Room, The Invoice, and The Circus
In this trilogy of novellas, Jonas Karlsson explores the quirkier side of human nature, helping us to see the world anew via three eccentric narrators.
Firstly, jobsworth Bjorn starts a new career and expects to progress quickly with his meticulousness and efficiency. But he only gets the recognition he deserves in the Room which, it transpires, only he can visit.
Next, a man with a seemingly unremarkable life -- a job in a video store, a small flat, no partner, one good friend and a nice ice cream shop nearby -- receives an enormous invoice for his ‘experienced happiness’. Unable to pay, he sets out to discover how, exactly, his happiness bill was calculated.
Finally, in The Circus, published in the UK for the first time, two old friends decide to visit a circus together. When Magnus disappears during a magic trick, our protagonist is consumed by the need to find him. And yet, as with any Karlsson story, things aren’t quite what they seem…