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Καρχαρίες: Ιστορία ενός ναυαγίου
Οι Καρχαρίες, βιβλίο συμβολικό, φιλοσοφικό, ποιητικό, γεμάτο συναρπαστικές περιγραφές και διαποτισμένο από αγάπη για τον άνθρωπο, έγιναν δεκτοί μ' ενθουσιασμό από το κοινό και τους κριτικούς κι έγιναν μπεστ-σέλλερ την ίδια χρονιά που κυκλοφόρησαν. Οι Καρχαρίες φανερώνουν καθαρά το βασανιστικό ενδιαφέρον του συγγραφέα τους, του Γιενς Μπιέρνεμπου, για την ανθρώπινη βιαιότητα, για τον πόνο που με σαδιστική μανία προκαλούν οι άνθρωποι στους ανθρώπους. Ταυτόχρονα όμως ο Μπιέρνεμπου δίνει έμφαση στην αντιφατική φύση του ανθρώπου, στην ικανότητα του να ξεπεράσει τη ζωώδη πλευρά του εαυτού του και να εξυψωθεί σε πράξεις αυταπάρνησης και αλτρουισμού. Αχνοφαίνεται η ελπίδα ότι τελικά η αγάπη και το αίσθημα ευθύνης θα υπερισχύσουν πάνω στον άκρατο ατομικισμό και την αγριότητα.
(Από την παρουσίαση στο οπισθόφυλλο του βιβλίου)
"... Αυτό είναι η ιστορία: είναι ο δρόμος της ελευθερίας, κι αυτό τον δρόμο τον πορευόμαστε ελεύθερα, είτε την θέλουμε την ελευθερία είτε όχι. Η πορεία θα είναι γεμάτη ψεύτικους αρχηγούς και σκάρτους καθοδηγητές, γεμάτη λαοπλάνους και ψευτοπροφήτες, κι εμείς έχουμε την ελευθερία να διαλέξουμε για λυτρωτές μας ενσαρκώσεις του Κακού, την ελευθερία να τους προσκυνάμε και να τους ακολουθούμε, όπως κι αυτοί έχουν την ελευθερία να μας παραπλανούν. Όμως αυτός ο ζοφερός, αιματηρός δρόμος της ελευθερίας είναι ο δρόμος της συνάντησης της ανθρωπότητας με τον εαυτό της.
Η ίδια πνευματική δύναμη που υπάρχει παντού και διατηρεί τα πάντα, που σηκώνει ήλιους του γαλαξία και το δικό μας, μικρό ηλιακό σύστημα, που διαπερνά κάθε όστρακο στα βάθη της θάλασσας, που πλημμυρίζει κάθε σπουργίτι με ζωή, που κάνει τον καρχαρία ανήσυχο, πεινασμένο και αδηφάγο, που έδωσε στο αρνί μια φοβισμένη και ειρηνική ψυχή, η ίδια πνευματική δύναμη που κάνει ένα ηφαίστειο να εκρήγνυται και που εξαπολύει ένα κυκλώνα, η ίδια αυτή δύναμη φωλιάζει και στο εσωτερικό του ανθρώπου. Κατακλύζει την ψυχή του ανθρώπου μ’ όνειρα και οράματα, κάνει την ενάτη συμφωνία να γεννηθεί στην παλλόμενη ψυχή του Μπετόβεν, στον τρικυμισμένο νου του. Μας τρέφει με λαγαρές, γεμάτες σημασία εικόνες και σκέψεις και φωλιάζει στο πιο μύχιο, στο πιο κρυμμένο, εσώτατο Εγώ μας, σ’ αυτό το μυστηριώδες, ασύνειδο πνευματικό κέντρο, στο αθάνατο κομμάτι του ανθρώπου. Στο απάνεμο μάτι του τυφώνα. Ακόμα και για τη ζωή του μεμονωμένου ατόμου, υπάρχει ένας δρόμος: ο ίδιος δρόμος μ’ εκείνον της ανθρωπότητας. Είναι η συνάντηση του κάθε ξεχωριστού ανθρώπου με τον εαυτό του, με το ενδόμυχο, πνευματικό Εγώ του, με το γαλήνιο κέντρο του κυκλώνα που λυσσομανάει μέσα του. ..." (Απόσπασμα από το βιβλίο)
(Από την παρουσίαση στο οπισθόφυλλο του βιβλίου)
"... Αυτό είναι η ιστορία: είναι ο δρόμος της ελευθερίας, κι αυτό τον δρόμο τον πορευόμαστε ελεύθερα, είτε την θέλουμε την ελευθερία είτε όχι. Η πορεία θα είναι γεμάτη ψεύτικους αρχηγούς και σκάρτους καθοδηγητές, γεμάτη λαοπλάνους και ψευτοπροφήτες, κι εμείς έχουμε την ελευθερία να διαλέξουμε για λυτρωτές μας ενσαρκώσεις του Κακού, την ελευθερία να τους προσκυνάμε και να τους ακολουθούμε, όπως κι αυτοί έχουν την ελευθερία να μας παραπλανούν. Όμως αυτός ο ζοφερός, αιματηρός δρόμος της ελευθερίας είναι ο δρόμος της συνάντησης της ανθρωπότητας με τον εαυτό της.
Η ίδια πνευματική δύναμη που υπάρχει παντού και διατηρεί τα πάντα, που σηκώνει ήλιους του γαλαξία και το δικό μας, μικρό ηλιακό σύστημα, που διαπερνά κάθε όστρακο στα βάθη της θάλασσας, που πλημμυρίζει κάθε σπουργίτι με ζωή, που κάνει τον καρχαρία ανήσυχο, πεινασμένο και αδηφάγο, που έδωσε στο αρνί μια φοβισμένη και ειρηνική ψυχή, η ίδια πνευματική δύναμη που κάνει ένα ηφαίστειο να εκρήγνυται και που εξαπολύει ένα κυκλώνα, η ίδια αυτή δύναμη φωλιάζει και στο εσωτερικό του ανθρώπου. Κατακλύζει την ψυχή του ανθρώπου μ’ όνειρα και οράματα, κάνει την ενάτη συμφωνία να γεννηθεί στην παλλόμενη ψυχή του Μπετόβεν, στον τρικυμισμένο νου του. Μας τρέφει με λαγαρές, γεμάτες σημασία εικόνες και σκέψεις και φωλιάζει στο πιο μύχιο, στο πιο κρυμμένο, εσώτατο Εγώ μας, σ’ αυτό το μυστηριώδες, ασύνειδο πνευματικό κέντρο, στο αθάνατο κομμάτι του ανθρώπου. Στο απάνεμο μάτι του τυφώνα. Ακόμα και για τη ζωή του μεμονωμένου ατόμου, υπάρχει ένας δρόμος: ο ίδιος δρόμος μ’ εκείνον της ανθρωπότητας. Είναι η συνάντηση του κάθε ξεχωριστού ανθρώπου με τον εαυτό του, με το ενδόμυχο, πνευματικό Εγώ του, με το γαλήνιο κέντρο του κυκλώνα που λυσσομανάει μέσα του. ..." (Απόσπασμα από το βιβλίο)
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1974
29 people are currently reading
1037 people want to read
About the author
Jens Bjørneboe
63 books185 followersJens Ingvald Bjørneboe was a Norwegian writer whose work spanned a number of literary formats. He was also a painter and a waldorf school teacher. Bjørneboe was a harsh and eloquent critic of Norwegian society and Western civilization on the whole. He led a turbulent life and his uncompromising humanity would cost him both an obscenity conviction as well as long periods of heavy drinking and bouts of depression, which in the end led to his suicide.
Jens Bjørneboe's first published work was Poems (Dikt) in 1951. He is widely considered to be one of Norway's most important post-war authors. Bjørneboe identified himself, among other self-definitions, as an anarcho-nihilist.
