Fiction

The Word For What I Am Now Does Not Exist

Rannveig Fern Leite Molven

... I don't want to carry on, I don't want to move further and further away from what was, from you, I hate every new day that dawns and fades, every day that wedges itself in and separates us more and more, every day that adds to the space between where you were and where I am now. An assured and stylish first novel about loss, grief and remembering, and about how death changes the one who is left behind.

Chasm

Lars Saabye Christensen

A big new novel by Lars Saabye Christensen: it contains brilliant stories from a summer in Oslo in the 60s and a nightmarish period spent in Karmack, a small North American town. The link is Funder, the protagonist, whose loyalty is tested when, at the age of fifteen, he stays alone with his mother (and, on and off, four aunts) for a summer spent in a house on Nesodden near Oslo. In the second half of the novel, Funder is admitted for treatment to an institution in the United States. By then, he is almost sixty years old, his father has just died and his mother is on her deathbed. Funder, who has become an author, is far from happy. Sluk is a sharp and entertaining novel which is consistent with the author's earlier work but also shows new sides to his talent. ‘I have rarely read a more poetical, elegant and original biography of an author. It is entertaining as well – and with an epilogue so intense, heavy with existence, authentic and beautiful that it simply knocks me out.’Dagbladet ‘Sluk is a novel based on equal parts of poetic aggression and the joy of story-telling. An autobiographical novel which you cannot possibly be unaffected by.’VG ‘A master of repetition … Lars Saabye Christensen presents an offer Norwegian book lovers cannot refuse. It starts as an echo and ends as an unbeatable masterpiece.’Aftenposten ‘… one of the best novels from Christensen.’Bergens Tidende‘… a beautiful homage to the housewives of the sixties, and a sort of wrapped reminder of what actually means something in this world … a successful novel, and an especially beautiful depiction of a mother’s love.’Dagsavisen ‘… simply brilliant.’Vårt Land ‘A tender, sad and beautiful book about death, guilt and reconciliation. … Possibly his strongest and best book since The Half Brother.’Adresseavisen ‘This book can be understood in so many different ways and offers such an exceptional reading experience which this reader, for one, would not have missed.’Trønder-Avisa (6 points out of 6) ‘The new novel, Sluk, more than measures up to our expectations. The author is even better than before.’NRK P2

Stasia

Peter Franziskus Strassegger

A novel about Armin and Stasia who are uncared-for siblings leading rootless lives. Their parents are always on the move, running some kind of business venture in Europe. One day, they turn up to get their children who have been staying with their Norwegian grandmother; together, they travel from one country to the next, living almost like a circus family. Their story is told from Armin's point of view, but he expresses himself above all in terms of his fantasy life. The tougher the outside reality becomes, the more uneasy Armin feels about staying inside his dream world. He has a strong bond with his sister, who is the firm centre of his life. When she suddenly vanishes one day, Armin finds it increasingly difficult to keep reality and imagination apart. The portrait of this unconventional family and their restless existence creates an enclosed world. It is an emotionally charged but also objective narrative about children growing up in circumstances which may seem extreme but are not without ordinary features. A grim novel about a lost child and his experience of reality. The language is simple and absurdly funny. ‘…extraordinary, inventive and consuming.’Dagbladet‘… stylish and thought provoking by a debutant who knows what he is doing.’Stavanger Aftenblad

The Beach Hotel

Jeanette Semb

Søstrene Josefine og Martine flytter til tante Tulla etter å ha blitt foreldreløse. Ved siden av tantens hus ligger Drøbak Strandhotell, som imponerer i sin storslagenhet. I hotellet er det et rom som aldri leies ut til gjester. Her ble nemlig en kvinne brutalt drept, og det blir sagt at kvinnene som går inn på rom 11, aldri kommer ut igjen … – Er det hotellet? spurte Josefine og pekte. Hun hadde snudd seg og fått øye på den store, hvite bygningen som lå så majestetisk til, og med en hage som strakte seg nesten hele veien ned til fjorden. – Så vakkert det er, sa Martine med beundring i stemmen. – Det spøker der, kom det plutselig fra Aksel. – Det er en kvinne som går igjen.

