The Future Home of VOTE NORWAY!!!

Now that the dust between the Swedes and the Norwegians has settled . . . for the moment, I thought this would be a good time to start preparing for our next big campaign - VOTE NORWAY. Book lists and campaign strategies are forthcoming. Come one. Come all.

Last year I read Dina's Book by Herbjorg Wassmo, a book that has stayed with me and that I heartily recommend.

oh brother.

At the risk of sparking excessive controversy, I might suggest works by Knut Hamsun. As you may know, he was a renowned Norwegian writer and playwright who became a dedicated fascist (and in the view of many Norwegians, a traitor). He had won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1920 and he was considered the father of modern Norwegian literature. His writings pretty much disappeared in Norway until recent reissues on the 150th anniversary of his birth. Powerful writing, although I am not sure if you can entirely separate the artist's persona from his art.

>4 TubeRider: TubeRider,

Far be it from you to spark controversy ;-) Knut Hamsun is already on the massive list I am currently preparing. We want to promote peace and understanding between the nations.

>1 urania1: Are you having some kind of geographical ADD?

Sweden. Sweden. Sweden. Oh, Look! What's that? another country? Norway. Norway. Norway. Oh, Look! What's that ...

>6 avaland:
Dearest avaland,

Far from it. On the Swede Read thread, barbs about Swedes and Norwegians have been flying furiously. I thought that in the cause of promoting peace, respect, and understanding between the nations, we might go ahead and anticipate 2011 and start campaigning for Norway ;-).

How about Denmark, Denmark, Denmark???

Jane,

We can mount a Denmark campaign as well. I think we need to have Finland campaign also. If we strategize carefully, We should have the Scandinavia well-covered. For you purists, I am including Finland because it belonged to Sweden part of the time. So 2011 will be our Nordish year. We will also read Geat literature.

>9 urania1:

You are worse than us Brits. By your logic, if we were to select British books one month, we would have to troll through the literature of more than 50 countries. Remember, the sun never sets on Britannia!

The Finns should be included with Russia since they were a USSR poodle for 40 years.

Oh TubeRider,

Quit being so difficult ;-)

P.S. I am reading a book on the history of Indian cuisine. The Brits really made a hash of things. Cuisine quiz to follow over on India thread when I get some time.

>10 TubeRider:

"The Finns should be included with Russia since they were a USSR poodle for 40 years."

Well, that is unfair to say. What would you do if you sat in the lap of a grizzly bear ?

Finland was part of the Russian Empire after the Swedes lost a war against it in 1809 (Finnish War). Small nations get often caught in the middle when imperialistic nations fight.

edited to get the link work

>12 Anneli:

I was tugging your shorts. Finland is a wonderful country. In the dead of winter there is no place as warm as Helsinki.

Given the influence of Old Norse in the Danelaw, all of English literature is really a footnote to the Norweigans, isn't it?

Lola!!!!!!! Where are you!!!!!!!

>14 A_musing:

You have revealed the dirty little secret about Anglo culture. A real bee in the Her Majesty's bonnet!

>15 urania1:

I would rather stand before a Croation firing squad than be confronted by the charming Ms. Lola again.

>16 TubeRider: On LT we respectfully refer to Lola as the Divine LolaWalser. Her books, her brains, her fiery willingness to step into the fray with passion and verve - we all want to be Lola.

And we now refer to Urania as Gustavus Adolphurania.

> 18
Just call me Gus.

Tuber, I think we have all seen I've got NOTHING in charm on you. Swedes, Germans, the totality of "Balkans" peoples, and now Finns have squirmed under your charming joshing. I couldn't possibly match that in any number of lifetimes. Any funny jokes about, oh, what do I know--Brazilians? What's the take on Chinese? Joking is clearly your forte, and in a group like this you want to Joke Globally!

Croation

Croatian.

