"Jeg husker den første tyren. Den kom som skutt inn på arenaen. Så ble den brått stående og stampe med bena, forvirret og skremt av de fremmede lydene. De store musklene i nakken strammet seg, de lå som kveiler under den skinnende huden. Det var et flott dyr, og nå skulle det dø. Oksen sto der, struttende av muskler og liv. Det luktet sex av den. Energi, potens, sperma. Og den var rasende. De tappet den for blod, stakk den ihjel og slepte den ut etter bakbena. Jeg spiste det blodige kjøttet. Det var en god biff. Vinen var utmerket. Jeg var helt og holdent smertefri. Bare en svak murring i venstre nyre. Noen kilte meg med kården."
Boken inneholder novellene Musene, Sølvfjorden, Oksen, Skogens hjerte, Natt til mørk morgen og Electric Ladyland. Novellene har en underliggende, uforklarlig uro knyttet til trusler og farligheter som hører til nattemørket i vårt sinn.
Ingvar Even Ambjørnsen-Haefs (1956-2025) was a Norwegian writer. He is best known for his "Elling" tetralogy: Utsikt til paradiset (1993), Fugledansen (1995), Brødre i blodet (1996), and Elsk meg i morgen (1999).
Brødre i blodet ("Blood brothers") was turned into a successful movie, entitled Elling, which received an Oscar nomination in the Best Foreign Film category in 2001. The English translation of the novel is called Beyond the Great Indoors.
His debut novel was a semi-autobiography called 23-salen ("The 23rd Row"), in which he criticized Norway's efforts to take care of psychically challenged individuals. In all his novels he has spoken the outsiders' cause, as he did in his break-through novel Hvite Niggere ("White Niggers") in 1986. The novel is about a young man who leads a life somewhat on the edges of normal society.
He is also known for the youth's book series "Pelle og Proffen" which circles around two detective teenagers, getting involved in all kinds of mysteries or crimes involving drugs, pollution and neo-Nazism among other things. He started this project after having read some of Franklin W. Dixon's books about The Hardy Boys. The books Døden på Oslo S, Giftige Løgner, and De Blå Ulvene of this series were also turned into successful movies. In 2005 the book Drapene i Barkvik ("The murders in Barkvik") appeared, about the teenager Fillip Moberg attempting to solve an axe murder in a small Norwegian village.
Ambjørnsen has received many prizes for his writing. Among them is the prize for the 80s best book for children and young adults (Pelle and Proffen books), the Tabu prize in 2001, Telenor Culture Award 2002, and the Brage Prize 1995.
His three Samson and Roberto books have become particularly popular in Russia, in part due to the illustrations by Nikolai Vorontsov, which also contribute carefully orchestrated local Russian-related colloquialisms to the stories.
Men om du er komfortabel med å bli litt rød i øya på kollektivtransport så er dette boka for deg. Jeg likte den veldig godt, men sikkert lurt å lese den når du selv er litt lett til sinns. Det er ikke én ting som ender bra i noen av novellene. Oksen knakk meg fullstendig! Veldig bra
Meeldisid üsnagi need sünge või rusuva alatooniga (samas mitte midagi ebainimlikku, eks ole, tavalised ja arusaadavad tunded kõigile, kes just loomu poolest roosad newage'lased pole) jutud. Võõrandumine, surm, hullumeelsus, sotsiaalne sobimatus, ahistus, nn ärakeeramine, lapsepõlves juhtunud sündmused, mis mõjutavad kogu elu, kuid mille tegelik tähendus jõuab kohale alles palju hiljem, hirm (Hirm on näiteks minu teine nimi. Ja Surm kolmas; surm on õigupoolest kõige paeluvam asi elu juures). Jutustamisstiil on küllaltki lihtne ja konkreetne, kuid just seetõttu mõjuv ja usutav. Autor loob oskuslikult äreva ja raske atmosfääri, tegemata küll siiski kõike puust ja punaseks, vaid jättes üht-teist ka lugeja fantaasia ja arusaamisvõime hooleks; kaasamõtlemine paneb aga kohati südame tarduma või on mul lihtsalt liiga hea kujutlusvõime ja nõrk närvikava. Kas võiksin isegi peaaegu olla mõni Ambjørnseni tegelane, kui ma elu jooksul nii hästi end varjama poleks õppinud, et ma ei tea enamasti ise ka enam, kes ma tegelikult olen. Igatahes, alustasin mannetu katsega ühest heast raamatust paar sõna kirjutada ja leidsin end rabast. Püüd olla loominguline ja vaba mõtete ning assotsiatsioonide voolu järgida viib liigagi tihti selliste tulemusteni. Kirjanik näeb muidu piltidel lahe välja ka- usutavasti selline eluaegne hipi ja boheem.
I got it wrong. It's a collection of short stories but as I was reading it, I connected it into one, and confused myself, because with every story came new names and they were all linked with Norwegian wood and animals. I thought it was just one because they seemed similar.
There is absurdity in this book. All the characters are lonely and lost people who escaped from the big towns, finding their meaning in the wood, killing animals and seeing themselves through those killed totems. What I like about is again nature. You can learn so much when author projects thoughts through landscape, in this case fjords and their doomness and gravity that pull people overboard, making them feel maniacal and rejected from many civilized manners.
Jeg vet ikke hva det er, men Ambjørnsen sine ord er alltid fylt med så mye liv og død på samme tid. Noveller er ikke det jeg leser mest, og navnene på karakterene var ganske like, men likevel er det fantastiske ord mellom permene jeg er glad for å ha lest.