Bergeners by Tomas Espedal
Translated by James Anderson
I’ve been aware of the publishers Seagull Books for some time now; not least because they sent me a copy of their beautiful catalogue, which is a work of art in its own right, but also because of the love shown by a number of esteemed bloggers I follow (most notably Joe at Rough Ghosts, who even spent quite some time interacting with them on a trip to India – check out his fascinating posts on his blog!) Despite wanting to, I’d somehow never actually picked up a copy of any of their books (possibly because the choice is so great I didn’t know where to begin); but Bergeners received so much blogging acclaim that I figured it would be a good place to start and picked up a copy! 🙂
Tomas Espedal is a Norwegian author new to me. and “Bergeners” was originally published in 2013; the Seagull edition, translated by James Anderson, came out last year. It’s a lovely edition, beautifully put together and with a stylish dustjacket; if this is an indication of the quality of Seagull books I can see myself acquiring more… And I see that several of Espedal’s book are available from the publisher – oh, the temptation!
“Bergeners” is one of those book which defies classification; notionally tagged as being about the people of Bergen, “a love letter to a writer’s home town” as the blurb puts it, it’s really much more. After a vivid opening memory, the book switches to New York, with the narrator experiencing the huge strangeness of that city, before being dumped by his girlfriend. And actually, to attempt any linear description of the book’s content after that would be pointless, as the narrative is a fragmentary and heady mixture of memoir, fiction, poetry and meditations on life. Espedal stirs in reminiscence of his young life, his difficulties at home, growing up, hints of a failed marriage and encounters with other Norwegian figures in the arts world (most notably one “Karl Ove” – I wonder who that could be…) He was can also be drily funny at times!
Simen Hagerup pays a visit. His hairstyle seems to indicate that he wants short hair and long hair at the same time.
The book ranges widely in location, from New York to Madrid, Albania, Nicaragua, Paris, Berlin and of course Norway. There are fragments and poems; diary entries; short stories; and sections which read like memoir and meditation. Running through the book is a thread of loss, ageing and melancholy, alongside a constant sense of absence. There is a past wife; a lost girlfriend; parents who are dead or in care; friends who drift apart; and, perhaps most painfully; a grown up daughter who moves away to live her own life.

By Bjørn Erik Pedersen [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)%5D, from Wikimedia Commons
From the window of the room at Hotel S. Anselmo, on the second floor, you can see right into a lime tree. It’s as if you’re sitting behind the curtain to expose the tree’s secret. One of its branches grows towards the window and scratches the pane when the wind blows. If the window was kept open, the branch would grow into the hotel room. The line-tree branch would spread inside the room, its leaves would unfurl, it would turn to winter, spring, and there, hidden behind the curtain, you imagine how the tree and the seasons would take over the empty room.
“Bergeners” is full of evocative images, the kind of book where you find yourself wallowing in the beauty of the writing. What is fact and what is fiction is never clear, but to be honest I don’t think that matters here. If you want plot, this is *not* the place to look. But if you want poetry, poetic prose, vivid imagery and the kind of narrative that will set you thinking and keep you thinking for a long time after you finish the book, then Espedal could well be the author for you. My first experience of a Seagull book was a stunning one – and I’m sure it won’t be my last.
*****
I’m not sure that I’ve actually done this book justice, so for further thoughts you could check out Joe’s thoughts here, and also Melissa’s here. Anthony has also written about Espedal’s other works on his excellent blog.
Jun 15, 2018 @ 08:02:40
Thank you for the acknowledgement, Karen. I’m glad you enjoyed your first Seagull. A pretty fine place to start! I recently acquired my second Espedal, Tramp.
Jun 15, 2018 @ 11:29:11
No problem Joe – you write about such lovely books on your blog! The Seagull catalogue is waiting to be explored – which could be bad for the bank balance…. :s
Jun 15, 2018 @ 11:01:14
This sounds really good. I read my first book from Seagull books thanks to the Asymptote book club they seem to be publishing some really interesting things.
Jun 15, 2018 @ 11:28:26
It’s a really thoughtful, thought-provoking read. I’m not worried if there’s no plot as such _ I often read a book just for the glory of the words.
Jun 15, 2018 @ 15:57:45
I’m so thrilled you have discovered Seagull Books. Thanks so much for the mention and the link!
Jun 15, 2018 @ 19:03:51
Very welcome Melissa!I can see that there may well be more Seagull books making their way into the house… 😉
Jun 15, 2018 @ 23:40:28
Very interested. I love this type of book.
Jun 16, 2018 @ 07:45:38
Me too. Plot is not always the most important thing!
Jun 16, 2018 @ 13:57:11
This sounds wonderful. I think I’ll need to stay away from the catalogue until 2019 otherwise I’ll never make it through my book buying ban 😀
Jun 16, 2018 @ 15:14:13
Definitely! There be dangerous temptations thar! 😉
Jun 16, 2018 @ 16:26:18
Those Seagull editions are too beautiful to open – I just want to admire the covers.
Jun 16, 2018 @ 19:19:41
:)) Yes – sometimes a book can be so pretty you don’t want to sully it by opening it and actually reading it!
Jun 16, 2018 @ 18:44:41
Sounds like a great book and lovely high publishing values – hooray!
Jun 16, 2018 @ 19:18:51
Absolutely! I do love nicely put together book! 🙂
Jun 16, 2018 @ 23:06:04
I’ve had this on my wish since reading Joe’s review, and you’ve confirmed that this is a ‘must’ read. It sounds wonderful. Hurry up pay-day!
Jun 17, 2018 @ 21:56:29
😁 it’s a lovely read – I must admit it was a pay day splurge for me too!
Jun 20, 2018 @ 22:18:53
Wow, the cover is beautiful and you make it sound very intriguing. Another great review! I’m always interested in aging, though I’m wearing mine proudly and don’t suffer the melancholy that he seems to.
Jun 21, 2018 @ 11:13:36
Maybe it’s a man thing! Certainly, although I get annoyed with certain elements of ageing, I like the fact that I don’t mostly give a fig about what people say any more! 🙂
Dec 31, 2018 @ 07:07:06