The American Dream: personified in "the Swede". Slowly de-constructed as the novel proceeds. I love the way the self-conception of the Swede is slowly undermined and how Nathan Zuckermann starts to re-fashion the view he used to have about him. A big novel with a small, simple plot, treating the big topics: identity, self, nationhood, morality, beauty (or rather: perfection), family, life and love.
This novel has shown me that a novel does not need a plot to be fascinating and eye-opening.