Posts Tagged Literature
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
A Norwegian love poem for Valentine’s Day
Posted by admin in Art, culture and literature on February 14, 2010
This poem is called ‘It’s the Dream’ (from Drops in the East Wind, 1966). It is written by Olav H. Hauge, one of Norway’s most famous poets.
…
It’s the dream we carry in secret
that something miraculous will happen,
that it must happen –
that time will open
that the heart will open
that doors will open
that the rockface will open
that spring will gush –
that the dream will open,
that one morning we will glide into
some little harbour we didn’t know was there.
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.
One of Norway’s most talented authors
Posted by admin in Art, culture and literature on December 4, 2009
Norwegian authors I like: Erlend Loe
Posted by admin in Art, culture and literature on December 4, 2009
One of the great joys of moving to a new country, and learning a new language, is discovering a new culture. And not least new writers. I had never heard of Erlend Loe before I moved to Norway. But since I started reading in Norwegian about 6 months ago, he’s become one of my all-time favourite authors! He’s got a very distinctive voice (something increasingly rare these days I find), and I like the way his stories, which are always extremely funny, often border on the absurd while remaining very humane at the same time. They are also sharply observed. His writing style is very simple too (although definitely not simplistic), which makes his books very accessible. ‘Deceptively naive’ is how it’s been described by many I think. Unfortunately so far only one of Erlend Loe’s novels, Naiv. Super (1996), has been translated into English – an enigma for all his fans, as book publishers in the UK and the US should be fighting to acquire the rights to more of his books. Anyway, the general public has been smarter than them – Naiv. Super was an instant best-seller when it came out in Norway in 1996, and has since then been translated into 15 languages.
www.amazon.com review:
Troubled by an inability to find any meaning in his life, the 25-year-old narrator of this deceptively simple novel quits university and eventually arrives at his brother’s New York apartment. In a bid to discover what life is all about, he writes lists. He becomes obsessed by time and whether it actually matters. He faxes his meteorologist friend. He endlessly bounces a ball against the wall. He befriends a small boy who lives next door. He yearns to get to the bottom of life and how best to live it. Funny, friendly, enigmatic and frequently poignant – superbly naive
“It displays a canny lightness of touch and a great deal of charm. An effortlessly hip and savvy antidote to the rainy day blues.” Sleazenation
“Loe certainly has some of Salinger’s lightness of touch, and the often comic voice of his unnamed narrator recalls Salinger’s Holden Caulfield. A charming debut novel.” The Times
“A book overflowing with creative talent… Well-calculated naivety” Dagbladet (Norway)
“It is a fascinating how much depth this young author can convey in simple language – a major talent.” Oldenburgische Volkszeitung (Germany)
“I devoured Erlend Loe with giggling excitement.” Arbetet (Sweden)