discovered many precedents like Groundhog Day and Christmas Every Day. She wrote early scenes (like the kitchen scene) in 1999 and developed the rest slowly over decades.
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Intro
00:00 • 2min
Reception and surprise at international acclaim
02:05 • 2min
Series scale, publications, and progress
03:53 • 2min
Misconceptions about reclusiveness
05:26 • 2min
Introducing Tara Seltzer and the premise
07:03 • 3min
Reading: Tara's repeated day
09:34 • 3min
Origins of the loop idea and literary precedents
12:05 • 4min
Long gestation: planning versus discovery
16:25 • 1min
Rules of the loop and narrative discovery
17:51 • 3min
Detail, objects, and narrative intelligence
20:53 • 5min
Tara's nationality and character formation
25:30 • 3min
Tara's projects as coping mechanisms
28:30 • 42sec
Balancing thinking and sensual action
29:12 • 2min
Loneliness, routine and small pleasures
31:01 • 5min
Writing, sentences and translation
36:09 • 4min
Literary influences: Beckett to Genji
39:40 • 3min
Attraction to isolation as a narrative lens
42:13 • 3min
Choosing 18 November
45:00 • 2min
Audience question: repetition and the writing life
47:27 • 4min
Audience question: 'monster' and intimacy
51:02 • 5min
Outro
56:20 • 1min
#96910
Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow
Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow
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Smilla Jaspersen, a half-Greenlandic, half-Danish expert in snow and ice, doubts the police's ruling of accidental death when her young neighbor Isaiah falls from a snowy rooftop.
Her investigation uncovers footprints suggesting he was chased, leading to conspiracies involving Arctic expeditions, mysterious payments, and a perilous journey to Greenland.
Amid obstruction from authorities and alliances with unlikely helpers, Smilla pursues the truth behind decades-old secrets on a remote glaciated island.
#74292
According to the Law
Solvej Balle
According to the Law: Four Accounts of Mankind is a book by Solvej Balle referenced as her breakthrough in the early 1990s that circulated in multiple territories and contributed to her reputation within Danish literary culture.
The work displays Balle’s interest in experimental narrative and short prose forms that would inform her later, larger projects.
It was sold in several countries at the time and compared, in publicity, to other prominent Danish writers.
The book’s reception helped place Balle on the literary map and preceded her long-term work on the septology discussed at the event.
Specific thematic and structural details were not elaborated in the transcript.
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On the Calculation of Volume, Volume 1
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No information available.
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The novel follows the life of a stray kitten who is adopted by a middle-class family, specifically Mr. Sneaze, a high school English teacher.
The cat, who remains nameless, provides witty and insightful observations of human behavior, particularly the eccentricities and foibles of Mr. Sneaze and his circle of friends.
The story is characterized by its episodic structure, lacking a formal plot, and instead focuses on the cat's humorous and sometimes biting commentary on human relationships and societal norms of the Meiji era.
The novel also touches on themes such as the generation gap, individuality, and the cultural changes of the time.
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The Tale of Genji
Murasaki Shikibu
Written in the 11th century, 'The Tale of Genji' is a comprehensive narrative that explores the life of Prince Genji, the 'Shining Prince', against the backdrop of Japan's Heian period.
The novel delves into Genji's numerous romantic entanglements, personal struggles, and the societal expectations he faces.
It is a rich tapestry of themes including love, fleeting beauty, and the complexities of relationships defined by honor, desire, and tragedy.
The story also provides a detailed insight into the culture of the aristocracy in early Heian Japan, including its forms of entertainment, daily life, and moral code.
The novel is known for its poetic and aesthetic elements, incorporating over 800 waka poems, and its exploration of human emotions and the transience of life.
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Sei Shōnagon
The Pillow Book, or 'Makura no Sōshi', is a personal and informal journal written by Sei Shōnagon during the 990s and early 1000s.
It contains a wide range of entries including lists, nature descriptions, diary entries, character sketches, and anecdotes.
The book provides a detailed and vivid picture of life in the Heian court, showcasing Shōnagon's wit, poetic skill, and keen observation of detail.
It is considered a significant historical document and a landmark in Japanese literature, influencing the genre of 'zuihitsu' or 'assorted writings'.
The text is written primarily in Japanese hiragana and offers insights into the daily life, ceremonies, and social dynamics of the Heian period.
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Ulysses
James Joyce
Ulysses is a groundbreaking and complex modernist novel that chronicles the experiences of three Dubliners over a single day.
The novel is loosely based on Homer's epic poem 'The Odyssey', with Leopold Bloom paralleling Odysseus, Stephen Dedalus paralleling Telemachus, and Molly Bloom paralleling Penelope.
It explores themes such as antisemitism, human sexuality, British rule in Ireland, Catholicism, and Irish nationalism.
The novel is known for its innovative use of language and narrative techniques, including stream-of-consciousness and multiple literary styles.
It captures the essence of early 20th-century Dublin, providing a detailed snapshot of the city's social, political, and cultural landscape.
#1625
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Waiting for Godot
Samuel Beckett
Samuel Beckett's "Waiting for Godot" is a seminal work of absurdist theatre.
The play features two tramps, Vladimir and Estragon, who wait endlessly for the enigmatic Mr. Godot, whose arrival is perpetually delayed.
Beckett's minimalist style and his exploration of existential themes have made the play a cornerstone of modern drama.
The play's ambiguous nature and its exploration of meaninglessness and the human condition continue to resonate with audiences today.
"Waiting for Godot" remains a powerful and thought-provoking work that challenges conventional notions of narrative and dramatic structure.
‘Every morning, she wakes up to the 18th of November. She no longer expects to wake up to the 19th of November, and she no longer remembers the 17th of November as if it were yesterday.’
Solvej Balle’s septology On the Calculation of Volume (Faber), thirty years in the making, was published in Danish by the author’s own press to huge and universal acclaim: ‘Absolutely, absolutely incredible’ (Karl Ove Knausgaard); ‘Unforgettable’ (Hernan Díaz); ‘A total explosion’ (Nicole Krauss). Now Faber has brought the first two volumes of her masterpiece to an anglophone readership in a vibrant translation by Barbara J. Haveland, the first of which has been nominated for this year’s International Booker Prize.
Balle was joined in conversation by novelist and critic Chris Power.
Get the books: https://www.londonreviewbookshop.co.uk/stock/on-the-calculation-of-volume-i-absolutely-absolutely-incredible.-knausgard-solvej-balle
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