This is a slim, 120 page novella about a young divorced mother and her young son who have recently moved to a new town. It's the night before the boy's 9th birthday and they spend the evening into late night apart, out in the town. The mother, Vibeke, has gone out to the library and then meets an attractive man who she stays out with until late at night. Meanwhile the son, Jon has also gone out and has interactions of his own. It's clear that things are moving towards a dramatic conclusion, but I was hopeful that the conclusion would not be sad. I won't say if I was right or not.

The writing style is really interesting. The prose is sparse and to the point and the book shifts between the mother and the son's POV with no warning - no page breaks or anything. So you have to use context sometimes to realize you've shifted to being with a different character.

I really liked this. I have another of Orstavik's books on my shelf, and I'm looking forward to reading it. ( )

A skandináv minimalizmus olyan, mint a bundáskenyér: egyszerűen jó. Bár - és itt rugalmasan elszakadnék a bundáskenyér-analógiától - a skandináv minimalizmus egyszerűsége igazából látszólagos, a szerkezet és a történetmesélés lecsiszoltsága csak kiemeli azt, ami igazán bonyolult: az emberi kapcsolatok megfejthetetlenségét.

Vibeka és fia, a kis Jon most költöztek egy norvég kisvárosba. Szokványos estének néznek elébe: Vibeka könyvtárba indul, Jon pedig megismerkedik valakivel. Aztán semmi sem úgy alakul, ahogy tervezve lett. Finomra hangszerelt, csendesen feszültségteljes regény két emberről, akik egymásra vannak utalva, de életük mégis mintha párhuzamosan suhanna el egymás mellett, akár két idegené. (Amit csak kiemel, hogy Vibeka és Jon történetszálát úgy montírozza egymásra a szerző, hogy néha meg kell állnunk egy pillanatra, most épp kiét is olvassuk.) És az egész felett ott lebeg csaliként a cím: Vágy. Az olvasó pedig értelmezni próbál, ki is az, aki vágyakozik és mire. Miből áll ez a vágy és egyirányú-e. A szöveg persze síkos angolna, kicsúszik az értelmező kezei közül. Hipotéziseink vannak, nem biztos ítéleteink.

A tragédiák pedig mindig értelmetlenek. ( )

Not the sort of thing I usually read; I prefer 'intellectually disturbing' to 'emotionally wounding,' but this is exceptionally well done. This is the rare novel that seems to do *precisely* what its author wanted it to do. Archipelago books is a wonderful imprint, but I do wish they'd stop quoting Knausgaard in their blurbs of Scandinavian writers, unless he's being descriptive or effusive (here: 'Love is Hanne Orstavik's strongest book,' which could be like me saying 'Knausgaard's blurbs are his most interesting writing'). ( )

I love the books published by Archipelago Books. I like the small square size, the textured paper covers, the French flaps, and the interesting cover art (this book features a work by Edvard Munch). And I usually like the works they choose to translate. This novel by Norwegian author Hanne Ørstavik is no exception.

Vibeke and her son, Jon, have just moved to a small town in northern Norway. Vibeke has a new job and is excited about the success of the presentation she did that day. Jon is an imaginative boy excited about turning nine the following day. The book is the story of that one evening, the eve of Jon's birthday.

The narrative flows seamlessly between mother and son without breaks, but without confusion either. I had no trouble following who was speaking. The thoughts of each often mirrors the other despite their being apart, each doing their own thing. The tone is intimate and the intertwining of their thoughts seems to indicate a close and loving relationship, yet their actions that evening reflect a genuine disconnect. As the evening progresses, the pace of the narrative increases and the mood darkens. The reader knows something is coming, but is unsure what.

An enjoyable and quick read. Recommended ( )

‘’A path into the forest, from a long-forgotten place.
Find the path and follow, its ribbon yours to trace.
Past trees and hillocks wander, to a splendid castle old,
In whose halls three ladies fine you shall at last behold.
The prince they there await, if ever he should come.
A song they sing to pass the time, a lonely, plaintive hum.’’

Once in a while, there comes a book that takes you by surprise. An unassuming, low-key, seemingly ordinary novel which turns into an experience that makes you fully understand why you love reading so much. That gives a whole new meaning to Literary Fiction. That has you thinking for days after the last page is turnt. The feelings that ‘’Love’’ caused in me surprised me. What didn’t surprise me was the fact that this novel comes from one of the most haunting places God has created. Norway, the land of the Midnight Sun. But in our story, the sun is nowhere to be found…

Vibeke and Jon have recently moved to a new town, in Norway. The story unfolds over a single wintry night when Vibeke and Jon follow their own separate ways, each for their own reasons. Through this peculiar evening, Vibeke will have to face the results of her questionable behaviour and Jon will come across his own fears and isolation.

The two characters consist the driving force of the story. Vibeke is a bookworm, a woman who wants to succeed in her career, to look beautiful, to fall in love and have some time to herself. She is a modern mother, but more often than not, she comes across as vain, almost narcissistic, cold and clueless and not quite the kind of mother that a nine year old child needs. Jon is a boy with a tender heart and an almost terrifying imagination, not unlike his mother. The two share the most unbreakable bond God has created, the one between a mother and her child. However, the relationship depicted in this novel is troubled and troubling. Vibeke and Jon trust strangers too easily and their minds create images, expectations and assumptions that have little or no connection to reality. The two other characters are Tom, a young man working in a funfair, and an unnamed driver whom Jon meets on his way home.

Ørstavik’s writing is impeccable, perfect, as haunting as the beauty of her homeland. There are beautiful scenes from the daily life of the two characters. You can feel the warmth of their home, smell the cooked food, see the cozy corners. You can see the dimly lit streets of the neighbourhood, hear the crunching snow, smell the freezing wind and wander in the centre of the town, visit the library and the funfair. The writer’s ability to paint pictures with words and communicate so many themes through minimal dialogue is outstanding. The eerie feeling, the sense of impending doom that permeates the novel doesn’t allow you to look away and I am happy to see that the translator did a marvelous job in transfering images and feelings to perfection.The end is striking. As I’m writing, I try to process it and I can’t. It will leave you speechless, the way a well-written novella has to do.

This is an appropriate read for a cold winter’s night, ideally in Norway. Or Denmark, or Sweden and Finland. But if this isn’t possible, any place becomes ideal when there is a beautiful book to keep us company. And this is one of the most beautiful books I’ve read this year. Yes, it is dark, sad, it cuts like a knife and freezes the blood, and yet, in all this darkness, there is a kind of pure beauty. I’m not a mother, but I work with children and books like this one makes you want to hold them close and shut out the darkness of the world.

Many thanks to Archipelago Books and Edelweiss for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My reviews can also be found on https://theopinionatedreaderblog.wordpress.com ( )