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Jonas
Jens Bjørneboe was born in Kristiansaand, Norway in 1920, says he was a bad pupil and ran away to sea. With this unpromising start, Mr Bjørneboe was able, by his second novel, a study of collaboration in wartime Norway, to make himself even less popular in his home country. With the publication of The Least of These, called by Sigurd Hoel, "the most important Norwegian novel since the war", the author completed the process of making himself persona non grata in the Scandinavian countries. The Least of These has been printed in six languages, and although he enjoys a considerable reputation as a poet, Mr Bjørneboe's book has been roundly condemned by educators wherever it has appeared. The fate of the little boy, Jonas, crushed by the enforced conformity of his education, is not, the author says, the central theme of the novel. "All the important persons in this novel are different variations of Jonas - all of them are Jonases. The theme of the book is not the boy Jonas, but the 'being a Jonas.'"
302 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1955
47 people are currently reading
1167 people want to read
About the author
Jens Bjørneboe
63 books184 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 64 reviews
September 7, 2015
All in all you're just another brick in the Wall
Jonas* saw the light of day in 1955 and is–apparently–Jens Bjørneboe's declaration of war on the Norwegian school system in book form. The novel hit like a bomb. At least as far as the elites of the Norwegian education system are concerned. A long-lasting dispute developed in the respective gazettes, in which the author–wisely–didn't participate. One positive response he got was in a telephone call when an unfamiliar child's voice asked:
"Is this Bjørneboe?"
"Yes."
"Jens Bjørneboe?"
"Yes, that's me."
"This is Jonas. Take care!"
What better reaction can an author get from a young reader?
So, first of all this is the story of seven year old Jonas. He is intelligent and imaginative, but unfortunately also word blind. His dyslexia depresses him, especially because he doesn't know about this disorder, and nobody cares to check for it. In second class the authority figures of his school decide to send Jonas to a special school for mentally disabled children, referred to by the other pupils as the Idiots-School. For Jonas this is an unthinkable place, a frightening place, and source of his nightmares. So he bolts and finds a place as a stowaway on a ship. An apprentice on the ship, a former teacher, takes care of him and accompanies him back home. From this point on the novel takes some unexpected turns. The story of Jonas takes a backseat for a while, but returns later on. Instead we learn more of the apprentice and his life as well as of a teacher at another school, a German Jew named Marx. Furthermore about a quarrel between a literary critic, Werner, and the headmaster of Jonas's school, a man named Stange. This all sounds a little confusing, but I can't say it any better without using spoilers.
I think what's important for Jens Bjørneboe here is the confrontation with all kinds of authorities. The author blames them for abuse of power, for oppression, and the co-optation of people in general. The school system is just an example, albeit a particularly serious one. Bjørneboe once wrote (and this is not from the book):
For me it was once again an outstanding novel by my favorite writer from Norway. In describing the situation of Jonas, but also of the other children, you realize how much Jens Bjørneboe loved children. I think such an empathy can rarely be found. On the other hand, the author presents the villains, first and foremost headmaster Stange, as very flat characters, almost like decals. But for Bjørneboe those people (which he referred to as salamanders) are exactly that. They don't have any depth, their heads are empty and hollow. Maybe that's also the reason why they always seem to flow to the surface!?
After reading Bjørneboe's biography by Fredrik Wandrup I have to recognize that a lot of autobiographical material was processed for this book. I would even go so far as to say that the author has his person and his life's story spread across a whole range of characters. The apprentice, the critic Werner, the teacher Marx, and a couple of pupils (but not Jonas) all exhibit some startling parallels to Bjørneboe's life.
The prose is straightforward, easy, appealing and never withdrawn. I like that. He is provocative, that's true, and some critics considered the book polemical. I just call it honest.
* The title of the English addition is not "Jonas", but, oddly enough, "The Least of These: A Novel of Norway and Our Time".
