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The Fisher Girl
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258 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1868
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About the author
Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson
789 books100 followersBjørnstjerne Martinus Bjørnson was a Norwegian writer and the 1903 Nobel Prize in Literature laureate "as a tribute to his noble, magnificent and versatile poetry, which has always been distinguished by both the freshness of its inspiration and the rare purity of its spirit."
Bjørnson is the author of the lyrics to the Norwegian National Anthem, "Ja, vi elsker dette landet".
Bjørnson is the author of the lyrics to the Norwegian National Anthem, "Ja, vi elsker dette landet".
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
June 7, 2014
"To see the peasant in the light of the sagas and the sagas in the light of the peasant"
-(Bjørnson, n.d.)
Bjørnstjerne Martinius Bjørnson
Bjørnson, born Bjørnstjerne Martinius Bjørnson(1832-1910), declared this to be the principal literary method of his vast creative activity in language, for aside from being awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1903 (which is interesting for he was sitting in the Norwegian Nobel Committee, the body that awarded the said accolade, from 1901-1906) and having been known for being an ardent Norwegian left-wing adherent who wrote the present Norwegian National Anthem, was known for his, Peasant Tales, a series of works portraying the Norwegian peasantry with intimate and loving knowledge, much like this one, The Fisher Girl.
The writing framework classified under the peasant tale is not unique to Bjørnson, or in European Literature. What magnificently demarcated Bjørnson from his contemporaries and predecessors was his writing perspective. Others wrote from an outside perspective undeniably fraught with artificial sentimentality predicated on a condescending attitude. Most perspective writing from ‘without’ have been severely criticized for their fundamental failure to unveil the factual nature of what they were writing about. They fail in a fundamental level for no legitimate grounding exists to write a sound rendering. They were not simply immersed. But Bjørnson had that grounding. He reveled in it, and that made all the difference. Bjørnson himself was of the peasant stock, his formative years were defined by living in an ungrateful soil whose stubbornness rooted in its primal nature to resist cultivation is second only to the tenacity displayed the peasantry to plow the field. By his personal history, he was able to epitomize the peasantry. In the words spoken by his characters, the reader is continuously made to realize the subtle depth of unexpressed feelings festooned by a naïve and honest understanding of a world beyond reach and of comforts absolutely ungraspable. Whether from a self-imposed sense of inadequacy or innate pride, the characters are identified only by laconic utterances of genuine sincerity.
One will find that The Fisher Girl does not stray from the descriptions I have written above, if anything, it is ineludibly evocative of Bjørnson’s said style.
The Fisher Girl recounts the failed love between Pedro Olsen, (from the line of Peer his grandfather, and Peter, his father) a soul who by the desire of paternal rigidity to impose a conventional trade in life instead lost his purposefulness, and Gunlaug, whose nature dictated the necessity to have something to care for, you would know outright, they were a perfect match. But it is not their story that is told. When Gunlaug’s father dies, she leaves the town, only to comeback, quite unexpectedly as she had left, with a daughter, whose paternity would seem to be in question albeit the man whence she came from is subtly unequivocal. What is recounted here is Petra’s history. The Fisher Girl’s story.
It tells of how, not by wickedness but by pure honest indecisiveness and helplessness, Petra agrees to the simultaneous engagement to three men, which stirs the town enough to chase her out and run her mother out of business. She was labeled, derogatively, ‘the Fisher Girl’. She travels to evade the people and the title and in so doing, she falls in love with the stage, with drama. But Petra’s road to success is under construction. And she will, in her earnest desire to play in the stage find that gossip travels light years faster than success.
In Petra’s search for her calling, the conversations are defined by terseness, but one can always feel that she always wants to say more, to mean more, and she does, for her brevity often speaks for itself. In Petra’s excursions, troubles, and love for the drama, Bjørnson’s style comes to life. In her desire to rise above the title, the Fisher Girl, Bjørnson shows us the inescapable struggle of the peasant life, how Petra incrementally whisks away the naivety and inadequacy to set forth a critical moment in life, and always, one can feel, in all its inadequacy, Petra’s sincerity. Inevitably, you get caught in this peasant tale, and in her struggle for liberation from the derogation given her by naivety, when Petra’s title, ‘The Fisher Girl’ is said not for the three men she fished in engagements but nobly recalled because of her incomparable gifts in the celebrated stage, one will find, that life is not so unfair after all.
Other work by Bjørnstjerne Martinius Bjørnson:
A Happy Boy
This book forms part of my reading list on Nobel Prize for Literature Laureates
This review, along with my other reviews, has been cross-posted at imbookedindefinitely
A free ebook copy is legally downloadable here, along with a voluminous number of other works: Gutenberg
-(Bjørnson, n.d.)
Bjørnstjerne Martinius Bjørnson
Bjørnson, born Bjørnstjerne Martinius Bjørnson(1832-1910), declared this to be the principal literary method of his vast creative activity in language, for aside from being awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1903 (which is interesting for he was sitting in the Norwegian Nobel Committee, the body that awarded the said accolade, from 1901-1906) and having been known for being an ardent Norwegian left-wing adherent who wrote the present Norwegian National Anthem, was known for his, Peasant Tales, a series of works portraying the Norwegian peasantry with intimate and loving knowledge, much like this one, The Fisher Girl.
The writing framework classified under the peasant tale is not unique to Bjørnson, or in European Literature. What magnificently demarcated Bjørnson from his contemporaries and predecessors was his writing perspective. Others wrote from an outside perspective undeniably fraught with artificial sentimentality predicated on a condescending attitude. Most perspective writing from ‘without’ have been severely criticized for their fundamental failure to unveil the factual nature of what they were writing about. They fail in a fundamental level for no legitimate grounding exists to write a sound rendering. They were not simply immersed. But Bjørnson had that grounding. He reveled in it, and that made all the difference. Bjørnson himself was of the peasant stock, his formative years were defined by living in an ungrateful soil whose stubbornness rooted in its primal nature to resist cultivation is second only to the tenacity displayed the peasantry to plow the field. By his personal history, he was able to epitomize the peasantry. In the words spoken by his characters, the reader is continuously made to realize the subtle depth of unexpressed feelings festooned by a naïve and honest understanding of a world beyond reach and of comforts absolutely ungraspable. Whether from a self-imposed sense of inadequacy or innate pride, the characters are identified only by laconic utterances of genuine sincerity.
One will find that The Fisher Girl does not stray from the descriptions I have written above, if anything, it is ineludibly evocative of Bjørnson’s said style.
The Fisher Girl recounts the failed love between Pedro Olsen, (from the line of Peer his grandfather, and Peter, his father) a soul who by the desire of paternal rigidity to impose a conventional trade in life instead lost his purposefulness, and Gunlaug, whose nature dictated the necessity to have something to care for, you would know outright, they were a perfect match. But it is not their story that is told. When Gunlaug’s father dies, she leaves the town, only to comeback, quite unexpectedly as she had left, with a daughter, whose paternity would seem to be in question albeit the man whence she came from is subtly unequivocal. What is recounted here is Petra’s history. The Fisher Girl’s story.
It tells of how, not by wickedness but by pure honest indecisiveness and helplessness, Petra agrees to the simultaneous engagement to three men, which stirs the town enough to chase her out and run her mother out of business. She was labeled, derogatively, ‘the Fisher Girl’. She travels to evade the people and the title and in so doing, she falls in love with the stage, with drama. But Petra’s road to success is under construction. And she will, in her earnest desire to play in the stage find that gossip travels light years faster than success.
In Petra’s search for her calling, the conversations are defined by terseness, but one can always feel that she always wants to say more, to mean more, and she does, for her brevity often speaks for itself. In Petra’s excursions, troubles, and love for the drama, Bjørnson’s style comes to life. In her desire to rise above the title, the Fisher Girl, Bjørnson shows us the inescapable struggle of the peasant life, how Petra incrementally whisks away the naivety and inadequacy to set forth a critical moment in life, and always, one can feel, in all its inadequacy, Petra’s sincerity. Inevitably, you get caught in this peasant tale, and in her struggle for liberation from the derogation given her by naivety, when Petra’s title, ‘The Fisher Girl’ is said not for the three men she fished in engagements but nobly recalled because of her incomparable gifts in the celebrated stage, one will find, that life is not so unfair after all.
Other work by Bjørnstjerne Martinius Bjørnson:
A Happy Boy
This book forms part of my reading list on Nobel Prize for Literature Laureates
This review, along with my other reviews, has been cross-posted at imbookedindefinitely
A free ebook copy is legally downloadable here, along with a voluminous number of other works: Gutenberg
December 15, 2025
Litt kjedelig, lest i forbindelse med studiet
December 22, 2023
My first real venture into Norwegian Literature. It was fun to get a little snapshot into how life was, and the daily challenges and drama people dealt with. And it is surprisingly progressive for the 1860s. Powerful women. I approve.
June 27, 2017
A poetically written book about a peasant fisher girl who becomes an actress.
May 30, 2023
The Fisher Lass is a solid novel about one's resillience and strong human spirit with a romantic plot developing simultaneously. Its vivid portrayal of the Norwegian fishing communities captivate the reader to the peak. Through his words, readers can practically taste the salty sea breeze and visualize the small settlements by the seaside as well as the majestic fjords and breathtaking sunsets. Not only has it great lyrical descriptions to offer, but it also contains ideas of the importance of career choice and the art of pushing through and general christian dogmas. The characters are rendered to minute details, having acted consistently according to their personality and abilities. Not only the characters, but also the Norwegian 19th century era and its tendencies are skillfully described. The ending single-handedly gain this novel an extra point. Although I found the language used a little too archaic, which isn't necessarily a con, but it wasn't exactly as easy to read as it could have. In certain passages there wasn't really much going on, and other times I could quite grasp all the happenings at once. Overall a great literary experience.
