Norwegian Literature

[abecedarian]

Now that is interesting, I’ll have to do some googling into that. Btw, Hamsun wouldn’t have totally approved of what Paton did as he absolutely hated the English!

K-S

I suppose he admired his writing style, but since I don't know Growth of the Soil, I wondered why he wanted to go to the trouble of making that jaunt over to Norway. I'll have to check out those articles on Hamsun too..

BTW-I can see why you and a lot of other folks love Cry, the Beloved Country, and can't believe I've held of reading it til now.

 

[Zolipara]

Kenny's your man here, abecedarian, but my limited knowledge suggests that Growth of the Soil is the novel which led to Hamsun's winning the Nobel Prize for Literature. Odd then that it's not more well known, while Hunger remains his only novel published by a mainstream press in the UK. Actually I saw Growth of the Soil in Waterstone's today, when I was looking at Dreamers (see Kenny's review of that, which may make mention of Growth of the Soil, now I think of it...).

Growth of the soil is one of the more political novels Hamsun wrote. He did not like the growing modernisation of the society and in this book he makes a tribute to the simple farmer working the land. Isak, the main character starts out alone and with nothing but simple hard work he builds a farm in the norwegian "wilderness". As he grows more successfull the areas around him is increasingly populated and the modern society intrudes upon his way of life, mainly by influencing his wife.

I suspect this rather old-fashioned world-view coupled with the fact that this book was hugely popular in nazi-germany has given the book a rather small audience. Hunger is quoted as the inpiration for so many other high-rated authors its hard to hide it in the same way.

 

[Kenny Shovel]

I suggest swords or pistols at dawn.

Surely trying to crush each other to death with our egos is more appropriate.

btw, I'm gunna have to special order "Skipper Worse", apparently Waterstones (large UK bookshop chain) have never sold a single copy of the book. You and your mainstream suggestions!

 

[Zolipara]

Hehe. Sorry but I suspect that outside of Ibsen and Hamsun very little of norwegian literature is translated.

 

[Stewart]

The only other Norwegian author I have a book by is Beretninger om beskyttelse by Erik Fosnes Hansen. Of course, in my copy it's called Tales Of Protection.

 

[beer good]

The only other Norwegian author I have a book by is Beretninger om beskyttelse by Erik Fosnes Hansen. Of course, in my copy it's called Tales Of Protection.

GREAT book. Everyone should read it. (And Fosnes Hansen should get his ass in gear and write Part 2 of it someday.)

 

[Zolipara]

I havent read that one, but I have read some of his other books. Its been a long time since i read them but I liked "Falketårnet" and "Psalm at journeys end". From what i heard about Tales of protection, the story is supposed to continue in "Tales of protection 2", but its been 8 years since he published the first one, and it does not look like he is finishing the second volume any time soon. I've heard good things about Tales of protection though so its been on my to be purchased list for a while now.

 

[beer good]

Part 1 can be read and very much enjoyed on its own; after all, it's not a typical novel but a collection of interwoven stories, variation on a theme. I expect Part 2 (if it ever shows up) will continue to fill in the blanks, but it's not like Part 1 leaves you hanging in mid-narration or anything.

I haven't read "Psalm..." (I really should) but "Falketårnet" was enjoyable, though it's - gasp, horror - more of a children's book, isn't it? Struck me as a smarter version of King's "The Eyes Of The Dragon", for some reason.

This, of course, is massively off-topic since Fosnes Hansen isn't British at all. But it's a good off-topic.

 

[Zolipara]

I haven't read "Psalm..." (I really should) but "Falketårnet" was enjoyable, though it's - gasp, horror - more of a children's book, isn't it? Struck me as a smarter version of King's "The Eyes Of The Dragon", for some reason.

Its not really a childrens book, but yes it does seem to be pretty popular among teenagers (as I was when I read it many years ago). The author was 20 years old when it was published i think. I havent read the eyes of the dragons so i cant really compare them.

Yea its offtopic but so is the last few pages of fighting between "elitists" and "anti-elitists".

 

[sham]

Norwegian books

Anyone have any recommendations/comments on Norwegian authors and books? (Excluding Lars Saabye Christensen, he's a given by now).

 

[Stewart]

Another Norwegian author not mentioned on this thread so far is Tarjei Vesaas, of whom I have four books but have only read one thus far: The Ice Palace.

Looking over my collection the Norwegian books I have are:

• The Ice Palace, Tarjei Vesaas
• The Birds, Tarjei Vesaas
• The Boat In The Evening, Tarjei Vesaas
• Spring Night, Tarjei Vesaas
• Hunger, Knut Hamsun
• Tales Of Protection, Erik Fosnes Hansen
• Psalm At Journey's End, Erik Fosnes Hansen
• The Model, Lars Saabye Christensen
• In The Wake, Per Petterson

 

[-Carlos-]

I am near the midway point of Per Petterson's Out Stealing Horses and I have to say that this novel is truly worth your time and money. Wow! What a book!

The Road by Cormac Mccarthy is the last book I have enjoyed as much as Petterson's wonderful novel: Out Stealing Horses is just fantastic!

 

[AuntiePam]

A hearty second for Out Stealing Horses.

Another good one is Kristin Lavrandsdatter by Sigrid Undsett. I think it won a Pulitzer or Nobel -- one of those big prizes. Not that awards are always deserved, but this one is. I've read a lot of historical novels, but this is one that felt contemporaneous -- like a long-lost family story, written in the 1300's and discovered in somebody's attic.

 

[Stewart]

Another good one is Kristin Lavrandsdatter by Sigrid Undsett. I think it won a Pulitzer or Nobel...

She won the Nobel in 1928 "principially for her powerful descriptions of Northern life during the Middle Ages" and not for that book in particular.

 

[oskylad]

Kristin Lavransdatter is actually a trilogy. The first book was written by Sigrid Undset in 1920; the last in 1922. It is said to be a faithful portrayal of life in medieval Norway, yet written in a modernist style. I consider it one of the best reads of the 20th century. There was a movie made of the story starring Liv Ullman, but the movie was lame.

Another notable Norwegian writer was Ole Rølvaag. He wrote Giants of the Earth in 1927. It is the story of Norwegian immigrants to the US, and is perhaps the most depressing story I have read. It also is part of a trilogy, but I have never read the other two books.