Customer Reviews (6)

So beautiful
This is a beautiful tale. It takes a little getting used to at first because the prose is somewhat stilted and obscure...and then you are taken in, and the characters and beauty and tragedy all unfold. A classic.

Another magnificent tale from Vesaas' hand
This short book is about Mattis, a bit of a simpleton that lives out in the woods with his sister; Hege. They've lived this way for many a year and they are both in their 40's by now. Mattis has a hard time getting a job and getting along with others in their modernizing society of rural Norway. Then one day a big bird flies over Mattis' cabin, and he knows in his contemplative mind that "everything is going to change now, the bird didn't fly over my house for no reason". And bit by bit we get to know Mattis and Hege, and their life in the small cabin of the woods.

The book is just great, and it should not be read as a novel that glorifies simpletons, but simply a book that asks us to slow down and find that we as Europeans are still a part of an omnipotent nature. We are surrounded by so much marvel, we need a "simpleton" like Mattis to remind us that we are a part of the great whole. Highly recommended!

(I read a different edition of the book)

Literary masterpiece from the North
This is one of the greatest novels I have ever read in my life. It is deeply human. It tells a simple story of a man and his sister living in the wilderness of Norway. The man is somewhat of a simpleton -- but he is sensitive and reflective all the same. His sister is lonely...until a woodsman comes....
This is a classic tale, and I loved every word.

The greatest book I have read
This book is so tender and sensitive that I could not read more than a few pages in one sitting. It is very simple and easy to read at the same time, but it is important to be concentrated when reading it or else the beauty might be lost.
I have read this book twice now, and I am sure I will read it many more times in my life. I can not say that about any other book.

Mad innocent youth.
A masterpiece of Norwegian literature. It's an exploration of the boundaries between madness and "normality", and the story of a young man's sacrifice on the altar of common sense and social unwritten rules. How much reality can we stand before loosing our mind? And how much nature, with its power that dances on our fears and on our weaknesses. It would be a great book to read in the language it was written: a bodily and full consistent Telemark dialect. Something goes lost in the traslation, though it couldn't have been otherwise and the trans-cultural re-codificatoion must have been a hard work. I suggest this book to everybody, especially to those who sometimes ask themselves questions about life. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Two of Vesaas' worst books in one tome
The first book revolves around an isolated island where a madman comes ashore. The small community is brought into frenzy when the madman kills one of their young girls, and in anger a crowd of the islanders kill the madman. The blame for the murder is laid upon one of the most active members of the crowd, a young boy that is the brother of the slain girl. He is forced to deal with the "blame" and the "guilt" by the rest of the community, and the humanist propaganda is just too much to bear. Yes, we get that Vesaas was trying to "warn" the world that no matter how much madmen and minorities annoy "mainstream society", we aren't allowed to retaliate against their actions. But this is utter nonsense, and one of the reasons we as Europeans have become utterly powerless and weak creatures, is because of this kind of philosophy. Not one of his good books, to put it shortly.

The second book revolves around two youths being home alone one weekend, and all that happens to them in a single spring night. The beginning is so much like many other Vesaas-novels, in the good way, but then it takes a turn for the worse. It starts out like many of his books in a tale about young love, and this is where Vesaas is at his best. Then suddenly for some reason he starts adding all these very annoying and surrealistic items and happenings, and they only make the story one of utter despair and unhappy lives.

I appreciate that he tried to be very "deep" and philosophical, but this just doesn't work at all. I've read all his 35 books, but I can safely advice you to skip this one, because it is simply bad or too politicised literature, and with the added horror of his occasional present humanist streak. Two thumbs down!

(I read a different edition of the book)
... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is an article from Scandinavian Studies, published by Society for the Advancement of Scandinavian Study on June 22, 2001. The length of the article is 8964 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Tarjei Vesaas and German Expressionist Theater.(Norwegian writer Tarjei Vesaas)
Author: Frode Hermundsgard
Publication: Scandinavian Studies (Refereed)
Date: June 22, 2001
Publisher: Society for the Advancement of Scandinavian Study
Volume: 73Issue: 2Page: 125

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Book Description

Tarjei Vesaas, one of Scandinavia's greatest fiction writers, has been less well known as a poet. Now Roger Greenwald, an award-winning translator of Scandinavian poetry, presents forty-six poems drawn from Vesaas's six volumes of poetry. This selection is intended to reveal the distinctive sensibility and voice of Vesaas the poet. The Norwegian texts appear facing the English versions, which won the American-Scandinavian Foundation Translation Prize.

