Melancholy I-II - WINNER OF THE 2023 NOBEL PRIZE IN LITERATURE

Melancholy I-II is a fictional invocation of the nineteenth-century Norwegian artist Lars Hertervig, who painted luminous landscapes, suffered mental illness, and died poor in 1902. Jon Fosse delves into Hertervigs mind as the events of one day precipitate his mental breakdown.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 416 pages
Publication date: 27 October 2023
Publisher: Fitzcarraldo Editions

Melancholy I-II is a fictional portrayal of the nineteenth-century Norwegian artist Lars Hertervig, known for his luminous landscapes and struggles with mental illness. In this intense and feverish narrative, Jon Fosse delves into Hertervig's mind as the events of a single day push him towards a mental breakdown. Trained under Hans Gude at the Academy of Art in Düsseldorf, Hertervig is plagued by self-doubt and falls deeply in love with Helene Winckelmann, the daughter of his landlady. His obsession with Helene leads her family to believe that he must leave, and he becomes trapped in a state of limbo, oscillating between a cafe where he faces mockery from his more sophisticated classmates and the Winckelmanns apartment, which he desperately tries to re-enter. This novel, published here for the first time in English, is considered a significant work by critics, often likened to Samuel Beckett, the renowned author of the twentieth century.

Melancholy I-II is a fictional portrayal of the nineteenth-century Norwegian artist Lars Hertervig, known for his luminous landscapes and struggles with mental illness. In this intense and feverish narrative, Jon Fosse delves into Hertervig's mind as the events of a single day push him towards a mental breakdown. Trained under Hans Gude at the Academy of Art in Düsseldorf, Hertervig is plagued by self-doubt and falls deeply in love with Helene Winckelmann, the daughter of his landlady. His obsession with Helene leads her family to believe that he must leave, and he becomes trapped in a state of limbo, oscillating between a cafe where he faces mockery from his more sophisticated classmates and the Winckelmanns apartment, which he desperately tries to re-enter. This novel, published here for the first time in English, is considered a significant work by critics, often likened to Samuel Beckett, the renowned author of the twentieth century.

Weight: 298g
Dimension: 114 x 197 x 32 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781804271018