In the new novel, Erlend Lu, as before, balances between polar emotions, awakening in the reader indignation and admiration, rage and delight in relation to the main character — the story of Nina Faber is read in one breath.
She dreamed, loved, gave birth, drank, saved, wrote poetry, visited a psychotherapist. Life flew by. Nina still seems to herself a thin, nervous nature, but for the world she is a capricious lonely old woman of 65 years old. There are thousands of teachers of literature, museum curators, tour guides, general piano teachers, lovers of poetry like Nina. In the conflict between her and life, Erlend Lou knows no undertones, and the form of a mini-novel requires bright strokes. Nina’s spirituality, reaching pompousness, pathos, combined with inability to live, can irritate, and the author is ironic about this, sometimes cruelly and bitingly.
The only day described in the novel did not start in the morning: Nina did not get enough sleep. Then bad news, rudeness and lies — and she realizes that nothing good awaits her anymore. Never. You can do whatever you want, life is still in vain. Do you know what devils live in still pools? What will a sophisticated lady do if she allows herself everything? Nina starts with revenge. Continues gluttony and even … violence. Lou suddenly takes on the role of Virgil and leads Nina through the circles of earthly passions — to the light. The contrast between the novel’s grotesquely naive style and its poignant ending is almost cathartic. Abandoning irony, Erlend Lou tells us in earnest: people of fine mental organization with their clumsy lives are the most valuable thing we have. As long as we are faithful to the music that sounds in us, contrary to the norms and rules of the world, nothing terrible will happen. The music doesn’t end.
Translation from Norwegian by Olga Drobot.
Alphabet, 160 p.