El dia que va morir en Nils Vik

by Frode Grytten, Alexandra Pujol Skjønhaug (Traductora)

Al cor de Noruega, un transbordador salpa silenciosament d’un moll; així comença l’últim viatge d’en Nils Vik, un home normal i corrent amb una feina aparentment senzilla: transportar gent d’un cantó a l’altre del fiord i retornar-la a casa sana i estàlvia. I avui, un dia plujós del mes de novembre, s’ha despertat sabent que és el seu últim dia a la terra. És vell, la seva dona Marta va morir fa temps: la mort és una bona notícia. Aquest matí es lleva, esmorza, renta els plats, es vesteix i endreça la casa. Després baixa cap al seu vaixell, com cada dia des que va fer els catorze anys. Per a gran alegria, allà el rep la Luna, la gossa que fa vint-i-cinc anys que és morta. I aquest últim viatge a través del fiord es converteix en un viatge en el temps; un per un, tots els seus antics passatgers pugen a bord, ressuscitats per un moment de l’altra vida per acompanyar en Nils Vik fins a la destinació d’aquest viatge final.

Genres: Fiction, Literary Fiction, Fantasy, Audiobook, Contemporary, Roman, Novels

176 pages, Paperback

First published September 18, 2023

About the author

Frode Grytten (born December 11, 1960 in Odda) is a Norwegian writer and journalist. He is the author of the Brage award-winning novel Bikubesong ('Song of the Beehive'), and other collections of short stories and poetry. His works have been translated into Swedish, Danish, Finnish, German, Dutch, Albanian, Croatian and Chinese.

Grytten is a native of the industrial town Odda, which often features in his work.

As a journalist he has mainly worked for Bergens Tidende, the local newspaper of Bergen, Norway. He is also writing for the Oslo-based national newspaper Dagbladet.

Reviews

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a beautiful translated novel from a Norwegian author.

Nils Vik takes his last trip on his ferryboat on the fjord.. on the last day of his life, and on this voyage he is met by his deceased dog Luna ..as well as the ghosts of family, friends, and acquaintances he met while ferrying them to and from his village.
Of course he most wants to be joined by Marta, his beloved wife he lost from a stroke some time earlier..
We get a glimpse of Nils entire life during the trip

Absolutely gorgeous prose!
This story will stay with me!

Thank you to NetGalley and Algonquin books for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review!

[Stephen the Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

"What do you remember best Nils? she asks. I don't know. So much is lost to him, so much is gone, an absence that will soon encompass everything"

"This life is like an item of clothing, the beauty exists on the outside but the warmth is found within."

This is the last day of Nils Vik's life- a ferryman all his life taking people across a fjord from countryside to city and vice versa; encountering people from all backgrounds and experiences. Today he will die. He has chosen to make one final journey and as he does so he finds he is accompanied by visitors; friends and acquaintances who have died and reunite with him on this final journey. Memories- fellow travellers

Nils reflects upon his life, loves and experiences and the visitors remind him of events- big and small. This is a man who brought connections and changes to people's lives : visiting family; leaving for new lives; returning to loved ones and through simple acts of kindness shown care ( that underrated word)

Nils has one hope on this final trip - to be reunited with his wife, Marta.

This could seem like a melancholy or even depressing read but it isn't. This is about celebrating and taking stock of a life lived- yes, the highs and lows but the pivotal moments and the small pleasures and actions.

What makes this book even more special is that Nils is a gentle soul- not a go-getting, life-grabbing , material-accumulating man- this is a story that is a tribute to those who are humble- often forgotten ; even invisible.

If you enjoyed The Cranes Fly South or the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series then this will certainly appeal but if you want a simply sublime beautiful read about existing, being and the power of simply living with a kind heart then you will love this.

Very moving- not sentimental - and certainly makes you reflect upon family and friends past and present and the value of living in the moment.

Highly Recommended

Quotes;

People along the fjord have always viewed kindness as a from of weakness, but he showed that kindness is the opposite of weakness.

