What Kingdom is Dutch poet Fine Gråbøl’s debut novel, translated by Martin Aitken.
Our unnamed, young narrator is navigating her life in a psychiatric care facility. Through direct, uncomplicated prose, we meet the fellow residents, follow the drudgery of organizing group meals and grocery shopping, and watch as caregivers come and go.
For a book where seemingly “nothing happens”, there is an awful lot going on. Plot points that could easily be their own novel are encapsulated into a few concise sentences. For example, a mother and daughter occupy the same care facility, living on different floors, completely unaware of each other.
What struck me the most was how every word of What Kingdom felt genuine and authentic. Gråbøl brings a miserable and boring facility to life, without the cloying optimism that similar books often contain.
An interesting, brief work that I’m sure will resonate with a lot of people.
California Reading 