** The German version that I read was published by Freies Geistesleben (Free Spiritual Life), a publisher that mostly sells anthroposophic literature.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
Jonas* saw the light of day in 1955 and is–apparently–Jens Bjørneboe's declaration of war on the Norwegian school system in book form. The novel hit like a bomb. At least as far as the elites of the Norwegian education system are concerned. A long-lasting dispute developed in the respective gazettes, in which the author–wisely–didn't participate. One positive response he got was in a telephone call when an unfamiliar child's voice asked:
"Is this Bjørneboe?"
"Yes."
"Jens Bjørneboe?"
"Yes, that's me."
"This is Jonas. Take care!"
What better reaction can an author get from a young reader?
So, first of all this is the story of seven year old Jonas. He is intelligent and imaginative, but unfortunately also word blind. His dyslexia depresses him, especially because he doesn't know about this disorder, and nobody cares to check for it. In second class the authority figures of his school decide to send Jonas to a special school for mentally disabled children, referred to by the other pupils as the Idiots-School. For Jonas this is an unthinkable place, a frightening place, and source of his nightmares. So he bolts and finds a place as a stowaway on a ship. An apprentice on the ship, a former teacher, takes care of him and accompanies him back home. From this point on the novel takes some unexpected turns. The story of Jonas takes a backseat for a while, but returns later on. Instead we learn more of the apprentice and his life as well as of a teacher at another school, a German Jew named Marx. Furthermore about a quarrel between a literary critic, Werner, and the headmaster of Jonas's school, a man named Stange. This all sounds a little confusing, but I can't say it any better without using spoilers.
I think what's important for Jens Bjørneboe here is the confrontation with all kinds of authorities. The author blames them for abuse of power, for oppression, and the co-optation of people in general. The school system is just an example, albeit a particularly serious one. Bjørneboe once wrote (and this is not from the book):
In a modern state, with all the will to power that radiates from it, the school system, which is part of the spiritual life, is very easily transformed into a means of power in the political struggle.(From 1950 to 1957, during the time the book was written, Bjørneboe was a teacher at the Rudolf-Steiner school in Oslo, and it shows in the book, although anthroposophy is never explicitly mentioned.**)
The school system becomes the expression of the cultural policy and the human image of the ruling circles. It's not the human, the student, who is the measure of the classroom, but the endeavor to educate the students to learn the ideology of the state.
[translation by me]
For me it was once again an outstanding novel by my favorite writer from Norway. In describing the situation of Jonas, but also of the other children, you realize how much Jens Bjørneboe loved children. I think such an empathy can rarely be found. On the other hand, the author presents the villains, first and foremost headmaster Stange, as very flat characters, almost like decals. But for Bjørneboe those people (which he referred to as salamanders) are exactly that. They don't have any depth, their heads are empty and hollow. Maybe that's also the reason why they always seem to flow to the surface!?
After reading Bjørneboe's biography by Fredrik Wandrup I have to recognize that a lot of autobiographical material was processed for this book. I would even go so far as to say that the author has his person and his life's story spread across a whole range of characters. The apprentice, the critic Werner, the teacher Marx, and a couple of pupils (but not Jonas) all exhibit some startling parallels to Bjørneboe's life.
The prose is straightforward, easy, appealing and never withdrawn. I like that. He is provocative, that's true, and some critics considered the book polemical. I just call it honest.
* The title of the English addition is not "Jonas", but, oddly enough, "The Least of These: A Novel of Norway and Our Time".
** The German version that I read was published by Freies Geistesleben (Free Spiritual Life), a publisher that mostly sells anthroposophic literature.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
January 3, 2021
Jens Bjørneboe (born October 9, 1920) is widely considered to be one of Norway’s most important post-war authors. He was also a painter and a school teacher. He led a turbulent life and his uncompromising humanity and criticism of contemporary society would cost him an obscenity conviction (for Without a Stitch, 1966) as well as long periods of heavy drinking and bouts of depression, which in the end led to his suicide in 1976.
This novel was published in 1955 and is called simply “Jonas” in the original. It caused a great deal of controversy upon its publication. Whilst many of its criticisms (particularly of the more traditional authoritarian school system) are no longer as relevant, it is a powerful reminder of the potential harm caused by a society which fails to protect the least of its members.
The story begins with a missing persons notice for eight year old Jonas Andreassen, who has run away to sea (as the author did himself). It is soon obvious that the reason for the disappearance lies in a failed school system, which has attempted to transfer the clearly bright boy to a special school, nicknamed the Idiot , because of his undiagnosed dyslexia. His teachers, through exasperation, laziness, self-absorption and pedagogic blindness, humiliate Jonas and isolate him from his peers.
I taught in inner-city comprehensive schools for 5 years, before leaving the profession. I witnessed such problems on a daily basis, and could see how the system is biased towards the conformist and the mediocre. I can still see no realistic solution to this problem, though this novel certainly tries to do so.
In the course of the novel we encounter a number of philosophically “radical” characters, who are all opposed to the current educational pedagogy, and who in a direct or indirect manner will be responsible for Jonas’ salvation from destruction in the school system. For me, there is a little too much Rudolf Steiner in their proposals, but much of their arguments still retain their validity.
However, as Bjorneboe has pointed out, the focus of this novel is not Jonas, and not simply the failures of the school system. Much of the novel is experienced through the eyes of the Helmsman who has found the boy hiding on-board his vessel. The Helmsman has seen three of his closest friends abandoned by their country and killed in the War. In Jonas he recognises the victim of a post-war world which seeks safety from the storm in the refuge of mediocrity. The boy’s lonely bafflement is “the harm done even the least of these” . The problem of society’s sacrifice of some of its most promising members for the sake of its own security is a complex and insurmountable one. The rehabilitation of the Jonases by men like the Helmsman is presented as a possible, partial remedy.
As this is long out of print the back cover blub has been reproduced above.
So much of his work is either out of print or not translated, and I cannot understand why. He is a great writer, and one who deserves to be known and recognised in the English speaking world. I urge anyone who stumbles across this review to hunt down his work. Moment of Freedom is still in print, and is widely recognised as his masterpiece. Read it, read this and then hunt down translators into English from Norwegian and force them to start work on the rest of his books…
This novel was published in 1955 and is called simply “Jonas” in the original. It caused a great deal of controversy upon its publication. Whilst many of its criticisms (particularly of the more traditional authoritarian school system) are no longer as relevant, it is a powerful reminder of the potential harm caused by a society which fails to protect the least of its members.
The story begins with a missing persons notice for eight year old Jonas Andreassen, who has run away to sea (as the author did himself). It is soon obvious that the reason for the disappearance lies in a failed school system, which has attempted to transfer the clearly bright boy to a special school, nicknamed the Idiot , because of his undiagnosed dyslexia. His teachers, through exasperation, laziness, self-absorption and pedagogic blindness, humiliate Jonas and isolate him from his peers.
I taught in inner-city comprehensive schools for 5 years, before leaving the profession. I witnessed such problems on a daily basis, and could see how the system is biased towards the conformist and the mediocre. I can still see no realistic solution to this problem, though this novel certainly tries to do so.
In the course of the novel we encounter a number of philosophically “radical” characters, who are all opposed to the current educational pedagogy, and who in a direct or indirect manner will be responsible for Jonas’ salvation from destruction in the school system. For me, there is a little too much Rudolf Steiner in their proposals, but much of their arguments still retain their validity.
However, as Bjorneboe has pointed out, the focus of this novel is not Jonas, and not simply the failures of the school system. Much of the novel is experienced through the eyes of the Helmsman who has found the boy hiding on-board his vessel. The Helmsman has seen three of his closest friends abandoned by their country and killed in the War. In Jonas he recognises the victim of a post-war world which seeks safety from the storm in the refuge of mediocrity. The boy’s lonely bafflement is “the harm done even the least of these” . The problem of society’s sacrifice of some of its most promising members for the sake of its own security is a complex and insurmountable one. The rehabilitation of the Jonases by men like the Helmsman is presented as a possible, partial remedy.
