The Ice Palace or Is-slottet by Tarjei Vesaas is a 20th century classic by one of Norway’s greatest modern writers. First published by Gyldendal in 1963, it went on to win the Nordic Council Literary Prize in 1964. In 1966, it was published in Elizabeth Rokkan’s English translation by Peter Owen who described it as the best novel he ever published. To discuss it we’re joined by friend of the show Max Porter – who’s surprised it isn’t the most famous book in the world – and by another great Norwegian, Karl Ove Knaussgård, who agrees but who also think’s Vessas’s The Birds ( or Fuglane), published six years earlier, might be even better. We discuss both books in their English translations (recently released as Penguin Modern Classics) and Karl Ove treats us to a reading from the beginning of The Ice Palace in Norwegian. This episode also features Andy sharing his pleasure and deep amusement at Bob Dylan’s latest book – The Philosophy of Modern Song (Simon & Schuster) while John is moved by Emergency, Daisy Hildyard’s darkly beautiful novel about a rural Northern childhood overshadowed by presentiments of the coming climate disaster (Fitzcarraldo Editions).

Books mentioned:

Tarjei Vesaas - The Ice Palace (trs. Elizabeth Rokkan); The Birds (trs. Torbjørn Støverud & Michael Barnes); The Hills Reply (trs. Elizabeth Rokkan); The Boat in the Evening (trs. Elizabeth Rokkan); The Seed (trs. Kenneth G. Chapman)
Karl Ove Knaussgård - My Struggle: A Death in the Family (Book 1); A Man in Love (Book 2); Boyhood Island (Book 3); Dancing in the Dark (Book 4); Some Rain Must Fall (Book 5); The End (Book 6); A Time for Everything; Seasons Quartet: Autumn, Winter, Spring, Summer
Max Porter - Lanny; Grief is The Thing with Feathers; The Death of Francis Bacon; Shy
Bob Dylan - Tarantula; Chronicles; The Philosophy of Modern Song
Daisy Hildyard - Emergency
Russell Hoban - Riddley Walker
Halldor Laxness - Independent People (trs. J.A. Thompson)
Jon Fosse - The Other Name: Septology I - II (trs. Damion Searls)

Other links:
Post from Norwegian Literature Abroad (NORLA) about translating Vessas
Tarjei Vesaas on Mattis in The Birds
Tarjei Vesaas (et al) on The Ice Palace
The Ice Palace (Is-Slottet), a film by Per Blom (1987)