Child Wonder

Roy Jacobsen's CHILD WONDER is a kind of wonder in itself, in that the author is able to effect a kind of marvelous regression back into the mind and body of a young boy, Finn, wrestling not just with the normal problems of pre-adolescence and puberty, but also bearing the additional burdens of being fatherless and having a mother who is still trying to sort out her own traumas of an abusive childhood. And then throw into this already bubbling bucket of family emotions another child, a damaged six-year old girl named Linda (Finn's half sister, as it turns out), who has also been abused by her drug-addict mother. And one more: an eccentric but charismatic lodger, Kristian. An odd cast of characters to say the least, but Jacobsen handles show more them all with a master's touch.

Finn's voice narrates the story, from about age nine or ten. The crux of the story centers around Linda and the protective feeling Finn forms for his sister as he quickly comes to love the little girl and slowly but surely cajoles her out of her shell, while at the same time he is trying to form his own sense of self and wondering what in the hell is wrong with his mother. There is an idyllic summer spent on an island, followed by a heart-breaking turn of events which forces Finn into becoming his own man. The narrative continues, taking Finn through high school and into an early maturity.

This is simply one hell of a good story. Author Roy Jacobsen is an eminent and prolific writer in his native Norway, but only a few of his many books have thus far been translated into English (this one most ably by Don Bartlett with Don Shaw). I couldn't help but wonder, since Finn and his mother Gerd share the last name Jacobsen, how autobiographical this novel might be. I also specualted what one might compare CHILD WONDER to, and thought of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, but with some gender reversals - Finn as Scout, and Gerd as Atticus. Such a comparison might be a stretch, but the artistic accomplishments by the authors are, I think, equal. I also thought of a long ago rather obscure novel by Evan Hunter called LAST SUMMER, a shockingly violent coming-of-age piece, set on a vacation island. (The film version starred a young Richard Thomas.)

Jacobsen, bottom line, has written a beautifully conceived and executed story about childhood and the end of innocence with some very memorable characters. I will be thinking about this story for some time. I'll also be looking soon to read another of Jacobsen's books, THE BURNT-OUT TOWN OF MIRACLES.

A final note about the book's translator, Don Bartlett. I first encountered his work in his translation of the popular Norwegian novel, BEATLES, which was just so damn good I wanted to read more Norwegian novels. Thank God for great translators like Bartlett, who labor all but anonymously to bring us great foreign literature. Thank you, Don, for your good work. show less

I'm not sure how I came to want to read this book - probably based on some review I read. It's an unusual book translated from the Norwegian and told from the point of view of Finn, a young boy living in the "estates" (public housing) with his mother who has divorced the father, but now the father is dead. After the father's death, the mother takes in the daughter of the father and his second wife. Linda is a bit younger than Finn and has obviously a very rough life which the mother seems to understand.

There is sadness to the book as well as lots of humor. None of the characters are perfect, yet all are trying in their own way. Life in the 60's in Oslo is painted clearly and the relationship between Finn and the other children seems show more very believable. The ending feels sad, but yet I'm not really sure what happened. Interesting, obviously well-written, just not gripping for me. show less

The Short of It:

A touching, coming-of-age story.

The Rest of It:

Finn and his mother live in a small apartment in Oslo, in the early 60s. She works in a shoe shop and does her best to make ends meet. They are comfortable and happy. Finn’s father died long ago in a crane accident but he left a little something behind…a daughter. Linda, age 6 and only a few years younger than Finn, comes to live with them. With another mouth to feed, Finn’s mom takes in a quirky lodger.

I’m not sure what I expected when picking this book up but I wasn’t expecting to be completely charmed by Finn. Finn is a great kid. He’s not the most popular kid but he’s not an outcast either. Living alone with his mother has given him a sense of maturity that show more you don’t normally see in a child his age, but he still possesses that child like wonder that makes this particular age so special.

Finn’s mother is firm, but wonderful and they watch out for each other quite a bit. When Linda comes to live with them, Finn is not sure what to think. Out of nowhere, this half-sister arrives and he immediately sees that she’s not quite right. But there is no jealously here. Just a fierce need to protect her and Finn does exactly that.

What the lodger provides, is a man’s perspective. Something Finn has never had. Although he resents having to have a lodger, he learns to live with the guy because for one, he has a TV and two, he’s nice company for his mother.

Towards the end of the story, something happens that changes the way they live and once again they are forced to readjust to their new lives. I was a bit sad when I read the ending, but as stricken as the characters are, they accept their situation and continue to grow.

There are many things that I liked about this book. It’s a very simple story and because it’s so simple, you can focus on the characters and they are really wonderfully drawn. I liked that Finn was not a babbling child but a child with a good head upon his shoulders. I liked that his mother was not perfect, but was a really good mom. I also loved the development of Linda, the half-sister.

All in all, reading this book was a pleasant experience and reminded me of what it’s like to be a child in a grown-up world.

Note from Ti: This book comes out September 27, 2011, but since I liked it so much, I decided to review it early

For more reviews, visit my blog: Book Chatter show less

'I saw a childhood which had gone, and a childhood which would always be there'
By sally tarbox on 6 Sept. 2012
Format: Hardcover
The narrator looks back to a year or so of his childhood. Living in early '60s Oslo on a council estate with his single mother, money is tight till she decides to take in a lodger. At the same time she finds herself responsible for a mysterious stepchild. Finn's life with his mum will never be the same...
An interesting glimpse into another era and culture and a compulsive read.

Against a backdrop of social change in the 1960s, a boy and his mother cope with the arrival of his half sister in to the household. Brilliant told through the child's perspective, with the complex networks of juvanile concerns and loyalties ill-understood by the adults, Finn also is forced to confront much more grownup issues. In a single year of their lives, all the main characters grow through immense personal change ultimately strengthening them. Whilst certainly not told in sparse prose there is plenty left unsaid, mirroring Finn's only half-glimpsed view of the turmoil surrounding him.

I liked this book. Something about the imagery, especially on the island, was really beautiful. That's what I keep thinking about when I think about this book--all the scenery. Secondary really is the characters, my favorite, personally is Kristian. I really enjoyed the relationships between Finn, his mother, and Linda. Finn's fierce protectiveness of her yet his avoidance is so relate-able and familiar.

I recommend it for readers who like coming of age fiction!

3.5