The translator's groundbreaking introduction explores why Vesaas's poetry has often resisted critical analysis and how it challenges received notions of modernism. Excerpts from Vesaas's writings about himself and his work supply helpful background and give some sense of the man behind the work. Vesaas emerges as a lyric and meditative poet of uncommon depth, who renders states of being beyond the reach not only of discourse, but of most poetry as well.

From "The Boat on Land":

Your still boat
hasn't got a name.
Your still boat
hasn't got a port.
Your secret boat on land.

From "Shadows on the Point"

We stand here in your deep night, Night,
and wait for something new from beyond the point.
The current runs black and silent.
And what we feel through it
we don't tell each other.

Customer Reviews (5)

Outside the Wind Whispers/Ute susar vinden
Many of the poems could be mentioned but one in particular seems worthy of note."Outside the Wind Whispers" is the poem I have chosen to write about because I think it reveals an interesting aspect of Vesaas's poetry.Forgive my taking the liberty of quoting from page 35 of the paperback version of Through Naked Branches:

Inklings of the storm,

of the heavy trembling,

are surely what drive

us together.

Inklings of loneliness,

of a creeping frost,

an imminent fall,

a futile cry.--

[The formatting of the poetry might be lost.I have double spaced the lines hoping that they maintain the proper format.When I didn't double space them, they flowed together as one long line.]

This final stanza of "Outside the Wind Whispers" seems to me to describe the sensation of much of Vesaas's poetry.He often describes awesome and magnificent aspects of nature and contrasts these with a sensation of emptiness or spaciousness.He attributes human characteristics to nature and creates a feeling of humanity overwhelmed, or humanity buffeted by forces it cannot control.

from the stoop
the previous reviewers have not mentioned "From the Stoop."this poem is about dusk's arrival.it is one of many in the collection that refreshingly infuses a typical daily experience or event with a new and emphatic significance. in a sense, the reader must pause and remember to reconsider the dramatic effect of that which she sees every day in nature."Rain in Hiroshima" on the other hand, describes an unnatural event which had, and continues to have, a huge impact on the world, which is very different than that of dusk's approach.however, the two poems are written with a similar wondering and melancholic intensity.

I would like to quote the poetry to show you the grace and power of the language, but I am not sure if that is permitted.

A Total "Bargoon"
I enjoyed Miss Haversham's review, but I must point out that you don't have to be a contortionist to enjoy this book!!She hit the nail on the head regarding the highlights of the book's content, but she did make a few errors that I cannot resist correcting.The paperback version of the book is almost 200 pages, not 150 pages.The poetry is translated from Norwegian into English and not the other way around.

I too enjoyed the poem entitled "The Small Rodents," but I was more impressed by such poems as "The Loon Heads North" and "The Horse."The poetry is mysterious, moving and quite varied in theme.

Bravo to Miss Haversham for reviewing this book first and pointing out its many interesting aspects!

Well Worth It.
A friend recommended this book to me, because he knows that I am an avid poetry reader and that I have spent many years studying Norwegian culture.I am a discriminating northernist who typically spends the short winter days reading long books. Of course, I had heard of the well known poet, Tarjei Vesaas, but because my Norwegian is rather rusty I needed to read it in translation. I was not aware until recently that Amazon carried such a good translation of his work.

This 200 page collection is quite fine.Some of the poetry is evocative of the rural north and its stillness.However, I will not try to explain the poetry, but will leave it to you to read translator Roger Greenwald's introductory essay which explains these poems with remarkable clarity.

I highly recommend this book.

More than poetic
Have you ever wondered what happens to small field animals during the winter?If so, you must read this book.Not only will you discover the answer to this question, but you will learn other things while you enjoy some completely unpretentious, beautiful poetry.

This book can best be described as a "total experience."

What do I mean by this?

Well, first, you will be able to read a very engaging and clearly written scholarly essay on Vesaas's poetry.Second, the poems are translated into Norwegian and that means you will learn a little about the way that language looks and feels.Third, you will read an appendix, which is a collage of Vesaas's life culled from various sources, but expressed in his own words.

He was born in 1897 on a farm. The collage describes various life experiences and situations in which Vesaas found himself.As you read the collage you will feel like you know him very well, and you will wish to know him better.And you will know him better, because you can read the rich poetry and discover more about his experience of his/our world.

An interesting aspect of this book is that the overall presentation and content is like a collage.Because its approximately 150 pages contain so many different ideas, so much information and so many lovely poems it can be read in any direction.By this I mean that you can read poems first, then the intro, then the collage.Alternatively, you can reverse this order, or you can flip from here to there reading bits and pieces from each section.Any direction in which you choose to read this book you will have a very enjoyable experience, because it is just plain GOOD.

Don't be scared because the poetry is translated into English from another language.The words flow as clearly as if they hadn't been translated at all.

Even the cover art is good. ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is an article from The Review of Contemporary Fiction, published by Review of Contemporary Fiction on September 22, 2002. The length of the article is 955 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Tarjei Vesaas. The Ice Palace.(Book Review)(Brief Article)
Author: Mark Axelrod
Publication: The Review of Contemporary Fiction (Refereed)
Date: September 22, 2002
Publisher: Review of Contemporary Fiction
Volume: 22Issue: 3Page: 149(2)

Article Type: Book Review, Brief Article

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Book Description
This digital document, covering the life and work of Tarjei Vesaas, is an entry from Contemporary Authors, a reference volume published by Thompson Gale. The length of the entry is 2463 words. The page length listed above is based on a typical 300-word page. Although the exact content of each entry from this volume can vary, typical entries include the following information:

• Place and date of birth and death (if deceased)
• Family members
• Education
• Professional associations and honors
• Employment
• Writings, including books and periodicals
• A description of the author's work
• References to further readings about the author

Book Description
This digital document is an article from Scandinavian Studies, published by Society for the Advancement of Scandinavian Study on September 22, 2000. The length of the article is 627 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Through Naked Branches: Selected Poems of Tarjei Vesaas.(Review) (book review)
Author: Frankie Shackelford
Publication: Scandinavian Studies (Refereed)
Date: September 22, 2000
Publisher: Society for the Advancement of Scandinavian Study
Volume: 72Issue: 3Page: 376

Article Type: Book Review

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Book Description
A distinguished modern Norwegian novelist, dramatist, short-story writer, and poet, Tarjei Vesaas occupies a unique position in Norwegian and Scandinavian letters. Considered highly individual in his use of lyrical and symbolic language, Vesaas was profoundly concerned with spiritual themes and the interplay of the great forces of the nature. This study examines Vesaas' development as a writer with an eye to his role in the evolution of modernist primitivism in Scandinavian modernist literature. Hermundsgard begins with a discussion of primitivism and the ways in which primitivist literary, philosophical, and artistic trends from the United States, England, and Europe have influenced Scandinavian writers. Focusing his attention primarily on four of Vesaas' best-known novels, Hermundsgard offers a sensitive analysis of the work and assesses the writer's contribution to the primitivist tradition. The discussion deals with Vesaas' literary legacy in the broader context of Scandinavian primitivist literature. Besides providing new perspectives on a writer who merits a wider English-language audience, Child of the Earth advances some speculations on the emergence of primitivist movements throughout the world. Relevant for classes or studies in twentieth-century Scandinavian and Norwegian literature, the modern novel, and world literature. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

A sad but great tale about adolescent life in wintercold Norway
This is one of Vesaas' last books, and quite well-known in literary circles, both in Norway and abroad. The book spins around two girls living in rural Norway in their eleventh winter. One of the girls has just moved to the tiny village, and instantly forms a bond of friendship with the leader of the pack of children at their school; the other girl. Then something sad happens that I won't reveal. The tale spins around these happenings: the struggle against the dark forces of the human mind, and the experience of growing up. The tale is a short read, and is Vesaas at his most typical style of writing. I really enjoy this book, and I've read it several times.

So if you want to get to know one of Norway's greatest authors, almost up there at Knut Hamsun's level, then this would be a great place to start. The author died in 1970, but his anti-modern thought was quite present in most of his books, although an annoying streak of pacifism and humanism is present in some of his works. But this is not one of those books, so no reason to avoid this great read from the winter nights of rural Norway.

(I read a different edition of the book)

Elegant, completely at ease with words
It is a beautiful piece of poetic prose. The innocent and simple story of two girls and their budding friendship broken by death is at the same time intense and calm. The descriptions of the surroundings, the ice palace at the waterfall, which claims Unn, together with the thoughts of Siss, create the Nordic climate, make the reader breathe the cold air, and show the world as a complicated and unyielding entity, strange for a little girl, hard to understand. Yet Siss understands somehow, her world gets in order and all the events have their place.
Only a poet can use words in such a beautiful fashion. This book was a sensual delight. Probably a great bonus is the translation, must have been not a trivial task!

Austere, Primeval, and Haunting
Vesaas's book is beautiful.

His style is experimental and modern, which means that he presents information in a slightly elliptical way, perhaps one that more closely echoes the motions of actual consciousness. This means that you may have to read the same passage two or three times: there are very few topic sentences introducing clearly defined paragraphs. Luckily, his vocabulary is pitch-perfect: small words, chosen for precision rather than pretence.

