Despite or perhaps because of that brutality i loved the humanity of the book. When i need something epic and lyrical i call upon sjon. Sjon author of the blue fox meet your next favorite book. Set in 1883, the blue fox is concerned with a small icelandic community. His novels have been translated into twentyfive languages. Skuggabaldur the blue fox this is a short but very fine tale. Nov 07, 2019 buy the blue fox by sjon, cribb, victoria isbn.
One the other it is a bare bones story, one which takes only about two hours to read. In particular, the novel explores the relationships between a naturalist, a priest who. Winner of the nordic councils literature prize the nordic worlds highest literary honor the blue fox is the perfect introduction to a mindbending, world class literary talent. He imagines the blue fox is able to speak and has a conversation re.
Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Set against the stark backdrop of the icelandic winter, an elusive, enigmatic fox leads a hunter on a transformative quest. The blue fox book washington county cooperative library. The book was originally published by bjartur and first published in the united states in 20. Fridriksson and his charge, abba, who suffers from downs syndrome, and who came to his rescue when he was on the verge of. By original publication date, the blue fox comes first. The blue fox is a poetic masterpiece the daily californian.
The novel is written by sjon pronounced sheeyon, a poet, author and parttime lyricist for bjork. By the end of sjons slender, spellbinding fable of a novel, none of their lives will be the same. Oct 17, 20 the blue fox by sjon book club, october 20 october 17, 20 kirsty i have had my eye on this beautiful looking novella for such a long time, and thought that it would be a wonderful book to discuss as part of our book club here at the literary sisters. The year is 1883, and the stark icelandic landscape is the backdrop for this spellbinding fable that is part mystery, part fairy tale. From there were transported to the world of the naturalist fridrik b. Mar 07, 2008 the blue fox, by sjon, is a dark, yet playful and humorous fable about a kind man, an evil man, a simpleton, and a blue fox. With only a few sentences on many of its 112 pages, i doubt it would qualify as a novel at all for people who judge these matters by a book s wordcount. Sjon masterfully laces two stories together, one of reverend baldurs fateful hunt for a blue fox and i have seen the universe, it is made of poems. The blue fox, by sjon, is a dark, yet playful and humorous fable about a kind man, an evil man, a simpleton, and a blue fox. At the edge of the hunters territory, a naturalist struggles to build a life for his charge, a young woman with down syndrome whom he had rescued from a shipwreck. Moonstone and other books, by sjon seven circumstances. Posts about the blue fox written by featherbrainedbooks.
The blue fox ebook by sjon 9780374709952 rakuten kobo. The blue fox is a slim, cold little fable, presented in several parts that are then neatly tied together. Sjon was a founding member of the surrealist group, medusa, and soon became significant in reykjaviks cultural landscape. We follow the priest, skuggabaldur, on his hunt for the enigmatic blue fox. Renowned throughout iceland for his numerous plays and poetry collections the first of which was published. Introduction to the works of sjon the blue fox, by sjon, published 2003 by bjartur. As bjorks long time collaborator, sjon was nominated for an oscar for his lyrics for the film dancer in the dark. He started his writing career early, publishing his first book of poetry, synir visions, in 1978.
Its about baldur skuggason, a pastorturnedhuntsman, who is intent on tracking down a mysterious blue fox roaming the snowcovered mountainous landscapes of. Its about baldur skuggason, a pastorturnedhuntsman, who is intent on tracking down a mysterious blue fox roaming the snowcovered mountainous landscapes of iceland and killing it for its fur. Sjons scribes its world with brilliant, precise, concrete colour and. Apr 30, 20 the descriptions capture the landscape and the tension of the hunt for the blue fox beautifully. Historical fiction, fantasy, magic realism, scandinavian literature, and icelandic. He skins the fox this time and goes crazy thinks of himself as an animal. Bookslut the blue fox, the whispering muse, and from the. To achieve his aim, he braves the inclement weather. Poet, novelist and playwright, he has received numerous literary awards, including the nordic councils literature prize for the blue fox. He won the nordic councils literary prize for his novel the blue fox the nordic countries equivalent of the man booker prize and the novel from the mouth of the whale was shortlisted for both the international impac dublin literary award and the independent. The book was originally published by bjartur and first published in the united. It is full of hidden meaning, subtlety, and delightful intellectually amusing.
Born in reykjavik in 1962, sjon is a celebrated icelandic author whose novels have been published in over thirty five languages. Its quite short by amount of text but the language itself is poetic, packed so full of meaning that every short burst of text deserves the readers full. The blue fox is largely a parable told in two parts with a mystery sandwiched in between and a brief epistolary epilogue. We later learn that he has abrogated to himself the monopoly in the area of selling fox skins, a valuable commodity, with. The blue fox the number of languages sjons book has been sold to reaches thirty, making it one of the most widely read icelandic literary novels of last decades.
