The Husband

Author: Gun-Britt Sundström

“I want him, I truly want him... but I don't want to belong to him.”

What does it mean to be part of a "duo"? Is it a declaration of interdependence? A new dimension of commitment and responsibility? A physical confrontation? Or just a habit that a rational person should consider breaking?

The novel is set in Stockholm in the 1970s, a time of change, when many believed that the family was on the verge of extinction. Martina tries to engage with the world on her own terms, yet she discovers how difficult it is to live without a "husband" as she sees everyone she knows establishing relationships and starting families. While the future of the world is shrouded in mystery, she gets involved in demonstrations, sit-ins, and philosophy seminars in search of a new formula for joy.

In the story of Gustav and Martina, the lightness and sorrow of youth go hand in hand. A cheerful yet profoundly insightful novel; a penetrating portrayal of the dilemmas of youth. "The Husband" was first published in 1976, and since then, it has become a classic of Scandinavian literature, constantly reprinted and re-read. This is its first Arabic translation.