The Bell in the Lake: The Sister Bells Trilogy Vol. 1: The Times Historical Fiction Book of the Month

Product Information

Part of the austere Lutheran tradition -- in which churches are functional and little more --, Schweigaard has different ideas. Mytting keeps the action moving, and brings enough emotion and passion into play to fully engage readers. Over the years, they also sometimes ring of their own accord -- warning of great dangers, close and far .....

The ending -- the conclusion Mytting reaches in creating his springboard for the next installment -- is arguably a bit too neat (and, yes, the English title of the book way too revealing), and it seems pretty clear where this is then heading, specifically in what's next for the bell(s), but already in The Bell in the Lake Mytting has demonstrated that even at its most predictable he tells a yarn damn well, so readers will be eager to see just how he works things out (and what else he tosses in).

The men who sent Schönauer to prepare for the moving of the church also suddenly show up when it's time to start the dismantling, as the young student begins to realize he won't be getting quite as much credit for the undertaking as he expected, nudged aside at the last minute. Which of the main characters do you relate to most, if any of them? Which of their attributes and behaviors, if any, do you see in yourself?

Knyga tikrai puiki. Patiko nuo pirmųjų puslapių. Labai įdomus rašymo stilius. Kažkoks kitoks gerąja prasme. Autoriaus gebėjimas pasakoti istoriją užbūrė. Keisti, bet sklandūs siužeto šuoliai. Super. Labai patiko. In Butangen in 1880, ancient stories still wield great power. Christianity and local superstition rub shoulders at the village's 12th-century wooden stave church. Along with a crucifixion scene and a tapestry of the Day of Judgment, the church features carvings of Norse myths and imaginary creatures. In the tower are two commemorative bells cast to remember Halfrid and Gunhild Hekne, conjoined twin sisters and local weavers who died on the same day. Das Buch funktioniert als historischer Roman perfekt und enthält eigentlich sämtliche Themen, die mich an Norwegen selbst faszinieren (alte Stabkirchen und Architektur, die wunderbare Sprache, die Verbindung zu Deutschland, der altnordische Glaube, die Schwierigkeiten, sich im 19. Jahrhundert kulturell zu gebahren und dann doch so wundervolles hervorzubringen, die Abhängigkeit zu Dänemark/Schweden). Wat een magnifieke roman is dit! De Nederlandse vertaling van Lars Mytting’s laatste roman uit 2018 is net uit. De Zusterklokken is een smaakmakend eerste deel van een nieuwe familietrilogie die de Noorse auteur van succesvolle titels als De man en het hout, De vlamberken en Paardenkracht ons brengt. Een prachtig, ietwat mythisch doch heel realistisch verhaal wordt gecombineerd met een opbouwende onderhuidse spanning, ongelooflijke zeggingskracht en een wondermooi maar helder taalgebruik. Ook de vertaalster Paula Stevens zal hier zeker haar bijdrage aan hebben geleverd.De sneeuw was al grotendeels gesmolten, de meeste akkers waren zwart, maar in de nachtvorst bevroren de druppels op de dennenbomen en nu zaten er grote, glanzende ijsbolletjes op de naalden ”. Astrid does her part to save the bells, enlisting the two men as necessary, but the plan is upset at the near last minute. Many people believe that the metric system isn't so well suited to construction work. The old system is in better harmony with art and carpentry, where we operate with wholes, halves, and thirds—just think about the golden ratio. At one time, there was even an agreed model for sorting out any disagreements over the Saxon measurements. Meaning and nuance get lost in translation, or so the theory goes, but in this instance, I question the veracity of that opinion since the prose is so powerfully immersive and sensorial. Deborah Dawkin’s flowing translation subtly captures local dialects with a lightness of touch that feels utterly natural.

The novel is structured in short chapters with fable-like names – The Artillery Officer’s Son ; The Girls Who Shared a Skin ; Passion’s Braid – which compelled me to search for morals and messages in each one, making for a more inquisitive and alert reading experience. The stories in the book are based on local tales recounted to the author, as well as on ancient legends about Stave churches; these unique structures are made entirely from wood, and were built by the Vikings on the arrival of Christianity. The richness of this history comes through beautifully in the novel. I learned much about Norwegian culture and absorbed the atmosphere and spirit of the place and its people. In het verhaal van de vroedvrouw van het dorp schuilt op een bepaalde manier meer wijsheid dan bij gediplomeerde artsen uit de dichtstbijzijnde echte stad Kristiania. Astrid beseft voor welke keuze ze gesteld wordt en trekt daaruit de juiste gevolgen, ook al legt ze daarvoor het zwaarst mogelijke offer in de schaal. Tel ook eens het een en ander samen aan het eind van dit verhaal, let even op de jaargetallen en kijk met huiverachtige nieuwsgierigheid naar het volgende deel van deze epische familiesaga, dat binnen een afzienbare twee jaar tijd zal verschijnen. Dat mag ook sneller verschijnen, geachte heer Mytting. Zo veel is zeker! The church in town is ancient, from long before Norway converted to austere Lutheranism (in the sixteenth century); it is a stave church, a remarkable wooden construction that here is also replete with pre-Christian influences.

Praise

Labai patiko autoriaus piešiami gamtos vaizdai. Aiškiai mačiau juos prieš savo akis. Ryšku, stipru, realu. The Hekne farmstead was one of the earliest settlements in Butangen. "Each farm was a self-sufficient kingdom...grand folk and humble folk never mixed, generation after generation kept to the same farms..." "When Christianity came to Norway, the Butangen folk built an elaborate Stave Church, a masterpiece in ore-pine with ornate carvings, dragon heads and a proud spire...the carpenters worked very hard to please all the gods just in case Odin and Tor were still active". The church was completed in 1170. The passion hiding like lava under the ice, the pagan mysticism and invisible side of things hiding in the deep lakes and shadowy woods - it all worked out in the end. So this is not a novel with much moping -- and its three main characters understand that quite well, taking charge when necessary and doing what needs be done; most impressively, Mytting allows even that to often not be nearly enough. In both outline and many of its details The Bell in the Lake is simple and even sappy, but Mytting's saving grace is his willingness to be Nordicly unsentimental.

Er is niks mis met het geloof,�� zei ze voordat ze de kamer uitliep. ‘Maar de honger en het gezond verstand zullen altijd sterker zijn.’”

Media Reviews

This is relatively light fiction, mostly staying very much on the surface, but it's very good as such.