During the Norwegian language struggle, Bjørneboe was a notable proponent of the Riksmål language, together with his equally famous cousin André Bjerke.
Jens Bjørneboe was born in 1920, in Kristiansand to Ingvald and Anna Marie Bjørneboe. He grew up in a wealthy family, his father a shipping magnate and a consul for Belgium. The Bjørneboe family originally immigrated from Germany in the 17th century and later adopted their Norwegian name. Coming from a long line of marine officers, Bjørneboe also went to sea as a young man.
Bjørneboe had a troubled childhood with sickness and depressions. He was bedbound for several years following severe pneumonia. At thirteen he attempted suicide by hanging himself. He began drinking when he was twelve, and he would often consume large amounts of wine when his parents were away. It is also rumored that he drank his father's aftershave on several occasions.
In 1943 Bjørneboe fled to Sweden to avoid forced labor under the Nazi occupation. During this exile, he met the German Jewish painter Lisel Funk, who later became his first wife. Lisel Funk introduced him to many aspects of German culture, especially German literature and the arts.
Bjørneboe's early work was poetry, and his first book was Poems (Dikt, 1951), consisting mainly of deeply religious poetry.
Bjørneboe wrote a number of socially critical novels. Among those were Ere the Cock Crows (Før Hanen Galer, 1952), Jonas (1955) and The Evil Shepherd (Den Onde Hyrde, 1960). Ere the Cock Crows is a critique of what Bjørneboe saw as the harsh treatment, after the Second World War, of people suspected of having associated in any way with the Nazis (among them the Norwegian writer and Nobel Prize in Literature winner Knut Hamsun). Jonas deals with injustices and shortcomings of the school system and The Evil Shepherd with the Norwegian prison system.
His most significant work is generally considered to be the trilogy The History of Bestiality, consisting of the novels Moment of Freedom (Frihetens Øyeblikk, 1966), Powderhouse (Kruttårnet, 1969) and The Silence (Stillheten, 1973).
Bjørneboe also wrote a number of plays, among them The Bird Lovers (Fugleelskerne, 1966), Semmelweis (1968) and Amputation (Amputasjon, 1970), a collaboration with Eugenio Barba and the Danish theatre ensemble Odin Teatret.
In 1967, he was convicted for publishing a novel deemed pornographic, Without a Stitch (Uten en tråd, 1966), which was confiscated and banned in Norway. The trial, however, made the book a huge success in foreign editions, and Bjørneboe's financial problems were (for a period) solved.
His last major work was the novel The Sharks (Haiene, 1974).
After having struggled with depression and alcoholism for a long time, he committed suicide by hanging on May 9, 1976.[2]
In his obituary in Aftenposten, Bjørneboe's life and legacy were described as follows:
"For 25 years Jens Bjørneboe was a center of unrest in Norwegian cultural life: Passionately concerned with contemporary problems in nearly all their aspects, controversial and with the courage to be so, with a conscious will to carry things to extremes. He was not to be pigeonholed. "
Jens Bjørneboe's first published work was Poems (Dikt) in 1951. He is widely considered to be one of Norway's most important post-war authors. Bjørneboe identified himself, among other self-definitions, as an anarcho-nihilist.
During the Norwegian language struggle, Bjørneboe was a notable proponent of the Riksmål language, together with his equally famous cousin André Bjerke.
Jens Bjørneboe was born in 1920, in Kristiansand to Ingvald and Anna Marie Bjørneboe. He grew up in a wealthy family, his father a shipping magnate and a consul for Belgium. The Bjørneboe family originally immigrated from Germany in the 17th century and later adopted their Norwegian name. Coming from a long line of marine officers, Bjørneboe also went to sea as a young man.
Bjørneboe had a troubled childhood with sickness and depressions. He was bedbound for several years following severe pneumonia. At thirteen he attempted suicide by hanging himself. He began drinking when he was twelve, and he would often consume large amounts of wine when his parents were away. It is also rumored that he drank his father's aftershave on several occasions.
In 1943 Bjørneboe fled to Sweden to avoid forced labor under the Nazi occupation. During this exile, he met the German Jewish painter Lisel Funk, who later became his first wife. Lisel Funk introduced him to many aspects of German culture, especially German literature and the arts.
Bjørneboe's early work was poetry, and his first book was Poems (Dikt, 1951), consisting mainly of deeply religious poetry.
Bjørneboe wrote a number of socially critical novels. Among those were Ere the Cock Crows (Før Hanen Galer, 1952), Jonas (1955) and The Evil Shepherd (Den Onde Hyrde, 1960). Ere the Cock Crows is a critique of what Bjørneboe saw as the harsh treatment, after the Second World War, of people suspected of having associated in any way with the Nazis (among them the Norwegian writer and Nobel Prize in Literature winner Knut Hamsun). Jonas deals with injustices and shortcomings of the school system and The Evil Shepherd with the Norwegian prison system.
His most significant work is generally considered to be the trilogy The History of Bestiality, consisting of the novels Moment of Freedom (Frihetens Øyeblikk, 1966), Powderhouse (Kruttårnet, 1969) and The Silence (Stillheten, 1973).
Bjørneboe also wrote a number of plays, among them The Bird Lovers (Fugleelskerne, 1966), Semmelweis (1968) and Amputation (Amputasjon, 1970), a collaboration with Eugenio Barba and the Danish theatre ensemble Odin Teatret.
In 1967, he was convicted for publishing a novel deemed pornographic, Without a Stitch (Uten en tråd, 1966), which was confiscated and banned in Norway. The trial, however, made the book a huge success in foreign editions, and Bjørneboe's financial problems were (for a period) solved.
His last major work was the novel The Sharks (Haiene, 1974).
After having struggled with depression and alcoholism for a long time, he committed suicide by hanging on May 9, 1976.[2]
In his obituary in Aftenposten, Bjørneboe's life and legacy were described as follows:
"For 25 years Jens Bjørneboe was a center of unrest in Norwegian cultural life: Passionately concerned with contemporary problems in nearly all their aspects, controversial and with the courage to be so, with a conscious will to carry things to extremes. He was not to be pigeonholed. "
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
March 7, 2014
Oh Jens, your hope and your sorrow break my heart - the bravery with which you stare hard into the brutal, the love with which you hold on tight to your belief in the potential of our dumb, brutish species is enough to make me weep. I have now had the great fortune to read all of your novels which exist in English translation, many of which are sadly long out of print. This is a crime and a shame. You belong with the greats of post-war European literature, not just for the brilliance of your novels, but for the power and honesty of your philosophy. A desolate Anarchist, a loving Anarchist, broken by our bestial nature, by our blind, self-righteous cruelty.
This book is, as its blurb suggests, comparable to Moby Dick (yet with Sharks at its symbolic core) and Conrad's Typhoon – its blends the old school mythology of the Sea with Jen's post-holocaust, post-colonial world-view. It is, though this makes me feel like a movie poster, genuinely "thrilling" at times, and deeply depressing at others.
I will, as homage to him, and as an act of remembrance, quote a chunk from the middle of the book which moved me a great deal. It is Jens talking, of course, and his hope and his sorrow are here for all to see:
"History, world history, has its meaning, its goal; and humanity will reach that goal – but with the dreadful, the terrible adjunct that the road thither will be infinitely longer and far, far bloodier than we can bear to imagine. For me that goal – as most will agree, not least those furthest from my own experience of the purely spiritual nature of the cosmos – that goal is for men to share this planet in brotherhood, to divide the earth's riches among us in justice and in freedom.
This – to share the globe in peace and freedom and justice – this is humanity's meeting with itself.
