by Matias Faldbakken
(translated from the Norwegian by Alice Menzies)
Originally published in Norwegian as 'The Hills' in 2017
Date read: 22 Jan 2024
Disclaimer: I took a different approach while reading this book. I decided to document my thoughts and commentary as I read it, page by page. It has a few new sections.
Some thoughts
Okay. Let's start with first impressions: the synopsis at the back of the book reminds of the movie, The Menu - this is before I started reading the book.
But, it's nothing like the movie. Nothing at all.
So, what is it like? The book?
It's a piece of art. Detailed, nuanced, based on the whims and fancies of the narrator/ author. Each line is very much an intentional brush stroke. There's no extras. There's a method to the madness, an order to the chaos, a structure to the seeming disarray.
The details. It would be hard to complete any note about the book without being in awe of the level of detail. The characters, the ambience, the activities, the body language, the objects, the mood, the lighting, the colours (down to the various shades of blue on a tie - Cambridge, duck-egg, and periwinkle blue), the smells, the sounds. All this without being hectic. All this without overwhelming the reader. It's tastefully done. And it paints such a vivid picture that the reader doesn't need a very active imagination to follow along - which makes it an absolute joy to focus on the prose itself, which is no less fantastic.
The book is narrated from the point of view of our protagonist, the Waiter. The narration style in reflects that of a person riddled with anxiety - the person spiralling (thoughts), eventually realizing that they are spiralling, and then having that resigned oh-shit moment. It is, of course, not just limited to anxiety. It reflects the intelligence, the dry wit, and the opinions of the Waiter.
Chapter after chapter, we uncover something new. We are slowly being allowed deeper and deeper access to the workings of a human mind. It is fascinating to see the events unfold as they do. This was my two cents after reading Chapter 7: From whatever I have read so far, it feels like the reader, me, is taking a tour of the restaurant, with the Waiter being the guide. Much like me, the Waiter takes time to open up to people. As the chapters go by, the Waiter starts sharing more. The cool, collected Waiter gives way to an energetic, less inhibited tour guide, who starts sharing personal stories, starts building a connection with the reader.
As the plot thickens, you can feel that Waiter is finding himself in situations that are uncharted territory, out of his usual zone of existence. He starts to question his natural instincts and responses when he is faced with these situations. His observation skills are of course as sharp as ever, but we can see the flight or fight or freeze response kick in. You can feel that these incidents are messing with the Waiter's (inner) equilibrium.
He often finds himself expressing or sharing opinions which are not his own - which are someone else's opinions, that have been ingrained in him almost as something that he would have naturally thought of.
My thoughts a little later in the book: Is something going on here? The clear waters are getting murkier. There seems to be fog between the open channel that had been established between the Waiter narrating and the reader. There is something else at play here. The Waiter's guided tour, has, I feel, quite distinctively come to an end. It now seems like a narrative, like the Waiter has also become a part of the cast of characters on the scene to whose minds' inner working, the reader has no idea about. Boundaries have been drawn, walls are up. Curious occurrences are taking place. What is going on?
And this is where I'll leave you at - just enough craziness for you to actually pick up the book without giving you any spoilers.
An excerpt from my notes: This chapter is a riot. An absolute riot. How does this book get better and more intriguing with every page?
And another one: I really love this book. It has managed to make me truly happy.
And one last: This book reminds me of Jerome K. Jerome's Three Men in a Boat. The intent is not humour, but it just so happens to be the outcome due to the dry, witty, writing style.
You'll like this book if
Time investment & optics (for whomsoever it may concern)
Quick vocab booster (by no means comprehensive or exhaustive, simply adjusted for context)
Possible recipes (for those with the stomach to explore)
A few of my favourite lines from the book (in order of appearance)
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