This is a look into the full spoilers for Olaf Olafsson's Touch book ahead of the theatrical film's release.
Touch, directed by Baltasar Kormákur is adapted from Olafsson's 2022 novel and features a cast including Egill Olafsson, Kōki, and Palmi Kormakur.
Produced by Focus Features, the official trailer for Touch was recently released ahead of its July 12 opening in theaters.
The film follows a man whose wife has passed away searching for his first love, who disappeared 50 years ago. Beyond that brief movie synopsis, here is a full spoiler summary of the Icelandic story of the Touch novel.
Touch Book Spoilers
In Olaf Olafsson's novel Touch, Kristófer, a retired restaurateur, finds himself unexpectedly drawn back into the past when he receives a friend request from Miko, his first love from 50 years ago.
Despite the toll of the COVID-19 pandemic on his business and his age, Kristófer decides to visit Miko in Hiroshima, Japan, where she now resides.
As he reflects on their passionate yet secretive relationship in London decades earlier, Kristófer grapples with his own loneliness following the loss of his wife and strained relationships with his family.
However, his journey is complicated by his unknown level of memory loss, casting doubt on the reliability of his recollections (as the book is in first-person perspective).
Through Kristófer's narrative, Olafsson delicately explores themes of memory and the complexities of human relationships, crafting a powerful story that captivates with an authentic portrayal of internal struggles.
Touch is described by many as a touching novel that makes readers think about the nature of truth and how our past can affect the present.
Touch Book Ending and Themes
The novel concludes with a sense of uncertainty Olafsson's writing style, characterized by its simplicity, suits Kristófer, who is portrayed as both smart and modest.
The mystery is also solved as to why Miko disappeared and ended their affair originally, which is a major spoiler for the novel.
This understated ending reflects the author's ability to capture the complexity of human emotions without having to overexplain for readers.
Olafsson recently spoke to NPR's Book of the Day podcast, diving into how the novel centers around love, mystery, and loneliness themes.
As the book was written during and is set within the recent COVID-19 pandemic, Olafsson called it "the perfect time" to write about the loneliness felt when someone feels they haven't lived the life they expected to live:
"The pandemic was probably the perfect time to write about that kind of loneliness and sort of the loneliness that you find yourself in if you feel like you haven't lived the life you perhaps were hoping to live or wanted to live at some point."
The novel digs deep into loneliness, exploring how one can feel isolated even in the presence of loved ones, especially in the absence of a significant person.
The modern backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic adds depth to the exploration of loneliness while raising questions about memory and the selective nature of recollection.
An untrustworthy memory leads to an unreliable narrator.
Touch opens in theaters on July 12.
