Spring Night

Description

SPRING NIGHT relates the events that overtake a girl and her young brother when they are left unaccompanied for the night on their parents' farm. They have to cope alone when a group of strangers call at the house after their car breaks down. The strangers are an ill-assorted family who inflict their personal problems and neurosis on the two young siblings. On a deeper level, this extraordinary novel from 1954 is an account and remembrance of how it really feels to be young; self-growth, self-knowledge and love are explored as the children experience the abrupt change from childish dreams and security to adult responsibility and happiness. Vesaas develops these themes with real empathy and insight.

TARJEI VESAAS was born in 1897 in the remote rural Telemark district of Norway, where he spent most of his life. Throughout his life he published several novels, volumes of poetry and a book of short stories which was awarded an international prize at Venice in 1952. He was awarded several other prizes and was a candidate for the Nobel Prize in 1964, 1968 and again in 1969. He died in 1970, his reputation as the leading Nordic writer firmly established.

'Tarjei Vesaas could write books which breathed the almost mystical union between man and countryside.' - DAILY TELEGRAPH 'Probably the greatest Norwegian writer of his time.' - THE SCOTSMAN 'Vessaas achieves his effects with a powerful economy of words and his style is graphic and highly evocative.' - THE GUARDIAN 'Vesaas conjures brilliantly from the sombre north.' - TLS