Category: Norway

Professor Andersen’s night by Dag Solstad

~ winstonsdad ~ 12 Comments

Professor Andersen’s night by Dag Solstad

Norwegian fiction

translator – Agnes Scott Langeland

Dag Solstad is a Norwegian writer he has published over thirty books in Norway ,from novel ,short stories and plays  .His debut short story collection spiral came out in 1965.  he has won a number of prizes including the prestigious Nordic council literature prize .he is also known for writing books round every world cup he has written them on the last five world cups .In his early days he was a Maoist communist  this was reflected in his early fiction his more recent books have all been more to do with existentialism and philosophy ,that he has written in recent years  .This is his third book to be translated to English the previous two have both made the IFFP long lists in 2009 and 2007 .Although this is translated by a different translator Agnes Scott Langeland  than the earlier two .

Professor Anderson night is a short novella about an academic  in his fifties ,who whilst putting his decorations for Christmas .When he looks  out of his window he sees a murder  by a young man on a women .Now when I saw that  on the fly-leaf  I like you all ,my mind jumped to the great Hitchcock film “rear window” in which James Stewart see one of his neighbours kill his wife ,well  that part is the same but this story goes off on a different  tangent Professor Andersen is a man in his fifties an academic ,he initially seems dazzled by the crime he is frozen about what to do and he doesn’t report it to the police.

“It is odd that I don’t call the police ” He tought it was still not too late .Even if they won’t believe me , claim that I am drunk or whatever they may say .

professor Andersen is in inactive after the murder he has seen .

so as the festive season happens we see the professor starting to unpick his and his friends lives apart as he wonders how they all got where they were .we  see him at dinner parties were the concerns are what wine is served with which meat  and if so is it the right wine,also the ebb and flow of academia as his friends are mostly academics like himself  .This book is an insight into men in the fifties the insecurities  ,lost dreams Professor Andersen is a lonely man who is how he caught the murder like James Stewart character in rear window a man driven to boredom and loneliness this made him want to glimpse into windows around him and see people living a normal life   . This book is a perfect piece of existentialism like Kierkegaard said” what am I to do ” this is what happens to the professor how did he not do nothing that is the main question in his head .

They had rakfisk as a starter and the main course was grouse .beer a chaser of Aquavit were served with the rakfisk ; a spanish red , a good Rioja with the grouse .

this made my mouth water and I learnt that Rakfisk is a fermented fish

But like all good questions ,it is brought into sharp  focus, when he is faced with the man he saw doing the murder in a sushi bar he happened to wander into due to boredom.They stirke up a conversation with this younger man ,maybe this is a another point from existentialism as Professor Andersen has this man’s freedom in his hand .

This book falls in the Nordic tradition of writers like Knut Hamsun and Jostein Gaarder in bring philosophy into literature .This book examines what a man is and does in later life and all that  in less than 200 pages punchy dryly funny .I found this book one of those you’ll tell people about when they ask for something short but meaningful .Also those interested in why we do what we do in life ? This is another of my shadow iffp reads

Have you read this did you like it ?

I curse the river of time by Per Petterson

~ winstonsdad ~ 16 Comments

Source – library

Translator -Charlotte Barslund with Per Petterson .

Per Petterson is a Norwegian writer ,his 2006 book out stealing Horse won the 2006 IFFP prize and was a surprise run away bestseller ,he is a trained librarian and say carver and Hamsun have influenced his books .This is on this years Independent foreign fiction prize longlist .

The book is the story Avrid a middle aged man and his relationship with his mother, but also a look back on his younger days and broken dreams and hopes .He was a strong believer in communism and as the book is set in 1989 as the iron curtain begins to tumble ,he looks back on the hopes pf youth when the soviets seemed godlike .Tied in with this is a taut relationship with his mother ,as he choose the ideology in his youth a job in a factory instead of an academic path .His mother wanted him to take .so with his mother ill and returning to her home town in Denmark we find Arvid who isn’t in the best health himself and in the middle of a messy divorce himself ,on his way to see her ,she left her home and husband behind in Oslo ,Arvid has a real love for his mother and other the course of the book you see how there lives unfolded and how decisions can affect your future so much .and your relationship with others .Avrid,s childhood was one of distance from his mother almost clinical it read at times ,with his mother so distant at times and him wanting love from her .

“I m leaving today”,my mother said .

“Where to ?” my father said.

