Göran Tunström’s The Christmas Oratorio – what can I say about this book that is not already widely known? I loved everything. I’ve read all the novels in an effort to find out what happened in these books. So, this is an entertaining read even if I don’t really get too much through it to begin with.
A novel not even known in the US has become the most cult Swedish novel of all time. I’m an optimist and think that the best of two worlds holds. The world without the threat of the supernatural, in which we live, is a very boring and unproductive place. In my experience, when we’re surrounded by people who seem quite normal and friendly, we’re able to learn about them more quickly, and become friends better. It’s much easier to trust people when they’re really, truly human beings. They don’t always have to share their worst worries, but if the world around us is boring, then our relationship with it simply might as well end. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve made friends with people on the street (or worse with them on the internet). All I know is that they’re all trying very hard to be nice and friendly to each other, and they’re doing a good job. It’s the same with things, really. I’m no paranormal expert, but I’d say a lot of people I know think that it’s more important to find something interesting to talk about with somebody, rather than worrying about it anyway. The thing is, there’s quite an array of things out there that they can’t explain to you. The problem with this is that all the people who have the time and opportunity to do that don’t actually want to, because they’re worried that the mysterious person behind the door is a threat, or a psychopath or something.
This book and its subplot of telepathic bonds affected me deeply. It’s one of those works that I feel is important not only because of its personal implications but also because it deals with how the relationship between two adults is a constant struggle and how those struggles must be treated, in order to build healthy relationships. It is a piece of literature that could help bridge the gaps between our personal conflicts and our professional responsibilities.
On paper, this would seem to be not only highly successful as a novel – which is exactly what Tunström hopes – but also quite possibly the definitive treatise of telepathy among the twentieth century. The book does have its fair share of flaws, as it suffers from pacing and repetition too much for most readers, as it is written to be read over several chapters at a time. However, Tunström believes that there is a silver lining to the flaws. There is also a bit of irony, as there are a number of references to telepathy and other forms of mind control that seem to be being treated lightly, as Tunström thinks that such treatment is often used to enhance the fiction, to get it into the reader’s mind without any real meaning being attached.
One of the things that impressed me the most about this book is the way in which the characters react to each other. What’s interesting about Tunström is that she does not always stick to a straight narrative (as is the tendency of most literary novels), making it difficult for the reader to focus on particular characters from their point of view.
What appeals to me most is what is not shown in the writing at different points in time by Tunström. The fact that the story takes place in the past, opens the possibility that I have to choose between some of the characters and some of the events that have happened. Such questions could not exist more aptly portrayed in any literary novel than through the eyes of this narrator.