'A magnum opus that can take one's breath away, a work so rich and heterogeneous that its like can hardly be found in recent Norwegian literature' - DagbladetFrom the PublisherAn international bestseller and winner of Scandinavias top literary award, the Nordic Prize, The Seducer is a suspenseful and endlessly provocative novel that continually thwarts readers expectations, rewarding them with a uniquely compelling and enriching reading experience.About the AuthorJan Kjrstad is the recipient of many awards for his writing, including the Nordic Prize for Literature 2001 and Germany's Henrik Steffen Prize for Scandinavians who have significantly enriched Europe's artistic and intellectual life. what are some good ideas for a website Seducer
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Hundreds of Reading EventsBy Gerry Scott-MooreOthers have taken the time to describe the content. I enjoyed the book immensely, but then I like the 1001 Arabian Nights too. And like 1001, despite being entranced by the vivid nature of the stories and charmed by the *amazing* sentence structures, I find it hard to keep the reading going. It took me a couple of months to finish the thing!Since it is so very episodic, each small chapter of the book is a mini-story selected from any of the various parts of Wergeland's life, it becomes somewhat taxing to read 60 pages in a row. Perhaps others are inclined to read a collection of short stories that way, say 5 stories at a time, but I am not.Kjaerstad's descriptions are amazing, many of the mini-stories are truly delightful. And if you are particularly interested in Norwegian/Scandinavian mindsets, culture, attitudes, etc. the book does provide significant aid, in that this is a central hub of what the book is about: The nature of Norwegian self-perception.I'd love to read the next two volumes, but taking two months off my schedule to read the first, really makes it a bit commitment for me. I am about 50/50 over whether I can do it. I would love to read a little less episodic fiction by this truly gifted writer, though.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Modern Norway Shown ComplexBy J. FolkThis is not a mystery; that is implied in the liner notes. It is far more: the exploration of a personal and national journey. The study of a northern nation on the edge of Europe. The study of an intense man blessed with intelligence, good looks and charisma. It is an intensely sexual novel, and some readers may object to his unfaithfulness. It is never at the heart of the novel.I liked the stories about Norway and its history. Perhaps it's because my wife's family emigrated to the US from Norway. Because the country fascinates with his lately-discovered oil wealth and efforts to control the impact on the nature of their society. All are reflected here.I didn't give it five stars only because I was at times tired of the length, but have been traveling, and that may have contributed to it.Today, I am flying to Oslo, and will meet some of those relatives and talk of the book. Perhaps I will be able to round out this review with their thoughts.For today, I highly recommend it2 of 3 people found the following review helpful. What is the most crucial story in your life?By jdh"Is this the most crucial story in Jonas Wergeland's life?" Like Karosawa's 'Rashomon,' the novel tells stories, one after the other, in the form of short chapters that fit together (the whole mosaic makes sense) and don't fit together (each glows on its own). The stories are spiced with a luscious sexuality ("The one thing the women who made love to Jonas had in common was that they all instinctively sat astride him."). Good sex seems to flow to him, like the prom king you hated in high school, without much effort. And each sexual event permeates his being with a new sense of who he is.The sustenance of book, though, is the story of Norway, what it is now, a nation of comfortable (indeed VERY comfortable) risk-averse, xenophobic social democrats watching TV, smug at times, breaking into a sweat not very often (perhaps only during Nordic races). "When do we see who we are?", asks the narrator.The author brilliantly, and often comically, keeps the reader engaged in cliff-hanger moments that rivet attention: Jonas as a child is trapped inside a snow fort and left for dead by his cousin, and the next chapter begins with Jonas as a teenager talking about Dostoyevsky's description of sable eyebrows and the Russian ideal of beauty. Disconnected? Yes. Totally effective in creating acan't-put-it-down novel? Definitely!The erudition of the author is impressive, his cliff-hanger style engaging, and his comments on present day Norway hilarious and thought-provoking. He is so in love with details his protagonist vomits when he sees his hometown at altitude and can't make out the beloved familiar texture of it. I loved reading this book, beginning it as a 'have to read it for book club' task and then finding I couldn't get enough.