He loved his wife. I always said they lived like two clapping hands, she was the left hand, he the right..

[John Hatley · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful book. Nils Vik, a simple man with a simple job: to ferry people back and forth across the fjord where he was born and lived his whole life. The day Nils Vik died, he remembered all of the people he had ferried across that fjord, he remembered the faithful dog that accompanied him on his crossings, he remembered most of all the woman he loved all of his adult life, with whom he would be reunited.
To be born was to live long enough to discover what air and sea and earth and hate and love are, then to say thank you and goodbye.

[Srivalli (Semi-Hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

One Liner: Beautiful!

Nils Vik wakes up on November 18th knowing he will die that day. He follows his morning routine with voices from the past in his head and steps onto his beloved boat. Soon, his dog that died years ago and other dead, those he ferried across the fjord, begin to appear. Nils Vik waits for his wonderful, dead wife, Martha, to join him in this final journey.

The story comes in Nils Vik’s third-person POV.

My Thoughts:

Written in Norwegian, the book won the prestigious Brage Prize and was translated into English. It’s a short one, 176 pages or so, and has a melancholic, introspective, and sober mood.

Though there are a few dialogues, they are written as regular sentences without any quotation marks. Took me a bit of time to get used to this, but I could see it worked for the narrative style and kept the flow seamless.

Despite the heaviness in the theme, the book is not always sad, and it definitely is not bitter. It is meditative even when offering a glimpse into the hardships of life. It takes us through decades of the MC’s life at random, but in a way that makes sense to him. This means that there’s no proper plot or structure. You just have to go where it takes you.

The MC’s characterization is beautiful and strong; no wonder he carries the book on his shoulders. Of course, he is far from perfect, and that’s what makes him human.

Though the writing is impactful, it is not overly sentimental. In fact, it’s the last thing from being dramatic. It is calm and steady, no matter what the topic is. And that makes it even more effective (there are a couple of triggers, though).

And the way the MC feels about his place, his roots, his identity, his life, and the surrounding nature is so wonderfully presented. The ending is just perfect!

To summarize, The Ferryman and His Wife is a poignant, meditative, and thoughtful novel about what it means to be a ferryman in a little village nestled in the mountains of Norway.

Though I know nothing about the original language, I enjoyed reading this in English, so I’d say the translation is just as great.

Thank you, NetGalley and Algonquin Books, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

#NetGalley #TheFerrymanAndHisWife

[Geir Tangen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ein gong i året har eg lova kona mi å lese ein skjønnlitterær roman som ikkje er krim. I år fall valet på denne godsaken, rett og slett fordi eg skal bokbade forfattaren på SILK.

Det er ingen murstein dette med sine hundre - og noko sider, men den inneheld eit heilt liv. I små glimt og episodar, finurlege anekdotar, tankesprang, og i brotstykke av dagligdagse samtalar, teiknar forfattaren Nils Vik. Heile mennesket frå ei prøvande skisse i starten, til kvar einaste rynke og kvar lille åreknute kjem til overflata. Grytten markerer strekane med stø hand, medan skuggane vært gnidd langs arket og dreg ut dei skarpaste konturane. Me ser sår og skorper, men og smilerynker og glimtet i augo.

Det er noko nakent i det å teikna eit menneske så fullendt. Det gjev ikkje rom for å tolka eller undrast kva det er for ein karakter me har med å gjere. Det er slik han er. Det er slik han alltid har vore. Traust. Roleg. Inneslutta og landfast. Han er som landskapet han er vaksen opp i langs fjorden på Vestlandet. Nesten uforanderlig gjennom alle åra som driv forbi.