4/5
4/5
March 3, 2025
I am related to the author Bjornstjerne Bjornson. One day I got my hands on a 1882 ENGLISH edition of this book as Bjornson is a Norwegian author during his time and still is known as one of the four greats, also wrote the lyrics to the Norway National Anthem. We have pride in hjm).
I honestly never thought I would read this book, but I’m glad I finally have a chance. The Fisher Maiden was something. It was poetically written and crafted about a poor to riches young girl following her dreams of an Actress. I can see where he was top of his field in his time. But today he wouldn’t make it. Which is sad it didn’t age all that well in probably most book communities.
Thankfully I know how to pronounce Norwegian names or that would have funny and hard 🤣 The Fisher Maiden was still good don’t get me wrong about anything. Though it’s definitely not of today’s standards, if that makes sense.
I honestly never thought I would read this book, but I’m glad I finally have a chance. The Fisher Maiden was something. It was poetically written and crafted about a poor to riches young girl following her dreams of an Actress. I can see where he was top of his field in his time. But today he wouldn’t make it. Which is sad it didn’t age all that well in probably most book communities.
Thankfully I know how to pronounce Norwegian names or that would have funny and hard 🤣 The Fisher Maiden was still good don’t get me wrong about anything. Though it’s definitely not of today’s standards, if that makes sense.
December 31, 2020
Merită citită.
June 7, 2025
o poezie
June 10, 2015
Fin liten fortelling om en ivrig kunstnersjel. Det er ikke alltid jeg synes det er så lett å sympatisere med karakterer som lar sine egne forestillinger og sinnstemninger gå utover andre, men Petra er både så sjarmerende og så hjelpeløs overfor sitt kunstnersinn at man kan ikke annet enn å føle og lide med henne.
Foruten hovedpersonen, satte jeg også pris på diskusjonen om kunstens (i form av skuespillets) plass i en religiøs setting, og hvordan det å gi seg hen til kunsten ikke skal være uforenlig, men tvert imot forenlig, ikke bare med ens egen karakter, men også med en tro, her da spesifikt en kristen tro. Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson tar her oppgjør med et tema som fremdeles (dog kanskje i litt andre settinger) finnes i den religiøse diskusjon i dag. At han var forut for sin tid i dette henseende er det ingen tvil om.
Foruten hovedpersonen, satte jeg også pris på diskusjonen om kunstens (i form av skuespillets) plass i en religiøs setting, og hvordan det å gi seg hen til kunsten ikke skal være uforenlig, men tvert imot forenlig, ikke bare med ens egen karakter, men også med en tro, her da spesifikt en kristen tro. Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson tar her oppgjør med et tema som fremdeles (dog kanskje i litt andre settinger) finnes i den religiøse diskusjon i dag. At han var forut for sin tid i dette henseende er det ingen tvil om.
April 18, 2025
The Fisher Maiden was a bit of a struggle for me. The story focuses on Petra, a young fisher girl who wants to leave her small community and become something more—an artist, a person of culture. While the theme is clear, the characters and writing didn’t hold my attention.
Petra doesn’t feel like a real person. She represents ideas more than emotions, and her development is hard to follow or believe. The story moves slowly, and the romantic parts didn’t feel convincing. Some of the writing is nice, and it’s easy to see the author cared about Norwegian culture and nature, but that wasn’t enough to keep me interested.
This book might appeal to readers who study Norwegian literature or want to read older works for historical context. For general readers, it may feel too distant and uneven.
Petra doesn’t feel like a real person. She represents ideas more than emotions, and her development is hard to follow or believe. The story moves slowly, and the romantic parts didn’t feel convincing. Some of the writing is nice, and it’s easy to see the author cared about Norwegian culture and nature, but that wasn’t enough to keep me interested.
This book might appeal to readers who study Norwegian literature or want to read older works for historical context. For general readers, it may feel too distant and uneven.
January 18, 2016
Bjornson won the 1903 Nobel Prize for literature for his 19th century Norwegian "peasant" novels, of which the "The Fisher Maiden" best exemplifies. This was an engaging novel which dealt with modernism in the way of traditional relationships.
April 8, 2016
read this for class, and i actually liked the ending!
Want to read
June 4, 2014Free download available at Project Gutenberg.
May 19, 2017
I just hate the way the female protagonist is portrayed: undecided and having these weird inexplicable behavioural shiftsm. This just contributes to the stereotypical view of women as indecisive beings who screw men around.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews