Hamster Wheel - Henriette Lunde
Norwegian title: Hamsterhjul
Hi book friends!
This time, I’ve read a book that resonates with me for the non-obvious reasons, however strange that sounds. The synopsis is borrowed from Goodreads and translated by me:
Signe has worked for the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration for many years. She’s always at the ready, handles everything immediately, supports everyone, whether it’s her coworkers, her daughter Ellinor, or her husband Erlend, who spends most of his time sleeping at home. Because everyone wants help. Everyone wants something from her. Even the seagulls are screaming “Want! Want!”. Erlend calls himself an artist, but will he ever complete a single piece? Signe has to provide for the family for now, but how long can she handle it? She feels locked in, both in the workspace, which is located in a miserable concrete box of a building, and in the family. The White Coats show up in every single corner she sees. They’re mumbling and acting threatening. Is she about to lose her mind? Then, Signe and Erlend’s relationship starts to crack. Secrets are revealed, Signe has a breakdown and runs away to her father’s house which is located on the small island of Røst while Erlend has to take care of Ellinor. How will it end for the family? Are they able to free themselves from the hamster wheel? '
If you are a foreigner, you need to understand that the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration, or NAV for short in Norwegian, is every Norwegian’s worst nightmare. They do a lot of good, don’t get me wrong, but it is the most bureaucratic, complex, and iacky thing to deal with as a Norwegian in my opinon. I’ve had minor experience with them, and it’s more than enough for me. I don’t have any work experience with NAV, but I do get the sense that Lunde portrays it quite well for those who are in a similar position as Signe. At the same time, I can relate to Signe in the sense that I feel like there are not enough hours in a day to do everything I want to do. I mean, we only have one child and are two functioning grown-ups, but still there are days when I think, ‘I haven’t done anything productive in the house today’ or ‘I haven’t done anything I want to do today’ or ‘I don’t have the energy to do anything but the bare minimum today’, and it is strange how this is something everyone feel at some point but you don’t understand it until you’re there yourself. I suppose I’ve come to realise that this is a part of grown-up life haha.
What I like about Lunde’s writing is that even though you may not be able to relate directly to the exact situation occurring in the book, you can still relate to certain aspects of what she’s writing and describing. There is a certain warmth and sensitivity in her writing, whilst it’s also funny and serious. The language is simple and easy to read, but I believe this helps drive the point home for the storyline. It captures the reader, or it did me at least, in a way that you can’t quite explain. I felt an urge to stay with the book and keep turning the pages. This is the same feeling I remember from the previous book I read by her, A Small Paradox, which is one of the reasons why I was excited to read another book by her.
The most annoying character in this book must be Erlend. How do people end up married to such characters? I felt a shortness of breath descend upon me when he was introduced, and the more I learned about him, my breath kept catching, not in a positive way. I'm not able to grasp such people who live on the whim of others and who can’t seem to finish a single thing. I know I probably sound like a very harsh person with no understanding of other people, but I am a nice person, I promise you haha. There are just certain things I’m struggling to understand, and not contributing equally in a marriage, whichever equality works for you, is one of them. On the other hand, I found it quite nice that Lunde writes the book from both Signe’s and Erlend’s perspectives. This gave Erlend the chance to redeem himself a little bit in my eyes. Didn’t go too well, I have to admit, but you get creds for trying. I suppose.
Hamster Wheel is a strange but very nice novel. It contains so many familiar scenarios which so many people can relate to on many levels, no matter where in the life cycle you are. I like that the characters are so normal, and even though there are not too many spikes in the storyline, you’ll most likely feel an urge to stay with the story and finish it quickly to learn how it ends with Signe, Erlend, and Ellinor.
Published: 2025
Genre: Novel
Theme: Family, life, friends
- The Book Reader