But yet the road thither is a road of freedom, of choice; to choose one thing is to relinquish another, choice means loneliness – and freedom also means freedom for evil. Man's liberation must be man's own work. The road to that goal – of inhabiting the earth in brotherhood and justice – is one which we ourselves must walk; the gods can't walk it for us, for then it were not a road of freedom. And our way shall lead past abysses and into the depths, through deserts and over battlefields, through ruins and prison camps, with millions fleeing hungry and homeless; our way shall lead to Evil's delusions, delusion's evils – and this road shall lead us to our meeting with ourselves.
This is History, it is freedom's road – and we walk this road in freedom, whether we desire freedom or no. The way will be filled with false guides, false leaders of men, seducers and false prophets – and we are free to choose the evil redeemers, to do them homage and to follow them, just as they are free to mislead us.
But this dark and bloody road of freedom, it is the road to humanity's meeting with itself….
The single human life has a road as well; the same road as humanity's. It is the individual's meeting with himself – with his innermost spiritual I – with the cyclone's still interior within him….
If Goethe spoke truly in the quotation which prefaces this chapter (and Goethe was a remarkably wise man) – if the human soul is indeed like water and human fate like the wind, this yields great vistas on human life.
The entire stanza goes:
Seele des Menschen, wie gleichst du dem Wasser!
Vom Himmel kommst du,
Zum Himmel steigst du,
Und wieder nieder zur Erde must du!
Ewig wechselnd.
Seele des Menschen, wie gleichst du dem Wasser!
Schicksal des Menschen, wie gleichst du dem Wind! "
http://youtu.be/Ksv1VbIXjVY
This book is, as its blurb suggests, comparable to Moby Dick (yet with Sharks at its symbolic core) and Conrad's Typhoon – its blends the old school mythology of the Sea with Jen's post-holocaust, post-colonial world-view. It is, though this makes me feel like a movie poster, genuinely "thrilling" at times, and deeply depressing at others.
I will, as homage to him, and as an act of remembrance, quote a chunk from the middle of the book which moved me a great deal. It is Jens talking, of course, and his hope and his sorrow are here for all to see:
"History, world history, has its meaning, its goal; and humanity will reach that goal – but with the dreadful, the terrible adjunct that the road thither will be infinitely longer and far, far bloodier than we can bear to imagine. For me that goal – as most will agree, not least those furthest from my own experience of the purely spiritual nature of the cosmos – that goal is for men to share this planet in brotherhood, to divide the earth's riches among us in justice and in freedom.
This – to share the globe in peace and freedom and justice – this is humanity's meeting with itself.
But yet the road thither is a road of freedom, of choice; to choose one thing is to relinquish another, choice means loneliness – and freedom also means freedom for evil. Man's liberation must be man's own work. The road to that goal – of inhabiting the earth in brotherhood and justice – is one which we ourselves must walk; the gods can't walk it for us, for then it were not a road of freedom. And our way shall lead past abysses and into the depths, through deserts and over battlefields, through ruins and prison camps, with millions fleeing hungry and homeless; our way shall lead to Evil's delusions, delusion's evils – and this road shall lead us to our meeting with ourselves.
This is History, it is freedom's road – and we walk this road in freedom, whether we desire freedom or no. The way will be filled with false guides, false leaders of men, seducers and false prophets – and we are free to choose the evil redeemers, to do them homage and to follow them, just as they are free to mislead us.
But this dark and bloody road of freedom, it is the road to humanity's meeting with itself….
The single human life has a road as well; the same road as humanity's. It is the individual's meeting with himself – with his innermost spiritual I – with the cyclone's still interior within him….
If Goethe spoke truly in the quotation which prefaces this chapter (and Goethe was a remarkably wise man) – if the human soul is indeed like water and human fate like the wind, this yields great vistas on human life.
The entire stanza goes:
Seele des Menschen, wie gleichst du dem Wasser!
Vom Himmel kommst du,
Zum Himmel steigst du,
Und wieder nieder zur Erde must du!
Ewig wechselnd.
Seele des Menschen, wie gleichst du dem Wasser!
Schicksal des Menschen, wie gleichst du dem Wind! "
http://youtu.be/Ksv1VbIXjVY
November 11, 2021
Seafaring books bring out the Robert Louis Stevenson in me.
No, not the writer part of RLS. The reader one. The kid who's sick in bed (see Child's Garden of Verses) reading tales of derring-do (and don't), of Conradian typhoons at sea, and of Bounty-ful mutinies.
All here, in one of those books best picked up when you're in the reading doldrums and need a page-turning "pick me up" to set you right.
That's the good news. The bad news? It's unlikely to be found in your local library (or the interlibrary loan network, for that matter) as it is written by the Norwegian Jens Bjorneboe. In 1974, yet (it reads like it was written in 1874 -- a feat unto itself).
As for the title, a bit of a misnomer. OK, yeah. There's a chapter or two with sharks (including one particularly shiny one called "Mr. Wonderful") circling the boat, but really they play a bit part. This is at heart an adventure book. And a psychological one. And a social commentary one.
Why? Because it's the turn of the 20th century and a few of the ship's hands can read. Read Karl Marx, that is, and if there's one thing a British bark run by strict British military rules (a caste system of sorts) doesn't need, it's people preaching Marx on the main.
Really, though, it's the narrator that clinches it. Ex-teacher Peder Jensen is 33 (same age as Christ at his time of death, I noticed) is second mate and first narrator. He's surrounded by some interesting characters, especially among the officers.
An interesting crew, too, including one sailor whose brother was killed on another ship by this ship (the Neptune's) present captain. And a cannibal (shades of Queequeg!). And a holy man or two. And a Chinese cook who packs cooking knives and a killer knife.
Trouble Bruin, as they say of hungry bears!
Jensen, though an atheist, is a humanist first and foremost, a caring man, a well-read man who plays violin, and a thinker. His head is with the officers but his heart is with the crew. Too bad the crew would have his heart if they could (for lunch, as they are fed much less, both in quantity and quality, than the officers).
He is also the "doctor" (or one who knows enough to play one) tasked with mending one man after another as fights break out among the crew's gangs. This doesn't win him any sympathy, mind you, but it brings interesting contrasts to the fore having a man tend to some of his sworn enemies.
As with any mutiny on the high seas book, you'll want to know what's going down (other than the ship, I mean). You WILL have to be a seawolf, though. Only one woman aboard -- the captain's wife -- and hers is a bit part. Other than that, it's Y chromosomes at each other's throats, a mishmash of testosterone from a crew that'd make the U.N. proud.
Another interesting angle? Though it's 1899/1900, Jensen talks at length about Neptune, God of the Sea -- his bloodlines, temperament, appearance. Neptune even makes a cameo in one of Jensen's dreams (hint to Hollywood: He's not muscular but rather ordinary looking, covered with seaweed and mussels as bling). In short, Jensen loves the ship by the god's name, but has little use for the god himself. Or the sea, for that matter. He fears it, even as he embraces a life on it.
This is Bjorneboe's last book, they say (he died two years later). Probably I'll read up on him, learn more about him, and maybe even read more of his books.
That'll keep the bookstores happy, anyway.
No, not the writer part of RLS. The reader one. The kid who's sick in bed (see Child's Garden of Verses) reading tales of derring-do (and don't), of Conradian typhoons at sea, and of Bounty-ful mutinies.
All here, in one of those books best picked up when you're in the reading doldrums and need a page-turning "pick me up" to set you right.
That's the good news. The bad news? It's unlikely to be found in your local library (or the interlibrary loan network, for that matter) as it is written by the Norwegian Jens Bjorneboe. In 1974, yet (it reads like it was written in 1874 -- a feat unto itself).
As for the title, a bit of a misnomer. OK, yeah. There's a chapter or two with sharks (including one particularly shiny one called "Mr. Wonderful") circling the boat, but really they play a bit part. This is at heart an adventure book. And a psychological one. And a social commentary one.