Dette er altså historia om den siste dagen i Nils Vik sitt liv. Skyssmann over fjorden i alle sine år. Einsleg enkemann med to vaksne døtre, men ingen barnebarn. Han bur i det same huset han sjølv vart fødd i for over 70 år sidan, lengst inne i ein fjordarm der ingen skulle tru at nokon holdt til. Han har bestemt seg for å døy denne dagen, og gjer alt han skal for å vera førebudd. Me anar ein sjukdom i underteksten, men får aldri vite meir enn det. Han hoppar i skyssbåten og legg ut på fjorden på si siste reise. På vegen møter han alle dei som har gått bort, og som han ein gong kjente, og det er i desse samtalane og i desse minnene me lærer Nils Vik å kjenna.

Boka er ei melankolsk og sår reise gjennom eit brokete vestlandslandskap og eit levd liv som mange nok ville ha kalla keisamt og fattesleg, men samstundes er det så nært, så trygt og godt, at det spelar på alle dei kjenslevare strengene i oss. Nils Vik var rett og slett eit heiderleg, heilstøpt og skikkeleg menneske som har levd det han opplever som eit rikt liv. Dette meisterstykke av ein roman er etter mi meining så nær poesi som ein kan koma innen denne sjangeren.

[Jodi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a lovely story.🧡💚🤎

Nils Vik has been a ferryman all his adult life, plying the waters of Norway’s fjords. He ferries people across the water—to appointments, to church, to school, to work, and sometimes even to their wedding. He picks them up and safely returns them home, before docking the boat and walking up the hill to home. He’s been alone a long time now. His daughters have their own lives with husbands, but no children. No one to carry on the family name.

This day, Nils Vik is certain it will be his last, so he ties up a few loose ends before starting down to the water. He puts his wife’s jewellery into an envelope and writes a note for one of his daughters to find. Then he drags his mattress outside and sets it alight before locking up and walking to work. When he sets out, it’s barely dawn on a beautiful, clear morning.

On this last day, he sets off down the fjord, knowing there will be many of his old passengers—all long dead—waiting on the dock to join him for this last voyage. The first to board is Luna—his loyal old dog. She has lots to say and some questions too: "How long did I live?" "How did I die?" "Did you get another dog?" They continue on, and for each one who boards, Nils recalls what he wrote in his daily log, and tells a story of that long ago day. And, in this way, he builds the blocks that formed his life.

Once on-board, they enter the boat’s cabin to join the others. As the day wears on, it’s getting pretty crowded! It’s dark now and it’s been a very long day. But Nils Vik notices that time is now moving backwards. He understands his final day will soon end, but there’s still one passenger he hopes to see. Ah, there it is! He can hear her voice approaching from behind. She hugs him, turns him around and takes his face in her hands. Of course, it’s his Marta, the wife he's loved forever.

Over the fjord he went, out towards the open sea, out where there are no more places to hide, where one’s legs can no longer carry one, where the boat’s heart no longer beats below. Over the fjord he went, he moved towards the light, towards the light in the darkness, the light over the mountains and over the way, over the rain and the clouds and the houses and the horizon. The beginning must have looked like this, a darkness and a light, the darkness with this light in it, like when a boat crosses the black fjord with a lit lantern at the prow. In the beginning he had been a single step from life; now he was a single step from death. Nils Vik closed his eyes, and the last day of his life was over.

5 “Those–we–love–don’t–go–away,–they–walk–beside–us–every–day” stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Maureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book. It is a story of Nils Vic. A ferryman who transported people on the fjord with his boat. He reflects on all the passengers he has brought back and forth, good and bad on the final day of his life. We meet his beautiful dog Luna, as he makes his journey of reflection. We also meet his loving wife Marta, who he misses dearly
The image and the beauty of this beautiful place is absolutely astounding.
His logbook is his tool for all the trips that he had made in his lifetime. His notes of the people and the reason for their passage.
This is a short book, but a powerful story with beautiful prose.

