Posts Tagged Culture
Out Stealing Horses (Per Petterson, 2003)
Posted by admin in Art, culture and literature on March 9, 2010
67-year-old Trond has moved from the city to a rustic cabin by the Swedish border, in an isolated part of eastern Norway. After the death of his wife and sister, he has no great ambitions for the rest of his life, which he plans to live out as quietly as possible in his new country retreat. But an impromptu meeting with his neighbour, Lars, forces him to reflect on events that took place some 50 years earlier, in the summer of 1948. A summer that was to have a profound impact on the rest of his life, although Trond knew nothing of it at the time. A beautiful, soberly written yet deeply felt novel about youth, love, loss and life itself, Nordic in tone and setting, but universal in the themes in encompasses.
The winner of various prestigious literary awards, including the 2007 Dublin IMPAC Award, Out Stealing Horses was also named in Time magazine as one of the Top 10 Fiction Books of 2007. The book has sold 230,000 copies worldwide and spent 70 weeks on the Norwegian bestseller list. The English edition was translated by Anne Born.
Praise for Out Stealing Horses:
“A gripping account of such originality as to expand the reader’s own experience of life.” Thomas McGuane, The New York Times Book Review
“From the first terse sentences of this mesmerizing Norwegian novel about youth, memory, and, yes, horse stealing, you know you’re in the hands of a master storyteller.” Newsweek
“Petterson’s spare and deliberate prose has astonishing force.” The New Yorker
“Petterson tells a Bergman-esque tale of a solitary man coming to grips with his past…” Entertainment Weekly
“That’s the effect of Per Petterson’s award-winning novel: It hits you in the heart at close range.” Alan Cheuse, NPR’s All Things Considered
“A masterpiece of tough romance . . . ” The New York Sun
Tellusalie performing ‘See You Sometimes’
Posted by admin in Art, culture and literature on February 18, 2010
The video for ‘See You Sometimes’, from the Is The Outside Still There? album.
Tellusalie: A talented band from Fredrikstad
Posted by admin in Art, culture and literature on February 18, 2010
The five-man band has released three albums so far, all of which have received very good reviews, but The Man Across the Fountain, which features 18 tracks, is possibly the most accomplished to date. Ole Jørgen Ottosen was nominated for it in the 2009 Spellemannspris awards, the Norwegian equivalent to the Grammys (popular music composers category). Ottosen, who is the lead singer and guitarist in the band, is also the brother of Tommy Lorange Ottosen, the man behind Tommy Tokyo, another very popular Fredrikstad band (check this link for more info http://www.elusivemoose.eu/tag/tommy-tokyo/).
But what about the music? ‘The trademark of this band is the finely balanced energy of their music. Its myriad catchy fragments are sewn together into short songs that seem “full”, i.e. vibrantly whole. At the same time the songs also have insidious properties, so that they gain on the listener unconsciously, who soon might find himself arrested. The countryesque elements provide depth and calm to the songs and thus make the music many-layered and therefore enduring, rather than simply immediately charming.’ (Listen to Norway, www.mic.no)
Discography to date: Tangerine Dreams (2004), Is the Outside Still There? (2006), The Man Across The Fountain (2009).
Tellusalie will be performing tomorrow (19 Feb) at Parkteateret for the by:Larm Festival (on stage at 18.45, free entry), and on 24 April at the Rockefeller (book tickets at www.billettservice.no). Both venues are in Oslo. More info at www.myspace.com/tellusalie
An introduction to Norwegian art
Posted by admin in Art, culture and literature, Photos and videos on February 4, 2010
They painted Norway (by Arvid Bryne)
Posted by admin in Art, culture and literature on February 4, 2010
With its informative, accessible text and high quality reproductions, this book is an excellent introduction to Norwegian art for anyone interested in the subject. Discover the country’s stunning landscapes through the paintings of some of its most acclaimed artists. From Erik Werenskiold’s depictions of Telemark to the dramatic scenery of Northern Norway, uniquely captured by Peder Balke, this book will take you on a fascinating voyage. Artists featured include famous names such as Theodor Kittelsen, Edvard Munch, J.C. Dahl, Adolph Tidemand, Hans Gude and Harald Sohlberg, as well as more recent (and perhaps lesser known) artists such as Sami John Andreas Savio and Marit Bockelie. Two of my personal favourites are Nikolai Astrup, famous for his colourful paintings of Jølster in Sogn og Fjordane, western Norway; and Christian Krohg, for his vivid, realistic depictions of city life in Norway in the late 19th – early 20th century. A must for anyone interested in Norway, or art – or indeed both.
Full title: They painted Norway: Glimpses of Norwegian nature and Norwegian artists. Author: Arvid Bryne. Publisher: Andresen & Butenschon AS (2004). ISBN 8276941591, 71 pages.
Top 5: Norwegian crime writers
Posted by admin in Art, culture and literature on January 21, 2010
Do you like crime fiction? Then why not try a Norwegian author next time if you haven’t done so already? There are many good ones to choose from – here is a selection of the most famous names to get you started.
- Karin Fossum: The Norwegian queen of crime started her career writing poetry, before changing genre and finding international success with her inspector Konrad Sejer series. Her books have been translated into 16 languages. Among her best are Don’t Look Back, He Who Fears the Wolf, and Calling Out For You (American translation - The Indian Bride) ‘One of the very best of the new wave of Nordic crime writers… She evokes brilliantly the claustrophobia of small-town Norway’ The Times wrote about Fossum when reviewing the latter in 2005.
- Jo Nesbø: This former journalist and stockbroker is a popular author who has won a number of awards for his crime fiction. Several of those were for his Harry Hole novels, of which the best known among English speakers are probably The Bat Man, The Redbreast and The Snowman.
- Anne Holt: Norwegian author and lawyer Holt worked for the Oslo Police Department for two years – and no doubt got the inspiration for many of her stories during her stint there. Her novels are published in 25 countries. Her first book, Blind Goddess, featured the lesbian police officer Hanne Wilhelmsen, who reappears in several of her later novels, including Blessed Are Those Who Thirst, Death of the Demon, Beyond The Truth, and more recently, 1222.
- Gunar Staalesen: The man behind the popular Varg Veum series (also on TV in Norway), a private investigator based in the city of Bergen. Titles translated into English include Yours until Death, The Writing on the Wall and The Consorts of Death.
- Jon Michelet: A prolific Østfold-based author whose work has not, to date, been widely translated into English. His most famous novel, Orion’s Belt (1977), set in Svalbard during the Cold War, was adapted for the big screen in the 1980s, and was a big box office success.
Jazz guitarist Robert Normann
Posted by admin in Art, culture and literature, Photos and videos on January 18, 2010
The Robert Normann Museum, Sarpsborg
Posted by admin in Art, culture and literature on January 18, 2010
Like jazz? Then check out the Robert Normann Museum in Sarpsborg. Robert Normann (1916-1998) was a jazz guitarist who started his career in local dance halls in the 1930s and went on to become a world-class jazz musician. He taught himself the accordion and the saxophone, but it’s the guitar that brought him fame – few jazz artists could play it quite like he did. And few artists made their own instruments themselves as he did too. At the museum you can see several of those instruments, learn about Robert Normann’s life, and hear some of his music. As well as recording albums, Normann also composed music for films and the theatre, often inspired by jazz and Norwegian folk music. The on-site shop has a good selection of his albums for sale. The museum is open Wed-Fri 3pm-7pm and Sat 10am-3pm. Gågata, Sarpsborg.
Learn more about Robert Normann at www.robertnormann.no