Reddit mentions of Serious Game

I can’t add much to the excellent replies to the question in this thread. The narrator is too young to seek a romantic relation to his object of desire so he longs for Omi’s body without really knowing what to do with it if he would get it. His morbid obsession with the flesh of the male body makes you think of repressed homosexuals that turned into serial killers (Jeffery Dahmer, John Wayne Gacy) but perhaps he is just channeling his desires in a way that comes natural for a boy in a society where homosexuality is not spoken of and war is glorified. I have also been reading The Serious Game by Hjalmar Söderberg (the title sounds better in Swedish, "Den allvarsamma leken"). This classic from 1912 has been called the greatest love story in Swedish literature. It is the story of two lovers who marry the wrong (other) people for the wrong reasons and then suffer the consequences as they are drawn back together. I can also offer a bonus, a picture of The Serious Game being read by an inexplicably nude Swedish actor.

One of my favorites is Hjalmar Söderbergs "The Serious Game". "Doctor Glas" is also great. Both takes place in Stockholm early 20th century.

If want something more contemporary and you're into crime noir I highly recommend Jens Lapidus "Easy Money"