Full Description
"There's beauty to be found outdoors, but it's not without its horrors. The conflicted role of humans in nature is a familiar theme, but few narratives hum with the surreal power of this one." — Kirkus Reviews
An intensely graceful novel recounting scenes of the Norwegian countryside from one of Norway's most beloved 20th-century writers
Tarjei Vesaas's final work, The Hills Reply, is a flow of intensely lyrical autobiographical scenes. The vivid beauty of the wilds of Norway grounds the narrator's interior flashes.
The first sketch finds a boy, his father, and their packhorse clearing a logging road buried in snow as their surroundings give way to a crisis. Profound insights into human behavior, solitude, and nonverbal communication stand up to the power and immensity of the natural world. The land speaks to (and at times almost swallows) the central character, as he is pushed to the edge of what a body and mind can endure.
The hypnotic pulse of Vesaas's prose blurs the line between memory and hallucination, as it stares bravely into the unblinking eye of Nature. An unforgettable book, The Hills Reply is a visceral salute to the human spirit, to the ecstasy of wilderness, and to their tender overlapping.
Contents
Contents
1. As it Stands in the Memory
2. In the Marshes and on the Earth
3. Spring in Winter
4. Daybreak with Shining Horses
5. The Drifter and the Mirrors
6. The Wasted Day Creeps Away on Its Belly
7. Washed Cheeks
8. Fire in the Depths
9. Words, Words
10. The Dream of Stone
11. The Heart Lies Naked beside the Highway in the Dark
12. The Tranquil River Glides Out of the Landscape
13. Beyond One's Grasp
14. Just Walking Up to Fetch the Churn
15. The Melody
16. The Rivers beneath the Earth
