De Gales Hus

by Karin Fossum

Hajna is a very young and miserable woman. She runs through a window, wishing to kill herself but she fails and survives. After the incident she is forced to stay at a place/house called Varden, a home for people who for some reason doesn't feel like they belong to the society.

Genres: Fiction, Mental Health, Scandinavian Literature, Crime, Mental Illness, Mystery, Novels

371 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Karin Fossum (née Mathisen) is a Norwegian author of crime fiction,often known there as the "Norwegian queen of crime". She lives in Oslo. Fossum was initially a poet, with her first collection published in 1974 when she was just 20. It won the Tarjei Vesaas' Debutant Prize. She is the author of the internationally successful Inspector Konrad Sejer series of crime novels, which have been translated into over 16 languages. She won the Glass key award for her novel "Don't Look Back", which also won the Riverton Prize, and she was shortlisted for the Crime Writers' Association Gold Dagger in 2005 for "Calling Out For You".

Series:
* Inspector Konrad Sejer
* Eddie Feber

Reviews

[Kristine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful and accurate rendition of how staying at a Psych ward in Norway is. I recently watched the movie, which can't even measure up to the written work. Hajnas description of the characters don't seem unreal, but like the kind of people you would meet at a psych ward. I laughed so much reading this book, we have Disco who wants everyone to dance, Tussi (Eeyore) who believes he's contaminated from outer space, Odin which is a millionaire with a wife, a Psychology degree and used to work as a psychiatrist himself, The Storm Centre which is a lesbian with Bipolar, and they all seem so real, the thief who brings Hajna her morning coffee, but expects something in return. And let's not forget about the morphine addicted "Moffa" who roams the streets of Oslo only to be put in the ward again, only to see the woman he loves. And Erkki, who is somehow psychic.

And then there is the staff. The cook, the gardener and most important of all, Stetson who wears a cowboy hat and tries so hard to reach through to Hajna. Karin Fossum is a brilliant writer of mystery novels, and certainly puts this at play in this novel. "Staffen", or the staff is hard working and nice, but there are certain mysteries there that surprised me. I was very unsure of reading this book, but as I am working through my personal library, I chose this, and my stars, it was beautiful.


In the movie Hajna is called Aina, and certain things are cut out, but it's a good movie. But the book is a much better read, to be honest.

[Anna Björklund · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mycket intressanta karaktärer som man får lära känna på djupet. Hur "galningarna" hjälper varandra till att överkomma hinder och rädslor och återvända till det vanliga livet (eller inte) på sina villkor.

[Giulia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jeg har sterke følelser knyttet til temaene denne boken dekker, og var derfor positivt innstilt før jeg begynte. Historien var interessant og vakkert utført. Finner det oppriktig imponerende at dette ikke er en biografi. Det er noen små ting som gjør at det taper seg litt innimellom, men alt i alt bringer Fossum så mange flotte og fascinerende mennesker til liv i sin fortelling, og beskriver ufattelig godt mange sider av psykiatrien både som pasient og behandler.
Boken er også forøvrig langt bedre enn filmen.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Denne var ganske så fantastisk!

[Kine Albrigtsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jeg like denne godt. Jeg glemte forfatteren og levde meg inn i historien. Jeg fikk en relasjon til karakterene og håpet at deres liv skulle gå videre på en litt enklere måte. Denne likte jeg, og endelig har jeg fått lest den! Har nå lyst til å lese boka også.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Det här var en konstig bok. Eller kanske snarare en konstig läsupplevelse. För mig. Började lyssna på ”De galnas hus” av Karin Fossum på en rekommendation och hennes ”Den älskar jag!” ringde stadigt i mina öron medan jag började lyssna, och hade svårt att se storheten. Att förstå mig på berättelsen om Hajna som psykotisk vandrar på Oslos (?) gator och sedan hamnar på ett mentalsjukhus och där möter både andra patienter och förstås också en rad olika vårdgivare.

Men, trots att jag inte fastnade för varken Hajna eller själva berättelsen i början, så fanns där något som gjorde det svårt att ta beslutet att stänga av, lägga bort, byta bok. Lite som när man har en skål med halvgoda godisar framför sig. Godissugen som man är, äter man några ändå. Tar en till. Och en till... Och en till... Minut efter minut, timme efter timme förflöt och plötsligt insåg jag att jag börjat gilla godiset - jag menar Hajna! Och hennes medpatienter. Hur hon betraktar sin omgivning, analyserar och väljer förhållningssätt till. Hur de andra karaktärerna skildras och hur deras gemensamma reflektioner ibland utmanar invanda tankesätt.

