Thursday 24 January 2013

Recommended Reading: "Tett Inntil Dagene"

I am reading a book I got for Christmas by an acclaimed Swedish-Kurdish author, Mustafa Can. I am reading it in Norwegian (originally written in Swedish: "Tätt Intill Dagarna") and the English title is "Close To The Day".
 
The book is mesmerising in its sadness and at the same time a tender description of Can's dying mother. The book is about her last months and how her son during this time gets to know his mother in a new way. He rediscovers her culture and background, a world he has fought to get rid of and has felt ashamed of. He gets to know a woman who has lost 7 of her 15 children, who left her country and settled in an unknown culture. He sees the challenges she faced settling in a culture she struggled to understand, but which her children quickly embraced. The story is also an example of the challenges of growing up between different cultures.
 
The book is beautifully written and I am enjoying the lovely use of the language. I read quite a lot, and most of the time the language is fine (sometimes it is not!). But every now and then you come across something that is superbly well written.
 
This is one of those books.

7 comments:

  1. Hello Mette, As always you have the best (and timely) literature recommendations! Unfortunately, the book doesn't seem to be available through Amazon ... I hope all's well there ... we really must chat! How's the snow? All the best, Sarah

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ikke no' er som en god bok !

    Deilig avslapping i sofa kroken, men en god historie man kan fordype seg "inn i" - denne boken har jeg ikke hørt om, så takk for tipset.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Takk for boktips,
    jeg tenger en ny bok nå :O)
    Fin torsdag til deg!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Den boken har jeg hørt om og kanskje jeg må lese den. Enig med deg i at språket og flyten i det er veldig forskjellig fra forfatter til forfatter. Jeg elsker å lese der jeg "danser" meg gjennom godt skrevne bøker med dybde og troverdighet.

    Ha en superfin kveld.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Den har jeg lest. Jeg likte den godt. Faktisk ganske lærerik.
    Klem Og god helg

    ReplyDelete
  6. Takk for anbefalingen. Jeg har nå bestilt den fra biblioteket. Tenkte å få den med til Alicante i vinterferien vår. Bjørg

    ReplyDelete

Pinterest