Edvard Grieg – Arthur Hofn

Begynner Viktoriansk

Last week I was in Norway. Tromsø to be exact, (I do love that o with the line through it). Tromsø is at the very top of Norway, 217 miles above the Arctic Circle and the third largest settlement in the Arctic. If you’ve read Indoldrum (shameless plug for my novel) you’ll gather I have a bit of a fascination with the area and I’ve always wanted to get as far north as I can, especially at either mid-summer for the Midnight Sun (which I managed in 2005) or the Polar Night. I’ve been various places in winter to the Nordic countries but this trip was the furthest north I’ve ever been, and I loved it!

Norway is an incredible country and on the whole the people are brilliant (with the exception of one incredibly rude lady I came across in a supermarket). Yes, I did manage to see the Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis. On my first night when I got off the bus and headed to my accommodation. I was very fortunate as they didn’t occur for the rest of my visit. However that night I ended up on a frozen lake watching the celestial display, away from the city lights, it was really cool! (In many ways.)

Of course this is a blog about writing and whilst I’m happy to wax lyrical about my holiday here’s an opportunity to feature literature connected to Norway. This can mean either works by locals or by others about the country. In a future part I’ll discuss some more modern books by Norwegian authors, but for now let me tell you about Three In Norway By Two Of Them, by James A. Lees and Walter J. Clutterbuck. Published in 1882 this was a book about three Victorian gentlemen who take a trip together and the humorous events that happen along the way. If all this is starting to sound a little familiar, you’re possibly seeing links to Three Men In A Boat by Jerome K Jerome published in 1889. As mentioned elsewhere I’m a massive fan of Jerome Klapka Jerome and it is generally assumed he drew inspiration from the Lees and Walter J; as it is his novel has enough original elements that it really would have been just a starting point, Jerome was witty and clever enough not to need to take from others.

In Three In Norway we are introduced to Skipper, Esau and John; eccentrics who plan on roughing it in the countryside in southern Norway in the summer (so almost the complete opposite of my trip… how rude! I’m not eccentric… ok maybe a bit). Obviously a Victorian’s idea of roughing it is very different from ours, the amount of provisions needed for a spot of fishing and hunting, in full dress of waistcoats and all, plus more food then I’ve got at home right now I should guess, is probably what we would call Glamping today.

Whilst seemingly popular in its day Three In Norway hasn’t always been so easy to get hold off, these days it’s available on Kindle and Project Gutenberg. The book is amusing and if you like Jerome’s work it’s well worth taking a look at this one, even if for me Jerome beat them hands down at their own game. Whilst JKJ uses his tale as a frame for all sorts of bizarre and extremely funny stories, this has the trip front and centre. It was still early days for the whole travel writing and we’ll probably never know how much of this is based on a real trip to Norway taken by the authors, although there is a lot of unnecessary detail in the text which makes me think there is more truth to this novel than Three Men In A Boat.

“But presently a cloud gathered over the mountain tops, and thunder was heard rolling among the distant hills; a gentle breeze stirred the surface of the water, and every lazy fish woke up to seek his food. The Skipper longed to go and fetch his rod. He hinted at this, and at last became impatient; but, by Jove! Miss Louise would not go. There she sat and prattled on, charming, pleased with herself, and utterly unmindful of the rising fish and the fretting Skipper. Time kept passing on, till at length her father brought relief by appearing on the shore to call her in to dinner; but then the Skipper had to get his food too, and when he had bolted the humble but indigestible crust and cheese, and rushed out again to seize his rod, he found it too late, as the lake was now dark with clouds, and the fish had left off rising.

Soon after lunch it began to rain like a waterfall, and Esau arrived with a lot of fish— spoils from the Leirungen Ocean, and the result of Spartan indifference to the attractions of woman. There is a shining moral in this tale.”

― James A. Lees and Walter J. Clutterbuck, Three In Norway By Two Of Them

Of course you can’t talk about Norwegian literature without mentioning Henrik Ibsen. Well known playwright, born in 1828 he is one of their most, if not the most, celebrated writers and if you don’t know the name he has been directly, or indirectly, responsible for some things you do know very well.

One of his most acclaimed works is the play A Doll’s House. Set in 1879, in what was then the present day, this is the story of Nora a woman who feels she has practically no control over her life, yet intends to do something about it. In the society in which it was premiered this caused a great deal of fuss.

Ibsen also wrote the somewhat surreal Peer Gynt, which premiered in 1879. Roughly based on a Nordic fairy tale this is the story of Peer Gynt who after upsetting his neighbours has some weird experiences, including going to the Hall of the Mountain King – a troll, and then is pretty much exiled to travel about various places, Egypt for example.

Ibsen asked Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg to write the score for the play. The result includes some of the most familiar pieces of music that even today we come across regularly. For instance, In The Hall of the Mountain King has been used in so many places that it has transcended the play. Countless songs have been based on this, to name but one, Let’s Go To War by the Manic Street Preachers. If I were to say “the Alton Tower’s theme’ you may instantly recall the piece. The other section of music that nearly everyone knows from Peer Gynt is Morning Mood; it’s often mistaken for Spring by Vivaldi. Regardless these two pieces of music are ingrained in to many cultures and all because Ibsen decided to write a very popular, if somewhat strange, play about a man who gets into trouble over stealing a bride.

“Someone has said – or is it written somewhere – I don’t remember where, that if you conquer all the world yet lose your Self, all that you gain is a wreath around your broken skull – or words to that effect. That text is by no means poetic nonsense.”

― Henrik Ibsen, Peer Gynt

When I decided to write a blog about Norway and literature these two examples were the first two that came to mind (and one isn’t even by a Norwegian writer), however there are plenty of writers from this country and the modern day who are worth discovering and reading and so I will follow this up with some more recent examples.

Buy Three In Norway By Two Of Them – by James A. Lees and Walter J. Clutterbuck
Buy Peer Gynt – by Henrik Ibsen