Niels Fredrik Dahl’s ”Fars rygg” (Father’s Back), winner of the 2024 Nordic Council Literature Prize, explores the complex relationships and emotional landscapes of three generations of men: a grandfather, a father, and a son. The novel, translated by Gun-Britt Sundström, immerses the reader in a melancholic atmosphere reminiscent of Dahl’s earlier work, ”Herre,” characterized by its somber, depressive, and distinctive tone. This atmosphere permeates the narrative, coloring the lives and experiences of the three central figures. The story unfolds non-linearly, moving between different time periods and locations, from pre-war Alexandria and Geneva to wartime and post-war Oslo. This fragmented chronology adds to the novel’s overall sense of unease and the emotional weight carried by each generation.
The grandfather, a judge, is portrayed as a successful, expansive, and authoritarian figure, a jovial yet domineering presence within the family. The father, the central figure of the narrative, navigates life with a sense of uncertainty and displacement. His journey is traced from his privileged childhood in Alexandria to his years at boarding schools in Norway and Switzerland, and finally back to Oslo. The narrator, the son, remains a restrained presence, allowing his grandfather and father, along with his grandmother Ellen and mother G, to occupy the forefront of the story. This narrative choice shifts the focus away from the narrator’s personal experience and towards the intricate dynamics between the older generations. It allows the reader to witness the father’s journey through the lens of different familial relationships.
Dahl masterfully employs a technique of revealing information gradually, revisiting certain details and circumstances multiple times, allowing their significance and impact to deepen with each recurrence. This layering of information adds a cumulative emotional effect, creating a poignant and resonant reading experience. For instance, the reader is initially presented with fragmented glimpses of Ellen’s unhappiness in Alexandria, her reluctance to write to her son at boarding school, and her constant presence in white attire by the sea. These seemingly disparate elements gradually coalesce into a portrait of profound loneliness and despair, culminating in the revelation of her abandonment by the Judge for another woman.
The narrative’s emotional core lies in the exploration of loneliness, loss, and despair. Ellen’s tragic story of abandonment and her subsequent withdrawal into isolation forms a central thread within the novel. The stark contrast between the Judge’s flamboyant lifestyle and the subdued existence of the father and his heartbroken mother further emphasizes the emotional disparity within the family. The narrator’s later visit to the house where Ellen and his father lived after the separation underscores the lasting impact of this abandonment, highlighting the grandmother’s self-imposed confinement and the father’s helplessness in the face of her despair.
The novel’s prose possesses a lyrical quality, conveying emotions and experiences through carefully crafted imagery and evocative descriptions. Photographs serve as a frequent starting point, triggering memories and narratives that weave together the fabric of the family history. The narrator uses these visual anchors to reconstruct and interpret the past, transforming static images into vibrant scenes filled with emotional resonance. This approach lends the narrative a sense of intimacy and immediacy, drawing the reader into the emotional world of the characters. The interplay between visual and textual elements enhances the novel’s evocative power and contributes to its overall poetic effect.
However, the narrative’s approach to truth and memory presents a potential challenge. The narrator’s occasional interjections, questioning the accuracy of his recollections and acknowledging the possibility of fabrication, blur the lines between fact and fiction. This blurring raises questions about the reliability of memory and the subjective nature of storytelling, especially when dealing with the lives and experiences of others. While the narrator’s self-awareness might be intended to enhance authenticity, it can also create a sense of distance and uncertainty, potentially disrupting the reader’s immersion in the narrative.
Despite this ambiguity, ”Fars rygg” remains a deeply affecting and emotionally resonant novel. The powerful imagery and sensitive prose, skillfully translated by Gun-Britt Sundström, create a visceral reading experience. The fragmented narrative structure and the gradual unfolding of key events contribute to the novel’s overall sense of mystery and emotional depth. While the narrator’s intrusions might raise questions about the veracity of the story, they also underscore the complexities of memory and the subjective nature of personal narratives. Ultimately, “Fars rygg” offers a poignant exploration of familial relationships, loss, and the enduring impact of the past. The novel’s strength lies in its ability to evoke a powerful emotional response in the reader, leaving a lasting impression long after the final page is turned.