As this is long out of print the back cover blub has been reproduced above.
So much of his work is either out of print or not translated, and I cannot understand why. He is a great writer, and one who deserves to be known and recognised in the English speaking world. I urge anyone who stumbles across this review to hunt down his work. Moment of Freedom is still in print, and is widely recognised as his masterpiece. Read it, read this and then hunt down translators into English from Norwegian and force them to start work on the rest of his books…
December 12, 2017
There is little chance to improve on what has already been said about this book. You either believe in service to others or you do not. You either believe in the worth of the "least of these" or you do not. Too much has already been shown in our current state of the world that suggests we have perhaps fallen too far from the tree of knowledge and instead resort now to merely accumulating more wealth and comfort for ourselves to the extent of damnation for the rest of humanity. Our current leaders are a clear reflection of our moral compass. Only we can change what has become despicable in our political climate. Unfortunately, it is my belief that it may now be impossible due to the poisonous kool-aid so many of us drink. Jens Bjørneboe fought his entire life against injustices and ignorance which finally resulted in his committing suicide.
November 9, 2017
This is Bjorneboe's masterpiece... as good as Moment of Freedom was, this blows it away. Absolutely essential. I can't fathom any rating under a 5.
January 18, 2016
Denne må man lese. Kanskje jeg ville gitt 4-stjerner, men jeg leste den så intenst og jeg ble så revet med at NÅ sier hjertet mitt 5 stjerner. Elsker hvordan Bjørneboe får inn så mange HISTORISKE fortellinger, samt får vi ulike personers historier fortalt - deres bakgrunn og utgangspunkt, og deilig hvordan alle trådene knyttes sammen. De onde, "Salamanderene" skildrer han på en måte slik at man avskyr dem, mens de gode - de vinner virkelig min sympati og kjærleik. Les den!
May 5, 2021
ATAB (all teachers are bastards)
November 9, 2012
Bjørneboe er sjef
Og dette er i bunn og grunn en vakker bok
Tragisk men vakker
Jonas er unggutt, en som de fleste kan identifisere seg med. Jonas sliter. Boken beskriver kampen mot utsiden, ondskapen, de som mobber, lærerne, skole-systemet, salamanderne, uvitenhet. Men den beskriver også den innvendige kampen. Det hele kulminerer når Jonas tar med seg en kniv på skolen. Han har fått nok.
Selvfølgelig, så skinner Bjørneboes politiske ståsted gjennom i historien, sosialismen, godheten, medmenneskeligheten...
Men vi møter også på en annerledes institusjon. Waldorf-skolen. En plass for barn. Ikke en boltreplass for maktkåte lærere, med mindreverdighetskomplekser.
Boken er vakker
Språket er nydelig
Personlig elsker eg å skrive gjennom øynene til ungdom, slike som Jonas. Det tillater å se, og beskrive verden, på en helt annen måte. Oppleve magien, som samfunnet enda ikke har banket utav dem. Oppleve den første forelskelsen, det første kysset, den første slåsskampen... begeistringen ved å mestre noe, gjennomføre ting som før har syntes så uoppnåelig. å drømme seg bort
Mye kan sies om denne boken, og mye kan kritiseres ved den. Men essensen ved den, er at den får oss til tenke. På det som er vondt i livene våre, den ondskapen som finnes i verden, hvilke krefter som utøver godhet, og hva som betyr noe for oss personlig. Menneskeheten behøver slike bøker, slike stemmer, slike mennesker.
Vi lever i et fantastisk univers
Og denne boken minner oss på hvor heldige vi er
Bjørneboe er sjef
October 5, 2024
Flott kronikk om at Steinerskolen og alkoholiserte lærere er chill 🦎
April 14, 2015
One of the best books I have read in my life. I was fascinated by the first page. Story, style, characters and their stories ---- it's totally amazing!
