... masterly translation ... Mr. Fosse writes with no full stops, each unending sentence flowing imperceptibly between Asle’s memories and present actions and often incorporating his incantations of Latin prayers. The effect can be both mesmerizing and dulling, but there are moments when it reaches a pitch of extraordinary catharsis. Amidst a field of writers intrigued by the potential of religion, Mr. Fosse has created something of a different order: a work of art that itself approximates a religious experience.
... another superb translation ... These vivid recollections are the most intriguing aspect of Fosse’s project. The memories are in no way extraordinary. At times humorous, occasionally erotic, most often mundane, they are bittersweet testaments to a life now fading with grief. Though Fosse has largely done away with punctuation altogether, opting instead for sudden line breaks, his dense, sinuous prose is never convoluted, and its effect is mesmerizing ... Fosse is not content with simply being a 'Catholic writer', and the metaphysical discussions are firmly anchored in the everyday: in Asle’s attempts to make sense of his life, in his chopping of potatoes, his frying of bacon and boiling of lutefisk, in his perpetual longing for Ales, and in his art.
... beautiful and unsettling ... This haunting tale holds an intriguing puzzle at its heart: can existence only be understood as a kind of paradox? Fosse infuses the mystery with Asle’s frequent paraphrasing of the German Catholic theologian Meister Eckhart, bringing insight to questions of love, art, and faith. This offers a stirring exploration of life and identity.
