Unequal relations.

Today, I shall begin my article by writing about author Lisa Halliday (42), who the media and literacy critics in her home country USA have said is a 'literary phenomenon' after her first novel was released a year ago. She has written other books and worked in publishing for many years, but 'Asymmetry' is her first novel. She completed her book in Milan, Italy, where she now lives with her husband and daughter. The book is universal in thoughts issues and contemporary in much of its content, certainly also relevant to our part of the world since the Middle East and the Iraq War (which began in 2003) are essential aspects of the book.

When Lisa Halliday was interviewed on Swedish TV's literary programme 'Babel' last Sunday, she was asked how she felt about having been praised by such people as Oprah Winfrey and President Barack Obama. She laughed and said she did tell her mother about it! Obama was mentioned in the book, she said, but the fact that he had actually read her words, she felt was very humbling. Of course, there is asymmetry and big differences between the author and the former president, but she admires him, and he put her book on his Facebook list of favourite writers.

'Asymmetry' is a book which is difficult to place in a particular category; it is a novel alright, but it also has many aspects of being a memoir about the author and several characters in the book. The author says it is certainly fiction. As mentioned, much of the book is about the Middle East, but the author has never been there herself.

Some say the book is a love story. In the first of the book's three sections, focus is given to an asymmetrical relationship between a young woman who is working in a junior post in a publishing house, who says she is gay, and a much older, richer and successful writer. Halliday had herself a close relationship with a much older, famous novelist, Philip Roth (1933-2018). Precisely, therefore, she could explore and write better about asymmetrical relationships, without it being her own life story.

In the SVT interview she stressed that many relationships, maybe most relationships, are indeed asymmetrical; that is why people are attracted to each other, to learn and explore new depths, she said. In our time, well in all times, people are open to such relationships, either they are close or at a distance.

Since the young woman and the famous writer in the book cannot easily meet in public, since he is famous, they meet in his...