Review: The Room by Jonas Karlsson

Title:  The Room Author:  Jonas Karlsson Publisher/Publication Date: Hogarth; February 15, 2015 Genre:  Literary Fiction Format/Source: Paperback (Review Copy), Blogging for Books Book Summary from Penguin Random House Funny, clever, surreal, and thought-provoking, this Kafkaesque masterpiece introduces the unforgettable Bjorn, an exceptionally meticulous office worker striving to live life on his own terms.         Bjorn is a compulsive, meticulous bureaucrat who discovers a secret room at the government office where he works–a secret room that no one else in his office will acknowledge. When Bjorn is in his room, what his co-workers see is him standing by the wall and staring off into space looking dazed, relaxed, and decidedly creepy. Bjorn’s bizarre behavior eventually leads his co-workers to try and have him fired, but Bjorn will turn the tables on them with help from his secret room.       Debut author Jonas Karlsson doesn’t leave a word out of place in this brilliant, bizarre, delightful take on how far we will go–in a world ruled by conformity–to live an individual and examined life. Book Trailer My Thoughts I really don’t have much to say about The Room by Jonas Karlsson.  The story wasn’t exactly what I imagined; however, it was bizarrely entertaining. It followed Bjorn throughout his experiences as the new—quite odd—person on the job.  The main elements of the story dealt with office politics and the mystery surrounding “the room”.  Overall the story was okay, but the ending was vague and could be open for interpretation.  About the Author JONAS KARLSSON writes plays and short fiction. One of Sweden’s most prominent actors, Karlsson has performed on Sweden’s premier stage and in several acclaimed feature films and television series. In 2005, Karlsson made his debut as a playwright, earning rave reviews from audience and critics alike. Spurred by the joy of writing for the stage, Karlsson began writing fiction. Rating 3/5 "I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review."