Through a Filter of Red (Gennem et filter af rødt)
Gustava has moved in with her younger brother Mikael in his little house in the woods. She is an unemployed psychiatrist, he makes a living from online stock trading. Gustava spends her time on Mikael's sofa, only moving from it to take occasional walks with the dog. Gustava feels like a parasite and her presence is increasingly getting on Mikael's nerves. They both dream of doing something, of making a difference in the world, but they are stuck, overwhelmed by internal and external crises. Eventually, the situation becomes too much for Mikael's house helper, Bruno. Something needs to be done. Through a Filter of Red is a novel about being stuck in the middle of life, but still full of longing and desire for more - and shows that change is always possible.
‘Following Christina Hesselholdt's characters through doubt, despair and desire is a wonderful journey through her careful and elegant language and into her almost absurd universe but it isn’t just that: when you finish the novel, you are left with a very special version of what we usually call hope’
– Solvej Balle
‘Hesselholdt's description of honour-seeking but apathetic individualism is absolutely terrific ... As with Beckett, Hesselholdt's text conjures up a great, great despair about the state of the world with brilliant clownish comedy. (…) Absolutely marvellous novel ... In Through a Filter of Red, Hesselholdt continues her hilarious and hilarious saga about two middle-aged siblings who cannot figure out how to live their lives in a meaningful way ... For my sake, the saga of Gustava and Mikael should develop into a regular series.’
- Information
‘Christina Hesselholdt creates a sparkling, delicious comedy of an awkward pair of siblings irretrievably lost with each other ... This is clearly Hesselholdt's funniest book as in: absurdist, slapstick-stoned fun. (…) Delightful novel’
- Weekendavisen
‘Just when you think that sadness and fate only point in one direction for the siblings, Hesselholdt toys with the reader and lets the story unfold into something that almost resembles a feel-good story about how it is never too late to change direction and seize the day. Hope arrives thanks to a kitchen party with a dress code and an incomprehensibly large water bill’
- Kristeligt Dagblad
‘A stylish novel, the language is masterful... I was entertained and stimulated.’
– Pio Magazine
‘Christina Hesselholdt's new novel is a real linguistic virtuoso success ... Few have the linguistic register of Christina Hesselholdt - she can reach the highest heights’
- ATLAS Magazine
