UpLit / Literature and Fiction

In The Belly of the Whale

Hilde Rød-Larsen

In mid-July, newly divorced Jonas Sverdrup travels from Bergen to his hometown of Oslo, after his ex-wife has gone on holiday with their son. For three weeks, Jonas is borrowing a friend's flat, and he wants to spend the time following the impulse method. But the impulses fail to materialise, in a city abandoned by family and friends. Maud Elvebakken has no need to travel from her hometown of Oslo. She likes change of atmosphere that July offers, the opportunities it provides. She wants to gather friends and acquaintances who are left in the city around a long table in her backyard, and see what happens. Also Jonas, whom she hasn't seen since they were children in the teeming garden of her father. These summer weeks will open up to new human connections, but also to a past that Jonas and Maud in their adult lives have tried to shield against. In the Belly of the Whale is a standalone sequel to In the House of Pantaloon. «Like the previous novel pointed to the meaning of solidarity between individuals, the message from Rød-Larsen seems to be that it’s only when we, with our small lives, join forces, that the larger history can be challenged. The new generation represented by the passive Jonas and the obstinate Maud, has a golden opportunity to cry out on behalf of the victims of their forefathers’ cruelty.»VÅRT LAND «As always, Rød-Larsen has a firm grip on the text, with dialogues that flow effortlessly. She writes entertainingly, and most of the tension is in the exploration of the characters.»ADRESSEAVISEN