Mycket välskrivet - tidvis dock lite märkligt översatt (på svenska heter det faktiskt inte ”På fastande hjärta” t ex) men väldigt läsvärt. Inget yvigt eller hastigt utan rätt lågmält och långsamt. För dig som gillar att läsa om relationer och smått verklighetsfrånvända
dialoger och hur dessa utvecklas över tid, rekommenderar jag denna bok.

Jag lägger (först) nu bort den. Utläst/lyssnad. Men, jag har en känsla av att den kommer att dröja sig kvar...

[Helena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jostain syystä Fossumin nimi yhdistyy mielessäni dekkareihin ja olin tosi yllättynyt, että tämä olikin jotain ihan muuta. Kirjan kuvaama ympäristö on aiemmilta työvuosilta kovinkin tuttu, joten siltä osin tämä ei paljon uutta antanut. Hyvin realistisen oloinen kuvaus mielisairaalayhteisöstä joka tapauksessa, lukukokemuksena vähän tumma ja raskaskin.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Literally fucked up my brain - but I love it to pieces. The best book I've read by Karin Fossum.

[Vilde · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lest igjen, for jeg vet ikke hvor mange ganger.

[Merja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hullujenhuone. En oikein tiedä mitä siitä sanoisi. En kutsuisi sitä loistavaksi, koska sitä se ei oikeastaan ollut ja sai siksi 4 tähteä. Mutta se oli loistavasta yksi askel alemmas, mikä ikinä siinä tuleekaan.
Voi kuulostaa vähän tyhmältä kutsua kirjaa kotoisaksi, mutta sitä se mielestäni oli. Se oli jotenkin hidas, mutta silti, tapahtumarikas.

I don't know if this book has been translated to English so, I will not review it in English. Sorry, my English friends.

[Psam Ferdinand · Rating 2 out of 5]

Plukket den ut fra bokhylla til mor når jeg var omtrent seksten år gammel, som ellers var fullsatt av norsk og oversatt krim og spenning fra gulv til tak i flere, hvite seksjoner i stua. Boken var lettlest og jeg var fascinert av psykologi, menneskers mentalitet og lukkede klinikker (som jeg senere fant mer av i bl.a. Bram Stoker) og leste raskt gjennom den, men tviler på at jeg hadde likt den i dag. - - - - Ferdinand.

[Annika Vesteri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ihan mielenkiintoinen kuvaus 1970-luvun norjalaisesta mielisairaalasta. Sen potilaista. Sen henkilökunnasta. Sen tunnelmasta. Ja ruoasta. Olisin kovasti tahtonut tykätä kirjasta enemmänkin, mutta kolmen tähden arvoiseksi sen laitoin, kirja oli ajoittain hieman turhan hidastempoinen ja tapahtumaköyhä makuuni.

[Lydia Sjöblom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ger den 3,5 stjärnor. Tog lite väl länge att läsa boken, är i en period då jag har svårt att läsa böcker. Intressant bok, gillar hur vissa av karaktärerna är beskrivna. Vissa delar av boken fick mig att skratta. Ibland var den lite underlig. Rekommenderar boken.

[¤ eng ¤ · Rating 2 out of 5]

dnf 50%

[Christiane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Psychologische roman. Speciaal. Knap geschreven. Verrassend.

[Kristin]

Jeg husker ikke denne godt nok til å evaluere den, men jeg tror jeg likte den.

[Juliemoha · Rating 4 out of 5]

soamazinggg, cried a little

[Tinyhats · Rating 3 out of 5]

Noe meningsløs, men skrevet på en interessant måte.

[Tine Wambacq · Rating 4 out of 5]

Niet de typische schrijfstijl en type verhaal van Karin Fossum. Als je het leest, heb je het gevoel dat je ook thuishoort in het gekkenhuis. Bizar. Goed geschreven. Mooi verhaal.

[Ina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hajna is a very young and miserable woman. She runs through a window, wishing to kill herself but she fails and survives. After the incident she is forced to stay at a place/house called Varden, a home for people who for some reason doesn't feel like they belong to the society. They are outsiders who isn't sure how to handle the life or what they want with life. In the meantime they're staying at Varden to figure things out.