Triangle

Eystein Hanssen

DI Elli Rathke is on vacation and, at last, has time and opportunity to investigate the murder of her sister, which took place 15 years earlier. The murderer was never caught. At the same time, the Oslo police and especially Elli's partner Jan Nereng have to deal with several drug-related killings. As Elli digs deeper into the case of her sister's murder, ever more insidious similarities to Nereng's findings turn up. Fast-moving crime fiction at its best, with the toughest lady in Oslo in the lead!This is the third book in the Elli-series. ‘Eystein Hanssen is getting better at writing crime fiction all the time. Judging by his work so far, his greatest strength is his skill in devising complex plot lines, rich in detail. He provides clues step by step, in a way that makes the narrative seem both realistic and exciting.’ DAGBLADET‘Hanssen does not just create a very competent plot, but is also a dab hand at writing action sequences that are physically affecting and carry an emotional charge.’AFTENPOSTEN ‘Eystein Hanssen has quickly established himself as one of Norway’s leading writers of crime fiction. His careful research lends credence and realism to the fast-moving action. The constant tension makes the reader keep turning the pages. Apparently straightforward circumstances can be critically important clues. “Everything is connected,” as Nereng is fond of saying. Hanssen is very good at describing rough action and his episodic storytelling makes his books ask to be filmed.’ OPPLAND ARBEIDERBLAD ‘Strong and thrilling drama … Hanssen has a praiseworthy talent for creating and developing intricate, wide-ranging storylines. They are both credible and exciting – which is also true of Triangle.’HAUGESUNDS AVIS ‘Steely control … a believable scenario spiced up with real writerly skill. No let-up in the excitement.’TRØNDER-AVISA ‘Eystein Hanssen succeeds in creating an intricate pattern of storylines as the narrative leaps between Oslo and Thailand and between past and present, while, despite this, he manages to piece together all the plot elements in such a convincing way that the overall result is a well-structured work of Norwegian crime fiction.’BOKSTAVER.NO

This Sweet Life

Siri Østli

Mari, Charlotte and Irmela are growing up in a small place called Barkestad. They are best friends and share everything – until Charlotte and Irmela have one of these juvenile rows and it ruins their relationship. A few years later, they all meet in Oslo's bohemian Grünerløkka quarter; Mari tries bravely to mediate between the friends, even though she has her own issues to deal with. So have all three of them, in fact. Mari, who is coping with post-natal depression, finds a note on the kitchen table. It's written by her beloved Peter, who has moved out and left her alone with nearly-new-born Lilja in an old, draughty house with the cellar stocked with fine wines. Irmela, impulsive as ever, has run away from her church wedding, right in the middle of the ceremony. And now she worries about whether she's married or not. Charlotte, who is goal-oriented, wants just two things: a permanent job as a journalist and the status of a fashion icon. But first she simply must help Mari to sort out her life and make Irmela realise that somewhere, her husband is waiting for her.

Fvonk

Erlend Loe

Just as Fvonk is contemplating life in general, a large, shiny, very clean car of a German make glides up the drive and stops without cutting the engine. It is black, has darkened windows and looks official. Fvonk resents all interference by the authorities and this one in particular. A few seconds later, the rear door on the right opens and a woman in her fifties climbs out. Irritatingly, the door makes a hollow, thumping noise – boom, boom, boom – a signal alerting everyone to the fact that it is open. The woman slams the door and checks her surroundings, making sure that she isn't observed by anyone except Fvonk. But there are just the two of them present – this woman and Fvonk. At the time when the Norway Hiking & Exercise Association was going through a rough patch, Fvonk was an employee. He can testify to the financial mess. Fvonk is deeply uninterested in culture. Then a lodger moves into his place, but not a Nobody. On the contrary, quite a Somebody. As it happens, his name is Jens and, as it happens, he is the Prime Minister. ‘With a bubbling joy of telling a story Erlend Loe creates a room where the country’s most powerful man can finally be himself. … Fvonk is first and foremost a highly entertaining book about a friendship out of the ordinary.’Vårt Land ‘Loe creates several entertaining situations with this cartoonish universe. Both on and between the lines a clear critique of The Norwegian Social Democracy’s ways of understanding and behavior can be found.’VG ‘Like most of Erlend Loe’s books, this too is a light read, light philosophy, lightly consummated. But it is not necessarily simple as a result. Because if you liked Naiv.Super. or Tatt av kvinnen, you will like this one too.’Sandefjords Blad ‘It is hard to imagine why Jens Stoltenberg felt offended by Loe’s story, because it is sensitive, sympathetic and wonderfully naïve, in best Loe style. The narrative is a stream of consciousness – often, stretching over entire pages as thoughts, separated only by commas, are reeled off at a headlong pace. It gives the novel and its language an authentic and overflowing tone that suits the two protagonists.’ Jyllands-Posten, DK ‘Laugh and have your heartstrings tugged by Erlend Loe’s new novel about Fvonk … Fvonk is filled with warmth, craziness and tiny, precise detail; it is one of the kind of stories that one swallows whole in a great gulp, despite its mad, unbelievable plot.’ Weekendavisen, DK ‘A true Loe book.’ Elle, DK ‘Yet another funny novel by Loe about the role-playing we do in our daily lives and about the need to be oneself that goes along with it, despite everything – also, one hopes, true of the powerful in the land.’ Politiken, DK ‘Erlend Loe has got a grip on both the Prime Minister and ordinary people in his ironically affectionate novel full of social criticism. Behind the power there is always a human being. Behind every book there is an author. Erlend Loe is one of those able to see through all the trappings in a way that elicits both smiles and tears, but never a malicious laugh. Which is very well done.’ Fyens Stiftstidende, DK