February 15, 2018
"Juna" rekomenduociau (grieztai) perskaityti visiems svietimo darbuotojams...
June 25, 2020
For et fantastisk stykke norsk litteratur! En stor historie om hva som skjer når man setter pris på den gode fortellingen.
June 24, 2024
Nei, guri, altså, no må eg grine litt og la boka kverne i hovudet medan eg søv. Romanens siste avsnitt rettferdiggjorde dei få passasjane eg tenkte var litt overflødige. Vesle Jonas🥹🥹🥹 Dette skulle vore obligatorisk pensum i alle klassetrinn, faktisk.
Vanlegvis er eg ikkje kjempefan av vekslande synsvinkel, men her FUNKA det!
(side note: hylte litt inni meg då Werner kommenterte Backs vinløv. Eg føler meg så kul når eg kan ta litterære referansar)
Vanlegvis er eg ikkje kjempefan av vekslande synsvinkel, men her FUNKA det!
(side note: hylte litt inni meg då Werner kommenterte Backs vinløv. Eg føler meg så kul når eg kan ta litterære referansar)
May 31, 2018
The first half of this book is very good, with Jonas' experiences of not fitting in to normal school being an interesting story. You also get some shorter parts with other characters than Jonas. These are still intersting, feel relevant to the story, and are so short that you don't feel you are taken away from Jonas for too long at a time. The characters are well written and funny. Bjørneboe has managed to make them believable, but still borderlining comedic. For some reason you get a description of pretty much every character's nose. I've read a lot of books through the years, but no author have focused so much on noses.
The only part I did not like in the first half of the book was the description of how Jonas perceived the world. I've read many books, particularly comming of age books and books about adults which have a short chapter or two of the adult's childhood, which describe the child's perception of the world in a similar way. Childhood does in many ways perceive the world in a more dreamy way than adulthood. But these books' child characters perceive the world in such a dreamy way that I beleive they must all be high to see the world like that. I couldn't help but think that if this was really how Jonas perceived the world maybe he did belong in the special school. It seems to me few authors are really able to write a believable child character.
The second half of the book was in my opinion a bit messy. We move away from Jonas, and have to read through some quite long parts about other characters where a lot of it really is not relevant for the story. It's a good book for sympathizing with those who do not always fit in, but I felt it could need some more editing towards the end.
The only part I did not like in the first half of the book was the description of how Jonas perceived the world. I've read many books, particularly comming of age books and books about adults which have a short chapter or two of the adult's childhood, which describe the child's perception of the world in a similar way. Childhood does in many ways perceive the world in a more dreamy way than adulthood. But these books' child characters perceive the world in such a dreamy way that I beleive they must all be high to see the world like that. I couldn't help but think that if this was really how Jonas perceived the world maybe he did belong in the special school. It seems to me few authors are really able to write a believable child character.
The second half of the book was in my opinion a bit messy. We move away from Jonas, and have to read through some quite long parts about other characters where a lot of it really is not relevant for the story. It's a good book for sympathizing with those who do not always fit in, but I felt it could need some more editing towards the end.
November 20, 2013
This is an amazing book.
Okey, jeg skriver dette på norsk..
Denne fantastiske kritikken på det norske skolesystemet er sett ut i fra et sosialistisk synspunkt og det passer meg perfekt. Bjørneboe skriver like komplekse karakterer som vanlig, der ingenm er fullstendig god eller ond. Alle har feil, selv om noen er værre enn de andre. Det er ingen god ending, det er bare en slutt.
Men, joda, anbefales. :)
Okey, jeg skriver dette på norsk..
Denne fantastiske kritikken på det norske skolesystemet er sett ut i fra et sosialistisk synspunkt og det passer meg perfekt. Bjørneboe skriver like komplekse karakterer som vanlig, der ingenm er fullstendig god eller ond. Alle har feil, selv om noen er værre enn de andre. Det er ingen god ending, det er bare en slutt.
