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The Half Brother
This Nordic Prize-winning novel, a truly gripping epic, relates the lives of four generations of a unique and strange family with touching intimacy and surreal comedy.
Traces four generations of a family marked by the untimely birth of Fred, a misfit and boxer conceived during a devastating rape who forges an unusual friendship with his younger half-brother, Barnum.
Traces four generations of a family marked by the untimely birth of Fred, a misfit and boxer conceived during a devastating rape who forges an unusual friendship with his younger half-brother, Barnum.
696 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
About the author
Lars Saabye Christensen
175 books642 followersLars Saabye Christensen is a gifted storyteller, a narrator who is imaginative, but equally down to earth. His realism alternates between poetic image and ingenious incident, conveyed in supple metropolitan language and slang that never smacks of the artificial or forced. His heroes possess a good deal of self-irony. Indeed, critics have drawn parallels with the black humour of Woody Allen. But beneath the liveliness of his portrayal melancholy always lurks in the books.
Since his début in 1976 Saabye Christensen has written ten collections of poetry, five collections of short stories and twelve novels. His great break through came with the novel Beatles in 1984. The book store sale of over 200,000 copies of the Norwegian edition has made this one of the greatest commercial successes in Norway, and it was voted the best novel of the last 25 years by Dagbladet's readers in 2006.
In the same year, His Majesty King Lars appointed Lars Saabye Christensen as Commander of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav for his distinguished contributions to Norwegian literature.
In 2018, he received Oslo’s highest honor, the St. Hallvard Medal, for his prolific writing career spanning over 40 years, with many of his books set in Oslo, the author’s own city.
His books have been translated into 36 languages.
Since his début in 1976 Saabye Christensen has written ten collections of poetry, five collections of short stories and twelve novels. His great break through came with the novel Beatles in 1984. The book store sale of over 200,000 copies of the Norwegian edition has made this one of the greatest commercial successes in Norway, and it was voted the best novel of the last 25 years by Dagbladet's readers in 2006.
In the same year, His Majesty King Lars appointed Lars Saabye Christensen as Commander of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav for his distinguished contributions to Norwegian literature.
In 2018, he received Oslo’s highest honor, the St. Hallvard Medal, for his prolific writing career spanning over 40 years, with many of his books set in Oslo, the author’s own city.
His books have been translated into 36 languages.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 8, 2024
Nedaudz pārsteidz tik augstais grāmatas novērtējums (vērtējuma došanas laikā 40% no vērtējumiem ir 5 zvaigznes, vēl 38% no vērtējumiem ir 4 zvaigznes), jo, ja godīgi, tad nesaprotu kas grāmatā ir tik izcils (varbūt vienkārši man nesalikās/neielasījos). Par pašu grāmatu - grūti novērtēt grāmatu, jo autoram izdodas it kā rakstīt interesanti, savukārt no otras puses grāmata manā skatījumā ir kā puzle - vai nu tev tie fragmenti saliekas vienā attēlā/skatā, vai arī nesaliekas. Man līdz galam nesalikās (iespējams, tādēļ tik zems vērtējums).
September 16, 2025
Grāmatai tomēr nebija noslēguma. Beigās epilogs ar tulkotājas piezīmēm no viņas skatījuma par rakstnieku un stāstu.
Grāmata izcēlās ar ritma maiņu starp notikumiem un galvenā varoņa Barnuma sapņiem, kā arī scenārija rakstīšanu filmām.
Grāmata izcēlās ar ritma maiņu starp notikumiem un galvenā varoņa Barnuma sapņiem, kā arī scenārija rakstīšanu filmām.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 6, 2021
Sāgas varońi ir greizi un nepareizi, bet aizrauj tēlu portretējums un savstarpējā simbioze - brāłu, dažādu paaudžu, draugu attiecības un katra varońa nozīme otra dzīvē. Alkoholisms kā destruktīva personas iezīme mani neinteresē, bet nu tāds Barnums bija, ne manā varā vińam līdzēt.
February 28, 2019
Garšīgākā grāmata, ko pēdējā laikā esmu lasījusi. Viss- stāsts, tēli, valoda, forma- viss bija brīnišķīgi. Viena no retajām reizēm, kad lasot ik pa laikam ir vēlēšanās pierakstīt citātus.
Tik skaista tēlaina valoda, dziļa un niansēta varoņu iekšējā pasaule. Cepuri nost!
Jāsaka gan, ka beigas bija vājākas.
Tik skaista tēlaina valoda, dziļa un niansēta varoņu iekšējā pasaule. Cepuri nost!
Jāsaka gan, ka beigas bija vājākas.
April 10, 2020
Tik ļoti patika, ka pat negribas neko rakstīt.
Traka dzīve, traka pusrunāšana, traka noslēgšanās un remdena kopābūšana.
Traka dzīve, traka pusrunāšana, traka noslēgšanās un remdena kopābūšana.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews