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Bjørndal-folket #1
Ja taamal laulavad metsad
Tuntud norra kirjaniku talupojaainelise romaanitriloogia esimene raamat, milles kujutatakse uhke mägismaatalu inimeste elu, nende võitlust lausmaaelanike kadeda vaenuga, kõikemõjutavat armastust ja surma.
Raamatus on rohkesti põhjamaiselt karget romantikat, karujahtide, talveöiste saanisõitude, uhkete pidude ja ballide kirjeldusi.
Raamatus on rohkesti põhjamaiselt karget romantikat, karujahtide, talveöiste saanisõitude, uhkete pidude ja ballide kirjeldusi.
208 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1933
82 people are currently reading
2257 people want to read
About the author
Trygve Gulbranssen
39 books52 followersTrygve Gulbranssen (1894-1962) er i dag mest kjent som mannen bak romanverket «Og bakom synger skogene», «Det blåser fra Dauingfjell» og «Ingen vei går utenom»; senere kalt «Bjørndaltrilogien» Han oppnådde med fortellingene sine å nå ut til mennesker over store deler av verden; uavhengig av alder, nasjonalitet og stand.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 151 reviews
March 27, 2019
I read Beyond Sing the Woods almost a decade ago, but I'm still in awe of it. It formed in my mind one of those perfect book memories, if you know what I mean. Sometimes a book just comes at the right time and place. Yes, I was deeply impressed with this novel but I also read it at the right time, when I was craving (and not even knowing it) for a book like this one. I don't think I've ever read a prose as poetic in a novel up to that point. Many thanks to the translator who made this book sing for me in my mother tongue. Beyond Sings the Woods was recommended to me by a friend and I enjoyed every minute of reading it. One of the best reading recommendations I have ever got.
There are numerous reasons why I loved this novel and why I would recommend it myself, so why not write down a few of them:
1) Beyond Sings the Woods is a beautiful piece of poetic prose, if there ever was one. It is poetically written, something that is not easy to do (and do well) in a novel. What is interesting is that the prose itself is often pretty straightforward, no extra embellishments and endless adjectives, but still there is something undoubtedly poetic in it. Its poetry if not of the typical kind. Usually it is the short stories that have lyrical characteristics, but this novel has poetic brilliance.
2) The plot is well developed and it makes sense. The story itself is very interesting. Despite the poetic brilliance I just mentioned, Beyond Sing the Woods functions well as a novel. It doesn't turn into a poem, it is very much a well structured novel. The narrative follows a life of a family living in a village. The conflict between the rural/traditional life and a new modern world is presented perfectly. The story is dynamic and interesting. The plot may sound simple, but the author really succeed in making the people and the surroundings in the novel alive and that makes for a compelling read. There is something for everyone: love, conflicts and great descriptions of nature.
3) The characterization is simply brilliant. This novel is also a great study of human character. In many ways, it reminds me on the great Russian realists. It is always too easy to write about literature if you compare one author with another, but I cannot resist comparing it with Gogol and his masterpiece Dead Souls.
4) Beyond Sings the Woods is also a lovely way to learn something about Scandinavian culture and venture away from the typical classics. I don't know why, but when people speak of European classics, they often forget to think of the Scandinavian writers. What I liked in particular about reading this novel is that element of something new. It is always interesting to read something about a culture you're not familiar with, especially if it happens to be a great book. Literature that is not written in English often gets put aside. When we are talking about historical classical, only a few European or USA authors seem to get all the attention, and that's a shame. This novel sparked my interest in Scandinavian culture. For me it was endlessly fascinating to read a novel published in Norway many years ago. There are some many aspect of Norwegian traditional culture that are interesting and this novel was a great introduction into it.
5) Finally, the best thing about this novel is that there is more! This novel is the first novel of trilogy, but even if you don't plan to read all three novels you can read this one. I only read this one and the story didn't feel unfinished. I do plan to read the others, but I'm waiting for the perfect timing.
There are numerous reasons why I loved this novel and why I would recommend it myself, so why not write down a few of them:
1) Beyond Sings the Woods is a beautiful piece of poetic prose, if there ever was one. It is poetically written, something that is not easy to do (and do well) in a novel. What is interesting is that the prose itself is often pretty straightforward, no extra embellishments and endless adjectives, but still there is something undoubtedly poetic in it. Its poetry if not of the typical kind. Usually it is the short stories that have lyrical characteristics, but this novel has poetic brilliance.
2) The plot is well developed and it makes sense. The story itself is very interesting. Despite the poetic brilliance I just mentioned, Beyond Sing the Woods functions well as a novel. It doesn't turn into a poem, it is very much a well structured novel. The narrative follows a life of a family living in a village. The conflict between the rural/traditional life and a new modern world is presented perfectly. The story is dynamic and interesting. The plot may sound simple, but the author really succeed in making the people and the surroundings in the novel alive and that makes for a compelling read. There is something for everyone: love, conflicts and great descriptions of nature.
3) The characterization is simply brilliant. This novel is also a great study of human character. In many ways, it reminds me on the great Russian realists. It is always too easy to write about literature if you compare one author with another, but I cannot resist comparing it with Gogol and his masterpiece Dead Souls.
4) Beyond Sings the Woods is also a lovely way to learn something about Scandinavian culture and venture away from the typical classics. I don't know why, but when people speak of European classics, they often forget to think of the Scandinavian writers. What I liked in particular about reading this novel is that element of something new. It is always interesting to read something about a culture you're not familiar with, especially if it happens to be a great book. Literature that is not written in English often gets put aside. When we are talking about historical classical, only a few European or USA authors seem to get all the attention, and that's a shame. This novel sparked my interest in Scandinavian culture. For me it was endlessly fascinating to read a novel published in Norway many years ago. There are some many aspect of Norwegian traditional culture that are interesting and this novel was a great introduction into it.
5) Finally, the best thing about this novel is that there is more! This novel is the first novel of trilogy, but even if you don't plan to read all three novels you can read this one. I only read this one and the story didn't feel unfinished. I do plan to read the others, but I'm waiting for the perfect timing.
October 2, 2023
3,75☆
Saga przesączona milczącymi emocjami i chłodnym, skandynawskim klimatem. Cała ta powieść ma w sobie specyficzne zimno, zarówno w nawiązaniu do miejsca, w którym się rozgrywa jak i uczuciowej charakterystyki jej postaci. Najbardziej podobał mi się zabieg upostaciowienia natury i nadania jej swego rodzaju nadrzędnej warstwy historii. Natomiast było także kilka aspektów, które mnie zwyczajnie literacko drażniły, bez względu na kunszt wykonania i umiejętność manewrowania tymi motywami na przestrzeni książki. I mam tutaj na myśli bardzo silny i mocno zarysowany kontekst religijny oraz aurę ciągłej dezkomunikacji między bohaterami, która wchodzi w kontrast z tą pierwszą, silną relacją Bóg-człowiek. Mam też małe zastrzeżenia do konstrukcji fabularnej. Na początku odniosłam wrażenie, że zupełnie brak tej książce jakiejkolwiek płynności w nachodzeniu na siebie wydarzeń - w zasadzie dopiero przy końcu wszystkie wcześniej bagatelizowane akcyjne nierówności zostały ułagodzone rozmowami (na które ja osobiście liczyłam jakieś piętnaście lat wcześniej na osi czasowej tego potężnego lekturska).
