The Spectacular Vision of Oskar Dunkelblick

This was such a weird little story, I really liked the plot and how I wasn’t really sure where it was going and how it was going to unfold. I think what you take from this book is entirely up to the reader’s perspective but I really, really liked it. I just wished there was a bit more structure? Is that the correct term? In any case, a solid 3.5 stars rounded up to 4!

Travelling to a decrepit little town, other's call it bleak but Oskar thinks it's beautiful. He has a different out look on things, not only because he's an artist that tends to paint beautiful pictures of people's misery, but also because he's had a hard life. Living on the street since thirteen, he finally has an apartment of his own. His fridge is broken and he doesn't know how to light his wood stove, but it's his own home.

He's a very peculiar person, not many friends, and thriving on other people's suffering. He wasn't always like this, but he has always been lacking compassion. He eats kinder chocolate every day for breakfast, but he's lost his passion for painting. He can't find anything he wants to paint, and that's a problem, because the gallery that pays him for his art, is also paying for him housing. That's when everything changes.

He stumbles into a glasses shop, and though he has perfect vision, he wants decorative glasses. The man behind the counter tells him he'll give him a free pair if he takes an eye test, so why wouldn't he get his eyes checked? The man gives him a pair of tinted classes, and it changes his world. He sees everything in a completely different light, and it overwhelms him with emotions he doesn't usually feel: love and compassion.

I really enjoyed getting to know the characters in this book, they're just so different than anyone I know personally, and anyone I've read about. Oskar makes friends, and comes to terms with a lot in his life, like his absent mother, his dead father, and his old school bully. While I couldn't exactly get sucked into the book, I still enjoyed it and am glad I got the chance to read it. My favourite character was of course Oskar, or Greta. They're very different from each other.

I imagined this book to be in a black and white world, the glasses being the thing that finally showed colour to Oskar, letting him finally live his life and feel the feelings that he's always shoved down. I think if you like stories that really show the characters becoming who you want them to be, you're going to love this.

Thanks for reading!
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