Love

by Hanne Orstavik

Martin Aitken (Translator)

4 of 5 stars 1 rating • 1 review • 2 shelved
Book cover for Love

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WINNER OF THE 2019 PEN TRANSLATION PRIZE

FINALIST FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FOR TRANSLATED LITERATURE

A mother and son move to a village in northern Norway, each ensconced in their own world. Their distance has fatal consequences.


Love is the story of Vibeke and Jon, a mother and son who have just moved to a small place in the north of Norway. It's the day before Jon's birthday, and a travelling carnival has come to the village. Jon goes out to sell lottery tickets for his sports club, and Vibeke is going to the library. From here on we follow the two individuals on their separate journeys through a cold winter's night - while a sense of uneasiness grows. Love illustrates how language builds its own reality, and thus how mother and son can live in completely separate worlds. This distance is found not only between human beings, but also within each individual. This novel shows how such distance may have fatal consequences.
  • ISBN10 0914671944
  • ISBN13 9780914671947
  • Publish Date 13 February 2018
  • Publish Status Active
  • Out of Print 3 August 2021
  • Publish Country US
  • Imprint Archipelago Books