Beyond Groundhog Day: Solvej Balle‘s ‘On the Calculation of Volume’ Explores the Weight of Endless Repetition
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The premise of a character reliving the same day has become a cultural touchstone, largely thanks to the 1993 film Groundhog Day. However, the concept’s roots stretch back much further, explored as early as 1915 in PD Ouspensky’s novel Strange Life of Ivan Osokin. Now, Danish author Solvej Balle offers a strikingly diffrent take on the time loop in her acclaimed series, On the Calculation of Volume, a work that has garnered significant literary recognition and is captivating readers with its profound exploration of existence.
A Literary Sensation rooted in Decades of Thought
Balle began developing the idea for her series years before Groundhog Day reached theaters. In fact, she suggests the film served as a point of contrast, stating it “helped me with research by trying out some of the roads I did not want to take.” The resulting novels have achieved considerable success in Denmark, with the first three volumes collectively winning the 2022 Nordic Council Literature prize – Scandinavia’s highest literary award.
The Perpetual November 18th
The series centers on Tara Selter, a woman inexplicably bound to November 18th. Each day begins anew, with the world resetting around her. People reappear, events unfold identically, while others vanish. Crucially, she is not confined spatially, able to travel freely despite being tethered to a single date. She can also interact with others, altering their day, but their memories reset with the dawn, leaving her perpetually alone with her knowledge.
A Meditation on Modern Life
Balle’s work is far more than a simple time-loop narrative. It’s a “profound meditation on love, loneliness, human consumption and everyday life,” delving into the complexities of the human condition. In the first volume, Tara’s attempts to share her predicament with her partner, Thomas, prove futile, leading to a quiet estrangement. The second volume sees her traversing Europe, desperately seeking the rhythm of seasons within the confines of a single, repeating day.
It is indeed in the third volume that a glimmer of hope emerges: Tara encounters another individual experiencing the same temporal anomaly. “I have met someone who remembers,” she announces, a moment brimming with “grateful incredulity.” This encounter leads to the revelation of two more individuals, Henry Dale, a norwegian sociologist, and another couple, forming a small group bound by their shared experience.
The Ethics of Foreknowledge
The quartet grapples with profound ethical questions. having lived the same day countless times,they possess foreknowledge of events,both trivial and tragic. Should they intervene to prevent accidents? Or is it their place to alter the course of events, possibly disrupting the natural order? The narrative explores the tension between individual agency and the acceptance of fate, questioning whether simply observing and understanding the repetition is enough. For Henry Dale, Tara’s journals, spanning 1,143 days, have served as her “sole witness, [her] confidant” before their meeting.
Volume III marks a shift in Balle’s style, becoming more expansive and philosophical. while her protagonist, Tara, remains a somewhat detached figure – notably absent of concerns about basic needs like food or even acknowledging her menstrual cycle – the narrative gains depth through the introduction of humor and a widening scope. Balle’s prose continues to be “compulsively hypnotic,” drawing readers into the intricacies of November 18th.
Beyond Escape: Finding Meaning in the Loop
Unlike the protagonists of Groundhog Day and Strange Life of Ivan Osokin, who are driven by a desire to escape their temporal prisons, Tara Selter has relinquished the hope of freedom. She accepts her fate, recognizing that her “lifetime” will be measured not by years, but by the lessons learned within the confines of a single day.
On the Calculation of Volume III by Solvej Balle, translated by Sophia Hersi Smith and Jennifer Russell, is published by Faber (£12.99). To support the Guardian, order your copy at guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply.
