Comments on: Borderliners by Peter Høeg

By: Jo

Jo — Fri, 06 May 2011 01:50:34 +0000

I was incredibly moved by this book. I found his account resonant. I understood the overwhelming desire for meaningful human contact and the deep disconnect between what he was receiving from everyone around him and what he was giving. The “scientific” approach to the narration of the story really felt right to me too. Like the only way you can approach an emotional pain of that magnitude is at a forced remove. The hope and fear that he conveys in the interludes (especially when describing “the child”) are vivid.

Great book. Still. Thanks for the review.

By: Heidi

Heidi — Tue, 04 May 2010 10:21:08 +0000

This is one of my favorite books. Most people haven’t heard of it. I was delighted to find your review.

By: Carla Abellana

Carla Abellana — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 12:46:37 +0000

borderline huh? sounds like a madonna song..

By: Jim Murdoch

Jim Murdoch — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 15:11:46 +0000

I’m not sure I could enjoy this book. I’ve never recovered from the scene where Tom gets “roasted” in front of an open fire in ‘Tom Brown’s Schooldays’. I have no particular reason to hate institutions like that but I find I do. That said the block of text you included was interesting.

I’ve been sent an advanced reading copy of a novel where a man gets unlawfully incarcerated in an African jail – I forget which country at the moment – and I’m a bit wary about starting that one. It’s not that I want to stick my head in the sand and pretend that stuff like this isn’t going on. I just find that it affects me more than I like and somehow fictionalised accounts get under your skin more than plain documentaries.

jb says: Hi Jim, I know what you mean about fiction finding its way under your skin easier than documentaries. I also find fiction more powerful, but somehow have a way of dealing with it. Thick skin might be the answer. I draw the line at graphic depictions of torture or totally gratuitous violence, but otherwise I sometimes find myself reading accounts of suffering which would force me to close my eyes in real life.