I ran across Nothing when I was going through books on the shelf in my classroom, and I was intrigued by it's simple and open premise: a boy stands up in the middle of class one day, announces that nothing matters, packs up all his things, and climbs a plum tree, leaving his classmates in an existential crisis. It is rare that I read a book in one night, but Nothing gripped me until I finished it. I immediately wanted to talk about it to someone, and yet, it is almost impossible to describe.
I will try to keep the spoilers down because this one did leave me reeling. Nevertheless, I think it's worth it to have some idea of what you're going into. The blurb on the back of the book describes the story as "wildly bleak," and I can think of no better description. It begins odd and quirky--almost funny--until you find yourself in a downward spiral reminiscent of Lord of the Flies. (Here's your one big spoiler: the dog does die.)
Recalling my experience reading Lord of the Flies in ninth grade, I think Nothing might be a better book for today's teens. For one, the book was published in 2000, so it's literally more modern, both in it's setting and it's language (though the author is Danish, so if you're reading it in English, like me, you're reading it in translation.) Furthermore, to the degree Lord of the Flies wraps itself in allegory, it seems Nothing lays itself bare. The entire story is about symbols and their significance, so the characters engage in regular conversation about such things. Why is the Lord of the Flies... I mean, the church crucifix... so important? Why is it meaningful?
Honestly, I see why the book is award-winning. I think it could make for great classroom discussion: How do we imbue things with meaning? And why? Must something always be meaningful in order to be meaningful at all? I wanted nothing more than to tell Pierre Anton that with the very act of climbing the plum tree he imbued the very concept of meaninglessness with meaning.
But I think the most interesting question might be where are the adults when all of this is happening? Because unlike Lord of the Flies, Nothing doesn't take place on a deserted island. It takes place in the middle of a small Danish village. In a review of the film adaptation, one viewer said they didn't believe that the kids could have gotten up to quite as many things as they do quite so quickly. But I think the absence of adults in the book is a feature, not a flaw. Now, I haven't seen the movie. I don't know if the timeline is compressed. But the book takes place over the course of several months at least, and I absolutely believe that a group of twelve/thirteen year olds could get up to this. I would not put it past my students. All it takes is for the adults to be occupied with their own meaning... or perhaps the lack of it... to miss perhaps the most meaningful thing of all that's happening right under their noses.
"War, What If It Were Here?" by Janne Teller - A Haunting Thought Experiment
Janne Teller’s latest novel, “What If War Were Here?”, is a thought-provoking and haunting exploration of the human experience in the face of war. By adapting the story to different regions, Teller challenges readers to confront the harsh realities of conflict and its impact on families and individuals.
One of the most striking aspects of the book is Teller’s commitment to adapting the story to…
29 de Noviembre 2025 - cerramos mes, con una novela inteligente y única: "Justicia" de Janne Teller. Una novela que te hará pensar y cuestionarte tus propios pensamientos....
We started reading "Nichts (Was im Leben Wichtig Ist)" ("Nothing (that matters in Life)") by Janne Teller in school and while we never finished it, I tracked down the book afterwards.
It's considered controversial given certain topics, (animal death, suicide, teen sex i guess?) and has even been banned in some places, but I really like the bleakness of the book, and how it's written. I'm usually not a fan of depressing nihilism but I found it to be interesting in this case.