Why? Because it's the turn of the 20th century and a few of the ship's hands can read. Read Karl Marx, that is, and if there's one thing a British bark run by strict British military rules (a caste system of sorts) doesn't need, it's people preaching Marx on the main.
Really, though, it's the narrator that clinches it. Ex-teacher Peder Jensen is 33 (same age as Christ at his time of death, I noticed) is second mate and first narrator. He's surrounded by some interesting characters, especially among the officers.
An interesting crew, too, including one sailor whose brother was killed on another ship by this ship (the Neptune's) present captain. And a cannibal (shades of Queequeg!). And a holy man or two. And a Chinese cook who packs cooking knives and a killer knife.
Trouble Bruin, as they say of hungry bears!
Jensen, though an atheist, is a humanist first and foremost, a caring man, a well-read man who plays violin, and a thinker. His head is with the officers but his heart is with the crew. Too bad the crew would have his heart if they could (for lunch, as they are fed much less, both in quantity and quality, than the officers).
He is also the "doctor" (or one who knows enough to play one) tasked with mending one man after another as fights break out among the crew's gangs. This doesn't win him any sympathy, mind you, but it brings interesting contrasts to the fore having a man tend to some of his sworn enemies.
As with any mutiny on the high seas book, you'll want to know what's going down (other than the ship, I mean). You WILL have to be a seawolf, though. Only one woman aboard -- the captain's wife -- and hers is a bit part. Other than that, it's Y chromosomes at each other's throats, a mishmash of testosterone from a crew that'd make the U.N. proud.
Another interesting angle? Though it's 1899/1900, Jensen talks at length about Neptune, God of the Sea -- his bloodlines, temperament, appearance. Neptune even makes a cameo in one of Jensen's dreams (hint to Hollywood: He's not muscular but rather ordinary looking, covered with seaweed and mussels as bling). In short, Jensen loves the ship by the god's name, but has little use for the god himself. Or the sea, for that matter. He fears it, even as he embraces a life on it.
This is Bjorneboe's last book, they say (he died two years later). Probably I'll read up on him, learn more about him, and maybe even read more of his books.
That'll keep the bookstores happy, anyway.
February 8, 2018
Ο ναυτικός πρέπει πρώτα να παλέψει και να κατανικήσει τους προσωπικούς του δαίμονες και εν συνεχεία να μπει στο Βασίλειο του Ποσειδώνα και να δαμάσει τα κύματα...
Ο "Ποσειδώνας" είναι ένα εμπορικό καράβι που ξεκινάει το ταξίδι του από την Μανίλα με προορισμό την Μασσαλία. Ο δεύτερος υποπλοίαρχος Γιένσεν μας διηγείται την ιστορία του.
Ο Γιενς Μπιέρνεμπου μας δίνει μια ναυτική ιστορία από την οποία αναδύονται συμβολισμοί, φιλοσοφικές απορίες και κοινωνικοπολιτικά μηνύματα. Το καράβι είναι μια μικρογραφία της κοινωνίας της εποχής -και όχι μόνο-. Μιας κοινωνίας άρρωστης και παρακμάζουσας της οποίας τα θεμέλια έχουν διαβρωθεί. Ο άνθρωπος όμως δεν χάνει την ψυχή του... Έτσι παρόλο που το βιβλίο διέπεται από ένα πνεύμα απαισιοδοξίας και βιαιότητας στο τέλος ο άνθρωπος βγαίνει νικητής και ένα αισιόδοξο τέλος έρχεται σαν ηλιαχτίδα να διασπάσει το απόλυτο σκοτάδι.
Όσοι αγαπάν τον Καββαδία δεν θα κουραστούν από την ναυτική ορολογία του βιβλίου και θα εκτιμήσουν την γοητεία των λέξεων που δένουν αρμονικά με το ταξίδι και τις περιπέτειες του "Ποσειδώνα".
Ο μέσος αναγνώστης ίσως βρει την επίμονη ορολογία κουραστική, αλλά πραγματικά αξίζει να προσπεράσει αυτό το πρόσκομμα, μιας και η μαγεία και η δύναμη του βιβλίου κρύβεται πίσω από τους ναυτικούς όρους!
Από μένα 4/5
Ο "Ποσειδώνας" είναι ένα εμπορικό καράβι που ξεκινάει το ταξίδι του από την Μανίλα με προορισμό την Μασσαλία. Ο δεύτερος υποπλοίαρχος Γιένσεν μας διηγείται την ιστορία του.
Ο Γιενς Μπιέρνεμπου μας δίνει μια ναυτική ιστορία από την οποία αναδύονται συμβολισμοί, φιλοσοφικές απορίες και κοινωνικοπολιτικά μηνύματα. Το καράβι είναι μια μικρογραφία της κοινωνίας της εποχής -και όχι μόνο-. Μιας κοινωνίας άρρωστης και παρακμάζουσας της οποίας τα θεμέλια έχουν διαβρωθεί. Ο άνθρωπος όμως δεν χάνει την ψυχή του... Έτσι παρόλο που το βιβλίο διέπεται από ένα πνεύμα απαισιοδοξίας και βιαιότητας στο τέλος ο άνθρωπος βγαίνει νικητής και ένα αισιόδοξο τέλος έρχεται σαν ηλιαχτίδα να διασπάσει το απόλυτο σκοτάδι.
Όσοι αγαπάν τον Καββαδία δεν θα κουραστούν από την ναυτική ορολογία του βιβλίου και θα εκτιμήσουν την γοητεία των λέξεων που δένουν αρμονικά με το ταξίδι και τις περιπέτειες του "Ποσειδώνα".
Ο μέσος αναγνώστης ίσως βρει την επίμονη ορολογία κουραστική, αλλά πραγματικά αξίζει να προσπεράσει αυτό το πρόσκομμα, μιας και η μαγεία και η δύναμη του βιβλίου κρύβεται πίσω από τους ναυτικούς όρους!
Από μένα 4/5
November 1, 2017
Dear Jens,
I know you are dead by your own hand. If you can somehow read this, I'd just like to say: fuck off! You gotta be kidding me, man! Are you serious? This is your last novel and you off yourself? Motherfucker! I'd read a few of your books prior to this, but I had NO idea what I was in for. Sonofabitch.
So you just decided to write an homage of sorts to your childhood hero Conrad? And, in doing so, to write what is quite possibly the single best maritime novel since the passing of Old Joe? Just, like, on a lark? Asshole!
You inadvertently kicked off a mini Con-enaissance 'round here, for which I owe you further thanks. I'm sorry it got to be too much. I'm sorry there was so much pain. I know those Norwegians were real motherfuckers to you. No one listened then. I'm listening now. See you on the other side, you good man.
xo,
Cody
I know you are dead by your own hand. If you can somehow read this, I'd just like to say: fuck off! You gotta be kidding me, man! Are you serious? This is your last novel and you off yourself? Motherfucker! I'd read a few of your books prior to this, but I had NO idea what I was in for. Sonofabitch.
So you just decided to write an homage of sorts to your childhood hero Conrad? And, in doing so, to write what is quite possibly the single best maritime novel since the passing of Old Joe? Just, like, on a lark? Asshole!
You inadvertently kicked off a mini Con-enaissance 'round here, for which I owe you further thanks. I'm sorry it got to be too much. I'm sorry there was so much pain. I know those Norwegians were real motherfuckers to you. No one listened then. I'm listening now. See you on the other side, you good man.
xo,
Cody
December 24, 2020
Yes, it's a rollicking sailing adventure with fisticuffs, storms, sharks and mutiny, but it is also a social commentary on greed, race relations, governmental neglect and the income gap. I read another review that compared this to Moby Dick-and not just because of the whole sailing thing. I agree. The writing style is similar- probably intentionally so- and Bjorneboe is not afraid to insert tangential chapters that add little to the story itself but give the book a depth that would otherwise be lacking. Captain Anderson has Ahab qualities as well; instead of an obsessive quest for a white wale, however, Anderson has succumbed to his insatiable thirst for more wealth.
Bjorneboe seems to have a conflicted legacy in Scandinavia, and it's a shame he is not more widely read. I plan to get to his earlier work asap. Excellent stuff and highly recommended.
Bjorneboe seems to have a conflicted legacy in Scandinavia, and it's a shame he is not more widely read. I plan to get to his earlier work asap. Excellent stuff and highly recommended.
May 5, 2017
A typical Bjørneboe – which means I loved it.
This is the last novel Jens Bjørneboe wrote and published before he hanged himself (two years later) apparently as the result of his struggle with depression and alcoholism. He called his work Haiene which is the Norwegian word for Sharks.
Although there are some real sharks in the story and also in an afterword by the author we mainly witness allegorical sharks aboard the bark “Neptun” on its final journey from Manilla to Marseille. The story is told by the second mate, Peter Jensen, who might or might not be a stand-in Bjørneboe. At least Jensen seems to suffer from exactly the same kind of depression the author had and this, to me, is a dead giveaway.
The ship’s crew consists of about thirty sailors and officers from all over the world. During their fateful journey on the relatively small ship in the middle of the ocean numerous conflicts emerge among the sailors, between sailors and officers, and among the officers too; hardly anyone gets spared. If that sounds a little like the world we live in, it is certainly no coincidence.
Not too long ago I read The Sea Wolf , and some scenes in The Sharks reminded me of Jack London’s novel. In fact there are quite a few of those scenes and I don’t think that this is a coincidence. There are also resemblances to another book by London (the writer): The People of the Abyss . One of the main character in The Sharks, the fourteen-year-old ship’s boy, was born and raised in London’s (the city) East End. Bjørneboe uses this focal point of social injustice for some digressions from the main story. This and further digressions make the book somewhat bumpy to read, if one is only interested in the sea-story. The style, I admit it, is a little bulky and it’s certainly not due to the translation, because I also had the same impression with other Bjørneboe books translated by other people. Nevertheless, I like this rough and seemingly unpolished style very much. It casts forth a tremendous humanity, bravery, and a cast-iron honesty.
Now there’s only very few books by Jens Bjørneboe left for me read and I already dread the day when my reading list is finished.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
This is the last novel Jens Bjørneboe wrote and published before he hanged himself (two years later) apparently as the result of his struggle with depression and alcoholism. He called his work Haiene which is the Norwegian word for Sharks.
Although there are some real sharks in the story and also in an afterword by the author we mainly witness allegorical sharks aboard the bark “Neptun” on its final journey from Manilla to Marseille. The story is told by the second mate, Peter Jensen, who might or might not be a stand-in Bjørneboe. At least Jensen seems to suffer from exactly the same kind of depression the author had and this, to me, is a dead giveaway.
The ship’s crew consists of about thirty sailors and officers from all over the world. During their fateful journey on the relatively small ship in the middle of the ocean numerous conflicts emerge among the sailors, between sailors and officers, and among the officers too; hardly anyone gets spared. If that sounds a little like the world we live in, it is certainly no coincidence.
Not too long ago I read The Sea Wolf , and some scenes in The Sharks reminded me of Jack London’s novel. In fact there are quite a few of those scenes and I don’t think that this is a coincidence. There are also resemblances to another book by London (the writer): The People of the Abyss . One of the main character in The Sharks, the fourteen-year-old ship’s boy, was born and raised in London’s (the city) East End. Bjørneboe uses this focal point of social injustice for some digressions from the main story. This and further digressions make the book somewhat bumpy to read, if one is only interested in the sea-story. The style, I admit it, is a little bulky and it’s certainly not due to the translation, because I also had the same impression with other Bjørneboe books translated by other people. Nevertheless, I like this rough and seemingly unpolished style very much. It casts forth a tremendous humanity, bravery, and a cast-iron honesty.
Now there’s only very few books by Jens Bjørneboe left for me read and I already dread the day when my reading list is finished.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
February 28, 2023
In 1899 a ship named the Neptune sets sail from Manila in the Philippines across the Pacific towards its destination of Marseilles. But it will never get there. Peder Jensen (third mate) narrates the journey and tells us of the many interesting characters aboard the ship and the terrible weather and circumstances they must endure. The endless expanse of the living ocean, the fighting, the hatred, the deep-rooted resentments. And, of course, the sharks.
Bjorneboe is so good at looking at the very worst aspects of human nature. The ship is crewed by Europeans, Americans, Africans, Arabs, Chinese, you name it. So the ship is the whole world and the people traveling within it are, almost ceaselessly, at each other's throats. The books opens almost immediately with brawling violence. Yet Peder, the ship's make-shift medical officer, also provides a constant sense of compassion. Humanity has an innate capacity for helping each other yet 'there is a murderer inside each of us too.' Peder (or is it Bjorneboe) delves beyond the mere facts of the narrative and goes into his personal thoughts regarding slavery, war, class oppression and history. He is the ship's philosopher and can see the terrible sights which await humanity in the 20th century as it hovers on the horizon, as its many technologies and values will bring about further war and hatred. Yet he is always hopeful, this especially seen in the terrified boy, Pat, a 14-year-old cockney street urchin who, after a traumatising start to the journey, clings to Peder and demands that he become the boy's father. Then we have the enormous captain, Anderson, a mountain of muscle and indifference. A man built by the grime and bleakness of the heartless 19th century. And, of course, the sharks.
The book is utterly magnificent. Both glorious to read (gripping despite Bjorneboe's tendency to meander and dawdle and go on flights of philosophical fancy) and wonderfully creative. It is atmospheric to the end, always fascinating, always making you think. It was both a wonderful yarn and a thought-provoking polemic. There is something beautiful within it.
When, for example, the crew put their fighting on hold momentarily because there are two bodies floating in the gigantic blue swirling ocean; a man and a woman, drifting, tethered together by a flimsy rope so that even in death, they might stay close to each other. They wrap them up, silently bury these two strangers at sea, and lower their heads. Then go back to fighting and hatred.
Bjorneboe is so good at looking at the very worst aspects of human nature. The ship is crewed by Europeans, Americans, Africans, Arabs, Chinese, you name it. So the ship is the whole world and the people traveling within it are, almost ceaselessly, at each other's throats. The books opens almost immediately with brawling violence. Yet Peder, the ship's make-shift medical officer, also provides a constant sense of compassion. Humanity has an innate capacity for helping each other yet 'there is a murderer inside each of us too.' Peder (or is it Bjorneboe) delves beyond the mere facts of the narrative and goes into his personal thoughts regarding slavery, war, class oppression and history. He is the ship's philosopher and can see the terrible sights which await humanity in the 20th century as it hovers on the horizon, as its many technologies and values will bring about further war and hatred. Yet he is always hopeful, this especially seen in the terrified boy, Pat, a 14-year-old cockney street urchin who, after a traumatising start to the journey, clings to Peder and demands that he become the boy's father. Then we have the enormous captain, Anderson, a mountain of muscle and indifference. A man built by the grime and bleakness of the heartless 19th century. And, of course, the sharks.
The book is utterly magnificent. Both glorious to read (gripping despite Bjorneboe's tendency to meander and dawdle and go on flights of philosophical fancy) and wonderfully creative. It is atmospheric to the end, always fascinating, always making you think. It was both a wonderful yarn and a thought-provoking polemic. There is something beautiful within it.
