Hermit Crabs

“The Apartment Relatives” is a novel-saga of the twists and turns of human relationships. A multi-part film shot in Norway based on this book won the sympathy of more than 1 million moviegoers. Meet an ordinary Norwegian family—but there is no tradition here of gathering at a family table, calling each other in the evenings, or going together out of town for a picnic. Everyone has their own affairs, habits, and interests, and it seems that nothing connects them. Except blood ties. Anna Ragde’s authorial voice, her tone, touches the hearts of even the most emotion-sparing readers. “The Apartment Relatives” is a dream, and at the end you might as well splash cold water on your face and look into the mirror: will it be the novel’s hero who returns your gaze?