A novel has two major compenents, one being the social background of the story and the other being the story itself. The background is crystalline and very, very Norwegian: a harsh climate; reserved, good people; an aura of isolation that may only come from years of cold. The story itself turns on a secret and a promise, and the young girl Siss's reaction to them: not a secret like those in Babysitters' Club books, nor like the secrets in a spy novel: but a compelling one, an all-encompassing one, one that drives people in a way that doesn't make sense in a wholly rational world and yet drives them all the same. I won't say more.

Highly recommended. Oh-- and read it quickly. Like, perhaps, Faulkner (though not as difficult), you'll lose track of what's going on if you take too much time between readings.

Absolutely beautiful
A beautiful book.The imagery is lovely, and I got hooked when one of the characters actually wanders into the ice palace.The descriptions of the light, and the interplay of the changing colors and shapes of the ice weremesmerizing--I stayed up late and couldn't go to bed.And in the morningit seemed it should be all ice outside instead of the height of summer. Tremendously atmospheric, simply splendid.The first book in about sixmonths to make it straight to my read-again shelf.And short--a quick readif you're busy.

True art!
One of the most beautiful books ever written. You are not literate before you have read this book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Vesaas at his best, although some of the tales are unnecessary
This book ranges from his greatest work, to his more mediocre tales. In my opinion, Vesaas was at his best when he wrote short stories, so being his final book, we could almost expect him to end his career with his characteristic magnificent writing. And occasionally, he really comes through in this book! Some of the tales in this book is among the greatest writing I've had the pleasure of reading, like the tale about the father and the son out in the forest making way for the timber in the snow, late at night. This tale is simply so great I have no words, it represents Vesaas at his very best, and is possibly the embodiment of adolescent Germanic inner thought. Another tale that stands out is the story about the young girl waiting in the falling snow for her love to come greet her, such a sad and beautiful tale. So totally at odds against today's decadent literature and society, with our completely sexualized society and other forms of decadence.

I can't recommend this book enough, as it really shows Vesaas at his best (and that says a lot), the only reason I don't give it the full score being that quite a few of the tales in the book are simply not good at all. But all in all, just great!

(I read a different edition of the book)
... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Another one of the Vesaas' books that start nicely, but end up terribly bad
The book revolves around two youths being home alone one weekend, and all that happens to them in a single spring night. The beginning is so much like many other Vesaas-novels, in the good way, but then it takes a turn for the worse. It starts out like many of his books in a tale about young love, and this is where Vesaas is at his best. Then suddenly for some reason he starts adding all these very annoying and surrealistic items and happenings, and they only make the story one of utter despair and unhappy lives.

I appreciate that he tried to be very "deep" and philosophical, but this just doesn't work at all. I've read all his 35 books, but I can safely advice you to skip this one, because it is simply bad literature, and with the added horror of his occasional present humanist streak. Two thumbs down!

(I read a different edition)

So good, so good
This is the book that can change your view of life. Two children, an accident... True life... One of the best books from Scandinavia ever... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

The Dignity of the Farmer
Depicted in early twentieth century rural Norway, this novel is perhaps the most sympathetic and sensitive depiction of a farmer's life that I have read.

Even as a young farm boy our central character, Per, has a life as deeply rooted to the soil as a tree is to the Earth.While other people travel freely from place to place, the routine chores and immeasurable demands of the farm preclude lackadaisical outings. Isolation is measured in the paucity of folks he meets, beyond the odd tramp who wanders by in hopes of spending the night in the hayloft.Reconciling the contradictions of farm life pits Per conscientiously against his father.If dad is so good to animals, as everyone says, how can he so summarily slaughter them?Vessas poignantly lays bare the harsh realities of life and death in the country.Most of us have no contact with the animals we eat, other than jockeing shiny carts through sterile aisles, choosing from the wide assortment of choice cuts, wrapped in their neat cellophane packaging. What it must be like to be affectionately nuzzled by the very creature that will the next day be served up to us on a dinner platter.To Per as a mature adult, the act of killing is always dreaded and pushed-off; it is an act born with a solemn sense of responsiblity---not with a cavalier flippancy, or as a sort of macabre sport!


Beyond a rather condescending suburban attitude I held as a youth that demoted farm culture to the lowest tier,Per's struggles allowed me to empathize with a way of life that was largely foreign and misunderstood by me.It is ironic that we are so removed from a rural heritage that a little more than a century ago most of us found hope and comfort in.