When, for example, the crew put their fighting on hold momentarily because there are two bodies floating in the gigantic blue swirling ocean; a man and a woman, drifting, tethered together by a flimsy rope so that even in death, they might stay close to each other. They wrap them up, silently bury these two strangers at sea, and lower their heads. Then go back to fighting and hatred.
July 31, 2021
kad pročitaš ovakvo djelo (Djelo), poželiš više nikada čitati nešto ispod te razine. onako... zašto je 90% knjiga uopće objavljivano, uz literaturu ove kvalitete?
December 10, 2018
The Flying Dutchman is homelessness and unrest. He bodes misfortune to all who see him. In a sense he's every seaman's fate.
Norwegian fiction. Moby-Dick meets Lord of the Flies. The writing is clear and sober; a narrative of wind, water and fog. I read the first part on an overcast day, and that contributed to the atmosphere.
On one hand it's an exciting sea story, with all the elements you might expect: bad omens, legends, sharks, typhoons, digressions about the depths of the sea and what they might contain, a strangely taciturn captain who seems to be hiding some terrible secret. The members of the motley crew attend to ship's business only grudgingly, and get into brutal fistfights when they're not reading Marx and conspiring in their cabins. The first mate dances naked on the forecastle. And, of course, there's a mutiny.
On the other hand, the story is an allegory about society, set at the dawn of the twentieth century, that ends more optimistically than either Melville or Golding. This optimism struck me as a little incongruous with the rest of the story, and with the fact that this is the last novel the author, Jens Bjørneboe, wrote, before committing suicide at the age of 55.
January 2, 2019
Σκέφτομαι καμιά φορά ότι πολύ εύκολα τα βάζω τα πέντε αστεράκια -όμως αποτελούν ένδειξη όχι αριστουργήματος (δεν ξέρω τι είν' αυτό) αλλά απόλαυσης ή πληρότητας. Εν προκειμένω, πληρότητας. Οι καρχαρίες με φάνηκαν απ' τα πληρέστερα μυθιστορήματα που έχω διαβάσει. Απ' τη μια κλασική θαλασσινή, σκληροτράχηλη περιπέτεια. Απ' την άλλη, πολιτικός στοχασμός και ατάκτως τακτικές παρεκβάσεις κοινωνιολογικές, φιλοσοφικές, ναυπηγικές, ακόμη και βιολογικες με τις απολαυστικές σελίδες (και στο επίμετρο) γεμάτες λεπτομέρειες για τους καρχαρίες.
Μπορεί να μη γραφτεί με χρυσά γράμματα στην ιστορία της παγκόσμιας λογοτεχνίας, αλλά και τι μ' αυτό;
Μπορεί να μη γραφτεί με χρυσά γράμματα στην ιστορία της παγκόσμιας λογοτεχνίας, αλλά και τι μ' αυτό;
December 19, 2020
I found this a really exciting adventure on the high seas. It has everything in it (not just "the sharks"), it is a fascinating examination of human failure, but it also has a great deal of human compassion and it addresses many of the social issues still facing us today, nearly 50 years after it was first published.
For everyone who doesn't read Norwegian: it has been translated into several other languages.
For everyone who doesn't read Norwegian: it has been translated into several other languages.
January 19, 2025
Ved Neptuns skjegg denne var fin. Anbefales hvis du vil lese noe om: Sjø, livet til sjøs, seiling, barker osv. Mye god sjømannsbanneord også! Herr Bjørneboe prøver seg på en liten kritikk av kapitalismen og fri handel eller noe sånt (uten at det blir alt for radikalt - personlig anser jeg meg selv som en Smithianer). Han kunne godt ha spart seg for kjærlighetserklæringene til skuten Sanct Veneré (min broder i kristus de passasjene der var meget suspekte...).
April 23, 2021
4,5 Oduvijek sam bila fascinirana jedrenjacima, pomorcima i njihovim pustolovinama; čitala sam i skupljala na što sam god naišla o raznim pomorskim ekspedicijama i havarijama. Samo otvoreno more za mene je bila i ostala svojeglava, hirovita, nestalna sila koja me istovremeno privlači i plaši. Dok sam čitala knjigu, imala sam dojam da je Bjorneboe prenio moje misli na papir. Potpuno sam se stopila s ovim romanom, njegovim pripovjedačem, drugim časnikom Jensenom, barkom Neptunom i njegovom posadom i proživljavala nemirna mora (od kojih mi inače dođe zbljuv 🤢😅), tajfune, pobune i nasukavanja i zamišljala sebe na vrhu jarbola.
Bjorneboe je fenomenalno i podosta filozofski prikazao funkcioniranje broda i brodske posade prenoseći to i na društvo i vlast općenito. Dočarao je atmosferu toga svijeta u malom, mornare iz svih dijelova svijeta, svakog sa svojim mentalitetom i osobnosti te ludilom koje ih je obuzelo pri samom početku plovidbe iz Manile do Marseillea i koje nije stalo do samog kraja. Bilo je previše različitosti i zavada da bi mogli normalno funkcionirati kao jedno tijelo, jedna posada. Scena s morskim psima bila je po meni vrhunac samog romana koji je pokazao čovjekovu animalnu narav i stvarne i metaforičke morske pse. Mislim da će mi ostati duboko usađena u neki dio mozga koji se bavi pitanjima čovječanstva.
Djelo se može tumačiti i alegorijski, a možda je tako i pisano. Svatko iz njega može izvući poantu ili čak više njih, od pitanja granica ljudske slobode, odgovornosti, filantropije, gramzivosti, zadovoljstva životom do ljudske (ne)sloge. Usprkos toj općoj neslozi i animozitetu ljudi, pisac nam ostavlja nadu da čovječanstvo možda ipak nije osuđeno na propast i da ljudi u nevoljama postaju složniji i jači, udružuju se i pomažu jedni drugima. Ta nada vidi se kroz cijeli roman, a posebno pri kraju i svjetli kao zvijezda u noći prema kojoj se pomorci orijentiraju. I ona je suprotstavljena Zlu koje se nastanilo u čovječanstvu, kao nužna protuteža za opstanak.
Budući da se radnja odvija 1899. te prelazi u 1900., prikazuje i ljudske strahove od nečega novoga, od budućnosti i doslovnog uplovljavanja u novo stoljeće puno nepoznanica. No, označava i početke nečega potencijalno dobroga.
"Naravno da destrukcija živi u svima nama. U svakom od nas živi ubojstvo. Ali u nama živi i spasitelj i iskupitelj. Tijekom te smrtne noći na koraljnom grebenu sinulo mi je: voljni smo ubijati jedni druge, ali smo voljni i riskirati život jedni za druge."
"Opsjedala me misao koju mi je kapetan usadio: čovjek postoji samo u odnosu prema drugim ljudima i prava neovisnost ne postoji. Sve što radimo drugima, pa i kad pomažemo, obvezuje i utječe na sudbine."
"Mnogi su pisci pokušavali opisati što je to ciklon. Istina je da se on ne da opisati; to je kao da je priroda postala umobolna."
"Tko zna djetinjstvo Zemlje?"
Bjorneboe je fenomenalno i podosta filozofski prikazao funkcioniranje broda i brodske posade prenoseći to i na društvo i vlast općenito. Dočarao je atmosferu toga svijeta u malom, mornare iz svih dijelova svijeta, svakog sa svojim mentalitetom i osobnosti te ludilom koje ih je obuzelo pri samom početku plovidbe iz Manile do Marseillea i koje nije stalo do samog kraja. Bilo je previše različitosti i zavada da bi mogli normalno funkcionirati kao jedno tijelo, jedna posada. Scena s morskim psima bila je po meni vrhunac samog romana koji je pokazao čovjekovu animalnu narav i stvarne i metaforičke morske pse. Mislim da će mi ostati duboko usađena u neki dio mozga koji se bavi pitanjima čovječanstva.
