Lyricism can be beautiful and in the case of Nothing, by Janne Teller it is the only thing the book has going for it.
"A plum tree has many branches. So many endless branches. All too many endless branches" (p. 12). The plum tree is where Pierre Anthon sat once he decided not to go to school anymore. From one of its branches he would call out to the kids who continued going to school and tell them that their actions were meaningless.
In an effort to fight the idea that they led meaningless existences Pierre's classmates band together to identify and stockpile all the meaningful items in their lives. Since they fail to identify for themselves what they find most meaningful, their classmates choose the item. Told through the eyes of a narrator who remains nameless for most of the book, this choosing escalates up until the end with what in reality would be shattering consequences.
Unfortunately, the plotline appears to be cribbed from some after-school TV special about the perils of teenage peer pressure. If it were not a book club selection I would not have finished it. However, if one likes Nihilistic philosophy or is a depressed teenager without a television I might recommend it.
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