Through the Night

Stig Sæterbakken

Dentist Karl Meyer's worst nightmare comes true when his son, Ole-Jakob, takes his own life. This tragedy forms the springboard for a complex and diverse novel, which asks essential questions about human experience. What does sorrow do to a person? How can one live with the pain of unbearable loss? How far will a man be driven by the grief and despair surrounding the loss of his child? Gjennom natten is a dark story, drawing on elements from dreams, fairy-tales and horror stories, as it explores the mysterious ways of sorrow and love. ‘Stig Sæterbakken’s novel Gjennom natten must be one of this year’s most fabulous ones – in the fabulous books’ darkest, most heart-rending way.’Vårt Land ‘Stig Sæterbakken’s first paragraph in the novel Gjennom natten is a brilliant start to a black and heart-breaking journey in mourning.’VG ‘Garanteed one of this year’s best novels … This is Sæterbakken at his best, and Norwegian literature doesn’t get much better than this.’Adresseavisen ‘… a language which makes you hold your breath in the right places, and chase from side to side, from room to room, as if in a suspense novel.’Aftenposten ‘Stig Sæterbakken sounds deeper than most writers, and with Gjennom natten he has added a new dark, painful and artistically successful novel to his authorship.’Stavanger Aftenblad ‘An almost inapproachable theme, which writer Stig Sæterbakken circles in in a way which can be called a literary feat of strength.'Dagsavisen ‘A black, merciless masterpiece from Stig Sæterbakken … It is painful, but also rewarding to read, first and foremost because Sæterbakken writes extremely well. The language never becomes a shield or a filter, to the contrary, it drills into the darkness, with a precision and ingenuity in the use of images which paradoxically feels like a relief.’Dagbladet ‘This novel by Stig Sæterbakken is strong and fine and deadly serious, en ambitious, excellent narrative in a stylish and simple, but effective language.’ Dag og Tid ‘Sæterbakken writes about the labyrinth of sorrow and does it beautifully.’ Gudbrandsdølen Dagningen ‘As the novel moves on to take place in that house, you know the one, in Bratislava, you really feel as if the entire experience of reading vanished into the night. You can’t quite work out what is going on, but your spine is tingling with anxiety.’ Bergens Tidende ‘You do know the feeling, don’t you? Wishing that the book would never end? Your attempts to hold back to make reading last, not read too much in one go? Such books are rare. But Stig Sæterbakken’s latest novel Gjennom natten is one of these.' Fædrelandsvennen

Anna's Fate

En kald vinterdag hentes fire år gamle Anna Johnsen av vergerådet. Hun plasseres hos Helga og Nils Bergmoen, som er dypt religiøse, og som ser det som sitt kall å redde henne fra det syndige livet i Ura. – Jeg vil bli med deg, hvisket hun med lav og skjelvende stemme. – Ikke denne gangen, vennen min. Moren gråt nå. – Jeg kommer tilbake og henter deg, det lover jeg, hvisket hun og tørket sine egne tårer før hun løftet hånden og tørket Annas våte kinn. – Jeg ville bare ikke reise før jeg hadde sett deg og sagt adjø, men jeg skal skrive … og jeg kommer tilbake.

Helmer's Journey, 1979

Geir Olav Jørgensen

“Doing casual work had made him learn how to be a fixer. As he moved about, he liked striking bargains, spruce himself up and catch any chances that came his way. He bartered goods against jobs, and job against goods, or, indeed, goods against goods and jobs against jobs. Wheeling and dealing created movement, life. It was his way of playing.” Helmer, the vagabond, is a man with a keen eye for both women and cosmos. One warm evening in June 1979, he said goodbye to his girlfriend, Judith. His plan was to work in a hippie-style collective, where he has been before. He drives off across the mountain at night. At first, the journey looks like a promising road movie. But life turns out different: he is taken on a dark odyssey and soon Helmer’s soul is at stake. "A man wipped out of his inner self. This is effectivelly portayed. Both deceitful and honest."VÅRT LAND"An original and engaging tale."VG