In this funny and moving debut novel, we are immersed in the world of Halim, a young middle-school boy who has lost his way in a fundamentalist world of ideas. Father and son have just moved from the immigrant-dominated suburbs to central Stockholm w ...
In this funny and moving debut novel, we are immersed in the world of Halim, a young middle-school boy who has lost his way in a fundamentalist world of ideas. Father and son have just moved from the immigrant-dominated suburbs to central Stockholm where the father hopes to give his son better opportunities than he had before. Halim, however, feels that his father has started to lose his focus and faith, that he has given up the fight. Halim wants to restore immigrant honour, but discovers that it is not quite as easy as he thinks. He dreams of becoming a kind of super immigrant – a sultan of thought – a badass revolutionary bringing renewed pride to his community. At the same time he tries to distance himself from all the confrontations at school (without much success) and get a little closer to a girl he has had his eye on (which is not without its problems either).
Reflecting Halim's feelings of alienation, Khemiri tells his story in a purposefully broken Swedish, it is superbly rhythmic, and wonderfully high-handed.
Jonas Hassen Khemiri, born in 1978, has a Tunisian father and a Swedish mother. He has studied at Stockholm University, been an intern at the UN in New York and now studies economics in Paris. This is his literary debut.
Rights sold to:
Gyldendal Litteratur, Norway
Johnny Kniga, Finland
Gyldendal, Denmark
Piper Verlag, Germany
De Geus, the Netherlands
Odiseja, Serbia
Hayakawa, Japan
Praise for Ett öga rött
"Ett öga rött is a joy to read; captivating and in many places sharp and funny." Svenska Dagbladet
"Ett öga rött is an important debut not just because it fills a void, but because it challenges some of the expectations created by the genre." Expressen
"This bildungsroman about a young man in crisis has the makings of classic; belongs on the same shelf as JD Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye and Emile Ajar’s La Vie devant Soi." Upsala Nya Tidning
”I can’t remember the last time a novel made me feel so blissful.” Arbetaren
“A disconcerting book.... brilliantly crafted, powerful prose.” SVT (Swedish Public Television)
“The prospect that Halim is intentionally presenting a self-caricature beckons to us throughout the book, opening the door to issues of authenticity and role-playing that extend far beyond its covers.” BLM
“Stylistic precision and psychological insight, a wicked debut novel.” Café Magazine