Weird Fiction discussion

In close voting last poll the surprise (for me at least) winner was Wales and the art of fine dying, a piece of Norwegian weird fiction writing by Tone Wasbak Melbye. As far as I know there is only one way to purchase the translated into English version, and that's through Amazon's Kindle service. At $9.99 in price, it's quite a commitment. Fortunately, there's a see inside section on Amazon's website, so you can read a sample before deciding if the book is for you.

Self-described as an "animist witch and environmentalist, working closely with the spirits of the great cyclic systems, the earth, and the seasons," I know nothing else of our author other than that she is Norwegian and this is her first and only book translated into English so far.

Nicolai Alexander, member of our group and nominator of this book, has a lot more to say about it at this topic: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/....

I have already purchased the book, so I am definitely going to be reading along this time. This will only be the third Norwegian author, I believe, whose works I will have read. The first is Ibsen, of course, whose Hedda Gabler is a wonderful character study. A Doll's House was okay, but I enjoyed it less, and so ended my reading of Ibsen there. I have also tried to read some Knut Hamsun, but did not complete Hunger. I'm sure it's because I lacked the maturity at the time to properly read any post-modern literature. Our educational system really ought to better prepare our youth for that genre.

Anyhow, I'm looking forward to trying out this admirer of Lovecraft's work this December. Come join the fun!

Wow, that was a bit of a surprise, but a pleasant one :) Really looking forward ro reading this one!

I've started reading this one already! It's a little bit funny in tone, in small doses, which is enjoyable, but starting to get a sense of that underlying uneasiness. I also really like her use of personification.

I am a little more than halfway through this now and am really enjoying it. The weird fiction aspect of the writing is a little more understated than I was expecting. Usually when we read weird fiction, the straight fiction tropes are there to carry the plot through. This time it feels like the reverse, more like we have a straight fiction work; the drama is about the dissolution of the relationship between her and her boyfriend, and both's efforts to deny that reality as they travel together around Wales. Amidst all this, weird fiction elements are coming in to the story: haunted ships, haunted parts of houses, etc., but they're present mostly to enhance the drama. Petter, the boyfriend, wants to ignore these weird happenings because he's not the one experiencing them. The hysterical girlfriend off her meds is.

Not every author could pull this mixing of genres off, defying the expectations of both audiences (the weird and the straight fiction), but Melbye manages it in part due to a nice, clean writing style that really engages a reader. She reads a lot like a Knut Hamsun novel does. There is no way Melbye has never read Hamsun. We, the reader, are intensely in one character's thoughts, her stream of consciousness, almost to the exclusion of every other consideration, just as we are in a Hamsun novel. The couple is seeing interesting countryside for a guidebook she or they (depends on which of them you ask) are supposed to be writing, but we get little description of it, only how she feels about the countryside and his attempts to horn in on the writing about it. Weird things are happening, but again we only get how these events affect her mental makeup, not that much about the events themselves. Their relationship is and has been falling apart. Petter is so clueless he at one point raises the possibility of them having children together, much to her private horror. Again, all we have is her feelings and perspective on this.

It all works wonderfully! I'm along for the ride.

I visited Wales in 2022. Didn’t have any weird experiences, unfortunately.

Dan wrote: "I am a little more than halfway through this now and am really enjoying it. The weird fiction aspect of the writing is a little more understated than I was expecting. Usually when we read weird fic..."

I am so glad to hear that you're enjoying the book!

I do agree with your assessment as well. Her style is nice and clean, and it's well-balanced. I haven't read any Hamsun yet, unfortunately, so I wouldn't know about that. I probably should read him at some point, though.

Would you really call the girlfriend hysterical? at first glance, I'd rather call her something at the opposite end of that scale. Lazy, unenthusiastic, tired, even boring, but my feelings for her is fluctuating constantly, and she has grown on me. I now find her to be more empathic, smart, attentive. Sometimes I wish I could be inside her boyfriend's head too. He's hard to pin down, but I guess that's because she's always the one who passes judgement on him for us. It's hard not to get affected by that.

Oh, and aren't they both off their meds? So it's a relationship on shaky grounds to start with. I wouldn't necessarily call it dysfunctional or doomed or anything like that, but it would make sense to call it frail.

The poll is open for selecting January's group read: https://www.goodreads.com/poll/list/9...

My review of this month's book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...

Read through 60% of the book, quite liking it, even though Petter seems a bit inexplicable in (view spoiler)[ his suggestion to have a baby. This man gives 0 indication he is interested in her romantically anymore at all. (hide spoiler)] She comes across as someone in dire need of serious counseling and probably meds.

oh now I understand why Petter said that. yep.

I'm glad you're enjoying it. The dynamic (drama) between Petter and the protagonist (her name was mentioned twice, but I don't recall it) is pretty interesting. Isn't it?

Yes, quite. I really do wish she chose to have the supernatural go somewhere, though. The way she left it feels quite disappointing. Basically refused to further talk about! I imagine Dr. Watson concentrating on his and Holmes' mood and brushing off the criminal investigations.

I decided this was a beach read (for some reason) and read it in one sitting. The sound of the ocean added to the experience of the book as it was described by Mari as I was literally listening to the waves crash against shore. I was drawn into the story but kept being brought out of it by the spelling errors and odd word choices. One example would be the authors use of the British spelling of “colour” but then referring to a space as a back yard rather than back garden. I started to wonder if these spelling errors or odd word combinations were purposeful by the author so as to unsteady the reader. If so, kudos, it worked! I did enjoy the book over all, I have had experiences with people who have similar mental issues to Petter and that sense of unease, like the reality the mentally ill person is experiencing bleeds over to those closest to them. When Mari starts to question her own mental health I sympathized with that part.
The ending was so abrupt but I felt it was also appropriate. The reader popped into Mari and Petter’s life very suddenly and then just as suddenly the window closed.
My favorite part of this read is when Mari decided to start calling the paranormal things she was experiencing “nearly normal”. I think I’m going to borrow that phrasing. I like it.