Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Ten top modern Nordic books

At the Guardian, Icelandic novelist Sjón tagged ten essential books from the far north, including:
Novel 11, Book 18 by Dag Solstad (translated by Sverre Lyngstad)

If there is a motto to the books I have read by Solstad, it is: “We are born to embarrass ourselves before our destruction.” Here we follow the slow but sure decline of one Bjørn Hansen who leaves his wife and infant son for life in a small town where he becomes involved in amateur theatre, with all its petty in-fighting and jealousy. When his son turns up 18 years later, things take a darker turn.
Read about another entry on the list.

--Marshal Zeringue