Knausgård's Faustian Pact: London and the Dark Arts

Karl Ove Knausgård's new novel, 'The School of Night,' ventures into supernatural territory, a departure from his previous autofictional works. This fourth volume in the Morning Star sequence shifts to 1985 London, focusing on the art school ambitions of photographer Kristian Hadeland. Knausgård draws parallels between Kristian's all-consuming drive for fame and the classic Faustian bargain, highlighting a character willing to sacrifice anything and anyone for success.

The narrative is set in Deptford, a neighborhood Knausgård chose for its association with Elizabethan playwright Christopher Marlowe, a figure linked to the legend of the School of Night. Knausgård himself moved to London nearly a decade ago, embracing the city's cultural influence. His approach to writing avoids traditional research, preferring to discover the story's direction as he writes, a method that allowed him to develop Kristian's ruthlessness organically.

'The School of Night' contemplates the ephemeral nature of life and the human struggle against oblivion. Knausgård suggests that while art doesn't offer a lasting mark against darkness, the act of creation provides meaning through immersion in the present. The novel contrasts Kristian's detachment with the value of everyday life, echoing Knausgård's own literary style that blends epic scope with intimate details.