The big questions in life touch every one of us. On the Meaning of Life makes us understand how.
Author: Merete Mazzarella
Swedish original: Om livets mening
Publisher: Schildts & Söderströms, 2017
Number of pages: 223 pp.
Reading material: Swedish original, Finnish translation, English sample
The big questions in life always feel a bit troublesome. Maybe they come too close and are too difficult to comprehend all at once. Or is it actually the case that we ponder the meaning of life more than we realize we do?
In her essays, Merete Mazzarella approaches the meaning of life through her own experiences and reflections, using philosophical discourse and her observations of her surroundings. She presents the reader with new questions about our world in which, on the one hand, there are endless shades of gray, and, on the other, sharp contrasts: prosperity is juxtaposed with streams of refugees, globalization with walls, and violent video games with real time love across the oceans.
Mazzarella writes about our Western worldview, evil, forgiveness, compassion, and goodness. In a unique way, she makes abstract subjects understandable and concrete.
“Mazzarella successfully conveys the compelling joy of discovery in her essays. […] This book is a profession of faith to the art of conversation and an ode to the heritage of chatty ladies.”
– Hufvudstadsbladet newspaper
About the author:
Merete Mazzarella