Book Club: The Birds by Tarjei Vesaas
This month we are heading to Norway, and the book that I have picked to take us to this beautiful Nordic country is The Birds by Tarjei Vesaas.
‘He was being given sweets like a child – although he knew about great things like shattered trees and lightning and omens of death’ - Tarjei Vesaas
The Birds follows Mattis, a naive young man who many consider to be ‘simple’. Mattis lives with his sister Helge, together they live in a peaceful lakeside cottage and she protects him from the harsh realities of the world. But when Helge falls in love it looks like Mattis’ life will also change forever.
So, why The Birds? Well, actually I nearly chose Book 1 of Karl Ove Knausgård’s popular My Struggle series, but I decided to choose something a little less depressing as the first book is called Death in the Family (in England anyway), and well, I’m not feeling that right now, especially as Spring has arrived to save us all from the doom and gloom of Winter!
Instead, I chose a book that felt a little more gentle and mellow (I could be wrong, lol). It’s a modern classic of Norwegian literature, and as a bonus, the cover is just stunning; the illustration is by the fabulous Taiwanese artist Hsiao-Ron Cheng. Also, Knausgård actually gave high praise to the novel, saying that 'Tarjei Vesaas has probably written the best Norwegian novel ever, The Birds.'
Where to purchase your copy of The Birds
Secondhand: Abebooks
New: Bookshop.org, Waterstones
Just check back here at the end of each month to discuss the book and find out what we’ll be reading the following month.
