What do you think?
Rate this book
The Trail of the Elk
HIS is a story of a wizard Elk-Rauten, he was a human being in a animal guise.The story begins in Re' valley, which lies like a yawning gap between mountains, long and flat with borders of forests so dark they look as though the blackness of night lingered within them. A river moves sluggishly along the bottom of the valley, making its way slowly and carefully between stretches of light-red sand. It runs northwards, a rare thing in Norway.
80 pages, Paperback
Published April 16, 2016
1 person is currently reading
5 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 25, 2017
I had to take some time for a little mental training exercise before I started this book, because I grew up thinking of 'elk' as a totally different animal than the ones known as 'elk' in Europe. https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-dif...
Once I convinced my brain to picture a MOOSE instead of a wapiti, I was ready to read!
"This is the story of a wizard elk—Rauten, as people called him. He was a human being in animal guise."
Sounds cool, right? But this first sentence of the book is a little misleading. Don't be expecting shape-shifter magic in these pages. Do expect the intense drama of the intertwined lives of a Norwegian man called Gaupa (The Lynx), his dog, and the great elk known as Rauten. Could Rauten really be the old Swede who died years ago but promised to come back to earth as a beast? Beast, beast....the words haunt Gaupa for years and shape his attitude towards Rauten. What will happen to them all in the wild forests of Norway?
This is not a 'cute' story. There is bloodshed, as with any tale of forest life when Man and Nature are involved. If you cannot appreciate Jack London's work, you might not be interested in this book. But I thought it was fantastic and I can't wait to go back to the forest for a reread!
"It was late in the day when the snow began to fall.
The first snowflake came alone, thin and light as down.
The flake could not keep its equilibrium, but flew here and there aimlessly, and took its own time about settling down on earth. It had been on earth before, swimming in the white marsh mist one raw morning in the autumn. Afterwards it had lived where the clouds live, but now it came down again and settled on an aspen leaf, white on red, the first snow of winter."
Once I convinced my brain to picture a MOOSE instead of a wapiti, I was ready to read!
"This is the story of a wizard elk—Rauten, as people called him. He was a human being in animal guise."
Sounds cool, right? But this first sentence of the book is a little misleading. Don't be expecting shape-shifter magic in these pages. Do expect the intense drama of the intertwined lives of a Norwegian man called Gaupa (The Lynx), his dog, and the great elk known as Rauten. Could Rauten really be the old Swede who died years ago but promised to come back to earth as a beast? Beast, beast....the words haunt Gaupa for years and shape his attitude towards Rauten. What will happen to them all in the wild forests of Norway?
This is not a 'cute' story. There is bloodshed, as with any tale of forest life when Man and Nature are involved. If you cannot appreciate Jack London's work, you might not be interested in this book. But I thought it was fantastic and I can't wait to go back to the forest for a reread!
"It was late in the day when the snow began to fall.
The first snowflake came alone, thin and light as down.
The flake could not keep its equilibrium, but flew here and there aimlessly, and took its own time about settling down on earth. It had been on earth before, swimming in the white marsh mist one raw morning in the autumn. Afterwards it had lived where the clouds live, but now it came down again and settled on an aspen leaf, white on red, the first snow of winter."
November 13, 2017
Recently, Norwegian author Mikkel Fønhus’ classic THE TRAIL OF THE ELK has been re-released in English translation. And I’m here to celebrate it!
Fønhus published his fourth novel, TROLLELGEN, in 1921. It was inspired by the wild animal stories of Charles G D Roberts and Jack London.
It’s the story of the Northcountry Ré Valley, its mountains, forests and waterways and wildlife. And a man known as Gaupa (The Lynx), his deer-hound called Bjönn (Bear) and a majestic male elk called Rauten. Gaupa “does not walk like other people, he is always half on the run. When his path is barred by a fallen tree or such like he does not stride across it, he jumps…” Gaupa believes that the giant elk Rauten is a human wizard reborn. And Gaupa is a hunter of elk...
LOVED IT!
To see my complete review, "Trail of the Elk: Discovering the Northcountry of Mikkjel Fønhus" - go to
http://www.civilizedbears.com/trail-e...
- Brian Alan Burhoe
www.CivilizedBears.com
Fønhus published his fourth novel, TROLLELGEN, in 1921. It was inspired by the wild animal stories of Charles G D Roberts and Jack London.
It’s the story of the Northcountry Ré Valley, its mountains, forests and waterways and wildlife. And a man known as Gaupa (The Lynx), his deer-hound called Bjönn (Bear) and a majestic male elk called Rauten. Gaupa “does not walk like other people, he is always half on the run. When his path is barred by a fallen tree or such like he does not stride across it, he jumps…” Gaupa believes that the giant elk Rauten is a human wizard reborn. And Gaupa is a hunter of elk...
LOVED IT!
To see my complete review, "Trail of the Elk: Discovering the Northcountry of Mikkjel Fønhus" - go to
http://www.civilizedbears.com/trail-e...
- Brian Alan Burhoe
www.CivilizedBears.com
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews