Melancholy (novel)
1995 book by Jon Fosse
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Melancholy, original title Melancholia I is a 1995 novel by the Norwegian writer Jon Fosse. It is about the Norwegian painter Lars Hertervig (1830–1902) and his time as a young student in Düsseldorf, where he, agonised by unrequited love and doubt in his art, is driven toward a mental breakdown.
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Damion Searls
| |
| Author | Jon Fosse |
|---|---|
| Original title | Melancholia I |
| Translator | Grethe Kvernes Damion Searls |
| Language | Norwegian (Nynorsk) |
| Publisher | Det Norske Samlaget |
Publication date | 1995 |
| Publication place | Norway |
Published in English | 1 November 2006 |
| Pages | 275 |
| ISBN | 9788252145618 |
The book was awarded the Melsom Prize and the Sunnmøre Prize.[1] It was followed by a 1996 sequel, Melancholy II, which is set on the day of Hertervig's death. The first part of Melancholy I was the basis for Georg Friedrich Haas' 2008 opera Melancholia.[2]
Reception
Publishers Weekly wrote in 2006: "In this wild stream-of-consciousness narrative, Fosse delves into Hertervig's mind as the events of one day precipitate his mental breakdown. Fosse's prose, which often affects a childlike quality, might put off some readers, but many gorgeous passages and Fosse's pursuit of the 'glimmer of the divine' in art make this a powerful book."[3]