When I Forgot - Brossura

Hirvonen, Elina

Brossura

ISBN 10: 0980243653 ISBN 13: 9780980243659

Casa editrice: Tin House Books, 2009

Riassunto

A Finlandia Prize-winning work finds Anna en route to visit her institutionalized brother and experiencing a moment of recollection so arresting that it shatters her world, a repressed memory of horrific psychological relevance that forces her to reevaluate her understanding of hope and survival in the face of grim modern-world prospects. Original. A first novel.

Su questo libro

Recensione

Potent, fragile and tender, When I Forgot is really the story of When I Remembered,’ of a woman summoning the courage to unlock her memories and share them, and feeling the relief of exhaling breath held too long.”
Liesl Schillinger, The New York Times Book Review (cover)

Recommended Reading: The story of two young people, one Finnish and one American, each with their own tragic pasts, and their journey together to understanding. San Francisco Chronicle

"Excellent and evocative...What is most remarkable about this novel, aside from its honest, simple prose and compelling storyline (it's difficult to stop reading), is that Hirvonen maintains a real sense of optimism throughout this meditation on love and war." Katja Pantzar, The Globe and Mail

"When I Forgot is tightly structured and coolly narrated, with a dispassionate voice that makes its extremes of emotion that much more affecting." Alison Hallett, Portland Mercury

"The problem with Elina Hirvonen’s When I Forgot is finding a place to stop. The narrative of this slender, lightning-fast Finnish novel, the most internationally successful debut novel in Finnish history, propels you along without the hint of a stopping point, one startling, violent or surprising scene feeding directly into another, or story within story unfolding accordion-style, part now, part later, with fragments of other stories unraveling in between." Booklist's Book Group Buzz

"[Hirvonen] captures this struggle and the role of memory in our lives with amazing grace and a crispness, or maybe an electrical current, that jumps off the page...the story is an amazingly quick and powerful read; it pulls you forward and flows almost naturally. This comes from the way Hirvonen seems to have so perfectly captured the way our memories and thoughts flow...It is an example of humane literature; language that both captures something about what it means to be human while at the same time illustrating the incredible creativity and skill that writers can bring to that quitesential human habit: the story." Kevin Holtsberry, Collected Miscellany

A story told in sparse language and delicate sentence fragments, set amid the snow-spattered cafes and apartments of Helsinki, When I Forgot shares its philosophical commentary while never neglecting its individual characters or its unique setting. Synchronized Chaos

"An amazing, intense, lyrical account of two parallel lives and their wonderful love affair. The swift clarity of the prose, the beauty of the images, and the wise observations make this novella a fantastic pleasure." Josip Novakovich, author of April Fool's Day

"Terribly sad but also absolutely beautiful." NOW Magazine

Product Description

Given its surprising beauty and assured voice, it's hard to believe that "When I Forgot" is Elina Hirvonen's first novel. While on her way to the hospital where her brother is institutionalized, Anna experiences a moment of recollection so arresting it shatters her world -- a recollection of searing pain and madness. Exploring psychological trauma, the boundaries of memory, and the political ramifications of September 11, 2001, "When I Forgot" offers gripping insights into the universal themes of suppressed pain and, above all, retaining a sense of hope in an increasingly grim world.

Dettagli dell'edizione

• Editore: Tin House Books
• Data di pubblicazione: 2009
• Lingua: Inglese
• ISBN 10: 0980243653
• ISBN 13: 9780980243659
• Rilegatura: Copertina flessibile
• Numero di pagine: 184
• Contatto del produttore: non disponibile
• Persona responsabile: non disponibile