1 Publication Information: The Half Brother Lars Saabye Christensen Arcade Publishing, New York I-55970-715-1 $27.00 (Norwegian title: Halvbroren) INTRODUCTION: Lars Saabye Christensen’s The Half Brother is an international bestseller not only because it illuminates the complex and compelling themes of post World War II Norway, sibling rivalry, family secrets, and the mystery of identity, but also because it is compulsively readable and irresistibly discussable. Norwegian chat-lists have been avidly dissecting this oceanic book’s many mysteries since Halvbroren’s debut in 2001, perhaps because Christensen’s four- generational family saga generates more questions than answers. Book groups selecting The Half Brother will not be able to stop talking about this accomplished and beautifully written Norwegian novel. ABOUT THIS BOOK The Half Brother’s protagonist, Barnum Nilsen, has a peculiar father; a short, fat, dreamer from the far north who ran away and joined the circus because he was tired of being the laughing stock of his small fishing village in the Lofoten islands. Is it any wonder then, that Arnold Nilsen names his son “Barnum” after the famous American circus impresario? Barnum spends his youth defending both his odd name and his preternaturally short stature. Barnum’s tough half-brother Fred, who was conceived during a mysterious rape on the first day of the peace in Nazi-occupied Norway, has bouts of muteness brought on by trauma and guilt. Dyslexic and angry, he hates his stepfather, Arnold Nilsen, but is fiercely devoted to his mother Vera, grandmother Boletta and great-grandmother, The Old One, who is a former star of the silent movies. Each of the three has given birth out of wedlock and been abandoned by the father of her child; these missing fathers -- the family calls them “night men” -- may have physically vanished but they continue to loom large in the pages of the unspoken family history. The book’s narrator, Barnum, has a lot to compensate for, growing up as he does with three women who are married to their painful pasts, with a father whose tendency to vanish resembles that of the “night men” so prevalent in the family line, and with his tough, troubled half-brother, who alternately protects and tyrannizes him. But Barnum ultimately survives the gauntlet of his painful youth with the help of two friends whose family lives are as troubled and twisted as his own. The overweight Peder has a crippled mother who paints naked men, and Vivian’s mother wears a veil to hide the damage inflicted on her by a terrible car accident. Refugees from the wreckage of their families, the three fast friends, who met when they were all thrown out of dancing school, are addicted to the movies, that magical world that allows them to
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Publication Information:
The Half BrotherLars Saabye ChristensenArcade Publishing, New YorkI-55970-715-1$27.00(Norwegian title: Halvbroren)
INTRODUCTION:
Lars Saabye Christensen’s The Half Brotheris an international bestseller not onlybecause it illuminates the complex andcompelling themes of post World War IINorway, sibling rivalry, family secrets, andthe mystery of identity, but also because it iscompulsively readable and irresistiblydiscussable. Norwegian chat-lists have beenavidly dissecting this oceanic book’s manymysteries since Halvbroren’s debut in 2001,perhaps because Christensen’s four-generational family saga generates morequestions than answers. Book groupsselecting The Half Brother will not be ableto stop talking about this accomplished andbeautifully written Norwegian novel.
ABOUT THIS BOOK
The Half Brother’s protagonist, BarnumNilsen, has a peculiar father; a short, fat,dreamer from the far north who ran awayand joined the circus because he was tired ofbeing the laughing stock of his small fishingvillage in the Lofoten islands. Is it anywonder then, that Arnold Nilsen names hisson “Barnum” after the famous Americancircus impresario? Barnum spends his youthdefending both his odd name and hispreternaturally short stature. Barnum’stough half-brother Fred, who was conceivedduring a mysterious rape on the first day ofthe peace in Nazi-occupied Norway, hasbouts of muteness brought on by trauma andguilt. Dyslexic and angry, he hates hisstepfather, Arnold Nilsen, but is fiercelydevoted to his mother Vera, grandmotherBoletta and great-grandmother, The OldOne, who is a former star of the silentmovies. Each of the three has given birth outof wedlock and been abandoned by thefather of her child; these missing fathers --the family calls them “night men” -- mayhave physically vanished but they continueto loom large in the pages of the unspokenfamily history.