#18

Urania, I mean Gus, I am taking a long sabbatical from myself--heading off to Norway, or maybe Sweden, who cares, it's not like anything IMPORTANT distinguishes them anyway, whatever their silly insistence on distinct tribal markings may imply. Therefore, you are free to the title of "Lola!", and I'll travel as "Inge from Sweden" for the duration of my whimsical foray into the looking glass world of Normatia, I mean, Dalway.

>20 LolaWalser: Lola,

lol :-)

Vote Geatland!

Beowulf for the Nobel!

Vote Anarchy!!!!!!

>20 LolaWalser:

To paraphrase a great US President, you have the charm of a Croatian commando and the sense of humor of a Canadian airport screener. And you provide spellchecking services to boot!

Ah hem. Having done my fair share of air travel, I have to point out that in general Canadian airport screeners are in much better humour than the US airport screeners (who I believe might be slaves who are taken to a back room and whipped between their shifts). One might think that working in Maui might make one smile, but that's evidently a ridiculous idea.

>18 A_musing:, Gustavus Adolphurania...love it. As a part-Swede, part-Norwegian, I feel I'd be betraying part of myself if I didn't balance our Sweden reads with something Norwegian. Count me on in whatever we do!

>24 TubeRider: Hey, Lola is charming. She's also challenging.

Haha! I knew we'd hear about Canadians sooner or later! This guy has a story about EVERYBODY.

Yes, Tuber, I provide corrections for such illiterate and uneducated mistakes with pleasure to people who pretend they know better. That particular mistake, along with "Dalmation" for "Dalmatian" is one of litmus tests for ignoramuses. I suggest you may want to pay attention to such telling details if you're going to pose as an expert on "the Balkans"... being such an "extensively traveled" person and sophisticated judge of national characteristics.

MI5 could use your services as a profiler. And thank you for another charming retort. I'll shoot you an e-mail the next time I am in Toronto and we can tip a few and compare notes about ignoramuses we have known. I suspect your list will be rather long. ;)

I have always had a fondness for Dalmations, but I don't know any Dalmatians.

BTW, I haven't been able to unload my Tirana flat on any unsuspecting British holiday takers. Would you be interested?

BTW, I had intended to recommend a book, A Short Border Handbook by an Albanian bloke Gazmend Kapllani. It is an outstanding exposition of many of the points made by Ms. Walser concerning the Other, although with somewhat less venom. I'm not sure if it is available in North America, but it is worth tracking down. One of the very few Albanian works available in English (for those of us who have linguistic challenges).

I'm not going to meet you unless you list some books. At this point, a selection of phone directories from around the world sounds more interesting than you.

BTW, I haven't been able to unload my Tirana flat on any unsuspecting British holiday takers. Would you be interested?

That's way too splendid for my humble undeserving self. See if you can pitch it to the family.

The Hundred and One Dalmatians have issued a memorandum protesting the anthropocentrism of all forums on Reading Globally. In the memorandum, they state their intention to occupy Lola's site yipping, yowling, and growling at appropriate intervals. Clause 2 demands biting TubeRider at every opportunity.

Damn dogs! People were there first!

Sadly, when Disney shows up, I've learned to cede the scene. Branded we are. But thanks for spelling it properly, urania. ;)

Lola!!!

I am shocked, appalled, and deeply hurt that you would think I referred to Disney. I am a purist. I refer to the original book written by Dodie Smith of I Capture the Castle fame.

Note: She did not write the book on contract for Disney. Disney has mutilated this much loved classic of me sainted (and saintly) childhood.

Pardon my intrusion, but I have been reading some Norwegian writers as I work my way around the world of literature to those places I have been able to visit.

Is this thread about Norwegian books, or something else? If the title is correct, I would recommend Undset's Kristin Lavransdatter for those who want an introduction to Norwegian literature that is probably not what you would expect. It is a 14th Century epic that recounts life in a land very different what what has become the modern Scandinavia. At the other extreme is anything by Knut Hamsun, especially Growth of the Soil. He is probably the father of post-independence nationalism in Norwegian literature. Both Undset and Hamsun were Nobel Prize winners in Literature. For a taste of the contemporary, you can't go wrong with In the Wake by Per Petterson.

I am especially interested in hearing what others have read, less obvious than Ibsen. The interesting thing about Norway is that it has a surprisingly rich literature for such a young and small country. Since the oil boom, with government subsidies, more Norwegian literature is becoming available in translation for English speaking audiences.

>35 hamartophobic:,

I am in the process of compiling a list of Norwegian writers in translation. But the thread and I got side-tracked somewhere along the way. At the moment we are a breakaway rebel group and officially not on the Reading Globally agenda. I have read Kristin Lavransdatter and Hamsun's Victoria. I have thus far avoided Per Petterson as bestselling authors tend to be . . . Convince me that Per Petterson is not simply fluff and I'll make the leap.

#34

I'm a philistine, a philistine! I have not read Dodie Smith, and I liked the Disney cartoon as a wee one!

#35

Bibliophobic, thanks for redirecting the thread!

I remember one rarely mentioned (on LT, as far as I know) Norwegian writer, Trygve Gulbranssen. I read a trilogy of his in Croatian in high school, The woods sing eternally, No path around, The wind from the mountains (I translate these titles literally, from memory, don't know if they accord with the English ones, if any). I loved those books.

I seem to remember having read Hamsun's Pan in my far-away youth, but if so, I no longer have a copy. I did find An Anthology of Scandinavian Literature with selections from Denmark, Norway, Iceland and Sweden. The Norwegians include ANON, Petter Dass, Johan Welhaven, Henrik Wergeland, P. Chr. Asbjornsen and Jorgen Moe, Henrik Ibsen, Bjornstjerne Bjornson, Knut Hamsun, Olav Duun, Sigrid Undset, and Arnulf Overland. I've only read (or heard of) Ibsen, Hamsun and Undset. And only one woman??

Touchstone not working for the Anthology -- but it's on LT.

>35 hamartophobic:

I agree in general with your comment about best sellers. I have found, however, that the general quality of recent literature is higher for literature in translation to English than is the case of works published originally in English. Besides, contemporary literature is a good supplement to non-fiction if you are interested in learning about the Zeitgeist of a country. Of course, visiting and staying away from the tourist locales is the best source of knowledge. I was fortunate to be able to live for several months with a Norwegian family in Nordland many years ago, and they have become lifelong friends. But, I am ashamed to say I have only tackled Norwegian literature in recent years. Well worth it, though.

>36 urania1:

Thank you for the recommendation and reminder. I have been meaning to read Gulbranssen, but his works have not been in print in Engllish for many decades. However, I just found a good deal on the Amazon used book marketplace and the first volume. Very good recall. You were close on all three.

#39

Oh, do give us the English titles. I was translating from my memory of the Croatian ones (I vječno pjevaju šume, Nema puta naokolo, Vjetar s planine).

P.S. You could try to touchstone them too.

>38 janeajones:

Bjornstjerne Bjornson was the first Nobel Prize winner in Literature from Norway. I believe his works in English are only available excerpted in anthologies like the one you mention. I am not familiar with most of the others you mention, but thanks for the list. I will begin my search.

I think this group will be a treasury of literate discussion. Thanks.

>40 LolaWalser:

Sorry, please excuse a novice's rudeness:

Beyond Sing the Woods, The Wind from the Mountains, and No Way Around. The last was never translated into English as far as I can confirm.

Jolly good! Why doesn't it surprise me that a Norwegian writer accused of fascist sympathies would be on the reading lists of Croat children.

As for listing my books, Ms. Lola, my reading habits are between me and my publican.

Why doesn't it surprise me arseholery runs in your family, Tuber? It's sad to be that predictable. By the way, you introduced an actual Nazi collaborator with lip-smacking appreciation of the scandal--I'd think you'd be all for, you know, complex understandings of the interaction of art and real life. Don't let us down, let fly some theories.

#42

Bibliophobic, thanks. I'll check out the great uni library here and see what they hold, in general way of Norwegian authors too.

