Written by Ingvar Ambjørnsen

Number 2 in Elling

Publisher: Cappelen
Pages: 228
Genre: Contemporary, Norwegian
Published: 1995-01-01
Original Language: Norwegian

Romanen er en frittstående fortsettelse av Utsikt til paradiset (1993). Igjen er hovedpersonen den ensomme Elling. Etter sammenbruddet i blokkleiligheten våkner han opp på psykiatrisk institusjon, på rom sammen med den like ensomme Kjell Bjarne. To underlige mennesker nærmer seg hverandre og et skjørt vennskap oppstår. I et tilbakeblikk møter vi også Elling og moren i et fortvilet forsøk på normal ferietilværelse i badebyen Benidorm. Fortsetter i Brødre i blodet og Elsk meg i morgen.

Read from 2019-07-01 to 2019-07-06
Read in Norwegian
Rating: 4/5
Review: The wonderful style of the first Elling book continues into the second one, but in this one Elling’s internal monologue and fantasies are, to a much greater extent, guided by actual events. This makes the book quite different from the first one. Whereas the first book was essentially a dive into the mind of Elling, Fugledansen is an insight into how Elling reacts to and deals with things.

As for how the book made me feel, I really can’t place it. It’s impossible not to love Elling as a character, feel with him, follow, and to a point agree with, his trains of thought, and support him, which makes it all the more sad when the world doesn’t go his way. His frustration and sadness at times hit me in an almost visceral way, and the fact that all the adversity takes place without there being any villain - it’s just the way life goes - doesn’t make any of it any less sad.

The book can really only be described as being like one of the Elling books. I liked this one, as much as I liked the previous one, as much as I liked the third one when I read that in school. And I’m very glad that I have two more left to go.