The book’s narrator, Barnum, has alot to compensate for, growing up as he doeswith three women who are married to theirpainful pasts, with a father whose tendencyto vanish resembles that of the “night men”so prevalent in the family line, and with histough, troubled half-brother, who alternatelyprotects and tyrannizes him. But Barnumultimately survives the gauntlet of hispainful youth with the help of two friendswhose family lives are as troubled andtwisted as his own. The overweight Pederhas a crippled mother who paints nakedmen, and Vivian’s mother wears a veil tohide the damage inflicted on her by a terriblecar accident. Refugees from the wreckageof their families, the three fast friends, whomet when they were all thrown out ofdancing school, are addicted to the movies,that magical world that allows them to
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forget their outcast status and stunted familylives.
While Fred becomes first a boxerand then a world wanderer, Barnumchannels his anxieties and fears intoprecocious film scripts that replay histroubled past. Although the brothers appearto be polar opposites, one dyslexic and theother unusually facile with words, iteventually becomes apparent that Barnumshares his brother’s frustrated rage and self-destructive urges, and that Fred just mightbe a more imaginative storyteller than hisliterate younger brother.
Among the novel’s many themes arethe complexity of family life, the sufferingsof those who are physically different, thestrength of women, the vulnerability ofchildren, the power of the past, thedifficulties and challenges of the creativelife, and the ambivalent but enduring bondbetween siblings. Blocked creativity, self-destructiveness, alcohol addiction, rage, andabandonment, as well as fierce but flawedlove plague these tormented characters,whose desire for connection seems thwartedas much by their shared history as by theirown actions and impulses.
In sum, this tour de force, whilewildly inventive and hilariously funny, issimultaneously steeped in a palpable griefborn of loneliness, loss and failedconnections. The author creates a fullyrealized world that will keep readersspeculating about the fate of the book’scentral characters, Barnum and Fred, longafter they finish reading it. The Half Brotheris a very moving, fully human story that willresonate with your own life. In fact, you areapt to find yourself rereading parts of it,avidly, as you continue to puzzle out thetantalizingly elusive details of this strangeyet familiar family drama.
FOR DISCUSSION:
Why does Barnum’s half-brother, Fred, hatehis stepfather, Arnold Nilsen so much?
Who is Fred’s father? Is there any evidencein the book to suggest the answer?
What is the significance of Arnold Nilsen’smysterious accident with his hand?
Why is the Greenland letter from Fred’sgreat-grandfather so important to him?
How does Barnum feel about his half-brother Fred and how does Fred feel aboutBarnum? Discuss the complicated,ambivalent relationship between the twohalf-brothers.
What is the symbolic significance of themysterious suitcase full of laughter,Barnum’s only paternal inheritance, andwhat light does it shed on Arnold Nilsen’scharacter?
How do the book’s circus metaphors help usunderstand the novel’s themes and plot?
Fred’s name means “peace” in Norwegianand yet he seems genetically prone to rageand violence. Is the name purely ironic ordoes Christensen intend to suggest that Freddoes, in some ways, bring a measure ofpeace to his troubled family at long last?
What goes wrong between Barnum andVivian, and who is the real father ofVivian’s child? What evidence do you findto support your theories about the child’spaternity? Is it Barnum? Peder? Fred? Othersuspects?
How would you characterize the relationshipbetween Peder and Barnum?
Alcoholism is a persistent theme in thebook. The Old One keeps a bottle ofMalaga hidden behind her books; herdaughter, Boletta, frequents a bar called theNorth Pole, and Barnum often drinkshimself into oblivion at great sacrifice to hisartistic career and to his relationships withthose who are closest to him. Why doBarnum, his grandmother, and his greatgrandmother struggle with addiction whileBarnum’s mother and his destructive half-
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brother mostly appear to resist thistemptation?
