The School of Night

Karl Ove Knausgaard’s most daring and macabre novel yet, The School of Night is an indelible tale about dark temptations, moral depravity, and what we forget when we bargain with the devil.

London. 1985. A city rife with possibility and desire. One young man who wants it all.

Kristian Hadeland, young and ambitious, has moved to London to study photography. His family never understood him, and his fellow photography students bore him. He throws himself headfirst into the bustling art scene, where he meets Hans, an eccentric Dutch artist. Kristian knows he and his art are destined for more, and with Hans, the future he yearns for is possible—as long as Kristian is willing to sacrifice everything and stop at nothing.

Twenty-four years later, Kristian has achieved everything he’s ever desired, and a major retrospective of his work is being held in New York City. But as Kristian’s past catches up to him, his world begins to crumble. Success comes at a price, but is Kristian prepared to pay it?

In a thrilling twist on Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus, Karl Ove Knausgaard masterfully spins a dark cautionary tale about the lengths we will go to achieve success—and how far we are willing to fall. His most daring and macabre novel yet, The School of Night is an indelible tale about dark temptations, moral depravity, and what we forget when we bargain with the devil.