For further information about Tarjei Vesaas see: 'Columbia Dictionary of Modern European Literature' (Second Edition) pgs. 848-849

One of the main works in the Norwegian rural literary tradition
This is possibly Vesaas' main work, and at least among his 5 best tales. The book is about Per, the farm he is born on, and everything that comes from that. It is simply put the classic European tale of pre-modern rural life. The family is large; their lives revolve around the different seasons and not much decadence at all is to be found. You could call this an epic tale, since it spans Per's entire life; from childhood to old age. He has no desire to take over the farm from his father, but as the time passes by, he realizes that he too is part of the great cycle, hence the title. I can't recommend this enough; the only annoying part I can think of is the fact that I'm unsure if the follow-up novel has been translated to English. Although, don't let that be any reason to keep you away from this book, because if you want to read one of the North's greatest author at his best, then this is the place to start. Two thumbs up!

(I read a different edition of the book)
... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

One of the main works in the Norwegian rural literary tradition
This is possibly Vesaas' main work, and at least among his 5 best tales. The book is about Per, the farm he is born on, and everything that comes from that. It is simply put the classic European tale of pre-modern rural life. The family is large; their lives revolve around the different seasons and not much decadence at all is to be found. You could call this an epic tale, since it spans Per's entire life; from childhood to old age. He has no desire to take over the farm from his father, but as the time passes by, he realizes that he too is part of the great cycle, hence the title. I can't recommend this enough; the only annoying part I can think of is the fact that I'm unsure if the follow-up novel has been translated to English. Although, don't let that be any reason to keep you away from this book, because if you want to read one of the North's greatest author at his best, then this is the place to start. Two thumbs up!

(I read a different edition of the book)
... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Another of Vesaas' dreadful blatantly "humanist" books
Once again, we start out with a young boy and girl in love since time immemorial it seems. Everything is well, and they are more or less destined to marry each other, something both they and their parents desire. Then one night in the woods, they find the dead body of a newborn child. This changes everything, and the entire book revolves around the decadent changes this brings their relationship and the world they live in.

Coated in so-called "humanism", the book is little more than a call for pro-abortion and liberal sexual views, and I dread to think about the effect it might have had on the already horribly liberal Scandinavian public. Why couldn't he just make a nice and proper tale about the love of the young couple? Don't ask me, but what I DO know is that I recommend you all to stay far away from this book, and rather seek out some of his other more traditional works.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Simply not a tale Europa needs to hear
This book is an allegorical tale about the Second World War in Norway, and many different characters' experiences during this period. Nothing is written plainly as it was, and everything is surreal. Most of the book goes on in the mind of the character, and I don't really know what to say about it all. Some of the book is quite nice, and it shows how the Norwegians often reacted to the war, with various views being allowed to express themselves. This is not too bad, but I just don't see the point of this book, the overwhelming amount of propaganda for one of the sides of the terrible fratricide that was the Second World War, just doesn't seem to justify this type of novel.

Shortly put: Stick to Vesaas' other novels, because even though this isn't bad literature, its not necessary either, considering all the other great books of the world you could rather be reading. Just check out my other reviews if you are all out of ideas, and I'm sure you'll find something to your taste. I've read all of Vesaas' 35 books, so I feel I do have *some* wisdom when it comes to his books.

(I read a different edition of the book) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Vesaas' more "common" and modern novel
The book is quite nice, although very depressing. It revolves around the life of a middle-aged man and the bleaching yard he manages. He's in love with one of his employees, and his wife isn't particularly fond of this. One morning he wakes up to find one of his house-walls covered in big chalk letters telling the world; "Johan Tander has never been cared about by anyone". I won't reveal too much of the tale, but it has a sad ending and these letters drives poor Johan over the edge of sanity.

I enjoyed the tale, but its just too depressing. But seeing as this is kind of a question of personal taste, I can't really tell you prospective readers to shun this book, but I can promise you that you won't close it with a happy heart. One contemplative thumb up.

(I read a different edition of the book) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A sad but great tale about adolescent life in wintercold Norway
This is one of Vesaas' last books, and quite well-known in literary circles, both in Norway and abroad. The book spins around two girls living in rural Norway in their eleventh winter. One of the girls has just moved to the tiny village, and instantly forms a bond of friendship with the leader of the pack of children at their school, namely the other girl. Then something sad happens that I won't reveal. The tale spins around these happenings: the struggle against the dark forces of the human mind, and the experience of growing up. The tale is a short read, and is Vesaas at his most typical style of writing. I really enjoy this book, and I've read it several times.

So if you want to get to know one of Norway's greatest authors, almost up there at Knut Hamsun's level, then this would be a great place to start. The author died in 1970, but his anti-modern thought was quite present in most of his books, although an annoying streak of pacifism and humanism is present in some of his works. But this is not one of those books, so no reason to avoid this great read from the winter nights of rural Norway.

(I read a different edition of the book)
... Read more