“Home”

“Home “, he said “Today? shouldn’t we talk about this first ? Don’t I get chance to think about it ?”

“There is nothing to discuss” my mother said .”I ve booked my ticket .I ve a letter from Aker hospital I’ve got cancer .”

“You have cancer ?”

The minute Arvid’s mother drop the bombshell to his father .

His mother is a strong character in this book on might even say a stereotype for a certain time of Scandinavian women strong ,cool and hard to connect with at times.The other character in the book apart from Arvid and his mother is the scenery the sea boats rugged country and places ,Per breaths life into his homeland in his words .I ve rarely read such beautiful prose as Petterson .He is the voice of the everyday world of Norway and master of being in a family in this book .Also broken dream and the fall of communism that is a hell of a lot in 230 pages ,I think !

HAVE YOU READ HIS BOOKS ?

the castle in the pyrenees by Jostein Gaarder

~ winstonsdad ~ 9 Comments

Jostein Gaarder is a Norwegian intellectual having studied theology at Oslo university and for a short time taught philosophy and in recent years has done a lot of human rights activism in the 90’s he had a runaway success with Sophie’s world his book about Sophie discovering the world and philosophy by a selection of letters ,now in this his latest novel to be translated in to english ,he returns to that style in a way but embracing modern form of e mails this time the two main characters are two lovers that have spent time apart for 30 years or have they ? .they discuss their relationship and what has happened in the intervening years of the lives of Steinn and Solrunn ,as they talk they discover each others take on why they spilt and spent the time apart before this cyberspace reconnection .There are many questions fired between the pairs as they chat away the title comes via the mention of a painting by Magiritte of a huge castle floating in the sky like an image from a film by Hayao Miyazki . this picture is mentioned in the book ,the book is set mainly in and around Norway the lakes and Oslo as the couple remember where they went and at times visits afterwards to the same places with new partners or alone .

You haven’t changed much .And that’s good too ,Steinn .There’s something boyish and fresh about your stubbornness.But perhaps your ‘re blind .Perhaps you’re narrow-minded and short-sighted .

  Do you remember that Magritte picture of a huge lump of rock floating above the ground – I think it had a small castle on top .You can’t have forgotten that picture .

they remember the castle in the pryenees picture that gave the book its title .

Well as ever with Jostein Gaarder you are left with more questions than answers after reading the book ,he has a wonderful way of making you think of what if ,how about that ,it struck a chord with my own life ,have spent time in the past questioning past relationships to see if I could untangle what went wrong or as is suggest in parts in the book are we on some pre ordained path with a greater force guiding us ? .This is a book I ll reread at some point to get the full measure and see if after a passage of time it has the same effect on me .This is an example of where metafiction tricks work loads small stories with in the complete story .If you loved his other books this is right up there with them and is also a great introduction to his work the book has been translated by James Anderson .

WINSTONS SCORE –

Duck billed platypus because as a kid I went whats that when I saw pictures and you do the same with the book question what we are and where we are ?

 

the snowman by jo nesbo

~ winstonsdad ~ 3 Comments

There is a number of reasons i choose the snow man to read ,firstly is that it fits in with my around the world challenge with the writer being from Norway ,secondly jo Nesbo story of footballer turned writer I found really interesting and wondered how good he could be and lastly is the fact it is a Scandia crime novel that seems to be a current trend in crime fiction

      The first thing with a crime novel i find that if i m going to enjoy it they have to be able to stand-alone when part of a series and this is the fifth Harry Hole book and i like to be able to connect some way with the main character ,well on both counts the books excels there is very little reference to earlier book ,but i m sure if you ve read the earlier book s you’ll be able to see them if there subtle .Now in Harry hole we have a world worn casual dressing yet serious detective who likes the occasional drink and has fairly good taste in  music .

   The story involves wives disappearing and the sudden appearance as they do of a snowman wearing an item of their clothing ,this leads to a number of unsolved missing persons and a deadly foe for Harry .There is many a twist and turn and a few red herrings along the way .this is crime writing at it’s best a ride from start to finish with a great lead character and many interesting character that he meets .

He went into the sitting room ,slipped in the Neil Young cd gloomily took it out again after a quarter of an hour and put on Ryan Adams .the thought of a drink came from nowhere .harry closed his eyes and stared at the dancing pattern of blood and total blindness .he was reminded of the letter again .the first snow .Toowoomba.

a bit from early on as Harry seeks a way into the cake whilst listening to great music .

the book is publish by harvill this week march 6