Popcultureboy’s #CBR5 Review #54: Telegraph Avenue by Michael Chabon

 

A marvellous book, no doubt. But “the next great American novel”? I’m not so sure. The glorious writing is somewhat undone by a surfeit of plot, to my mind. The full review can be found by clicking here.

Malin’s #CBR5 Review #27: Sonen (The Son) by Jon Fosse

Jon Fosse is a contemporary Norwegian novelist, poet and playwright and his works have been translated into more than forty languages (which isn’t shabby for a Norwegian). He is highly critically acclaimed both nationally and internationally and apparently considered one of the world’s greatest contemporary playwrights.

In the play Sonen, or The Son, an elderly couple (most likely living somewhere in the picturesque but often sparse region in the West of Norway – because that’s where Fosse sets a lot of his works) go about their daily life in the same monotonous routine as every other day. They keep repeating the same phrases over and over, lamenting the darkness outside (it’s worth pointing out that in the winter time, much of Norway barely gets any daylight at all) and the increasing lack of people in their little village. The young people move away to the cities because there is nothing to do, the old people wither away and die. The only light they see is the window of their neighbour’s house. They wonder about their son, who they haven’t heard from in months. More on my blog.