Jon Fosse, Melancholy
Dalkey Archive, 2006; co-translated from Norwegian with Grethe Kvernes
The inner visions and struggles of Lars Hertervig, a young painter from the Norwegian provinces in Germany, in prose reminiscent of Thomas Bernhard at his most nightmarish and Ingmar Bergman at his most mystical.
Jon Fosse (b. 1949) is one of the world's most-produced living playwrights, the author of over 50 books, and generally acknowledged as one of the greatest Norwegian writers since Hamsun and Ibsen. Melancholy is his major novel. Hypnotic, immersive writing like nothing you've ever seen.
"The only question I have is why, since Fosse is as good as this, I haven't heard of him before now." —Brian Evenson (more reviews...)
