The Story of Edvard Munch

by Ketil Bjørnstad

Damaged in childhood by appalling family tragedies, the Norwegian painter Edvard Munch was obsessed with sickness, insanity and death. His life was tormented by persecution, mania and emotional and physical fragility. Relationships with women foundered in loathing and mistrust, friendships frequently turned to enmity and violence, and his dark, difficult genius was misunderstood. Yet his tortured and shockingly personal art, which at first provoked outrage, eventually gained him fame, wealth and the respect of the art establishment that had rejected him, and of his native Norway. In a single year, no fewer than eleven exhibitions of his paintings were shown throughout Europe, and the city of Oslo built a museum to house his work. Using Munch's own letters and diaries and those of his contemporaries and friends, as well as newspapers and journals of the time, Ketil Bjørnstad's 'literary biography' – which can also be read as a novel – presents us with a picture of Edvard Munch as unsparingly true as any of his self-portraits.

Genres: Art, Biography, Nonfiction

404 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Ketil Bjørnstad is a Norwegian pianist, composer and author. Initially trained as a classical pianist, Bjørnstad discovered jazz at an early age and has embraced the emergence of "European jazz".

He is an artist on the ECM record label, but has also published some 20 books (predominantly novels) and a number of poetry and essay collections.

Reviews

[Johanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Denne likte jeg så godt! Den skapte engasjement, inspirasjon og svært mye nysgjerrighet hos meg.

[Jools · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best biographies I've read, and one of the few books which I have been happy to pick up and re-read again and again.

[Ryan Kerr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great bio of an under rated highly influential artist. If you know anything about Munch this is a spectacular read.

[Mina Fossum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Endelig ble jeg ferdig med denne! Litt treg mot slutten men likevel et mesterverk! Superspennende og svært interessant om maleren og mennesket Edvard Munch!