Saga przesączona milczącymi emocjami i chłodnym, skandynawskim klimatem. Cała ta powieść ma w sobie specyficzne zimno, zarówno w nawiązaniu do miejsca, w którym się rozgrywa jak i uczuciowej charakterystyki jej postaci. Najbardziej podobał mi się zabieg upostaciowienia natury i nadania jej swego rodzaju nadrzędnej warstwy historii. Natomiast było także kilka aspektów, które mnie zwyczajnie literacko drażniły, bez względu na kunszt wykonania i umiejętność manewrowania tymi motywami na przestrzeni książki. I mam tutaj na myśli bardzo silny i mocno zarysowany kontekst religijny oraz aurę ciągłej dezkomunikacji między bohaterami, która wchodzi w kontrast z tą pierwszą, silną relacją Bóg-człowiek. Mam też małe zastrzeżenia do konstrukcji fabularnej. Na początku odniosłam wrażenie, że zupełnie brak tej książce jakiejkolwiek płynności w nachodzeniu na siebie wydarzeń - w zasadzie dopiero przy końcu wszystkie wcześniej bagatelizowane akcyjne nierówności zostały ułagodzone rozmowami (na które ja osobiście liczyłam jakieś piętnaście lat wcześniej na osi czasowej tego potężnego lekturska).
May 26, 2021
Tas bija episki. Ļoti priecājos, ka nesaprotamu iemeslu dēļ nebiju "Mūža mežus" izlasījusi jau senāk. Spēcīgi varoņi, grūtas izvēles, skarba un majestātiska daba fonā, plūstoši un skaisti izstāstīts stāsts lieliskā Lizetes Skalbes tulkojumā. Stap citu, ļoti smalka iedziļināšanās sievietes pasaulē. Viss stāsts par Bjerndāļu vīru dzīvi tiek izstāstīts no divu sieviešu, divu ienācēju - Terēzes un Adelheides skatupunkta, bet viņas nav tikai stāstnieces. Mēs gandrīz vairāk uzzinām par viņu pārdzīvojumiem, nekā par to, kā notiek pārvērtības vecā un jaunā Dāga galvās.
Par pirmo daļu vispār nav neviena slikta vārda, ko teikt. Otrajā daļā mazliet sakrita uz nerva didaktika un moralizēšana, ko tur var gan atrast. Tomēr visā visumā arī tā ir gaumes robežās un netraucē izbaudīt šo izcilo darbu.
Nācās padomāt, kāpēc vairāki apskatnieki uzsver, ka romānā nav action. Piekrist tam nevaru nekādi. Grāmata ir pamatīgi piebāzta ar spraigiem notikumiem. Pie vainas acīmredzot tas, ka action brīži (piemēram, tāds pavisam ikdienišķs notikums kā cīņa ar lāci) netiek izķidāti pa piecpadsmit lapām un "neuzfilmē" notikumus lasītaja vietā, kā tas būtu mūsdienīgā grāmatā. To nāksies darīt pašam. Un tas ir brīnišķīgi.
Par pirmo daļu vispār nav neviena slikta vārda, ko teikt. Otrajā daļā mazliet sakrita uz nerva didaktika un moralizēšana, ko tur var gan atrast. Tomēr visā visumā arī tā ir gaumes robežās un netraucē izbaudīt šo izcilo darbu.
Nācās padomāt, kāpēc vairāki apskatnieki uzsver, ka romānā nav action. Piekrist tam nevaru nekādi. Grāmata ir pamatīgi piebāzta ar spraigiem notikumiem. Pie vainas acīmredzot tas, ka action brīži (piemēram, tāds pavisam ikdienišķs notikums kā cīņa ar lāci) netiek izķidāti pa piecpadsmit lapām un "neuzfilmē" notikumus lasītaja vietā, kā tas būtu mūsdienīgā grāmatā. To nāksies darīt pašam. Un tas ir brīnišķīgi.
February 26, 2018
I inherited this book from my mother in a beautiful leather bound version. It is a very old story and by considering the Amazon listing and how little there is to be known about this Norwegian author unfortunately clearly largely forgotten author. The writing is beautifully poetic about a way of life which I am sure has disappeared in modern Norway, but might still have an influence on it's culture. Would recommend this to anyone who can get hold of a second hand copy of this book, which is also available in English.
October 18, 2011
I was impressed with this novel. It was recommended to me by a friend and I enjoyed every minute of reading it. There are many reasons why I loved this novel and why I would recomment it. Here are some of them:
Beyond sings the woods is so poetically written, something that is difficult to do in a novel. What is interesting is that the prose itself is pretty straighforward, no embellishments but still there is something undoubtedly poetic in it. Usually it is the short stories that have lyrical characteristics, but this novel has poetic brilliance. Nevertheless, it functions like a novel. The narrative follows a life of a family living in a village. Sounds simple? Yes, but the author really succeded in making the people and the surroudings in the novel alive. There is something for everyone: love, conflicts and great descriptions of nature.
This novel is also a great study of human character. In many ways, it reminds me on the great Russian realists. It is always easy to write about literature if you compare one author with another, but I cannot resist comparing it with Gogol (Микола Васильович Гоголь) and his masterpiece Dead Souls ( Мёртвые души).
What I liked in particular is that element of something new. It is always interesting to read something about a culture you're not fammilar with, especially if it happens to be a great book. Literature that is not written in English ofen gets put aside. Because of importance that English has today, it is a fact that you have a better chance to be known if you are an author writing in English. This novel sparked my interest in Scandinavian culture. For me it was endlessly facinating to read a novel set in Norwey. There are some many aspect of Norwegian culture that are interesting and this novel was a great introduction into it.
This novel is the first novel of trilogy, but even if you don't plan to read all three novels you can read this one. I only read this one and the story didn't feel unfinished.
I've read this novel in a Croatian translation so I guess that the original must be even better. I envy those who know Norwegian language.
Beyond sings the woods is so poetically written, something that is difficult to do in a novel. What is interesting is that the prose itself is pretty straighforward, no embellishments but still there is something undoubtedly poetic in it. Usually it is the short stories that have lyrical characteristics, but this novel has poetic brilliance. Nevertheless, it functions like a novel. The narrative follows a life of a family living in a village. Sounds simple? Yes, but the author really succeded in making the people and the surroudings in the novel alive. There is something for everyone: love, conflicts and great descriptions of nature.
This novel is also a great study of human character. In many ways, it reminds me on the great Russian realists. It is always easy to write about literature if you compare one author with another, but I cannot resist comparing it with Gogol (Микола Васильович Гоголь) and his masterpiece Dead Souls ( Мёртвые души).
What I liked in particular is that element of something new. It is always interesting to read something about a culture you're not fammilar with, especially if it happens to be a great book. Literature that is not written in English ofen gets put aside. Because of importance that English has today, it is a fact that you have a better chance to be known if you are an author writing in English. This novel sparked my interest in Scandinavian culture. For me it was endlessly facinating to read a novel set in Norwey. There are some many aspect of Norwegian culture that are interesting and this novel was a great introduction into it.
This novel is the first novel of trilogy, but even if you don't plan to read all three novels you can read this one. I only read this one and the story didn't feel unfinished.
I've read this novel in a Croatian translation so I guess that the original must be even better. I envy those who know Norwegian language.
January 14, 2019
Také trošku "starosvetské" čítanie, miestami aj úsmevné, keďže časy sa zmenili, no na druhej strane veľmi príjemné vytrhnutie z reality a pauza od súčasnej literatúry a našich novodobých problémov.
March 16, 2017
The pace is a bit slow for modern reader but that is a quality at the same time. It's so pleasant to dive into the past, not only of the plot but also of a time when a writer was writing. Back then, books ought to have more then a dynamics: moral standards, characters with integrity, strong families...Even when I rated it only with three stars, I'm so happy it came to me. It reminds me of some other world, full of faults but with better standards. At least in literature.
March 19, 2022
When I was about ten pages or so from finishing the book, I wondered how it was that the main characters were going to resolve their difficulties. It seemed like an obvious pairing between a wealthy and principled young man and a young woman who through strength of character was about to overcome poverty and find a secure place for herself in the Norwegian countryside, but the emotional reserve of the characters and their inability to communicate their feelings to each other--a highly relatable problem, I must admit--threatened to destroy everything. But the ending of this novel was perfect in a way that is quite rare, and such an ending made this book a lot better. After having read this novel I can understand why a friend of mine from church had read the novel dozens of times. Once you know how satisfying of an ending it is for characters you are rooting for, the novel is one that can be profitably read over and over again, pondering over the lessons the characters and their behavior have when it comes to how to behave with both mercy and justice.
Admittedly, this novel is a bit of a slow start. The essential drama of the book is the troubled relationship between the family that owns Bjorndal, a manor estate that seems stuck in the past but is able to overcome such difficulties, and the world around them. We see the family that owns Bjorndal dealing with the threat of dangerous wild animals, overcoming the social snobbery of the area of the Broad Leas, whose focus on image eventually leads them into a dangerous vulnerability to the manorial estate, and able to build some close ties with the shrewd bourgeoisie of Hamarrbo. Throughout the course of this novel we see generations marry, run their household, deal with questions of finance as well as the balance between old and new, and engage in social relationships with others. There are hints of omens and some detailed social dramas of how it is that people know about their own state and hope that it is not conveyed to others, and how it is that people are able to deal constructively with the advice that they receive and appreciate honest and good counsel. There are a lot of characters to root for here among men and women, and certain some villains as well who receive their proper comeuppance.
It has been thought that the series of novels of which this is the first part was the end of the Norwegian tradition of epic historical dramas. That is a great shame, because this novel does deal with vital and important matters like the relationship between mankind and creation, different classes and orders of mankind, and between people and God, all of which interact how we see other relationships. While the timing of the novel suggests that there could be larger points in mind here, the novel is really focused on the events of a small and obscure corner of Norway and not the larger geopolitical games in which Norway was a pawn being passed around from Denmark to Sweden. There are apparently two other novels in this series, which is obscure, out of print, and hard to find, and the third novel has never been translated into English. Having read this novel, I can understand why it is that my friend is so interested in the series and in reading this novel over and over again. It takes a bit of time to get into the action of this novel, but it is well worth it when one does, and those who have read this novel and enjoyed it have found something well worth appreciating, and it is only a shame that this novel is so obscure that few people are likely to have the chance to read and appreciate it.
Admittedly, this novel is a bit of a slow start. The essential drama of the book is the troubled relationship between the family that owns Bjorndal, a manor estate that seems stuck in the past but is able to overcome such difficulties, and the world around them. We see the family that owns Bjorndal dealing with the threat of dangerous wild animals, overcoming the social snobbery of the area of the Broad Leas, whose focus on image eventually leads them into a dangerous vulnerability to the manorial estate, and able to build some close ties with the shrewd bourgeoisie of Hamarrbo. Throughout the course of this novel we see generations marry, run their household, deal with questions of finance as well as the balance between old and new, and engage in social relationships with others. There are hints of omens and some detailed social dramas of how it is that people know about their own state and hope that it is not conveyed to others, and how it is that people are able to deal constructively with the advice that they receive and appreciate honest and good counsel. There are a lot of characters to root for here among men and women, and certain some villains as well who receive their proper comeuppance.
It has been thought that the series of novels of which this is the first part was the end of the Norwegian tradition of epic historical dramas. That is a great shame, because this novel does deal with vital and important matters like the relationship between mankind and creation, different classes and orders of mankind, and between people and God, all of which interact how we see other relationships. While the timing of the novel suggests that there could be larger points in mind here, the novel is really focused on the events of a small and obscure corner of Norway and not the larger geopolitical games in which Norway was a pawn being passed around from Denmark to Sweden. There are apparently two other novels in this series, which is obscure, out of print, and hard to find, and the third novel has never been translated into English. Having read this novel, I can understand why it is that my friend is so interested in the series and in reading this novel over and over again. It takes a bit of time to get into the action of this novel, but it is well worth it when one does, and those who have read this novel and enjoyed it have found something well worth appreciating, and it is only a shame that this novel is so obscure that few people are likely to have the chance to read and appreciate it.
December 13, 2008
This is the English translation of the Norwegian novel by Trygve Gulbranssen. To state a few predictable or cliched things about this book. One it reminds me in many ways of the work of another Norwegian author Knut Hamsun, although I prefer this book to anything by Hamsun that I have read to date. Two, this book is VERY Scandinavian not just in the outward obvious ways, but also in subtle ways that a person that has not lived in a Nordic country probably would not pick up on. In particular to social customs, nuances, mannerisms, the habit many have of talking about people behind each others backs as well as how many of these people will often hold grudges for years on end for seemingly minor offenses to their person. Three, although the level of violence doesn't quite go that extreme in Beyond Sing the Woods I can't help but be reminded of the multitude of Norse and Icelandic Sagas that I have read by this book also.
This novel is set in a somewhat vague time period (I would guess anywhere from 1700 to the 1850's?) in rural Norway. It revolves around one family over more than one generation with an emphasis on the head of the household/family patriarch but goes into a few other directions at times too. The family is supposedly descended from the old time chieftains and behaves in a proud noble way for the most part. Really they were a throw back to the old time Pagan chieftains in many ways, where the leaders were owed something by the people who lived in their lands, but there was also a give and take where they were not exploiters of the land and people but overseers and protectors. Another thing I loved about this book is, as another reviewer mentioned, the vivid descriptions of the Norwegian forests, mountains, sky and nature that are in this book. One scene that really sticks in my mind involves a horse drawn sleigh race through the countryside and forest on a clear crisp winter night. Beautiful writing that really takes you there. But yeah I would highly recomend this book, although its yet another that is out of print and I don't understand why although used copies are available fairly cheap if your patient.
This novel is set in a somewhat vague time period (I would guess anywhere from 1700 to the 1850's?) in rural Norway. It revolves around one family over more than one generation with an emphasis on the head of the household/family patriarch but goes into a few other directions at times too. The family is supposedly descended from the old time chieftains and behaves in a proud noble way for the most part. Really they were a throw back to the old time Pagan chieftains in many ways, where the leaders were owed something by the people who lived in their lands, but there was also a give and take where they were not exploiters of the land and people but overseers and protectors. Another thing I loved about this book is, as another reviewer mentioned, the vivid descriptions of the Norwegian forests, mountains, sky and nature that are in this book. One scene that really sticks in my mind involves a horse drawn sleigh race through the countryside and forest on a clear crisp winter night. Beautiful writing that really takes you there. But yeah I would highly recomend this book, although its yet another that is out of print and I don't understand why although used copies are available fairly cheap if your patient.
August 21, 2018
Apbrīnojami. Grāmata bez gandrīz nekādas aktīvas darbības, bet neiespējami nolikt malā. Cilvēki. Attiecības. Procesi. Prāta mežģi. Pārdomas. Ļoti bagāta.
January 21, 2022
Znacie takie powieści, których sam tytuł wzbudza nie tylko zachwyt, ale i pewność, że oto macie przed sobą coś pięknego? Że za sprawą kilkuset stron, wasz świat poruszy się w posadach, a uczucia i emocje będą nie do opisania? Przyznaję się, osobiście takiej pewności nie miewam często, wręcz nigdy. Dlatego, kiedy po raz pierwszy w moje ręce trafiła powieść Gulbranssena zostałam porażona płynącą z słów zawartych na okładce pewnością. I ta niezłomna pewność towarzyszyła mi aż do ostatniej strony tej historii. Historii, która już od pierwszych stron otacza na swoją surowości i nieprzeniknionym klimatem północy. Ta książka tchnie spokojnym pięknem, tchnie magią słów i odwiecznymi rytuałów. Tutaj wszystko jest powolniejsze, toczy się w zgodzie z naturą, ma pierwotny urok. To tu, bohaterowie są pozornie zamknięci w sobie, surowi i oschli, a kobiety, które za nimi stoją rządzą z klasą, ale i nieustępliwością. To oni wszyscy, pełni dumy, pamiętliwi i uparci, których pochłania świat własnych przemyśleń, którzy ważą słowa, ceniąc sobie ich wartość, toczą odwieczną walkę z własnym charakterem, słabościami, pychą, dumą czy żądzą pieniądza i zemsty. A jednak za tym twardym murem, kryją się gorące i szczere uczucia, którym nie straszne przeciwności losu. Kryje się szacunek, nie tylko wobec drugiego człowiek, ale przede wszystkim natury, która nadaje rytm wszystkiemu, jest piękna, okrutna i bezlitosna, lecz daje wytchnienie i odpowiedzi na wiele pytań. Natura decyduje o losie człowieka, który, choć rozumny, często poddaje się jej ogromnemu wpływowi. I jest w tej powieści coś niesamowitego, coś co sprawia, że kocha się ja całym sercem. To nie tylko wszystkie uczucia, jakie z niej płyną, nie tylko ten na wskroś przeszywający nas smutek. To cały poetycki blask, który bije z każdego zdania, mimo, że książka jest prosta i nie mami ozdobnikami. Jej autorowi naprawdę udało się ożywić bohaterów i otoczenie. W żadnej książce nie znalazłam tak wspaniale oddanego klimatu starej Norwegii, tak dogłębnie trafiającego w najczulsze nasze punkty. To nie jest historia do zwykłego przeczytania, bo tkwi w niej za dużo mądrości, ciepła i spokoju. To książka, w której wszystko w końcu trafia na swoje miejsce, a my, jako czytelnicy, odnajdujemy kawałek nas samych.
