One of Us

In One of Us Åsne Seierstad tells the story of Anders Breivik and the horrific killing spree he undertook in Norway.  She begins with Breivik’s birth and picks up covering the lives of selected victims as they arrive in the chronological time line continuing all the way through his conviction.   For those who don’t remember, Breivik set off a bomb outside Norway’s parliament building killing 8 before going to the island of Utøya and shooting 69 people (mostly teenagers) dead.  

Seierstad provides an in depth look at both the perpetrator and a selection of his victims and a disturbingly thorough look at the actual man hunt Breivik undertook.  Literalists will quibble with the amount of subjective detail she provides about that day but I tend to look at it as a way of providing a voice for the dead.  All in all this is an interesting book that attempts to shed some light on an horrific event and manages to provide a serendipitous look at Norway and Norwegian culture.  I’d recommend it, though it’s not for the squeamish.