On the Calculation of Volume (Book I)

Synopsis

On her 122nd November 18th, Tara Selter wakes once again to the same day. Time has stopped for her alone. Seasons no longer change, the world resets each morning, and everyone she meets experiences November 18th for the first—and only—time. As Tara learns to navigate a life untethered from time, she begins to question memory, routine, love, and what it means to exist when tomorrow never comes.

The opening volume of Solvej Balle's extraordinary seven-book series, On the Calculation of Volume I transforms the familiar time-loop premise into a quiet, philosophical meditation on isolation, human connection, and the passing of time. Winner of the Nordic Council Literature Prize and shortlisted for the 2025 International Booker Prize, it announces the arrival of one of contemporary literature's most original voices.

About the Author

Solvej Balle is a Danish novelist and publisher whose work has earned international acclaim for its originality and formal innovation. The first three volumes of On the Calculation of Volume received the Nordic Council Literature Prize, and the English translation of the first volume, translated by Barbara J. Haveland, was shortlisted for the 2025 International Booker Prize.

Publisher
New Directions

Publication Date
November 26, 2024

Format
Paperback

Pages
160

Subjects
Literary Fiction · Translated Fiction · Danish Literature · Speculative Fiction

ISBN
9780811237253