Bjorn is a compulsive, exacting bureaucrat who discovers a secret room at the government office where he works--a secret room that no one else in his office will acknowledge. When Bjorn is in his room, what his coworkers see is him standing by the wall and staring off into space looking dazed, relaxed, and decidedly creepy. Bjorn's bizarre behavior eventually leads his coworkers to try to have him fired, but Bjorn will turn the tables on them with help from his secret room. Author Jonas Karlsson doesn't leave a word out of place in this brilliant, bizarre, delightful take on how far we will go--in a world ruled by conformity--to live an individual and examined life.
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Review:
At first Bjorn comes across as a co-working nightmare: an arrogant, rude corporate climber with zero self awareness. He operates without knowledge of social cues or norms, and sees the world in black and white, with little use for others. His clueless naiveté in direct contrast to someone of his "intelligence".
By chapter seventeen two realities seem to emerge: Bjorn's and everyone else's. While Bjorn has enjoyed several visits to the room between the elevator and bathrooms, his colleagues simply see him standing against a blank wall. His behavior sets off even the shyest of his colleagues. But the more his co-workers try to convince Bjorn there is no such room, the more adamantly he claims there is. Surely an entire office can't be crazy?! Yet it's hard not to believe Bjorn's version of reality.
A clever commentary on conformity, office politics, and how difficult it can be to swim against the tide.
* I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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