February 22, 2024
byłam z tymi bohaterami tak długo, że teraz nie wiem co mam ze sobą zrobić. how dare you 😭 breaking my heart like that
January 18, 2022
W norweskim Serbinowie
Od lat mam słabość do sag rodzinnych. Jeśli saga ma skandynawski rodowód, sięgam po nią tym chętniej. Powieść "A lasy wiecznie śpiewają" opowiada o losach rodu żyjącego na Björndal, gdzie – jak to bywa w skandynawskiej prozie – całe życie bohaterów jest zdeterminowane przez przyrodę, która ich otacza.
Gdybym miała porównać dzieło Trygve Gulbranssena do jednej z rodzimych historii, to najbardziej przypomina mi ono "Noce i dnie" Marii Dąbrowskiej (chociaż akcja tej drugiej rozgrywa się później). W obu przypadkach fabuła skupia się wokół majątku, który zamieszkują kolejne pokolenia, na ich codzienności, troskach i radościach. Gulbranssen dużo mniejszą wagę przywiązał do zbudowania głębi bohaterów – wyraźnie czuć, że to miejsce jest najważniejszym elementem całej historii, a ludzie są tylko narzędziami, które pomagają w przedstawieniu go.
"A lasy wiecznie śpiewają" oraz "Dziedzictwo na Björndal" są obrazem bardzo małej, zamkniętej społeczności osadzonej na norweskiej prowincji. Gulbranssen niewiele uwagi poświęcił budowaniu relacji między bohaterami, a jeśli już to robił, miało to w sobie sznyt rodem z telenoweli. Rzuca się to w oczy zwłaszcza w drugim tomie, kiedy rozterki i kryzysy pary głównych bohaterów wynikają z tego, że po prostu nie rozmawiają oni ze sobą, zamiast tego manifestując urazę.
Powieści Trygve Gulbranssena są zaliczane do klasyki literatury norweskiej ze wszystkimi jej zaletami – surowością, determinowaniem fabuły przez przyrodę, emocjonalnym minimalizmem (przynajmniej tak wygląda to na zewnątrz). Dla miłośników literatury skandynawskiej mogą stanowić uzupełnienie księgozbioru i niezobowiązującą rozrywkę, ale na początek przygody prozą krajów nordyckich poleciłabym raczej coś bardziej współczesną twórczość, która kładzie większy nacisk na bohaterów.
Od lat mam słabość do sag rodzinnych. Jeśli saga ma skandynawski rodowód, sięgam po nią tym chętniej. Powieść "A lasy wiecznie śpiewają" opowiada o losach rodu żyjącego na Björndal, gdzie – jak to bywa w skandynawskiej prozie – całe życie bohaterów jest zdeterminowane przez przyrodę, która ich otacza.
Gdybym miała porównać dzieło Trygve Gulbranssena do jednej z rodzimych historii, to najbardziej przypomina mi ono "Noce i dnie" Marii Dąbrowskiej (chociaż akcja tej drugiej rozgrywa się później). W obu przypadkach fabuła skupia się wokół majątku, który zamieszkują kolejne pokolenia, na ich codzienności, troskach i radościach. Gulbranssen dużo mniejszą wagę przywiązał do zbudowania głębi bohaterów – wyraźnie czuć, że to miejsce jest najważniejszym elementem całej historii, a ludzie są tylko narzędziami, które pomagają w przedstawieniu go.
"A lasy wiecznie śpiewają" oraz "Dziedzictwo na Björndal" są obrazem bardzo małej, zamkniętej społeczności osadzonej na norweskiej prowincji. Gulbranssen niewiele uwagi poświęcił budowaniu relacji między bohaterami, a jeśli już to robił, miało to w sobie sznyt rodem z telenoweli. Rzuca się to w oczy zwłaszcza w drugim tomie, kiedy rozterki i kryzysy pary głównych bohaterów wynikają z tego, że po prostu nie rozmawiają oni ze sobą, zamiast tego manifestując urazę.
Powieści Trygve Gulbranssena są zaliczane do klasyki literatury norweskiej ze wszystkimi jej zaletami – surowością, determinowaniem fabuły przez przyrodę, emocjonalnym minimalizmem (przynajmniej tak wygląda to na zewnątrz). Dla miłośników literatury skandynawskiej mogą stanowić uzupełnienie księgozbioru i niezobowiązującą rozrywkę, ale na początek przygody prozą krajów nordyckich poleciłabym raczej coś bardziej współczesną twórczość, która kładzie większy nacisk na bohaterów.
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May 28, 2018Mulle väga meeldib lugeda perekondade lugusid. Nagu "Ogalinnud" ja "Hommikupool Eedenit" näiteks.
Ega iga perelugu, mis ulatub läbi põlvkondade, ei pruugi ju olla hea iseenesest, kuid norra sajanditagune lugu on seda küll.
Hea raamatu mõõdupuu on minu arust see, kas punnitad seda lugeda või ei suuda käest panna.
"Ja taamal laulavad metsad" on kindlasti selline, mis endasse haarab. Ei ole nii, et raske ja pime põhjamaa peab olema alati selline "Tõde ja õigus", kus kõik näib nii vaevaline. Selles saagas on elu, on traagikat, on armastust on lahkuminekut. Eelkõige on siin karaktereid ja äärmiselt oskuslik kirjapanemine.
Soovitan seda soojalt neile, kes tahavad raamatut füüsiliselt tunda. See lugu paneb mõtlema, tundub väga eriline, kuid on samas tavapärasest maast ja tavapärastest inimestest.
Mulle, muide, sattus kätte 1950. aastate väliseesti variant, trükitud vist Torontos. Imestasin, kuidas küll see kirjanduselu oli välismaal sellal aktiivne. Keegi on võtnud Kanada väliseesti kogukonda tõlkida raamatu kaugest Norrast.
Kuid on valinud hea raamatu ja soovitan teistelgi lugeda.
Ega iga perelugu, mis ulatub läbi põlvkondade, ei pruugi ju olla hea iseenesest, kuid norra sajanditagune lugu on seda küll.
Hea raamatu mõõdupuu on minu arust see, kas punnitad seda lugeda või ei suuda käest panna.
"Ja taamal laulavad metsad" on kindlasti selline, mis endasse haarab. Ei ole nii, et raske ja pime põhjamaa peab olema alati selline "Tõde ja õigus", kus kõik näib nii vaevaline. Selles saagas on elu, on traagikat, on armastust on lahkuminekut. Eelkõige on siin karaktereid ja äärmiselt oskuslik kirjapanemine.