The blue fox origianally called skuggabaldur after one of its central charaters is a very short book. The novella deals with evil cloaked in religion and justice being delivered in mysterious ways. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the blue fox. Sjon the year is 1883 and the stark icelandic winter landscape is the backdrop. Sjon was nominated for an academy award and a golden globe for the song ive seen it all from the film dancer in the dark. By the end of sjons slender, spellbinding fable of a novel. Telegram books published the blue fox, translated by victoria. Icelandic booksellers prize for novel of the year for the whispering muse. Winner of the 2005 nordic council literature prizethe nordic worlds highest literary honorthe blue fox is part mystery, part fairy tale, and the perfect introduction to a. Still, the blue fox is a very good little book, well worth the read. Follow the priest, skuggabaldur, on his hunt for the enigmatic blue fox.
Winner of the 2005 nordic council literature prizethe nordic worlds highest literary honorthe blue fox is part mystery, part fairy tale, and the perfect introduction to a mindbending, worldclass literary talent. Aug 16, 2018 codex 1962 by sjon and translated by victoria cribb is published by sceptre. Nov 07, 2014 i recently finished reading a book called the blue fox, by the icelandic author, sjon. These events reveal and make fun of the poor understanding and treatment of people with genetic or mental disorders in the late 1800s. I have had my eye on this beautiful looking novella for such a long time, and thought that it would be a wonderful book to discuss as part of our book club here at the literary sisters.
By the end of sjon s slender, spellbinding fable of a novel, none of their lives will be the same. It is rare to find an arctic fox described as beautifully as in the blue fox. Internationally, sjons breakthrough was the blue fox, a slender prose poem of a book so lyric that refrains and line breaks prove as important to its composition as sentences and paragraphs. Hunting, disability, and the corruption of the human soul feature prominently.
The stark icelandic winter landscape is the backdrop. It is possible to compress all one has to say about the blue fox by the icelandic author sjon in two words, enchantingly poetic. Set against the stark backdrop of the icelandic winter, an elusive, enigmatic fox leads a hunter on a transformative. The fates of a priest, a naturalist, and a young woman with down syndrome are intrinsically bound and gradually, surprisingly unraveled. The book, titled skuggabaldur in the original icelandic, was translated into english by victoria cribb the book is short the edition i read is just 123 pages, and i finished it in what was essentially a single read i briefly set the book down to eat. Its quite short by amount of text but the language itself is poetic, packed so full of meaning that every short burst of text deserves the readers full attention. Sjon, the blue fox iceland the voyage out book group. A man tracks a rare blue fox in iceland turns out hes a preacher.
The blue fox by sjon the blue fox follows two storylines. Bjork the year is 1883, and the stark icelandic landscape is the backdrop for this spellbinding fable that is part mystery, part fairy tale. In 2016 sjon became the third writer chosen to contribute to the future library. On the one hand it is beautifully, even poetically, written. With only a few sentences on many of its 112 pages, i doubt it would qualify as a novel at all for people who judge these matters by a books wordcount. Mar 26, 2009 originally published by bjartur in 2003, the blue fox earned sjon the 2005 nordic councils literature prize. Set amid the snow and ice of an icelandic winter, sjons the blue fox, winner of the 2005 nordic council literature prize, is as still and quiet as a coffin yet holds a horrific truth inside. The blue fox by sjon rarely does an author come loaded with such impressive indie and establishment credentials. A site dedicated to book lovers providing a forum to discover and share commentary about the books and authors they enjoy. The story is as beautiful and brutal as a northern winter. Skuggabaldur is a 2003 novel by icelandic writer sjon. Feb 22, 2016 the blue fox is largely a parable told in two parts with a mystery sandwiched in between and a brief epistolary epilogue. Set in 1883, the novel begins with a description of a man hunting a fox, a miniature epic hunting tale spread over some thirty pages, with only a brief passage or description or even sentence the night was cold and of the longer variety on each page. Sep 15, 2016 the blue fox the blue fox, by sjon, published 2003 by bjartur.
Apr 30, 20 by the end of sjons slender, spellbinding fable of a novel, none of their lives will be the same. The story starts in 1883, with the reverend baldur skuggason out hunting a vixen, a blue fox. Other readers will always be interested in your opinion of the books youve read. This year, after being released in english, the book received a nomination for the independent foreign fiction prize. Oct 31, 2014 blue fox by sjon, or skuggabaldur as its name is in icelandic, is a book so amazing that i wish that if you could in all your life read only one icelandic book it would be this one.
The blue fox by sjon book club discussion questions. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. At the edge of the hunters territory, a naturalist struggles to build a life for his charge, a young woman with down syndrome whom he had rescued from a shipwreck years before. Content includes books from bestselling, midlist and debut authors. Winner of the 2005 nordic council literature prize the nordic worlds highest literary honor the blue foxis part mystery, part fairy tale, and the perfect introduction to a mindbending, worldclass literary talent.
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