[vypusknye]

I don't want to give away too much about the story that makes up this beautiful novella, because part of the enjoyment of The Blue Fox is unravelling what's going on: to find out what the role is of the rare blue fox and who takes revenge on whom and above all why. But I can safely say that the story is set in the winter of 1883 and that one of the main characters is a hunting clergyman. Nor am I giving anything away by divulging that Sj?n is a celebrated poet in Iceland and that this fact becomes especially obvious in het passages where we follow the clergyman and the fox. Less important, but a sign of the many-sidedness of this author, is that he is also Bj?rk's songwriter and was nominated for an Oscar for his contribution to the film Dancer in the Dark.
Even though this is but a short book it manages to say quite a lot: about Icelandic nature, about the harsh life in the nineteenth century, about outcasts, about death, about egotism, but above all about compassion. I would not recommend it to readers who like to have everything spelled out for them, but if you like evocative language and poetic images and don't mind doing a bit of thinking while you are reading, you will love The Blue Fox. It's a little gem.

[ehib8yPc]

Thanks for that, Anna. I saw Sj?n in action in March at the Nordic Translation Conference in London, reading from "The Blue Fox", as did his translator Victoria "Vicky" Cribb. I bought that English translation (2008) but have not yet read it. Maybe I will now, because the chapters are sometimes very short! It's funny how the British publishers describe it as a "novel", while in Dutch it is a "novella". Maybe the term "novella" would be off-putting to British readers, who are already slightly allergic to translations. Anyway, in English translation it is only 112 pages long, whatever it's called.

English cover, Dutch cover:

[zoolissentesy]

Another thanks here as well. Just put it in my amazon shopping basket. It sounds wonderful!

[Pharmaciest2007]

I agree with you Anna, it is an incredible novel with very poetique descriptions of the Icelandic landscape and the way of living in the 19th century villages. I don't want to say too much about the novel, but the reader will find an amazing connection between the story and Ovidio's Metamorphosis. When you finish the book you'll realize that everything has to do with transformations going along with oral traditions and stories from the ancient Icelandics.
Great novel which I truly recommend.

[Gymnarnemia]

Read this a couple of years ago, and I'll just chime in with the rest; it's a beautiful little book, using hints of Icelandic sagas transposed into the 19th century, treading lightly across a few rather heavy themes... very highly recommended.

[vypusknye]

the reader will find an amazing connection between the story and Ovidio's Metamorphosis.

Daniel, I must confess that I had not seen the connection with Ovid - probably because I read his Metamorphoses so long ago, in grammar school. Maybe it's time for a reread. I rather liked them at the time, much better than Caesar's De Bello Gallico.