Soovitan seda soojalt neile, kes tahavad raamatut füüsiliselt tunda. See lugu paneb mõtlema, tundub väga eriline, kuid on samas tavapärasest maast ja tavapärastest inimestest.
Mulle, muide, sattus kätte 1950. aastate väliseesti variant, trükitud vist Torontos. Imestasin, kuidas küll see kirjanduselu oli välismaal sellal aktiivne. Keegi on võtnud Kanada väliseesti kogukonda tõlkida raamatu kaugest Norrast.
Kuid on valinud hea raamatu ja soovitan teistelgi lugeda.
August 12, 2012
An enchanting return to the epic form of pre-modern Germanic narrative, especially for those who feel a kinship to the Northern archetype. Crafted with enough specificity of detail, yet enough vagueness of time and space, to ensure complete suspension of disbelief and transport the reader effortlessly into its world (which embeds a core of mystical imagination beneath a solid ground of realistic historicity.) One of the few favorites of my teen years that has held up to re-reading as an adult; in fact, it's gotten better.
December 8, 2008
The book might not look like it, might not sound like it, yet it's an amazing piece of literature and I couldn't help but be caught in the saga.
I could hardly tear myself away from it, the same applies for the second book.
I could hardly tear myself away from it, the same applies for the second book.
February 7, 2021
Seks stjerner.
January 15, 2021
V prvom rade musím povedať, že je to poriadne starosvetské písanie, ale s dosť bohatým dejom rámcováným divou prírodou, nám tak blízkou, opradenou bojami, s nekonečnými lesmi, vrchmi, prudkými riekami a množstvom flóry a fauny. Fanúšikovia "scandi" si prídu na svoje...
Všetko sa točí okolo starého rodu Björndalovcov približne koncom 18.stor a začiatkom 19.stor v Nórsku. Hlavný hrdina - starý Dag Björndal, je naozaj zaujímavá postavička, ktorá sa dejom transformuje aj napriek životným úderom. Nechýba tam láska, viera i povera, Boh i mocnosti pekiel, rodenie a aj umieranie. Občas som mala pocit, že čítam akýsi starý seriál, ktorý vysielala stv2 v sedemdesiatych rokoch 😅, sedíme a čumíme na to na gauči celá rodina. Je to ale dobrý román, treba naozaj prihliadať na to, kedy bol písaný (1933).
Nie je to tak úplne "my style", ale zaujíma ma čo sa bude diať ďalej a tak otváram aj druhý diel s názvom "Zo smrtnej hory fúka".
Všetko sa točí okolo starého rodu Björndalovcov približne koncom 18.stor a začiatkom 19.stor v Nórsku. Hlavný hrdina - starý Dag Björndal, je naozaj zaujímavá postavička, ktorá sa dejom transformuje aj napriek životným úderom. Nechýba tam láska, viera i povera, Boh i mocnosti pekiel, rodenie a aj umieranie. Občas som mala pocit, že čítam akýsi starý seriál, ktorý vysielala stv2 v sedemdesiatych rokoch 😅, sedíme a čumíme na to na gauči celá rodina. Je to ale dobrý román, treba naozaj prihliadať na to, kedy bol písaný (1933).
Nie je to tak úplne "my style", ale zaujíma ma čo sa bude diať ďalej a tak otváram aj druhý diel s názvom "Zo smrtnej hory fúka".
April 10, 2025
En eeuwig zingen de bossen is het eerste deel van een trilogie over het familieverhaal van grootgrondbezitter Dag Bjørndal, dat zich afspeelt in het prachtige, ruige Noorwegen.
Dag Bjørndal is een kille, maar rechtvaardige man, diep verbonden met de natuur en sterk gehecht aan tradities. Naast zijn persoonlijk verdriet worstelt hij met het feit dat men op hem neerkijkt als ‘slechts’ een bewoner van de noordelijke bossen. Zijn grootste tegenstander is Von Gall van Borkland.
Naarmate Dag ouder en welvarender wordt, groeit zijn innerlijke strijd. Hoe moet hij omgaan met zijn diepgewortelde wrok tegenover zijn rivaal? En belangrijker nog: is wraak werkelijk de beste oplossing, of blijft de onrust in zijn binnenste woeden? Zijn gesprekken met God geven een indringend inkijkje in zijn morele worsteling.
In dit prachtige, bijna honderd jaar oude verhaal zijn vele thema’s verweven — om er enkele te noemen: de strijd tussen traditie en vernieuwing, de kracht van de natuur, eer, familiebanden en de zoektocht naar verzoening.
Het boek is rijk beschrijvend geschreven: je voelt de ijzige kou op je huid, ziet de kleurrijke schakeringen van het Noorse landschap voor je en hoort de bossen bijna letterlijk zingen. Ook de personages zijn diepgaand uitgewerkt — tot in hun ziel worden hun worstelingen, verlangens en overtuigingen voelbaar gemaakt.
En dan tot slot: die prachtige, krachtige cover. Ik was er meteen door geraakt. Het schilderij Michael Ancher, 1886 van de Deense kunstenaar P.S. Krøyer, te zien in het Art Museum Skagen, sluit naadloos aan bij de sfeer van het verhaal. Krachtig, verstild en vol karakter — precies zoals Dag Bjørndal zelf: ondoorgrondelijk en stevig geworteld in zijn eigen wereld.
Nu ben ik ook ontzettend benieuwd naar de volgende delen: Winden waaien om de rotsen en De weg tot elkander. Maar eerst nog even nagenieten van dit prachtige boek.
Dag Bjørndal is een kille, maar rechtvaardige man, diep verbonden met de natuur en sterk gehecht aan tradities. Naast zijn persoonlijk verdriet worstelt hij met het feit dat men op hem neerkijkt als ‘slechts’ een bewoner van de noordelijke bossen. Zijn grootste tegenstander is Von Gall van Borkland.
Naarmate Dag ouder en welvarender wordt, groeit zijn innerlijke strijd. Hoe moet hij omgaan met zijn diepgewortelde wrok tegenover zijn rivaal? En belangrijker nog: is wraak werkelijk de beste oplossing, of blijft de onrust in zijn binnenste woeden? Zijn gesprekken met God geven een indringend inkijkje in zijn morele worsteling.
In dit prachtige, bijna honderd jaar oude verhaal zijn vele thema’s verweven — om er enkele te noemen: de strijd tussen traditie en vernieuwing, de kracht van de natuur, eer, familiebanden en de zoektocht naar verzoening.
Het boek is rijk beschrijvend geschreven: je voelt de ijzige kou op je huid, ziet de kleurrijke schakeringen van het Noorse landschap voor je en hoort de bossen bijna letterlijk zingen. Ook de personages zijn diepgaand uitgewerkt — tot in hun ziel worden hun worstelingen, verlangens en overtuigingen voelbaar gemaakt.
En dan tot slot: die prachtige, krachtige cover. Ik was er meteen door geraakt. Het schilderij Michael Ancher, 1886 van de Deense kunstenaar P.S. Krøyer, te zien in het Art Museum Skagen, sluit naadloos aan bij de sfeer van het verhaal. Krachtig, verstild en vol karakter — precies zoals Dag Bjørndal zelf: ondoorgrondelijk en stevig geworteld in zijn eigen wereld.
Nu ben ik ook ontzettend benieuwd naar de volgende delen: Winden waaien om de rotsen en De weg tot elkander. Maar eerst nog even nagenieten van dit prachtige boek.
