Storm Sandberg is about to lose everything. The large padel facility just outside Oslo was not the success he had hoped for, and he has to appear in the bankruptcy court. He needs to declare bankruptcy. And not for the first time.
Storm is the father of two woke 17-year-olds and married to an up-and-coming gallerist whom he fears is on her way to leave him. In addition, he has perhaps the world’s worst parents, not least the great Gerd Bye, the theater director with the revolutionary productions, who combines care and manipulation in an elaborate way with the children she has, and the men she has them with.
With neither money nor special prospects for the future, Storm bets on one last card to save his marriage, his finances and his honor: He decides to stage the Greek tragedy Medea – but as a musical, and with a twinkle in the eye.
Family values is a novel about the thin line between wealth and abyss, between community and loneliness, between who we are seen as and who we really are. The result is a contemporary satire, a comedy about the family, and, not least, a furious tragedy about the fall of a man.
Family Values is a gentle satire written with energy and wit. Humor and gravity go hand in hand… What a hilarious book!
VG
You mustn’t let liars like Storm into your life, but you should absolutely read this book about him… The talented Jens M. Johansson writes entertainingly about a guy who is so desperate to prove that he matters, but doesn’t quite manage it.
Stavanger Aftenblad
Family Values is a comedy and a parody, modern-day life to the extreme – but the book is also sad. The author’s success lies in this combination… [Johansson] deserves a round of applause.
NRK
As usual, Johansson writes well and with a twist, the story is easy to read, and humor is always close at hand…The depictions of the family gatherings are particularly enjoyable.
Adresseavisen
Jens M. Johansson has written an incredible and nuanced book about a liar and his family. You don’t always need to describe a hell of a lot to be a good author, but Johansson can and has – and in his case, it’s a good thing someone is describing a whole hell of a lot.
Dag og Tid
Funny and tender portrait of a mendacious self-deceiver.
Dagsavisen
A novel that will stay at the top of the list of the year’s best books – and rightly so. Jens M. Johansson has established himself amongst Norway’s very best authors.
Nettavisen
