Another volume, another set of November 18ths, another cliffhanger.

In volume I, Tara Selter explored her internal world. In volume II, she searched for seasonality and the containers of history. In On the Calculation of Volume III, Tara wrestles with the dissolution of the self and the need for community.

This volume continues to package phenomenological reflection in a science-fiction container with just enough progression to keep the reader hooked. All the while, Solvej Balle’s effortless prose washes over the reader. It is so easy to just keep reading.

I was intrigued to notice that this volume was translated from the Danish by a different translator than the first two volumes. In such self-reflective prose, I wondered if the change would be jarring. But it wasn’t. I suppose the shift in topic in this volume allowed for a different mediation.

I have one more volume to read before I have to wait for the publication cycle to grind on. I should slow down and enjoy this ride.

Balle, Solvej. On the Calculation of Volume III. 2022. Translated by Sophia Hersi Smith and Jennifer Russell. New Directions Paperbook, 2025.