March 31, 2017
Další ze skvělých titulov, ktorý sa mi dostal do rúk úplne náhodou. Táto kniha mi padla do oka v Levných knihách vďaka zaujímavej obálke, ktorá ma zaujala natoľko, že som chcela vediet, o čom je. A rodinná sága odohrávajúca sa v drsnom severskom prostredí znela veľmi lákavo. A bola to skvelá voľba. Mám rada knihy odohrávajúce sa v severskom prostredí a jeho drsnej prírode. Ide o rodinnú ságu, príbeh jednej rodiny, ktorá žije na severe, hlboko v lesoch a prežíva tak, ako to robilo niekoľko generácií pred nimi. Otcovia, synovia, ich deti, všetci pracujú na tom, aby zveľaďovali rodinný majetok, statok, lesy, zvieratá a snažia sa, ako najlepšie vedia, aby tým generáciám za nimi niečo zanechali. Niečo, na čom budú môcť stavať a na čo budú môcť byť hrdí. Ale v tomto drsnom prostredí nemôže prežiť ktokoľvek, ich povahy sú rovnako drsné ako príroda, s ktorej nástrahami musia každodenne bojovať. A nie sú to len nástrahy prírody, ktorým musia čeliť. Oveľa ťažšie sa bojuje s ľudskou zlobou, nenávisťou, závisťou a klebetami, ktoré sú tiež súčasťou života. I keď príbeh podľa mňa plynul pomaly a postupne, nikam sa neponáhľaľ a i tak sa toho udialo veľa. Mohli sme byť svedkami veľkých zmien, lásky, rodiny, ale i nešťastí a zločinov z vášne. Veľmi sa mi páčilo psychologické vykreslenie postáv, autor to odviedol neskutočne dobrú prácu. Ukázal nám ako sa ľudia správajú, ako reagujú, keď sú sami a ako so samotou a inými neduhmi života uprostred drsnej prírody bojujú. Tak isto nezabudol zobraziť zhubný vplyv peňazí a moci, ktorí sa nevyhýba ani ľuďom žijúcim na samote. Bolo to skvelé čítanie a ja sa už teším, ako sa ponorím do ďalšieho dielu. Ide totiž o trilógiu.
May 13, 2014
I vječno pjevaju šume je prvi deo norveške trilogije o porodici gorštaka Bjorndal.
Knjigu karakterišu slikoviti opisi šume i prelepe skandinavske prirode, suptilno isprepletani sa opisima ljudi koji tamo žive. Iako je glavni lik otac porodice Dag Bjorndal koga pratimo od njegove mladosti pa do početka starosti pisac stalno menja perspektivu pripovedanja, pa tako zadire u misli svih aktera. Susret raznih vaspitanja i načina života, uticaji jednih na druge, drevne svađe i krvne osvete sve ovo čini radnju knjige.
Iako knjiga sama po sebi nije remek delo (bar za moje kriterijume nije) veoma je lepa i bajkovita. Ne nalazim često knjige koje opisuju nekadašnji život Skandinavaca. Sa jedne strane ova knjiga pokazuje da su u mnogo čemu slični nama, naročito našim brdskim predelima jer klima i priroda uslovljava razvoj određenih karakternih crta kod ljudi. Sa druge strane, deluje potpuno nestvarno. Stvara sliku surovih planina okovanih zimom i netaknutih ljudskom rukom, iluziju jednog života čija tradicija seže vekovima unazad. Orgomne, mračne dvorane, krzna risa i medveda, lovački psi i orlovi, podrumi puni piva sve to stvara sliku nekog vikinškog plemena i samo još fali da se pojavi Grendel pa da bajka bude potpuna :).
Knjigu karakterišu slikoviti opisi šume i prelepe skandinavske prirode, suptilno isprepletani sa opisima ljudi koji tamo žive. Iako je glavni lik otac porodice Dag Bjorndal koga pratimo od njegove mladosti pa do početka starosti pisac stalno menja perspektivu pripovedanja, pa tako zadire u misli svih aktera. Susret raznih vaspitanja i načina života, uticaji jednih na druge, drevne svađe i krvne osvete sve ovo čini radnju knjige.
Iako knjiga sama po sebi nije remek delo (bar za moje kriterijume nije) veoma je lepa i bajkovita. Ne nalazim često knjige koje opisuju nekadašnji život Skandinavaca. Sa jedne strane ova knjiga pokazuje da su u mnogo čemu slični nama, naročito našim brdskim predelima jer klima i priroda uslovljava razvoj određenih karakternih crta kod ljudi. Sa druge strane, deluje potpuno nestvarno. Stvara sliku surovih planina okovanih zimom i netaknutih ljudskom rukom, iluziju jednog života čija tradicija seže vekovima unazad. Orgomne, mračne dvorane, krzna risa i medveda, lovački psi i orlovi, podrumi puni piva sve to stvara sliku nekog vikinškog plemena i samo još fali da se pojavi Grendel pa da bajka bude potpuna :).
December 1, 2020
This is a re-read after some 60 years or so. It took me a long time to find it, as it run out of stock a long time ago; unfortunately the books still available are in the US and to get them over here to Australia is quite hard. Anyway, I got hold of this edition on the web. Few spelling mistakes and a few typos, but otherwise OK.
This book had an immense impact on me in my teenage years, I knew that much, but I didn't remember the details and so I wanted to check it out.
What surprise again. This book is soo beautiful, the story so interesting, the characters larger than life - I had to force myself to quit reading at the end of the day and couldn't wait to go back to it the next day.
P.S.
This was written long time ago, in a time where POV was not a rule and so you could even read about the feeling of a bear. How refreshing it was!!!
This book had an immense impact on me in my teenage years, I knew that much, but I didn't remember the details and so I wanted to check it out.
What surprise again. This book is soo beautiful, the story so interesting, the characters larger than life - I had to force myself to quit reading at the end of the day and couldn't wait to go back to it the next day.
P.S.
This was written long time ago, in a time where POV was not a rule and so you could even read about the feeling of a bear. How refreshing it was!!!
December 16, 2022
Dag Björndal was and is one of my biggest literary crushes, strong, silent and beautiful like all his family, rooted high up in Norway's mountains and forests. I'm not sure about the time the story is set in, my guess would be mid- to late 1700s.
And it's not just about romance. It's about strong men and women, honour, responsibility and compassion.
I love this book. I've read it numerous times and never tire of it.
--- Re-read it in December 2022, review unchanged. :)
And it's not just about romance. It's about strong men and women, honour, responsibility and compassion.
I love this book. I've read it numerous times and never tire of it.
--- Re-read it in December 2022, review unchanged. :)
May 22, 2017
Tohle bylo tak milé. Sever zase trochu jinak. Není to knížka plná akce, spíš tak plyne a ukazuje nám osud především jednoho rodu, boj s přírodou, sňatky, touha po moci, po penězích, ... Já si to moc užila a určitě si dočtu i další díly.
April 9, 2017
Drsny zivot v severskych lesoch opisany krasnym poetickym sposob...proste nadherne.Clovek ostane este dlho po precitani v uzase sediet a rozjimat.
July 27, 2020
Passe underholdende slektskrønike. Vekslet mellom det kjedsommelige og det rørende. Stort skjer ikke, annet enn at år etter år går og slektene kommer og går.
August 11, 2023
chyba nigdy nie czytałam nic, co napełniłoby mnie spokojem w takim stopniu
September 18, 2024
The first out of three novels that chronicle Dag Bjørndal’s life; one of the last contributions to the Norwegian romantic-nationalistic literary movement.
Titles differ in how important they are to the book they front. Some of the worst titles seem to be purely arbitrary, some of the better ones do their books justice, and some of the best add something important to the contents. Og bakom synger skogene is one of the few that rise above even these, having a title which radically alters the story and single-handedly portrays one of the most essential components of a national identity, more specifically the Norwegian one. The title reads: And Behind Sing the Forests – a sentence which is applicable to any page in the book, any point in the story, because whatever happens the forests are always singing in the background. Nature is essential to the soul of the Norwegian people; mountain, sea, and forest hold a dominant place in their culture, the sheer intensity of nature being experienced as something comparable to the deeply religious. Even the biggest city in the country has dedicated an area several times the city itself to the yearning of its population for the feeling of purity – the Norwegian perception of nature is one of purity, and thus being in nature is felt as a purification; air, for example, is considered to be clean when it is connected to nature, and it is seen as counteracting the negative effects of urban air – and this wilderness draws people to itself like the churches could only pray for in their most reverent fevers. Even if no individual ever prescribes to each and every doctrine of a culture, this relationship with nature is one of the most prevalent ones in Norway, and it is definitely one of the most celebrated. It is not at all far fetched to state that in Norway there is always a song in the background, drifting in from the great expanses beyond urbanity, whose uniterable lyrics speak of a benevolent breath greater than mankind.