What accounts for the fact that Barnumrepeatedly sabotages himself as a lover, ahusband, a friend and a writer?
Consider the book’s last two sentences,spoken by the narrator, Barnum: ” ‘Whyhave you come back?’ I ask him. And Idon’t know if it’s me or mom Fred islooking at when he says, ‘To tell you allthis.’ ” All what? The quote implies thatthis is Fred’s story as much as it isBarnum’s. Discuss the implications of thissurprising and mysterious ending.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Lars Saabye Christensen is one ofScandinavia’s leading contemporary writers.In 2001, he celebrated his twenty-fifth yearof authorship with the release of the originalNorwegian version of The Half Brother,entitled Halvbroren. Christensen has wonmany prizes for his work, which includes adozen novels, numerous books of poetry,short fiction, and film scripts. Over the yearshe has won many literary prizes. Theseinclude The Tarjei Vesaas Prize for FirstFiction, The Norwegian Critics’ Prize, theBrage Award, the Bookseller’s Prize, TheRiverton Prize and the Cappelen Prize.Most recently he won the prestigious NordicCouncil Literature Prize (2002) forHalvbroren. Although his books have beentranslated into more than a dozen languages,The Half Brother is the first of his books toattract broad international acclaim. Hislatest novel, The Figwort Family (2003), hasbeen judged by some Norwegian critics ashis best novel to date, high praise indeedwhen one considers the literary and criticalsensation generated by The Half Brother.
ABOUT THE TRANSLATOR AND THETRANSLATION:
Scottish writer Kenneth C. Steven has beenwidely praised by reviewers, and deservedlyso, for his translation of this volcanic, 682-
page novel with its eccentric and mysteriouscharacters and its sophisticated structurestudded with numerous flashbacks. InSteven’s rendition, The Half Brother’squirky narrator tells the same complex,nuanced story laced with the same brilliantblend of humor and pathos found in theoriginal novel, Halvbroren. Perhaps thetranslation succeeds so well because Stevenmastered both official Norwegian languages,Bokmål and Nynorsk, while a universitystudent in Norway. Steven himself writesnovels, poems, and children’s books, someof which have been nominated for Britishand Scottish literary prizes.
OTHER BOOKS AVAILABLE INENGLISH TRANSLATION BY THISAUTHOR:
The Half Brother is the first of Christensen’sbooks to be widely distributed in English.Others have had small press runs in Englishtranslation but are, unfortunately, difficult tolocate. According to his publisher,Christensen’s latest book, The FigwortFamily (2003), has not yet been translated toEnglish.
SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHERREADING:
If you enjoyed this book, we suggest thefollowing other Nordic writers available inEnglish: Linn Ullmann’s Before You Sleep,Peter Hoeg’s Smilla’s Sense of Snow, andHerbjorg Wassmo’s Dina’s Book.
This NORTANA Study guide was preparedby Elizabeth Blair, Associate Professor ofEnglish, Southwest Minnesota StateUniversity
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NORTANA READING GROUP GUIDES
NORTANA Reading Group Guides presentworks of Norwegian literature to an English-reading public. By presenting theseintroductory materials, questions fordiscussion, and other suggested readings wewish to enhance your reading experience, aswell as to share our enthusiasm forNorwegian literature and encourage you toexplore further what Norwegian literaturehas to offer.
NORTANA Reading Group Guides may bedownloaded at no charge from theNORTANA web site www.nortana.net foruse by reading groups or individual readers.Comments, questions, or suggestions maybe posted to our Reading Group GuideDiscussion (Bulletin Board) Page.
The Norwegian Researchers and TeachersAssociation of North America (NORTANA)is a non-profit organization for researchers,teachers, and independent scholars involvedin Norwegian language, literature, and areastudies. NORTANA promotes thedissemination of information about Norwayand the study of Norwegian and Norway atall levels, and works to facilitatecooperation between scholars and the publicengaged in these fields.