[Louis Muñoz · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars, happily rounding up to five. This is one of those books that have very little plot except that it's the last day of the eponymous ferryman, Nils Vik, as he picks up people (AND his beloved dog, Luna) along the way to the sea, all of whom have previously passed away, some recently, some many years since. Along the way, we learn about Nils' life, yes, but about life itself, the people we meet, how we interact with them, and what we learn from them and from life more generally. The above is a very inadequate summary, but if you decide to read this book, you will be glad, I truly believe.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publishers for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

[Shantha (ShanthasBookEra) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars "In the spirit of Amor Towles and George Saunders, the renowned, bestselling Norwegian author Frode Grytten takes listeners on a quietly epic ferry driver Nils Vik’s last route along the fjord, on what he knows will be his last day alive."

Niks Vik wakes up on November 18th and knows it will be his last day on Earth. He is joined by his dog Luna who passed away years before. As he travels across the fjord with passengers, he is contemplative and introspective. We learn about his life, of his wife who passed away, and his daughters. We learn about the passengers he served over the years and the impact he made in the small things. His logbook with notes about passengers and the weather are very insightful and teach us more about him.

This literary fiction novel is beautifully written with gorgeous, soul-searching prose. Ot is atmospheric and creates the most stunning images. The pace is slow but I could not stop reading it as it feels magical, like a Norwegian fable. Frode Grytten's insights on the life and death of ordinary people leaving an extraordinary impact behind is beautiful and inspiring. It is a quick read with outstanding character development as well. I highly recommend adding this to your TBR.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Algonquin Books, and Frode Grytten for an advance reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Andrea Osnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Denne traff noe dypt i meg. Evig kjærlighet er fantastisk beskrevet, og jeg ville bare fortsette å følge Martha og Nils. I tillegg er skildringene av et samfunn ved fjorden virkelig nydelige.

[Ayo · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Ferryman and His Wife by Frode Grytten
🌟🌟

Meditative, Experimental, Fragmented, Overstuffed, Morbid

“Only mediocre people are happy”

In The Ferryman and His Wife, we meet Nils Vik on his final day on earth. As he makes one last crossing of a fjord, his deceased dog jumps aboard and begins to speak. The dog is the first of the dead. As the journey continues, more people from Nils’s life join him on the ferry. They converse, and through these conversations the novel unfolds in short vignettes and flashbacks.

On paper, this is an interesting framework to narrate a meditation on death, memory, and the act of taking stock of a life. I thought this was a brilliant choice. In practice, however, the execution falters.

Despite its modest length (176 pages), the book introduces an overwhelming number of characters - more than some 1,300-page novels. Many feel underdeveloped, as if they were sketched and then abandoned. At times it felt as though context or nuance may have been lost in translation, particularly around the significance of certain characters and plot choices. Much of the book reads like a writing experiment or improvisation: interesting in intent, but uneven and unfinished in effect.

There are moments that work. I liked several of the detours -Luna the dog’s survival of a dog massacre and Nils’s rescue of her; the vignette involving Nils’s brother, the one with Miss Norway; and the flashbacks involving Nils’s daughter and her partner. These passages hint at the emotional depth the novel could have reached with more focus.

The original Norwegian title, Den dagen Nils Vik døde (The Day Nils Vik Died, 2023), makes more sense than the English one. Despite The Ferryman and His Wife as the title, Martha-Nils’s wife remains largely peripheral to the story.

In trying to be experimental and enigmatic, the novel often comes across as scattered, random, and at times cringeworthy. The tone shifts abruptly: moments meant to be meditative are undercut by jarring sexual scenes and references that feel out of place and disrupt the atmosphere rather than deepen it.

The book ultimately reminded me of Gerard Way’s line: “One day your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it’s worth watching.”
With greater restraint, clearer focus, and more disciplined execution, this story might have lived up to that idea. As it stands, it feels like a draft of something more meaningful rather than a fully realized work.

On further thought I think this is raw material for a horror/thriller on screen. I’m hoping it is optioned. But for a book? I didn’t care for it.

