The Ice Palace is a novel by the Norwegian author Tarjei Vesaas. It was written in 1963 and first translated into English by Peter Owen in 1993. I read the Penguin Classics publication in 2018. This version on Kindle was translated by Elizabeth Rokkan. Tarjei Vesaas's novels are often about death, guilt and his description of the harsh Norwegian winter are beautiful.
It is a tragic novel about two 11 year old friends Unn and Siss who seem to share a secret between them. Or rather Unn has an untold secret that she wishes to share with Siss but does not. They meet at Unn's house and something troubles them both, particularly Unn. The secret that is not shared and the tension between these friends remains a mystery throughout the novel. One eagerly waits for a revelation of the mystery surrounding these friends and their relationship.
The most fascinating part of the novel is the Ice Palace, which is created every year when huge waterfalls freeze over in the biting winter of these countries close to the Artic. Unn, who is very disturbed by her interaction with Siss, decides to miss school and visit the river, the waterfall and the Ice Palace. She set off alone. And here the mastery of the author shines through. His description of the river, waterfall, and the formation of ice into a structure that looks like a palace is amazing, and truly only possible for a person who has lived his life in these harsh, rugged, cold and freezing terrain. For me, who lives in near desert like conditions, close to the Thar dessert, it is difficult to imagine and absolutely fascinating.
Unn apparently enters this Ice Palace, through some crevices. The description of the rooms, corridors, the lighting she finds there is so exciting and mysterious. One waits with bated breath to read if something magical is going to happen.
The entire story is magical and one reads in anticipation. I never could imagine a palace created by the freezing of waterfalls and description of it in such a mysterious manner. I hardly put my Kindle down once I started to read. I will not be a spoil sport and reveal any further details of the story. I highly recommend the novel to readers.
No comments:
Post a Comment