If Only
(Autor) Vigdis HjorthA passionate and groundbreaking bestseller from one of Norway’s most highly-regarded and award-winning novelists, for readers of Annie Ernaux's A Simple Passion and Coco Mellors' Cleopatra and Frankenstein A relatively young woman, aged thirty. She married in her early twenties, had two children. It is winter. January and minus 14°C, white, frosty mist around the parked car, around the spruces, the mailbox on its post, but higher up the sky is blue, clear, the sun has come back. She has written in her diary that she is waiting for the heartbreak that will turn her into her true self. She has an impending sense of doom or possibly her own death. So opens Vigids Hjorth’s ground-breaking novel from 2001, which melds the yearning, doomed potency of Annie Ernaux’s A Simple Passion with the scale and force of Anna Karenina. It asks, can passion be mistaken for love? And proceeds to document the destruction a decade defined by such a misconstruction can yield on a life.
Vigdis Hjorth
Vigdis Hjorth is a Norwegian author known for her insightful and thought-provoking novels that often explore themes of family dynamics, relationships, and identity. She has published over a dozen books, with her most notable works including "Will and Testament" and "Long Live the Motherland."
Hjorth's writing style is characterized by its honesty and raw emotion, as she delves deep into the complexities of human relationships and the intricacies of personal experiences. Her works have been praised for their nuanced characters, sharp dialogue, and incisive social commentary.
Hjorth's contributions to literature have had a significant impact on the contemporary literary scene in Norway and beyond, earning her numerous awards and accolades. "Will and Testament" is widely regarded as her most famous work, exploring the fallout of a family dispute and the enduring consequences of past traumas.
Overall, Vigdis Hjorth's work stands as a testament to the power of storytelling in illuminating the human condition and challenging readers to confront difficult truths about themselves and society.
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