Nothing

Nothing by Janne Teller

This is NOT a Caudill nominee. It is an ALA Notable Book. I was preparing a cart of books to order from the 2011 Notable Book list and this one caught my eye. I knew I had to get a hold of it. I had to read it. I couldn’t put it off any longer. I would describe it thus; sometimes you cannot look away from the train wreck. It has been called a Lord of the Flies for the 21st century. In other words – existential, shocking, horrifying.

I am not going to be the one to recommend it. It is supposed to be for young adults. It is about 7th graders. It is more likely going to be a librarian’s nightmare. As in it will be challenged. We own one copy in Young Adult. When I requested it, we did not have it yet. The only local person I know who is talking about it – is me. And it might stay that way. Or it might be the same for kids as it was for me. They will do anything to get their paws on it.

And that’s the second reason that I read books. I read them so you don’t have to.
Okay, I’m going to do this the easy way … I had to dig to get much of this information without reading the book. And there were still surprises … Sometimes you just have to put things in order to see the downward spiral.

So if you don’t want to know nearly everything … stop now!

It is the first day of school and Pierre Anthon states, “Nothing matters. I have known that for a long time. So nothing is worth doing. I just realized that.” And then Pierre Anthon leaves the classroom, the school and treks back home where he climbs the plum tree in his front yard. From that day forth, he harasses his classmates as they trudge to and from school.

What is the point of school? To make something of yourself. But if nothing matters, why bother? Pierre Anthon taunts them for wasting their time. Only NOTHING matters. And he pelts them with plums.

The rest of Pierre Anthon’s class set out to prove to him that the world has meaning. They do this by creating a pile of meaning in an abandoned sawmill on the outskirts of town. They find old dolls, old tapes and old books that used to mean something and put them in the pile. Then the kids go door to door asking for other people to give up once-treasured objects to add to the pile.

But then the children realize that such things no longer mean much. To attribute meaning to something, giving it up must require sacrifice. And since no one will willingly give up something truly important, it becomes necessary for each child to demand something of the next child.

First Jon-Johann requires Dennis give up his Dungeons and Dragons book collection. Dennis requires Sebastian give up his fishing rod. Sebastian requests Richard’s black soccer ball go on the pile. Richard demands Laura’s African parrot earrings.

Gerda suggests Laura tell Agnes, our narrator, to give up her green wedge sandals. Agnes gets Gerda back by telling her to give up her hamster, Oscarlittle. He goes on the pile in a cage.

Gerda tells Maiken to give up her expensive telescope. Maiken makes Frederik give up his Dannebrog – the Danish flag. Did I mention that this book is set in modern day Denmark and was translated into English?

Frederik demands Lady William’s diary, but forgets to require the key for the lock. Lady William wants Anna-Li’s adoption papers. Anna-Li asks for Little Ingrid’s new crutches. Little Ingrid wants Henrik to get the formaldehyde snake from his dad’s science classroom. Henrik asks for Otto’s boxing gloves.

Otto wants Elise’s baby brother. Her dead baby brother. Her dead baby brother in his coffin. Her dead baby brother in his coffin dug up and put on the pile. Which comes with one elderly dog called Cinderella, who makes her home on top of the coffin.

Elise demands Ursula-Marie’s cherished six blue braids. Ursula-Marie requires Hussain’s prayer mat. Hussain’s father beats him, breaks his arm and puts him in the hospital for “losing” it.

Hussain wants Huge Hans neon yellow bike. Sophie pressures him the most to produce it. Huge Hans demands Sophie’s innocence. Four boys stay behind in case assistance is necessary. And Sophie is hardened - changed mentally.

Sophie chooses Holy Karl and tells him to deliver Jesus on the Rosewood Cross. In the process of taking the cross down from above the altar, one of Jesus’ legs is broken and the other is broken when it is moved to the pile. Unfortunately, Cinderella chooses to desecrate the Rosewood Cross daily.

Holy Karl wants Cinderella’s head. Because Cinderella means more to Elise than her brother’s coffin did AND Elise has already had her turn. Holy Karl chooses Pretty Rosa to cut the dog’s throat. Pretty Rosa who faints at the sight of blood.

To finish the circle, Pretty Rosa requests Jon-Johan’s right index finger. He can play guitar and sing like the Beatles. Well, he could.

The circle is complete, but the book is only a little over half-finished. But that is enough. You get the picture.