\New Swedish Books, spring 2019 1
15 Spring 2019 Agnes Lidbeck (b. 1981) At a Loss,
novel, 250 p. Publisher Norstedts www.norstedts.se Rights Norstedts Agency Catherine Mörk Catherine.mork@norstedts.se Works Finna sig, novel, 2017 Förlåten, novel, 2018 Ur, poems, 2018 Literary Prizes Borås Tidnings debutantpris 2017 Dagens Nyheters kulturpris 2018 At a Loss Agnes Lidbeck’s novel At a Loss is the third instalment in a loose series about gender roles and relationships in Sweden today. Lidbeck made her acclaimed debut in 2017 with Supporting Act which explored the different roles of women. The follow-up, The Rift, asked what paths are open to us in life, and what price we must pay to follow them. In At a Loss Lidbeck changes perspectives. The reader follows protagonist Anders in his life as son, husband and father over the course of 20 years. His child grows up, his marriage evolves, his mother ages. Anders is left with uncertainty and fear – above all, fear of being left alone. But at the same time, solitude and its promise of freedom hold a certain allure. Several central figures from Lidbeck’s previous books return, this time seen through a new lens and emerging in a new light. In At a Loss, Lidbeck establishes herself as an expert in writing relationships, and dares to make the depiction of a disintegrating marriage truly painful. Photo: Kajsa Göransson