THE GREAT EXHIBITION

Author: Marie Hermanson
Year: 2018
Publisher: Albert Bonniers Förlag
Language: Swedish 

By 1923, Gothenburg on the Swedish west coast had established itself as the second city of the realm and following the success of the Stockholm Expo of 1897 and the Baltic Expo in Malmö 1914, the political leadership in this port city was eager to show that their city was ready to play in the big league.  The 300 year anniversary of Gothenburg two years earlier coincided with the Nobel Prize in physics being awarded to Albert Einstein and it was decided that Einstein, who had been prevented from collecting his prize money until then, would give his Nobel lecture in Gothenburg during the exhibition. He arrived in the spring of 1923 amid political unrest, economic distress, and a sharp rise of anti-semitic sentiments raging in his native Germany.

This sets the stage for Marie Hermanson’s latest suspense novel “Den stora utställningen” (not available in English but a verbatim translation would be “The Great Exhibition”). It is a composite story of historical facts mixed with the spawn of the author’s imagination seamlessly sewn together to what ends up being a rather satisfying tale. From the angles of four different observers who are all in one way or another involved with the exhibition, the fabric is woven in an accessible, entertaining, and interesting way. Otto, who is the only person who tells his story from the first perspective, reminisces about his childhood in the 1920s. Einstein himself is another voice, engulfed in what turns out to be a fight for survival. The last two, Ellen the journalist and Nils the police constable, are fictitious characters.  

Similar to how it is sometimes liberating to squeeze in an odd pizza or chocolate bar between elaborate culinary masterpieces it is sometimes liberating to squeeze in an odd pizza or chocolate bar or how the emotional depths probed by Mahler’s symphonies or Mozart’s Requiem occasionally benefit from being interrupted by the less demanding tunes of Ariana Grande or Robbie Williams, the world of literature, too, has plenty of room for folksy entertainment. Shelves at bookstores around the world buckle under the weight of crime fiction, fantasy, up lit, and romance. As in all other genres, the quality is highly uneven and chances are that more often than not the book you pick at random will turn out to be a dud.

Last time I read a book written for entertainment purposes only was in October 2018 where I allowed myself to suffer through the agony of making acquaintance with one of Britain’s most celebrated scribbler, whose name I will graciously omit. This time around, I had been more scrupulous in my selection when I cuddled up on the sofa in my snuggery to read Hermanson.

It paid off. Even though “Den stora utställningen” is probably best characterised as suspense fiction, the plot is neither novel nor unpredictable and as suspense goes, it was far from spine-chilling. Still, this is exactly part of the charm of this book. It chugs along at a moderate pace which allows the reader to enjoy the scenery comfortably seated as if in a railway car during a soothing ride through the comely vastness of a countryside landscape. There are no sudden stops or sharp turns, and although a modest degree of acceleration can be felt toward the climax of the book the experience is still closer to a Ferris wheel than a rollercoaster.

Particular accolade is due for Hermanson’s research in preparation of this book. Geographical accuracy and historical events are smartly anchored in the story. Gorgeous little details such as the latest music hits playing in the background contribute to my trust in the author and I have no hesitation to splash into the polished and temperate authenticity of the novel’s universe.  

As much as I regretted my choice in 2018, I am equally satisfied with having read Hermanson in 2020. Hers is not a production that will be remembered by posterity, but in the moment it is deliciously gratifying.  Her place in the history of literature is that of a chocolate bar’s at a World Exhibition.