Sadly the English title was slightly mangled in translation, loosing the important ‘and’ at the beginning, leaving it only as Beyond Sing the Woods. This is something the English reader would do well to note since the missing ‘and’ removes the idea that this is a clause which could be added to the end of any other sentence in the book, and since it is as a clause that the title is able to completely change the novel, then this is a notable deficiency indeed.
But absolute and powerful as nature is, it sometimes comes across as merciless: A bear mauls Torgeir Bjørndal sometime around 1760. That is how we are introduced to his son, Dag Bjørndal, whose life is the entirety of the trilogy. In the wake of their father’s death, Dag and his brother, Tore, did what every son was meant to do; they picked up the hoe, the pitchfork, the axe, and the musket, and they worked the family farm the way it had been done by him and his forefathers before him. Old Bjørndal the farm was called at the time, home to a lineage of towering humans, both of size and character, whose blood, it was presumed, remembers forbearers from a distant past who then were chieftains and leaders; they may not be the offspring of gods, but their efforts do often seem Herculean to everyone else. As for Torgeir, it is true that the kind bear put his granite paw to him and so wounded him beyond saving, but before he placed his own body near a cliff in an old forest and left it there, he turned the grizzled cadaver onto its other side to satisfy himself that he had indeed, by axe alone, slain the right one. Indeed, to be a Bjørndal is to be an epicentre of legendry.
Yet, this does not imply that a Bjørndal’s life is beyond hardship or weakness. Famine, disease, and death care little for greatness; even in their blood there are flaws, amassed through the generations of survivors who had mastered the harsh land they inhabited.
They had it in their blood that they could fight for life and owned, against wild weather and wild animals and humans. Thus had they fought for many a man’s age – and from that they had learned.
With quick eyes they caught sight of all danger, the decision demanded no time – action came like lightning strikes. (p. 32; reviewer’s own translation¹)
Though this predisposition is part of the strength of a Bjørndal, it is also a brutal one which can often be as unforgiving as nature itself is – it is, in fact, a way of being that imitates the natural world, for better or worse. Among what was handed down to Dag Bjørndal and which was to dominate large parts of his life, was the flaw of vengeance-lust.
The revenge had deep roots in the Bjørndal people, and Tore was a true son of his people. It was great to him that Dag this evening had solved the ancient hatred his family held against the inhabitants of the big village – for all the contempt and the mocking words through all of time. Dag had avenged his people, so it sunk in health and life of those out there. Tore smiled when he left. With Dag it was different. He was just as hard in vengeance as his brother, but he thought further than Tore in all things, and there had come such manyfold thoughts in him this night. (p. 35; reviewer’s own translation)
Yes, with Dag it was different and vengeance would take a different turn with him at its helm. Violence rarely amounts to more than a temporary lesson, while wealth and its accompanying power could enforce the lesson over time; perhaps the envy of the big villagers would not abate in its face, but debt is best carried by wary steps lest the creditor enforces his leverage, and wary mouths would take care to voice no insult. Dag would silence the mockery of his family and he wanted to do so with finality. In time the people would come to call his family farm Great Bjørndal, reeking of rococo and opulence, a place before which one felt small and vulnerable. Thus succeeded Dag in his vengeance, but thus he also embittered his own existence. The changes he underwent as part of increasing his power are ones that will become foul presences in not just his life, but also those of his family and anyone else that are beholden to him in any way.
Doing what is right can sometimes be a challenging task, often for no other reason than how difficult it can be to discern what is just and proper from what merely seems to be. Being fatherless in formative years cost Dag something essential, what guidance might have been handed down from those before him was now arrested, and from this came the limitations which coloured his morality, but if he is able to reconstruct his values and find a better path, then he at least will be able to hand some kind of wisdom down to his descendants. And Behind Sing the Forests is the volume covering Dag’s fall from humanity, and the two following ones cover his arduous ascent, up and out of the well of sorrows he has dug for himself. He has much to ponder and much to discover before he has repaired himself – and beyond sing the forests, eternal and vast, its leaves flourishing their innate acumen, sung to those who would but hear it.
1. This review is based on the Norwegian edition from 1973,² published by Den norske bokklubben (ISBN: 82-525-0157-5), and so all citations refer to it. The English version is not available to me, nor is it easy to get hold of since it hasn’t been reprinted since the 1930’s – the copies that are available second hand fetch prices fit for antiques – and so I have to rely on my own translations. Also, since the inadequate translation of the title suggests the translator did not completely understand the nuances of the text, but rather decided to simplify it, there is all the reason not to trust the rest of the text to have fared any better.
2. While on the notion of this edition, this reviewer would also like to opinion as follows: The artwork does in no way flatter nor properly represent the contents. Splotches outlined as horses, coloured in different shades of sorrowful blue seems appropriate for a funeral or a depression in urgent need of treatment, but not for a life-giving force nor a family which never succumbs no matter which hardships they face; even if one was to ignore the story in itself the artwork is still a misattribution, because these books are national-romantic works – a genre intent on inspiring the belief in a bright future for the nation in question – and the morosity that clothes this edition is in no way compatible with this. In short, if this edition were to cross your path, look to the contents to see whether this is of interest to you and ignore the cover.
Titles differ in how important they are to the book they front. Some of the worst titles seem to be purely arbitrary, some of the better ones do their books justice, and some of the best add something important to the contents. Og bakom synger skogene is one of the few that rise above even these, having a title which radically alters the story and single-handedly portrays one of the most essential components of a national identity, more specifically the Norwegian one. The title reads: And Behind Sing the Forests – a sentence which is applicable to any page in the book, any point in the story, because whatever happens the forests are always singing in the background. Nature is essential to the soul of the Norwegian people; mountain, sea, and forest hold a dominant place in their culture, the sheer intensity of nature being experienced as something comparable to the deeply religious. Even the biggest city in the country has dedicated an area several times the city itself to the yearning of its population for the feeling of purity – the Norwegian perception of nature is one of purity, and thus being in nature is felt as a purification; air, for example, is considered to be clean when it is connected to nature, and it is seen as counteracting the negative effects of urban air – and this wilderness draws people to itself like the churches could only pray for in their most reverent fevers. Even if no individual ever prescribes to each and every doctrine of a culture, this relationship with nature is one of the most prevalent ones in Norway, and it is definitely one of the most celebrated. It is not at all far fetched to state that in Norway there is always a song in the background, drifting in from the great expanses beyond urbanity, whose uniterable lyrics speak of a benevolent breath greater than mankind.
Sadly the English title was slightly mangled in translation, loosing the important ‘and’ at the beginning, leaving it only as Beyond Sing the Woods. This is something the English reader would do well to note since the missing ‘and’ removes the idea that this is a clause which could be added to the end of any other sentence in the book, and since it is as a clause that the title is able to completely change the novel, then this is a notable deficiency indeed.
But absolute and powerful as nature is, it sometimes comes across as merciless: A bear mauls Torgeir Bjørndal sometime around 1760. That is how we are introduced to his son, Dag Bjørndal, whose life is the entirety of the trilogy. In the wake of their father’s death, Dag and his brother, Tore, did what every son was meant to do; they picked up the hoe, the pitchfork, the axe, and the musket, and they worked the family farm the way it had been done by him and his forefathers before him. Old Bjørndal the farm was called at the time, home to a lineage of towering humans, both of size and character, whose blood, it was presumed, remembers forbearers from a distant past who then were chieftains and leaders; they may not be the offspring of gods, but their efforts do often seem Herculean to everyone else. As for Torgeir, it is true that the kind bear put his granite paw to him and so wounded him beyond saving, but before he placed his own body near a cliff in an old forest and left it there, he turned the grizzled cadaver onto its other side to satisfy himself that he had indeed, by axe alone, slain the right one. Indeed, to be a Bjørndal is to be an epicentre of legendry.