Djelo se može tumačiti i alegorijski, a možda je tako i pisano. Svatko iz njega može izvući poantu ili čak više njih, od pitanja granica ljudske slobode, odgovornosti, filantropije, gramzivosti, zadovoljstva životom do ljudske (ne)sloge. Usprkos toj općoj neslozi i animozitetu ljudi, pisac nam ostavlja nadu da čovječanstvo možda ipak nije osuđeno na propast i da ljudi u nevoljama postaju složniji i jači, udružuju se i pomažu jedni drugima. Ta nada vidi se kroz cijeli roman, a posebno pri kraju i svjetli kao zvijezda u noći prema kojoj se pomorci orijentiraju. I ona je suprotstavljena Zlu koje se nastanilo u čovječanstvu, kao nužna protuteža za opstanak.
Budući da se radnja odvija 1899. te prelazi u 1900., prikazuje i ljudske strahove od nečega novoga, od budućnosti i doslovnog uplovljavanja u novo stoljeće puno nepoznanica. No, označava i početke nečega potencijalno dobroga.
"Naravno da destrukcija živi u svima nama. U svakom od nas živi ubojstvo. Ali u nama živi i spasitelj i iskupitelj. Tijekom te smrtne noći na koraljnom grebenu sinulo mi je: voljni smo ubijati jedni druge, ali smo voljni i riskirati život jedni za druge."
"Opsjedala me misao koju mi je kapetan usadio: čovjek postoji samo u odnosu prema drugim ljudima i prava neovisnost ne postoji. Sve što radimo drugima, pa i kad pomažemo, obvezuje i utječe na sudbine."
"Mnogi su pisci pokušavali opisati što je to ciklon. Istina je da se on ne da opisati; to je kao da je priroda postala umobolna."
"Tko zna djetinjstvo Zemlje?"
May 11, 2018
Bjørneboe’s insights places human nature on display.
The nuances in his descriptions of a sailor’s life, the knowledge and emotional depth - as in the author’s comprehension of a long life lived at sea, which feels as if he’s experienced this life first hand - as well as the emotional range that the characters are capable of... it’s a collection of the good, the bad and the ugly that we humans are capable of representing. Bjørneboe goes at it by showing most of the characters from their favourable and their not-quite-as-favourable sides. Good and evil, strengths and weaknesses living side by side, simultaneously in the same persons and groups.
I’m not sure why some of the intermezzos were included in the book, but based on my overall impression of it I’m going to blame my own lack of understanding or attention. Maybe I’ll be able to connect the dots the next time around. This was my first Bjørneboe since my school days. I’m definitely coming back for more!
The nuances in his descriptions of a sailor’s life, the knowledge and emotional depth - as in the author’s comprehension of a long life lived at sea, which feels as if he’s experienced this life first hand - as well as the emotional range that the characters are capable of... it’s a collection of the good, the bad and the ugly that we humans are capable of representing. Bjørneboe goes at it by showing most of the characters from their favourable and their not-quite-as-favourable sides. Good and evil, strengths and weaknesses living side by side, simultaneously in the same persons and groups.
I’m not sure why some of the intermezzos were included in the book, but based on my overall impression of it I’m going to blame my own lack of understanding or attention. Maybe I’ll be able to connect the dots the next time around. This was my first Bjørneboe since my school days. I’m definitely coming back for more!
January 10, 2025
3,5
(Lydbok)
(Lydbok)
June 22, 2021
4,5! Første del absolutt å foretrekke. Fint om samfunn osv men enda finere om HAIEN OG HAVET (også kan jo videre diskusjon om hvem haien egentlig er videreføres, men jeg er mest opptatt av haien i sin opprinnelige form) (og å lese om mytteri er ekstra spennende når man sitter rotløs på hurtigruten).
"Denne evige sult sitter i haiens uutviklede, spiralformede tarm og driver den til uavbrutt jakt - her, i innvollene sitter haiens sjel, og haiens sjel er hungeren."
"Denne evige sult sitter i haiens uutviklede, spiralformede tarm og driver den til uavbrutt jakt - her, i innvollene sitter haiens sjel, og haiens sjel er hungeren."
April 17, 2023
gode knall
April 1, 2024
Anbefales!!
October 15, 2020
“It is every writer’s responsibility to grapple with his subject matter, again and again, until alcoholism, insanity and suicide.”
- Jens Bjørneboe, 1954
Published in 1974, The Sharks turned out to be Bjørneboe’s last novel. Written directly after his trilogy The History of Bestiality, the author was in a much tangled state, and his suicide did indeed follow shortly after he completed the book. For those of you whom are literate in Norwegian, there is an excellent essay on the author’s relationship with alcohol here (on p. 48, titled Brother Alcohol, it was written by professor Tore Rem at the University of Oslo, author of several books on Bjørneboe).
The average Bjørneboe fan will not be disappointed; familiar themes like inequality, the exploitation of the impoverished classes, and the "human condition" are also here subject to his ponderings. However, this time his campaign takes on the outward form of a naval yarn.
A relatively short book, The Sharks is a plot driven allegory with wonderfully poetic descriptions of ships and sea life. On a superficial level the suspense and drama alone will likely result in a memorable reading experience for most audiences; in the author’s home country of Norway the book has frequently been used by teachers in public schools to cultivate literary interest in young adults.
On the other hand, the work may easily be discussed and analyzed on a more sophisticated level. The story exacts a number of important philosophical questions on its readers. What are the prerequisites for true human cooperation, bar all artificial divisions such as skin color or religious beliefs? How could it be possible to effectuate the human potential for beauty and harmony, and to coexist beyond the fabricated limitations and repressive norms that inhibit our species?
To those who would criticize his allegory for being too obvious, too predictable or simple; his idealism and hopes for humanity, his urgency and vivid prose, is of the stuff that will break young hearts. Furthermore, his allegory is clever in its execution, technically speaking. For example, the ship is manned by seamen from all corners of the globe, unequal in every way, and they set sail at the very end of 1899. The turn of the century is on the horizon, yet they are unknowing of the turmoil to come, both on board and throughout their much grander voyage through the new century.
True, his characters (the ship included) are stylized to the point that they feel almost like silhuettes, like plot devices, purely instrumental in their actions and thoughts. Just remember what the precise funcions of these devices are before criticizing; namely to illuminate Bjørneboe's vision of how humanity and our species may once be united in peace and cooperation.
We are talking about a self-pronouced anarchist’s sea-faring tale here, written at the height of his suffering. It’s worth your effort.
- Jens Bjørneboe, 1954
Published in 1974, The Sharks turned out to be Bjørneboe’s last novel. Written directly after his trilogy The History of Bestiality, the author was in a much tangled state, and his suicide did indeed follow shortly after he completed the book. For those of you whom are literate in Norwegian, there is an excellent essay on the author’s relationship with alcohol here (on p. 48, titled Brother Alcohol, it was written by professor Tore Rem at the University of Oslo, author of several books on Bjørneboe).
The average Bjørneboe fan will not be disappointed; familiar themes like inequality, the exploitation of the impoverished classes, and the "human condition" are also here subject to his ponderings. However, this time his campaign takes on the outward form of a naval yarn.
A relatively short book, The Sharks is a plot driven allegory with wonderfully poetic descriptions of ships and sea life. On a superficial level the suspense and drama alone will likely result in a memorable reading experience for most audiences; in the author’s home country of Norway the book has frequently been used by teachers in public schools to cultivate literary interest in young adults.
On the other hand, the work may easily be discussed and analyzed on a more sophisticated level. The story exacts a number of important philosophical questions on its readers. What are the prerequisites for true human cooperation, bar all artificial divisions such as skin color or religious beliefs? How could it be possible to effectuate the human potential for beauty and harmony, and to coexist beyond the fabricated limitations and repressive norms that inhibit our species?