Men, joda, anbefales. :)
December 2, 2023
"Jonas" by Jens Bjørneboe is a profound exploration of existential struggles, societal constraints, and the quest for personal freedom. Through vivid prose, the novel navigates the complexities of identity, morality, and the human condition, leaving an indelible impact on readers.
October 7, 2019
Elsker, elsker Bjørneboe og Jonas! Andre gang jeg leser denne, og jeg likte den like godt denne gangen. Helt fantastisk historie, og jeg får nesten lyst til å skrive litteraturoopgaven min fra 9. Klasse om igjen
March 20, 2011
I read this at age 13, and I doubt I understood it properly. I will have to read it again to give a real review.
Read
July 7, 2015dette var så bra
September 25, 2016
Deep, full of interesting stories, history facts and the life of Norway after WW2.
January 8, 2026
Positivt overrasket! Jeg trodde boken hovedsakelig handlet om en dyslektisk gutt og skolesystemet, men den favnet bredere enn det på en veldig god måte. Ikke alltid like lett å henge med på frustrasjoner følt for 75 år siden men mot slutten tydeliggjøres poengene og man får en åpenbaring.
June 9, 2022
Dette var fan med en fryd
September 26, 2022
Anbefales! Sier mye med få ord, og får en til å tenke over (særlig) skolesystemets natur og hensikt.
February 7, 2017
Salamander-referansen til Bjørneboefra boka "Salamanderjakten" av Karil Kapeck gjør at jeg får lyst til å lese den boken i tillegg for å forstå Bjørneboes symbolske referanser i større grad enn jeg gjorde. Jonas er en skikkelse som jeg tidlig i boka fikk en medfølelse for, kanskje fordi jeg ser meg selv som liten. Skolevesenet blir hardt kritisert, noe som i etter jeg hadde lest boka fikk et annet syn på den offentlige skolen. Før jeg hadde lest boka hadde jeg et sosialistisk syn på skolen, noe liknende en religion. Jeg trodde skole var som skjebnen, at det var resultatet i skolen som bestemte din skjebne i samfunnet. Det er vel slik det er i dag på mange måter, men boka gjorde at jeg begynte å se flere tilfeller som tydelig er et overgrep over elever.
Det er tre forskjellige historier som blir forent mot slutten. Hele boka kan virke som en slags propaganda for steinerskolen. Bjørneboe nevner aldri bokstavlig Steinerskolen, men det er lett å trekke beslutningen om at det er på steinerskolen Jonas ender på til slutt. Forfatteren hadde nettop fullført sin karriere som lærer på steinerskolen. Hvis man trekker denne beslutningen fra begynnelsen vil jeg tro at det vil bli kjedelig å lese om det som virker som en ideal-skole.
Det er tre forskjellige historier som blir forent mot slutten. Hele boka kan virke som en slags propaganda for steinerskolen. Bjørneboe nevner aldri bokstavlig Steinerskolen, men det er lett å trekke beslutningen om at det er på steinerskolen Jonas ender på til slutt. Forfatteren hadde nettop fullført sin karriere som lærer på steinerskolen. Hvis man trekker denne beslutningen fra begynnelsen vil jeg tro at det vil bli kjedelig å lese om det som virker som en ideal-skole.
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November 7, 2011Erschreckend - Norwegen damals = Deutschland heute
April 21, 2016
Vakker og tragisk. Kritikk av det norske skolesystemet. En av Bjørneboes beste romaner.
October 12, 2024
En gripende fortelling om hvordan en autoritær ideologi kverner individualiteten ut av samfunnet og promoterer et strengt hierarki hvor alle er desperate etter å rakke ned på dem som er enda lenger ned på rangstigen - og om nazismen. Men det er det norske skolesystemet som er Bjørneboes folkefiende nummer 1, med nazismen som et ulmende bakteppe både for etterkrigstids-perioden boken er skrevet i og finner sted under, men også for den tematiske kampen mellom individ og undertrykkende system.
