Jens Bjorneboe: Prophet Without Honor

by Janet Garton

Chapters:

Preface
Chronology
1. Bjornboe's Life and Career
2. Essays and Polemics
3. Poetry
4. Early Novels
5. Artist Novels
6. The Assault on the Establishment
7. Plays
8. The Trilogy
9. The Sharks
10. Conclusion
Notes and References
Selective Biblography
Index

First paragraph:

"Throughout his turbulent career, Jens Bjorneboe (1920-1976) functioned as Norway's conscience. No bureaucratic institution, fossilized convention, or authoritatian arrogance was safe from his scathing attacks; he tolerated neither fools nor villans, and impatiently shrugged off counsels of caution and compromise. Like all consciences, he was not easy to live with. He was for a long time a source of profound embarrassment to the Norwegian establishment, which tried first to ignore him and then to silence him, but failed conspicuously to do either until he himself chose silence when he had reached an inner exhaustion that left him with no reserves."

162 pages, Hardcover

First published August 19, 1985

Reviews

[M. Sarki]

A wonderfully written and important study of the life and work of Jens Bjorneboe. Janet Garton is a very good writer who undoubtedly worked quite hard at producing the truth about a significant writer only now beginning to garner the attention and respect he deserves.

[Jonathan]

Essential for any and all Jens fans. Read the Trilogy, then read this. Then convince any translators you know to get on with translating the rest of his books.