To those who would criticize his allegory for being too obvious, too predictable or simple; his idealism and hopes for humanity, his urgency and vivid prose, is of the stuff that will break young hearts. Furthermore, his allegory is clever in its execution, technically speaking. For example, the ship is manned by seamen from all corners of the globe, unequal in every way, and they set sail at the very end of 1899. The turn of the century is on the horizon, yet they are unknowing of the turmoil to come, both on board and throughout their much grander voyage through the new century.
True, his characters (the ship included) are stylized to the point that they feel almost like silhuettes, like plot devices, purely instrumental in their actions and thoughts. Just remember what the precise funcions of these devices are before criticizing; namely to illuminate Bjørneboe's vision of how humanity and our species may once be united in peace and cooperation.
We are talking about a self-pronouced anarchist’s sea-faring tale here, written at the height of his suffering. It’s worth your effort.
April 4, 2024
god bok! noen helt ville karakterer her, mye politikk og flotte skildringer av livet til sjøs….en flott reise. bare å lese👍
October 21, 2015
Dette er en fantastisk skildring, både av en reise over havet og av mennesket og dets dybder.
Peder Jensen er 2. styrmann ombord i barken "Neptun", og boken følger dette skipet og dets mannskap ut på det åpne hav, der hat, vold, fiendskap og mytteri straks gjør seg gjeldende.
Rent handlingsmessig, er boken spennende. Skildringene av havet og skipet og mannskapet er livlige og historien som utspiller seg er intens og dramatisk. Boken har et par temmelig tekniske kapitler, men de er ikke spesielt lange og språket flyter godt.
Bjørneboe er en trollmann når det gjelder å beskrive mennesker. De forskjellige personskildringene er spennende og intense.
Denne boken kan anbefales til alle som er interessert i skikkelig god, norsk litteratur og til alle som er fascinert av det varierte menneskesinnet.
Peder Jensen er 2. styrmann ombord i barken "Neptun", og boken følger dette skipet og dets mannskap ut på det åpne hav, der hat, vold, fiendskap og mytteri straks gjør seg gjeldende.
Rent handlingsmessig, er boken spennende. Skildringene av havet og skipet og mannskapet er livlige og historien som utspiller seg er intens og dramatisk. Boken har et par temmelig tekniske kapitler, men de er ikke spesielt lange og språket flyter godt.
Bjørneboe er en trollmann når det gjelder å beskrive mennesker. De forskjellige personskildringene er spennende og intense.
Denne boken kan anbefales til alle som er interessert i skikkelig god, norsk litteratur og til alle som er fascinert av det varierte menneskesinnet.
November 19, 2016
Not my cup of tea.
I soon got that the whole ship with its crew was just one big allegory and a take on society's issues and possible solutions...but it didn't seem plausible to me. And had I not know the allegory-part before, I would have read it instead as a reflection of the author's mental instability/problems and his struggles with alcoholism and how it affected his worldview. To be honest, I still am more inclined to read this novel as a reflection of the troubles of the author's mind with the enormously depressive take on so many things and some other...depictions.
Meh. Not recommended.
I soon got that the whole ship with its crew was just one big allegory and a take on society's issues and possible solutions...but it didn't seem plausible to me. And had I not know the allegory-part before, I would have read it instead as a reflection of the author's mental instability/problems and his struggles with alcoholism and how it affected his worldview. To be honest, I still am more inclined to read this novel as a reflection of the troubles of the author's mind with the enormously depressive take on so many things and some other...depictions.
Meh. Not recommended.
October 10, 2022
Veldig god bok! Spennende og det er mulig å finne noe mening med den. Anbefales!
August 31, 2023
Helt vannvittige (;--)) personbeskrivelser og drama!!! Anbefales sterkt, Jens er jo bare en stjerne.
May 1, 2023
"History, world history, has its meaning, its goal; and humanity will reach that goal – but with the dreadful, the terrible adjunct that the road thither will be infinitely longer and far, far bloodier than we can bear to imagine. For me that goal – as most will agree, not least those furthest from my own experience of the purely spiritual nature of the cosmos – that goal is for men to share this planet in brotherhood, to divide the earth's riches among us in justice and in freedom.
This – to share the globe in peace and freedom and justice – this is humanity's meeting with itself.
But yet the road thither is a road of freedom, of choice; to choose one thing is to relinquish another, choice means loneliness – and freedom also means freedom for evil. Man's liberation must be man's own work. The road to that goal – of inhabiting the earth in brotherhood and justice – is one which we ourselves must walk; the gods can't walk it for us, for then it were not a road of freedom. And our way shall lead past abysses and into the depths, through deserts and over battlefields, through ruins and prison camps, with millions fleeing hungry and homeless; our way shall lead to Evil's delusions, delusion's evils – and this road shall lead us to our meeting with ourselves.
This is History, it is freedom's road – and we walk this road in freedom, whether we desire freedom or no. The way will be filled with false guides, false leaders of men, seducers and false prophets – and we are free to choose the evil redeemers, to do them homage and to follow them, just as they are free to mislead us.
But this dark and bloody road of freedom, it is the road to humanity's meeting with itself"
This – to share the globe in peace and freedom and justice – this is humanity's meeting with itself.
But yet the road thither is a road of freedom, of choice; to choose one thing is to relinquish another, choice means loneliness – and freedom also means freedom for evil. Man's liberation must be man's own work. The road to that goal – of inhabiting the earth in brotherhood and justice – is one which we ourselves must walk; the gods can't walk it for us, for then it were not a road of freedom. And our way shall lead past abysses and into the depths, through deserts and over battlefields, through ruins and prison camps, with millions fleeing hungry and homeless; our way shall lead to Evil's delusions, delusion's evils – and this road shall lead us to our meeting with ourselves.
This is History, it is freedom's road – and we walk this road in freedom, whether we desire freedom or no. The way will be filled with false guides, false leaders of men, seducers and false prophets – and we are free to choose the evil redeemers, to do them homage and to follow them, just as they are free to mislead us.
But this dark and bloody road of freedom, it is the road to humanity's meeting with itself"
November 27, 2024
Som en som er i forholdsbrudd var det særlig interessent å lese en bok som ikke hadde noe med det å gjøre!
Jeg forventet en bok om haier, muligens en slags kjedelig faktabok / haibiografi, men det viste seg å egentlig ikke ha haier som en stor del av boken (skuff?). Boken kunne like så godt hatt «Tai Fun» eller «annenstyrmann» som tittel, men spennende var den uansett!
Den unge gutten Pat skulle liksom være en utviklende karakter med indirekte dype kommenterer, men jeg fant ham bare irriterende og udugelig, herregud for en slitsom type! N-ordet blir gjentatt i hytt og pine, så det tenker jeg er litt smak og behag! Ellers var det en spennende og lærerik bok om sjøen, livet på båt og folk som går helt av skaftene. Anbefales lowkey!
Jeg forventet en bok om haier, muligens en slags kjedelig faktabok / haibiografi, men det viste seg å egentlig ikke ha haier som en stor del av boken (skuff?). Boken kunne like så godt hatt «Tai Fun» eller «annenstyrmann» som tittel, men spennende var den uansett!
Den unge gutten Pat skulle liksom være en utviklende karakter med indirekte dype kommenterer, men jeg fant ham bare irriterende og udugelig, herregud for en slitsom type! N-ordet blir gjentatt i hytt og pine, så det tenker jeg er litt smak og behag! Ellers var det en spennende og lærerik bok om sjøen, livet på båt og folk som går helt av skaftene. Anbefales lowkey!
July 26, 2023
Tiltross for alt blodet så gikk det overraskende bra.
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