Bokens aller største styrke er de varme og til tider rørende skildringene av menneskene som står opp mot det kalde og umenneskelige, eksemplifisert gjennom overlærer Jochumssen, båtfører Andreassen eller taxifører Olsen. Forfatterens forkjærlighet for alle disse «Jonasene» kommer enda tydeligere frem i kontrast med den dirrende avskyen han uttrykker for «salamandrene», de smålige menneskene som kryper frem overalt hvor det er mulig å tilegne seg smuler av makt med det formål å gjøre andres liv verre enn sitt eget. Personskildringene er utført med en empati og en kraft som gjør det tilnærmet umulig å ikke dele i protagonistenes nagende hat mot de feige forsvarerne av et inhumant og ødeleggende skolesystem.
«Jonas» er brennende aktuell i en tid der disiplin, karakterer og konstant måling nok en gang er i fremmarsj i skolen. Under følger noen utvalgte sitater som i varierende grad griper an bokens sentrale tematikk, eller er morsomme ute av kontekst:
«Kom oppå din nabo! Bli flinkere enn dine venner! Triumf, skadefryd, grådighet er midlene. Stilling og inntekter skal man leve for fra man ennu har munnen full av melketenner. Og heng i, for det haster! Ved hver eksamen skilles noen ut. I den høyere skole siles noen ut allerede det første halvåret. Glem dine venner, men husk din eksamen, for den betyr stilling og inntekter! Dere slåss for livet, dere slåss om fremtidens stillinger og inntekter. Dere er dødsfiender. Sammen med din siste melketann skal du spytte ut din siste følelse for din siste venn! Ved eksamen viser det seg hvem som skal arve jorden. Salige er de som er flinke på skolen, for de skal arve stillinger og inntekter, de skal få flest penger, best leilighet og mest mat».
- Jungtmannen, s. 241
«Gud! tenkte han. Kanskje Hitler hadde rett når det gjaldt jødene allikevel!» - Overlærer Strange, s. 123
«En av dem som gjennemskuet Hitler i 1940 og Sovjet i 1950» - Abraham Werner, s. 137
«Ja, idag er det de konservative som er radikale» - Nils Ligård, s. 139
«Overlærer Strange hadde sin meget klare teori om hvorledes lærebøker for barn i folkeskolealderen burde avfattes, men det får utså til en annen gang å gi leseren nærmere og mere utførlig informasjon om hvorledes og efter hvilke grunnlinjer han gikk til verket.» s. 119
«Jochums siste notis hadde stått offentliggjort for omtrent to år siden, og var et svar på en artikkel av en eller annen lektor. Lektoren hadde påpekt politiets forsømmelser og langsomhet når det gjaldt ungdomskriminaliteten, og uttalte sitt håp om en bedring av forholdet. Til dette hadde Jochum svart at politiet burde overta hele skolevesenet. Hva hadde man ellers politi til? Neste dag mottok redaksjonen over tyve leserbrev, som hovedsakelig inneholdt indignerte fordømmelser av en slik brutalitet hos en kjent overlærer. Bare et fåtall var enige i at politiet burde overta.» s. 104–105
Bokens aller største styrke er de varme og til tider rørende skildringene av menneskene som står opp mot det kalde og umenneskelige, eksemplifisert gjennom overlærer Jochumssen, båtfører Andreassen eller taxifører Olsen. Forfatterens forkjærlighet for alle disse «Jonasene» kommer enda tydeligere frem i kontrast med den dirrende avskyen han uttrykker for «salamandrene», de smålige menneskene som kryper frem overalt hvor det er mulig å tilegne seg smuler av makt med det formål å gjøre andres liv verre enn sitt eget. Personskildringene er utført med en empati og en kraft som gjør det tilnærmet umulig å ikke dele i protagonistenes nagende hat mot de feige forsvarerne av et inhumant og ødeleggende skolesystem.