Favorite Quotes:

“A member of the crew wondered if he believed places have feelings.’they do. Absolutely. Places and landscapes have genders too. This one is clearly a man’”

“The thing about rich people is that they think they can buy anything and everything including their own fate, including their very exit from this life.”

“The same day never comes twice”

“Only mediocre people are happy”

“Love requires you get out and do something “

“The journey is an hallucination.”

“Nothing never exists. There must be something.”

“It’s hard work being dead.”

“Her body had been invaded by foreign objects”

“There was no way he would have to spend Christmas alone. Many women like men like him. Someone who never gave you what you wanted. Someone who’d leave you at the drop of a hat. The certainty that he’d walk out one day would fool many a woman that he was the only man for them.“

“What’s the best way to die? No one can know. It’s impossible to know.”

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, a ferryman is a constant variation, reliable and to be trusted absolutely, he comes when he says he will, he floods into the fjord and ebbs out of the fjord, just like that water that crashes and pools, that accepts and embraces all things. But always onwards, onwards, like the hands of the watch on his wrist…

Oh my. This spare and elegiac book snuck up on me and wrapped me in its warm embrace. From the first sentence, I knew this was the last day of ferryman Nils Vik’s life – the ordinary life of an ordinary man.

Yet there’s something that’s extraordinary in it as Nils – not only the person but the archetype, the character who acts as a guide or bridge between the world of the living and the dead – sets sail on his last journey, one of self-reflection and self-enlightenment.

One by one, Nils prepares to welcome those who have left an imprint on his life to his wooden boat, including his cherished wife, Marta, whom he loved almost beyond reason and yearns to see again. In the meanwhile, he reunites with his trusty dog Luna…his wayward younger brother Ivar…his close friend Robert who photographed the Vietnam War…a bloodthirsty cop Trygve, his old schoolmarm…each joins him on his last run.

He reflects, “It’s impossible to control a narrative once it’s set in motion. All you can do is follow its telling until the very last second” and indeed, that’s what he does. He revisits all the moments that comprise a life: the exhilaration of finding true love, the heartbreak of losing friends, the joy of finding what matters and what has meaning, the difficulty when, sometimes, life offers disappointment. All the while, the backdrop of the harsh and magnificent Norwegian fjords weaves its own kind of magic.

I can’t begin to articulate how much I loved this book – winner of Norway’s highest literary award and the author’s first major work to be translated into English. It’s stunningly good and I gratefully thank Algonquin Books and NetGalley for allowing me to be an early reader in exchange for an honest review.

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

There’s something special about Nils Vik. A simple man; observant, happy to have lived a fulfilling life with the love of his life, Marta. She has passed and the beloved house is is going to be passed on to his children. Before he leaves, he brings the mattress to the yard and sets it on fire. So many memories. Now he will go out on his own terms for a last ride in his ferry boat down the fjord. On this journey he reflects on the memories of some of his passengers with his faithful dog Luna by his side. Luna along with the stories of his passengers, takes on an ethereal feeling as he is comforted by his memories. He will be reunited with the love of his life, the one that completes him.

This is a little gem. It’s quietly reflective about a life lived. The prose is beautiful and the translation perfect. Highly recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and Algonquin Books for an early copy.

[Yaprak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nils Vik'in Öldüğü Gün, kısa ama etkileyici romanlardan biri. Norveç'te fiyortlarda teknesiyle insanları taşıyan, Nils Vik'in yaşamındaki son günü okuyoruz. Tek bir günde geçen filmler gibi roman da tek bir günde geçiyor aslında. Ama biz Nils'in köpeği dahil hayatına giren herkesle yeniden buluşuyor, geçmişi yad ediyoruz. Karısı Marta'ya olan aşkı, teknesinde yolcu ettiği insanlar, sakin ama dolu dolu geçtiğini hissettiğimiz bir hayat. Kitap sakinliği ve atmosferiyle bana geçtiğimiz günlerde izlediğim İzlanda'da geçen Hvitur Hvitur Dagur filmini anımsattı.

