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A review by taylorklong
The Blue Fox by Sjón
4.0
Reverend Baldur hunts a beguiling blue fox. Fridrik, a naturalist, faces the loss of Abba, a young woman in his care. These stories weave together in a not wholly unforeseen way in this icy, poetic novella by Icelandic writer, Sjón, relayed in four intersecting movements.
Not sure I'd call it a fairy tale as others have, but it does tread into fable/parable territory. I can't help but feel like I'm missing out on some references as a non-native, but ultimately, it's Sjón's cutting prose that steals the show. He writes coolly, deliberately - some paragraphs or sentences receive their own page to impart their impact. His visuals are piercing: Reverend Baldur, sitting naked on the snow with his picnic, waiting for his clothes to dry. The Blue Fox, spinning around on snow like a top. The jagged mountains and farms of Iceland. The shipwreck on which Abba was discovered.
It left a lingering melancholy, but didn't pack a huge emotional punch - which is fine, I needed sort of an emotional haven after the intensity of Night Film. Still, a few extra pieces on the relationship between Fridrik and Abba would've fleshed out The Blue Fox's heart, and offered respite from the harsh truths it unearths.
Overall, an entrancing read, not quite a thriller, but certainly with a sense of urgency - one I devoured in two short sittings - and absolutely worth spending time on to marvel at Sjón's craft and dwell in his visions of old Iceland, and his sense of divine justice. Wishing I had picked up the two other books of his that were available at Portsmouth's Book and Bar (worth a visit if you're ever along the New Hampshire seacoast), where I found this.
Many thanks to Mr. S.Penkevich, whose lovely review moved me to pick this up, and to whoever designed the beautiful covers for these english translations, which helped trigger my memory when I came across it at the bookstore. One of the things I love about this site is discovering things I might not have otherwise, and I'm not sure Sjón's work would've found me without GR - but I'm glad it did.
Not sure I'd call it a fairy tale as others have, but it does tread into fable/parable territory. I can't help but feel like I'm missing out on some references as a non-native, but ultimately, it's Sjón's cutting prose that steals the show. He writes coolly, deliberately - some paragraphs or sentences receive their own page to impart their impact. His visuals are piercing: Reverend Baldur, sitting naked on the snow with his picnic, waiting for his clothes to dry. The Blue Fox, spinning around on snow like a top. The jagged mountains and farms of Iceland. The shipwreck on which Abba was discovered.
It left a lingering melancholy, but didn't pack a huge emotional punch - which is fine, I needed sort of an emotional haven after the intensity of Night Film. Still, a few extra pieces on the relationship between Fridrik and Abba would've fleshed out The Blue Fox's heart, and offered respite from the harsh truths it unearths.
Overall, an entrancing read, not quite a thriller, but certainly with a sense of urgency - one I devoured in two short sittings - and absolutely worth spending time on to marvel at Sjón's craft and dwell in his visions of old Iceland, and his sense of divine justice. Wishing I had picked up the two other books of his that were available at Portsmouth's Book and Bar (worth a visit if you're ever along the New Hampshire seacoast), where I found this.
Many thanks to Mr. S.Penkevich, whose lovely review moved me to pick this up, and to whoever designed the beautiful covers for these english translations, which helped trigger my memory when I came across it at the bookstore. One of the things I love about this site is discovering things I might not have otherwise, and I'm not sure Sjón's work would've found me without GR - but I'm glad it did.