After trying to take her life by running through the window and after surviving, Hajna tries to slowly kill herself by starving. Several days before coming to Varden she hadn't eaten anything and she doesn't eat at that place either. She wants to die slowly. At least that's what she thinks. What surprises her is that she is happy to stay there. She likes the people around her, at least most of them. They mean a lot to each other and they try to support each other as much as they are able to.

Karin Fossum is most known for her crime novel but this is a novel but still she impress me the way she describes people - inside and the outside. I get to know her characters very well 'cause she makes them so visual.

De gales hus has been standing unread on my shelf for too long. Don't ask me why. But better late then never, right? It's a warm and fun (it's a bit wrong to call this book fun, if you know what I mean but at many parts it made me smile. And even though I finished reading it days ago I still think about it now and then. It's a nice book to think about. Especially if you think life is hard you must remember that there's always someone who has it worse then you and you realize that your own life maybe is not that bad at all... This is a book to fall in love with in a strange way.

If I would get the job to translate the title in English I would call it House of fools, The Crazy House or something like that. You probably get the point...

[Ina · Rating 5 out of 5]

How is life at a psychiatric ward? Follow Hajna into this world - always suffering from depression she decides one day that there is no sense in living her life anymore. She wants a safe place for the rest of her days and therefor jumps through a shop window which brings her to Varden, 'Europes most modern psychiatry'. Apart from the pills life inside is like outside: Different people with different problems, regular meetings - with the others and the therapist. Food is one of the most important things but Hajna decided to die and stops eating, hoping no one discovering it. The staff is undermanned but her person in support reveals her secret. She wants to stay where she is, so she has to eat and cope with the others. Some friendships develope and life goes on also with bad things happening ...

[June Nathalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jeg elsker alle karakterene i denne boken, jeg savner dem, tross hvor mange ganger jeg har lest den.
Den er forfriskende annerledes.

[DeWereldvanKaat · Rating 4 out of 5]

En ja hoor, 's avonds kon ik niet wachten om naar de slaapkamer te gaan om daar nog minimaal een half uur te lezen in Het Huis der Dwazen. Ook al is Fossum gekend om haar thrillers, in dit boek schetst ze het verhaal van Hajna die opgenomen is in een psychiatrische instelling. Het is verbijsterend hoe Fossum in het hoofd van Hajna kan kruipen zonder zwaarmoedig te zijn of ook maar pogingen te doen om de beweegredenen of de wereld van de psychiatrie te begrijpen. Ik vond het een boek met bijzonder veel psychologisch inzicht en respect voor wie mensen zijn. Echt een aanrader !

[Ronkeli · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hidastempoinen kirja jossa syödään tai ainakin vatvotaan ruokaa koko ajan. Pitkät unihourejaksot hypin yli, koska ne eivät tuntuneet vievän tarinaa eteenpäin. Kärsivällisempi lukija löytää niistä varmasti jotain arvokasta. Pidin siitä, että Fossum kuvaa mielisairaalan asukkeja ja henkilökuntaa samalla tavalla hyväksyen: kummankaan todellisuutta ei kyseenalaisteta. Kuitenkin lukukokemuksesta jäi vähän huono maku suuhun. Ahdistavaa ja toivotonta.

[Filip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Det er sårbarheten som tar meg når jeg leser denne boken igjen etter mange år. Hvordan mennesket lurer seg inn i sin egne virkelighet og betraktningen av disse skjebnene og spørsmålene om hvordan kom de seg til dette stadiet i livet?
Og at ingen er ufeilbarlige, verken leger, pleiere, støttekontakter eller pasientene på Varden.

[Pulla]

There didn't happen that much, but I did enjoy reading it. All of the characters were interesting and deep, they kept the story alive. Espesially the main character was close to my heart and I saw a lot of myself and my habits in her.

[Changkuoth · Rating 1 out of 5]

Do not waste your time reading this sorry excuse of a book!!!!!! You should rather go and wash the dishes, or even worse, eat dog poop. It would be much more rewarding. Just saying!

[Pia Keskitalo]

Kuvaus psykiatrisesta hoitolaitoksesta potilaan kannalta, samalla kuvaus depressiivisen potilaan sielunmaisemasta. Täytyy sanoa että aika poikkeuksellinen lukukokemus... ;o (suom. Hullujenhuone)

[Elise Fredrikke · Rating 3 out of 5]

3, 5

[K Larsson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVE this book!!