Sakin, büyük olayların olmadığı, karakterin zihninde ve anılarında gezinen kitapları seviyorsanız mutlaka okumanızı öneririm.

[Bonnie Brody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not too long ago, I received an email offering me an early review copy of The Ferryman and His Wife by Frode Grytten. I had never heard of the author and am not too familiar with Norwegian literature. I decided to take a chance. Coming in at just 176 pages, how much investment would I need to have in the novel should it not appeal to me. I am so grateful I took this chance.

Nils Vik, a ferryman in rural Norway, is living the last day of his life - literally. He is both complacent and in awe as he connects with the dead he has once known, all who played a part in his life and who are now appearing to him on his boat, ethereal and ghostly. As he interacts with the dead, "he will trace what he has loved in life, lift it up, honor it." "Have the dead come to him? Or have they come from him?" As Nils reflects on what may have seemed, at one time, a meaningless interaction, he is stunned by remembrances dear and life affirming.

He is waiting impatiently to reconnect with his beloved wife, Marta, who has pre-deceased him. Theirs was a great love, one that defined Nils and served as his north star. "I love you. That is who I am." He views their life together as narrative, one that is constantly reshaping itself as it proceeds towards this meditative end. What Nils is learning, as he moves towards his death, is that "Our lives are always illuminated by the lives of others."

Nils's logbook serves as his written memory. It contains the names of all the people he has transported through the fjord and the purpose of each transport. Some trips made little sense to him at the time while others had profound meaning. As he looks back, he can see the narrative thread of his life and make sense of how each stitch is interlocked. Each person who rises from the dead to greet and remind him of the past, is a part of him, an aspect of his life that he carries with him always.

I loved this book and treasured every part of it. It has both depth and lightness, joy and darkness. As NIls meets his inevitable death, he understands that life is not static. Rather, events are knit together and create a whole . "The end is never as you imagine it, and the end is everything, is it not?"

I thank Algonquin Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this novel. The contents of this review are all my own.

[Dona's Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pre-Read Notes:

The cover of this one was just creepy enough to grab my attention.

"And don’t think I’m about to ask you. About what? Whether or not you were happy – because I know exactly what you’ll say. You’re one of those people who thinks you’re happy where you are, somebody who wants no more than what you already have." p67

Final Review

(thoughts & recs) This is a pretty short book so I read it all at once over the course of a restful Saturday. And I'm sorry to say that it was completely over my head. I think the lack of organization did me in. I'm seeing this a lot right now, short books with no page or chapter breaks. I'm not a fan of the element, but I've seen it work very well-- as in the other arc I'm reading now, called THE WHITE HOT. But it did not work for me here!

I actually want to try to read this one again. Sometimes a little break and an extra read gives me clarity on experimental fiction I don't catch the first time.

My Favorite Thing:

✔️ Very serious in tone, but with well placed hints of humor: "You spent my money on flowers? Sverre Nesbø asked. Your money? his wife asked in return. Yes, mine. What an idiot of a man I married, Synnve said, and jumped aboard." p24

Thank you to Frode Grytten and Alison McCullough (translator), Algonquin Books, and NetGalley for an accessible digital arc of THE FERRYMAN AND HIS WIFE. All views are mine.

[Rine Bekkelund · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helt ærlig elsket jeg den. Trodde den skulle være en «en mann med navn Ove» rip-off, men jeg sitter her på gråten med frysninger og vet ikke hva jeg føler. Skal sende den til mormor i posten tror jeg.

[David Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jeg har aldri helt skjønt hva folk mener når de har sagt at en bok har så "vakkert språk" frem til jeg leste denne boken.

Grytten leverer en følelsesmessig berg og dalbane av en bok om livet, kjærlighet og døden. Han klarer å fylle så utrolig mye innhold i så få ord og flere avsnitt har så mye "punch" at jeg måtte legge fra meg boken flere ganger for å ta meg en liten pause.

Etter kun noen få sider var jeg skråsikker på at jeg kom til å strigråte innen boka var ferdig. Fikk jeg rett? Absolutt.

Anbefales til alt og alle

[Anne-Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jeg trodde ikke jeg likte Frode Gryttens bøker, så hadde det ikke vært for at gode venner anbefalte denne så sterkt, hadde jeg gått glipp av en virkelig stor leseopplevelse! Så moralen er: Vær aldri redd for å gi en forfatter en ny sjanse :)

[Debbi · Rating 3 out of 5]

A meditation on memory and death, Knowing it is his last day of life, Nils Vik, a lifelong ferryman takes his boat out one last time. On his trip on the fjord he meets the passengers he has ferried over the years, many of them long dead. He also meets those he has loved throughout his life. His beloved dog Luna is his companion on his journey, which for me was the highlight of the book. The pace is slow and serious. There is beauty in the description of Nils' ordinary life, but it's not an easy read, Very sober, I would warn about an early chapter where two passengers travel to an island to exterminate dogs... I had to skip the details. 2.5 *

Thanks to Netgalley for providing an advance copy

[Håkon Lillehagen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jeg begynte å gråte av denne. Det skjer ikke så ofte kan jeg avsløre.

[Sarah-Hope · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frode Grytten's The Ferryman and His Wife is one of those books that seems small and unexciting at first glance, but turns out to be a real world of beauty. The best comparison I can think of is Helen Humphrey's The Frozen Thames, one of my all-time favorite reads. Humphreys offers vignettes, while Grytten offers a novel—but many novels, including The Ferryman and His Wife, are actually collections of vignettes that carry the same characters from scene to scene.

The story arc of The Ferryman and his wife is simple: Nils Vik, who has made his living as a ferryman on a Norwegian fjord, wakes in the morning knowing this will be the last day of his life. He sets out on the usual ferry route, but the passengers who board are the spirits of people he knew in life who have already passed over. He chats with them, remembering their interactions in life, and asks the, in a way that seems as simple as asking "how are you doing?" about their deaths.

There's a thread running through these exchanges: Vik's wife, who predeceased him and with who he hopes to be united. They had a good, but not perfect, marriage. And in this life good is pretty much as close to perfect as a marriage can get. There are miscommunications, changes in interests, and compromises, but the two remain connected regardless of these bumps. For me, compromises are at the heart of a marriage: they involve loving the partner as well as one's self, so it's easy to view compromises as simple acts of generosity. Not a give-up-everything-you-believe-in-for-each-other compromises—just realizing that how one folds the towels or how one grows accustomed to a partner's expanding circle of friends aren't important enough for a struggle.

CW: This book contain a passage a few pages long that involves men killing feral dogs. I was warned of this in a friends' review and, like him, felt I could jump over it in a way that wouldn't ruin my experience with the book. You'll know when this is about to begin—just flip pages until your past those with frequent mentions of dogs then let yourself return to Vik's last voyage.

If you're looking for a gentle, comforting read, I strongly recommend The Ferryman and His Wife. I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.

[Maureen Grigsby · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an absolutely beautiful book about the last day (and journey) of the ferryman. He reviews his life as he picks up the dead in his final trip. Translated from Norwegian.

[Elina Mäntylammi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Frode Gryttenin Päivä jona Nils Vik kuoli on varmastikin Suomen luetuimpia kirjoja juuri nyt. Ihan mahtavaa! Se kertoo kauniisti elämän merkityksestä, rakkauden merkityksestä ja merkityksellisestä elämästä.

Vuonolautturina työskennellyt Nils Vik elää viimeistä päiväänsä ja kohtaa sen aikana perheenjäseniään, entisiä markustajia ja ystäviään. Koko elämänsä.

Gryttenin kirja vetoaa tunteisiin ja onnistuu tekemään sen näennäisen vähäeleisesti. Vuono ja meri, Nils Vikin vene ja työ luovat puitteet tavalliselle elämälle, joka risteää niin monen muun elämän kanssa.

Jos en olisi juuri lukenut Jon Fossen teosta Aamu ja ilta, olisin varmasti ihastunut tähän enemmän. Harmittaa vähän, että Fossen mestariteos syö Gryttenin tehoja, vaikka tämäkin teos kosketti monin paikoin.

[Marte Pedersen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hjertesukk. For en nydelig liten bok med skildringene av livet på fjorden og kjærligheten til kona og alle andre som rører ved han. En lavmælt mann full av kjærlighet sin siste reise.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fabulous heartfelt book. It is the story about Nils, the ferryman, on the last day of his life as encounters ghosts of many friends, passengers, his dog and of course his wife. Nils shows so much kindness, understanding and generosity for all these people. They are with him, they present themselves in the hope of being recognized. "Everyone needs to be seen - there isn't a single person on this earth who isn't longing to be discovered." I especially loved how his memories showed the highs and lows of a long relationship, and the way that couples grow apart and find each other again. This book touched me profoundly. It made me laugh, cry and think about my life and all the people I’ve known. I highly recommend this jewel of a book.

[Merve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hüzünlü, duygusal, bilmeden yine kaybımın üstüne yine yas romanı sayılabilecek bir roman almışım. Nils Vik'in Martha'ya koşulsuz bağlılığı -yer yer birbirlerine olan sevgileri zedelenir gibi olsa da- ve ölümü kabullenisi. Ölüme giden yolculukta geçmiş hayatında bıraktığı ölüleriyle karşılaşıp teknesine alması. Ne çok sıradan ne çok özgün. Sakin bir dili var. Yer yer de güzel yorumları var. Hayatından ve teknesinden geçen diğer insanlar ve hikayeleri.. Açıkçası çok beklentiye girmeden okunursa daha keyif verir. Yüksek standartları olan bir roman değil. Ama sakin bir okuma deneyimi.

[Gaspard Grei · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eg skulle gjerne hatt min aller siste dag som Nils Vik. Nils Vik, ein båtskyssar på ein fjord på Vestlandet, gir seg ut på den siste reisa over fjorden. På ferda over får han oppleve dei meiningsfulle livshendingane sine om att.

Soga handlar om den kjensla av stilla ein får når dagen er over og all affekt har lagt seg. Om idéen av bror sin, kona si, naboane sine, når alt kjem til alt og tinga er berre das Ding an sich. Ein oppdagar magien i soloppgang, solnedgang, opptenninga, utblåsinga av eit stearinlys med litt for mye stearin i.

Takk, Frode, for den beste boka eg har lese på lang tid.

[Olav Nilsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastisk roman, en av de beste jeg har lest❤️

[Courtney Autumn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a quietly profound meditation on memories and death through the eyes of a lifelong ferryman on his last day across the fjord. Whether intentional or not, the irony of Nils embarking on his journey on November 18, the pub day for this book, was a nice touch. Nils is a simple man who's led a simple life and is happy with that which makes him easy to empathize with as a character. I appreciated the notion of how each interaction we have with others has the potential to create a meaningful impact, even if we don't realize it ourselves at the time.

Reading this gave me ever so slight vibes of When the Cranes Fly South, but whereas I loved that heartachingly beautiful book, this one fell short for me. Perhaps some things got lost in translation. Perhaps I just wasn't in the headspace to enjoy this particular kind of book right now. Whatever the case, this didn't resonate with me on the level that I expected it would. All the same, it's a quick read/ listen that has struck the right chord with a lot of other readers so perhaps don't count it out for yourself.

⚠️ I do want to note that there's a particularly graphic scene that I found personally triggering as well as a few smaller mentioned ones. I wish I'd known to skip over them in advance, so check warnings or DM me, if needed.

🎙️ Colin Mace narrates and does a beautiful job portraying Nils as well as the passengers he sees along the way. He effectively expresses Nils emotions and thoughts.

✨ Thank you @librofm for this ALC from November!