Yet, this does not imply that a Bjørndal’s life is beyond hardship or weakness. Famine, disease, and death care little for greatness; even in their blood there are flaws, amassed through the generations of survivors who had mastered the harsh land they inhabited.
They had it in their blood that they could fight for life and owned, against wild weather and wild animals and humans. Thus had they fought for many a man’s age – and from that they had learned.
With quick eyes they caught sight of all danger, the decision demanded no time – action came like lightning strikes. (p. 32; reviewer’s own translation¹)
Though this predisposition is part of the strength of a Bjørndal, it is also a brutal one which can often be as unforgiving as nature itself is – it is, in fact, a way of being that imitates the natural world, for better or worse. Among what was handed down to Dag Bjørndal and which was to dominate large parts of his life, was the flaw of vengeance-lust.
The revenge had deep roots in the Bjørndal people, and Tore was a true son of his people. It was great to him that Dag this evening had solved the ancient hatred his family held against the inhabitants of the big village – for all the contempt and the mocking words through all of time. Dag had avenged his people, so it sunk in health and life of those out there. Tore smiled when he left. With Dag it was different. He was just as hard in vengeance as his brother, but he thought further than Tore in all things, and there had come such manyfold thoughts in him this night. (p. 35; reviewer’s own translation)
Yes, with Dag it was different and vengeance would take a different turn with him at its helm. Violence rarely amounts to more than a temporary lesson, while wealth and its accompanying power could enforce the lesson over time; perhaps the envy of the big villagers would not abate in its face, but debt is best carried by wary steps lest the creditor enforces his leverage, and wary mouths would take care to voice no insult. Dag would silence the mockery of his family and he wanted to do so with finality. In time the people would come to call his family farm Great Bjørndal, reeking of rococo and opulence, a place before which one felt small and vulnerable. Thus succeeded Dag in his vengeance, but thus he also embittered his own existence. The changes he underwent as part of increasing his power are ones that will become foul presences in not just his life, but also those of his family and anyone else that are beholden to him in any way.
Doing what is right can sometimes be a challenging task, often for no other reason than how difficult it can be to discern what is just and proper from what merely seems to be. Being fatherless in formative years cost Dag something essential, what guidance might have been handed down from those before him was now arrested, and from this came the limitations which coloured his morality, but if he is able to reconstruct his values and find a better path, then he at least will be able to hand some kind of wisdom down to his descendants. And Behind Sing the Forests is the volume covering Dag’s fall from humanity, and the two following ones cover his arduous ascent, up and out of the well of sorrows he has dug for himself. He has much to ponder and much to discover before he has repaired himself – and beyond sing the forests, eternal and vast, its leaves flourishing their innate acumen, sung to those who would but hear it.
1. This review is based on the Norwegian edition from 1973,² published by Den norske bokklubben (ISBN: 82-525-0157-5), and so all citations refer to it. The English version is not available to me, nor is it easy to get hold of since it hasn’t been reprinted since the 1930’s – the copies that are available second hand fetch prices fit for antiques – and so I have to rely on my own translations. Also, since the inadequate translation of the title suggests the translator did not completely understand the nuances of the text, but rather decided to simplify it, there is all the reason not to trust the rest of the text to have fared any better.
2. While on the notion of this edition, this reviewer would also like to opinion as follows: The artwork does in no way flatter nor properly represent the contents. Splotches outlined as horses, coloured in different shades of sorrowful blue seems appropriate for a funeral or a depression in urgent need of treatment, but not for a life-giving force nor a family which never succumbs no matter which hardships they face; even if one was to ignore the story in itself the artwork is still a misattribution, because these books are national-romantic works – a genre intent on inspiring the belief in a bright future for the nation in question – and the morosity that clothes this edition is in no way compatible with this. In short, if this edition were to cross your path, look to the contents to see whether this is of interest to you and ignore the cover.
June 20, 2023
Vaikka kyseessä on noin 90 vuotta sitten suomennettu, jo omana aikanaankin historiallinen teos, on kieli yllättävän modernia. Lauri Hirvensalon suomennos toimii, ja muutamia vanhahtavia sanontatapoja lukuunottamatta kieli on suhteellisen helppolukuista ja selkeää nykylukijallekin.
Romaanin kerronta on hieman polveilevaa, vaikka tarina kronologisesti kulkeekin; välillä rymistellään tapahtumien läpi pysähtymättä, välillä seisahdutaan pitkäksi aikaa jonkin hetken tai tunnetilan kuvaukseen. Näkökulmat vaihtuvat joskus aika yllättäenkin, jopa kesken luvun - ja näkökulmia on muitakin, kuin vain kahden keskushahmon. Tämä vaatii välillä vähän orientoitumista, mutta luo toisaalta tarinasta kokonaisemman. Bjørndalin elämän kuvaus olisi jäänyt paljon yksipuolisemmaksi, jos sitä ei olisi tarkasteltu usealta kantilta, läheltä ja kaukaa, viereltä ja vastapuolelta. Fokuksessa ovat, kirjan nimen luontoaiheesta huolimatta, ihmiset tuntoineen (vaikka nämä jäävätkin silti todella etäisiksi) - Norjan jylhä metsäluonto luo tälle kaikelle (pelkästään) komeat raamit.
Lisää blogissa: https://kirjailujakirjablogi.blogspot...
Romaanin kerronta on hieman polveilevaa, vaikka tarina kronologisesti kulkeekin; välillä rymistellään tapahtumien läpi pysähtymättä, välillä seisahdutaan pitkäksi aikaa jonkin hetken tai tunnetilan kuvaukseen. Näkökulmat vaihtuvat joskus aika yllättäenkin, jopa kesken luvun - ja näkökulmia on muitakin, kuin vain kahden keskushahmon. Tämä vaatii välillä vähän orientoitumista, mutta luo toisaalta tarinasta kokonaisemman. Bjørndalin elämän kuvaus olisi jäänyt paljon yksipuolisemmaksi, jos sitä ei olisi tarkasteltu usealta kantilta, läheltä ja kaukaa, viereltä ja vastapuolelta. Fokuksessa ovat, kirjan nimen luontoaiheesta huolimatta, ihmiset tuntoineen (vaikka nämä jäävätkin silti todella etäisiksi) - Norjan jylhä metsäluonto luo tälle kaikelle (pelkästään) komeat raamit.
Lisää blogissa: https://kirjailujakirjablogi.blogspot...
January 12, 2021
I like during the month of January to read authors I have never read before. In the process, I make some interesting discoveries. Trygve Gulbranssen is one of them, with his historical family novel Beyond Sing the Woods.
The story tells of three generations of Bjorndals, beginning around 1750 and ending sometime after the French Revolution. They are named after their home farm of Bjorndal in the north woods of Norway. It begins with old Thorgeir, the bear hunter, and continues with two generations of sons named Dag.
Gulbranssen's novel reads almost like an Icelandic saga and also reminded me of the work of Sigrid Undset. Beyond Sing the Woods is a good read, and its author deserves to be better known. There is not a trace of postmodernism here: His telling of the tale is limpid throughout.
The story tells of three generations of Bjorndals, beginning around 1750 and ending sometime after the French Revolution. They are named after their home farm of Bjorndal in the north woods of Norway. It begins with old Thorgeir, the bear hunter, and continues with two generations of sons named Dag.
Gulbranssen's novel reads almost like an Icelandic saga and also reminded me of the work of Sigrid Undset. Beyond Sing the Woods is a good read, and its author deserves to be better known. There is not a trace of postmodernism here: His telling of the tale is limpid throughout.
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