«Jonas» er brennende aktuell i en tid der disiplin, karakterer og konstant måling nok en gang er i fremmarsj i skolen. Under følger noen utvalgte sitater som i varierende grad griper an bokens sentrale tematikk, eller er morsomme ute av kontekst:
«Kom oppå din nabo! Bli flinkere enn dine venner! Triumf, skadefryd, grådighet er midlene. Stilling og inntekter skal man leve for fra man ennu har munnen full av melketenner. Og heng i, for det haster! Ved hver eksamen skilles noen ut. I den høyere skole siles noen ut allerede det første halvåret. Glem dine venner, men husk din eksamen, for den betyr stilling og inntekter! Dere slåss for livet, dere slåss om fremtidens stillinger og inntekter. Dere er dødsfiender. Sammen med din siste melketann skal du spytte ut din siste følelse for din siste venn! Ved eksamen viser det seg hvem som skal arve jorden. Salige er de som er flinke på skolen, for de skal arve stillinger og inntekter, de skal få flest penger, best leilighet og mest mat».
- Jungtmannen, s. 241
«Gud! tenkte han. Kanskje Hitler hadde rett når det gjaldt jødene allikevel!» - Overlærer Strange, s. 123
«En av dem som gjennemskuet Hitler i 1940 og Sovjet i 1950» - Abraham Werner, s. 137
«Ja, idag er det de konservative som er radikale» - Nils Ligård, s. 139
«Overlærer Strange hadde sin meget klare teori om hvorledes lærebøker for barn i folkeskolealderen burde avfattes, men det får utså til en annen gang å gi leseren nærmere og mere utførlig informasjon om hvorledes og efter hvilke grunnlinjer han gikk til verket.» s. 119
«Jochums siste notis hadde stått offentliggjort for omtrent to år siden, og var et svar på en artikkel av en eller annen lektor. Lektoren hadde påpekt politiets forsømmelser og langsomhet når det gjaldt ungdomskriminaliteten, og uttalte sitt håp om en bedring av forholdet. Til dette hadde Jochum svart at politiet burde overta hele skolevesenet. Hva hadde man ellers politi til? Neste dag mottok redaksjonen over tyve leserbrev, som hovedsakelig inneholdt indignerte fordømmelser av en slik brutalitet hos en kjent overlærer. Bare et fåtall var enige i at politiet burde overta.» s. 104–105
April 14, 2024
3.5?
Denne boka var vanskelig å rate..
men den har sine quotes:
«Så nu visste han altså hva alle tenkte. Det var vel det som var helvete.»
«De gjennemvåkede skoletimer var drepende kjedelige, og vårt ukentlige alkoholbad var en nødvendig motvekt.»
«Selvfølgelig har han det vanskelig. Ellers ville han jo ikke hatt noe å gjøre som lærer.»
«Nå har vi det godt gutter!»
Tanken på at skolesystemet er som det er når denne boka har eksistert i over 50 år.
Denne boka var vanskelig å rate..
men den har sine quotes:
«Så nu visste han altså hva alle tenkte. Det var vel det som var helvete.»
«De gjennemvåkede skoletimer var drepende kjedelige, og vårt ukentlige alkoholbad var en nødvendig motvekt.»
«Selvfølgelig har han det vanskelig. Ellers ville han jo ikke hatt noe å gjøre som lærer.»
«Nå har vi det godt gutter!»
Tanken på at skolesystemet er som det er når denne boka har eksistert i over 50 år.
November 28, 2021
Eg kan godt vera samd med teksta på baksida: Alle som jobbar i skulen burde ha lese Jonas. Bjørneboe er enormt dyktig til å skildre korleis eit barn opplever verda.
July 27, 2022
En bok men flere lag en du aner. Symbiosen mellom Jonas og de uendelige digresjoner er nydelig ballasert! Det vekker en følelse i meg hvordan skolesystemet blir malt som et skjevt bilde. Takk Bjørneboe dette var fint.
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