Nothing: An Articulate Book About Meaning

As mentioned in the previous post, I recently finished reading a 2011 Michael L. Printz Award Honor book (try saying that three times fast), Nothing by Janne Teller. Originally published in Danish, this short novel explores the surprisingly fine line between meaning and nothing. Many critics have called this book The Lord of the Flies of the 21st century. I suppose I can see why it seems so similar to the provocative 20th century book. No, it doesn't tell a story about a group of boys on an adult-less deserted island, but it does have that feeling of being un-realistic realistic fiction. Much, like The Lord of the Flies, it explores life-altering topics and has deep undertones, but also, just like LOTF, it doesn't have much character depth. Which adds to the un-realisic aspect; the events that occur in this book could happen, but the absence of emotion and detail give it a surreal tone.

The book begins with the start of a seventh grade school year in a Danish school. Agnes, the narrator, recalls how one of her fellow classmates, Pierre Anthon, stood up and announced to the class, Nothing matters. I have known that for a long time. So nothing is worth doing. I just realized that. This leads to Pierre Anthon to begin living in a plum tee, shouting about how life means nothing to everyone who passes by. Annoyed by Pierre Anthon's behavior, Agnes and the other seventh graders begin to create a pile of things that have meaning. However, they quickly realize that they enjoy their most meaningful possessions too much to give away. This revelation causes the classmates to decide for each other what to add to the pile of meaning. Each classmate, after being forced to give something up, chooses another person and what they must add to the pile. What begins with a favorite pair of shoes or a beloved pet hamster, quickly turns into other, terrible, horrid things. A coffin with a dead body, a detached finger, and other unspeakable things are forced into the pile of meaning. Ultimately, this book leads to a shocking surprise ending, that leaves you thinking about it long after you have finished reading.

This novel creates many questions in one's mind. In the very end, Agnes reveals, while revisiting her memories from that year, that she doesn't know what the meaning of everything is, just that she knows it has a meaning. Which is the theme of the story; just because you don't know the meaning of something, doesn't mean it's not there.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars