Familien på Gilje • Troll

by Jonas Lie

A much beloved work with a prominent place in the Norwegian literary canon, this novel describes the eternal conflict between the dreams and aspirations of youth and the more dreary expectations of society and family. The characters of the landed gentry of the remote Gilje farm in the 1840's, in particular the vicissitudes of Captain Jäger's three daughters, are brought to life with Jonas Lie's formidable penmanship.

Genres: Classics, Roman, Fiction, Historical Fiction

313 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1883

About the author

Jonas Lauritz Idemil Lie was a Norwegian novelist who is considered one of "the four great ones" of the 19th century Norwegian literature. The others are Henrik Ibsen, Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, and Alexander Kielland. Jonas Lie stands out for his impressionistic style, picking out only significant details of setting, atmosphere, mood, and speech. In his first novels Lie mingled realistic with fantastic elements. Lie's studies of family life, such as The Family at Gilje (1883), and stories of the life of the fishermen and the stormy Arctic Ocean, represent his finest work.

Reviews

[Marius Hohlbrugger · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don´t know how familiar readers (other than Norwegians) are with Jonas Lie and his most famous novel Familien på Gilje, first published in the Norwegian language in 1883. Jonas Lie´s stated aim with the novel was to portrait a Norwegian officer´s family in the 1840s and as such it is a work of literary realism, or more precisely, naturalism.
The text has no relation to the Victorian imperial romance, fictional colonial (or colonialist) texts. I would however like to draw attention to a short passage in Familien på Gilje which is so similar to Joseph Conrad´s famous passage in Heart of Darkness where Marlow tells his listener about how he in his boyhood used to dream about "blank spaces on the map [of Africa]...[which] had now become a place of darkness". This passage from Conrad´s text, first published 1899, is so similar to a passage in Jonas Lie´s text, published 13 years earlier, that it is worth giving some attention. Not least because its poetic and symbolic significance so neatly captures a 19th century European mindset concerning unchartered and undiscovered (i.e. not penetrated or discovered by Europeans) territories in Africa, and that Conrad is given credit for capturing this in Heart of Darkness. The question I am asking is whether Lie should be credited with this insight.
Central to this question is of course whether Lie´s text was published in English, or any other language that Conrad knew, before the latter wrote his text. And if it was, is there any evidence or source which suggest that Conrad had read or had any knowledge of Lie´s text.
Below are the two passages compared side to side. Notice that both passages refer to 1) boyhood dreams about the 2) blank spaces on a map of Africa and 3) how these places are now "explored" and filled in (they are no longer blank spaces).

Lie´s passage first: CHAPTER VI, 118- 119.

" I certainly need to go to the mountains now, I always come down again three or four pounds lighter."

" I have wandered about that part of the country from the time I was a schoolboy," remarked Grip. "We must put Lake Bygdin into the geography
— that it was discovered only a few years ago, in the middle of a broad mountain plateau, which only some reindeer hunter or other knew anything
about."
"Not laid down on any map, no — as blank as in the interior of Africa, marked out as unexplored," the captain pointed out. " But then there is traffic
going on between the districts, both of people and cattle, and the mountains have their names from ancient times down among the common people."

" True,the natives also knew the interior of Africa, but on that account it is not called discovered by the civilized world," said Grip, smiling. "I always wondered what could be found in such a mysterious region in the middle of the country. There might be a great deal there: valleys entirely deserted from ancient times — old, sunken timber halls, and then wild reindeer rushing here and there over the wastes."

SOURCE: (https://archive.org/stream/familyatgi...). In the Norwegian language version above it is pages 80-81.

Here is the passage from Conrad´s text:

"Now when I was a little chap I had a passion for maps. I would look for hours at South America, or Africa, or Australia, and lose myself in all the glories of exploration. At that time there were many blank spaces on the earth, and when I saw one that looked particularly inviting on a map (but they all look that) I would put my finger on it and say, 'When I grow up I will go there.' The North Pole was one of these places, I remember. Well, I haven't been there yet, and shall not try now. The glamour's off. Other places were scattered about the Equator, and in every sort of latitude all over the two hemispheres. I have been in some of them, and . . . well, we won't talk about that. But there was one yet—the biggest, the most blank, so to speak—that I had a hankering after.

"True, by this time it was not a blank space any more. It had got filled since my boyhood with rivers and lakes and names. It had ceased to be a blank space of delightful mystery—a white patch for a boy to dream gloriously over. It had become a place of darkness. But there was in it one river especially, a mighty big river, that you could see on the map, resembling an immense snake uncoiled, with its head in the sea, its body at rest curving afar over a vast country, and its tail lost in the depths of the land.

If anyone out there has read this far, thank you! It would be interesting to hear what any of you have to say about this comparison, so please feel free to comment. Marius.

[Winter · Rating 4 out of 5]

2024:
4 Stars

I very much enjoyed returning to this book.

2016:
4,5 Stars

First off to my Norwegian family seeing the review on facebook: No I did not read it in English, but the english cover is more beautiful and the version I actually read are not on goodreads. So that’s settled..

To be honest my expectations for this book was extremely low. I don’t know why. I have always said I don’t understand why Lie is among the Norwegian Four, but I had not actually read him so who was I to speak! Now I do get why he is one of them.

This book is a protrait of a family in the 1840’s. Although it is quite old and even though I read it in old Norwegian-Danish it reads very smooth and fast. The time it is written in was quite different and it portraits the struggles of the older and younger generation, the expectations versus the hopes and dreams. It is beautifully written especially towards the end and the themes are timeless.

[I. Madreia S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now, thinking back to this book makes me feel all warm inside. I remember picking it up because of the title and the first few paragraphs of snowy landscapes and somewhat cozy family dynamics. For some reason, I was drawn to it; I got lost in it during my train drive home, and I still feel a little out of it, so by now, the rating says that I loved it. That's all.

[K · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Family at Gilje is the story of a rural Norwegian family in the 1840s, and their attempts to retain respectability and gain advancement, but these attempts may result in misery for their children. A small cast of neighbors and relatives participate in these plans, and the story would be familiar to readers of Jane Austen and others, but without the introspection of Ms. Austen's characters. Lie's book brings questioning of the role of women in society into play, as well as class differences and rural v. urban life, but without the power of other writers. Still, an interesting read due to the rare setting. Also, Ms. Wells' translation is a bit choppy and clunky at times.

[The Line · Rating 3 out of 5]

Denne boka var nok veldig progressiv da den kom ut i 1880-årene, men i dag er den kanskje mest interessant som et innblikk i hverdagen og livet i en norsk bygd for nesten 200 år siden. Noe av tematikken rundt individets, og særlig kvinners, undertrykkelse i møte med samfunnets normer og sosial tvang er fremdeles relevant i dag, og det gjør boken forsåvidt verdt å lese.

[Peter K · Rating 3 out of 5]

Boken virker litt gammeldags, kanskje mest på grunn av språket. Historien er også litt fremmed, men den beskriver samfunnet slik det var rundt 1850, og Lie er ikke uten grunn en av de "fire store" i norsk litteratur på 1800-tallet.

[Dorottya AlBert · Rating 4 out of 5]

A realistic picture of women's life in the 1840's. This book is another proof that Norwegian writers were so much ahead of their time. A true feminist novel in the best possible way.

[Kristine Kravdal]

Sammenlignet med Et liv forbi i særemnet i norsk vg3.

[Marte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Må skrive en narratologisk analyse av denne nå, noen tips? 🥲

[Endre Knutsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Altså, dikteren sies det om Jonas Lie. Ble så mye diktning, at jeg mistet handlingen. Men mange gode «vendinger» det skal han ha.

[Herdis Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Familien på Gilje" omtales oftest som et portrett av en familie fra 1840-årene, og dette stemmer i grunn på en prikk.

Handlingen er temmelig begrenset; vi følger familien i et knippe år og får ta del i deres hverdagslige sysler, lykke og sorg. Gjennom brevutveksling får vi også med oss en del av det deres datter i Kristiania opplever og foretar seg, og får som sådan et lite innblikk i den tidens byliv, da spesielt livet til de noe høyere klasser.

Mer enn handling, dreier dog denne beretningen seg om skildring. Poenget later til å være å gi leseren et innblikk i familiens liv og i deres omgivelser, uten å komme med noen form for moraliserende bemerkninger rundt det som beskrives.

Boken er noe tung å komme inn i. Lie bruker lang tid i det første kapittelet på å beskrive hver minste detalj relatert til familiens bosted, beskrivelser som, hvis jeg fikk velge selv, godt kunne vært spedd ut med noe mer handling. Boken tar også lenger tid å lese enn man skulle tro, gitt dens bare litt over 100 sider. Lie tar ofte i bruk lange, intrikate setninger, og jeg måtte flere ganger stoppe opp og lese disse på nytt igjen for å få fatt på poenget, noe som testet min tålmodighet.

Det er jo absolutt verdt å komme seg innom hver av de fire store i løpet av sitt liv, i hvert fall som leseglad skandinav, men jeg vet ikke om jeg kommer til å lese så mye mer av Jonas Lie etter dette.