The Time Loop Book Series You Should Be Reading
4/17/202636 min
How is it that a seven-book series written in Danish about a single day repeating over and over has become something of a sensation among the literary set? Since the English translations of Solvej Balle’s “On the Calculation of Volume” series were first published in the United States in 2024, they have been nominated for the International Booker Prize and the National Book Award.
With the latest volume to be translated into English, Book IV, out this week, Gilbert Cruz sat down with A.O. Scott, a critic at large, and Joumana Khatib, a Book Review editor, to talk boredom, stuckness and time loops. Plus, the books in translation you should read next.
Books discussed on this episode:
“On the Calculation of Volume,” by Solvej Balle
“The Director,” by Daniel Kehlmann
“Tyll,” by Daniel Kehlmann
“Breasts and Eggs,” by Mieko Kawakami
“Heaven,” by Mieko Kawakami
“Sisters in Yellow,” by Mieko Kawakami
“King Kong Theory,” by Virginie Despentes
The “Vernon Subutex” trilogy, by Virginie Despentes
“Time Shelter,” by Georgi Gospodinov
“Territory of Light,” by Yuko Tsushima
“The Betrothed,” by Alessandro Manzoni
“Kairos,” by Jenny Erpenbeck
“Go, Went, Gone,” by Jenny Erpenbeck
“In Search of Lost Time,” by Marcel Proust
“Ulysses,” by James Joyce
“Anna Karenina,” by Leo Tolstoy
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Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsDane Brugler0:00
I'm Dane Brugler. I cover the NFL Draft for The Athletic. Our draft guide picked up the name The Beast because of the crazy amount of information that's included. I'm looking at thousands of players, putting together hundreds of scouting reports. I've been covering this year's draft since last year's draft. There is a lot in The Beast that you simply can't find anywhere else. This is the kind of in-depth, unique journalism you get from The Athletic and The New York Times. You can subscribe at nytimes.com/subscribe.
Gilbert Cruz· Host0:29
Hello, I'm Gilbert Cruz, and this is The Book Review from The New York Times. Today, I want you to imagine a scenario. You wake up one morning, and you start to go about your day as you do every day, and an eerie feeling begins to arise. Everything seems familiar? Too familiar. Eventually, a realization starts to creep into your mind. Is it possible you're reliving yesterday? You go through the day, the day passes, you go to sleep, quote, "Tomorrow arrives," and it is the same day yet again. And then it is the same day yet again. Somehow, you have become stuck in time.
A.O. Scott· Guest1:16
Well, it's Groundhog Day. Again?
Gilbert Cruz· Host1:19
That's what we're here to talk about. Not Groundhog Day, the classic nineteen ninety-three film starring Bill Murray. We are here to talk about another hit