#38> Jane, in post #2, I mentioned Herbjorg Wassmo, who IS a woman. So that, along with Sigrid Undset, makes two women!

More women:

Anne B. Ragde (1957-) Berlin Poplars
Anne Holt (1958-) (crime fiction) Whatever Happens, What Is Mine, Punishment
Linn Ullmann (1966-) - Grace: A Novel , A Blessed Child, Stella Descending, Before You Sleep
Elisabeth Dored (1908-1972) I Loved Tiberius
Cora Sandel - Cora Sandel: Selected Short Stories, Alberta Alone, Alberta and Jacob, Alberta and Freedom, The Silken Thread, The Leech, Krane's Cafe

I have more women on my list, but I haven't finished checking to see what works are available in English translation.

And one more woman:

Amalie Skram - Constance Ring, Under Observation

And one more

Cora Sandel (1880-1974) Cora Sandel: Selected Short Stories, Alberta Alone, Alberta and Jacob, Alberta and Freedom, The Silken Thread, The Leech, Krane's Cafe

And more

Marie Hamsun (second wife of Knut) A Norwegian Family, A Norwegian Farm

Ebba Haslund Nothing Happened: "The mousey, bookish and painfully self-conscious narrator Edle Henriksen discovers humiliation and hope in the course of this stirring novel about friendship and lesbian longing. Set at the University of Oslo in 1939, three female students, all ambitious yet different from one another, engage their minds and unspoken passions in an effort to understand themselves and the war-torn world around them. Bente is a self-made Noraheroic, self-assuredwho flees her stifling husband and infant to carve out her own identity; glowingly honest, Gro is the scientist bent on helping her eggheaded friend Edle to blossom. The three share coffee, secrets and studies, but as the title promises, essentially nothing happens. Beautifully translated, lyrically told, the story by the famous author explores the feminist struggle between motherhood and personhood."

Ah Mary -- you are a treasure trove.

Very helpful and welcome lists. Thank you.

Here are a couple of anthologies of Norwegian women writers, plus one book that could be classified as either Norwegian or American; it was originally written in Norwegian I believe.

Anthologies: An Everyday Story: Norwegian Women's Fiction
Contemporary Norwegian Women's Writing
Undaunted: A Norwegian Woman In Frontier Texas - journalist who sent articles back to Norway. Book originally published in Norway

And for those interested in Norwegian women writers, check out A Celebration of Norwegian Women Writers.

And let us not forget the men. I'm working to create as complete a list of Norwegian writers in English translation as I can. I just haven't finished it yet. It's long.

So when do you start on the Danes?

Jeez Jane,

Let me finish with the Norwegian list first. But here's a starter list from my library. I haven't read the last two books on the list. As you can see, I am a big fan of Blixen's work.

Karen Blixon (Isak Dineson): Winter's Tales, Anecdotes of Destiny, Ehrengard, Last Tales, Carnival, Seven Gothic Tales, out of Africa
Hans Christian Andersen: The Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen
Søren Kierkegaard: Diary of a Seducer (novel), Fear and Trembling (philosophy)
Hanne Marie Svendsen: Under the Sun, The Golden Ball
Peter Fogtdal: The Tsar's Dwarf
Jen Peter Jacobsen: Niels Lynne
Morten Ramsland: Doghead

P.S. Apart from the Icelanders, who gets credit for all the Norse sagas? A_musing, you must know the answer to this one. If you do not, I will throw up my hands in despair and start pulling sagas off my saga shelf. Perhaps all the non-Icelandic sagas were written by Geats.

From my unread collection, may I (tentatively) suggest:
Amalie Skram
Gerd Brantenberg
Lars Saabye Christensen

Edited to say: I see now that Mary already mentioned Amelie Skram. Well, I'll just mention her again.

I'm a big fan of Blixen/Dinesen too -- Don't forget Babette's Feast

#58> Me too.

Love this thread. You all make me wish I was a witty smart arse who could converse with you all!~!~!
belva

Belva, I thought you were a witty smart.....!
;-)