‘The Norwegian Merethe Lindstrøm delivers two qualities at the same time: to begin with, she announces herself with Days in the History of Silence as an author who also deserves to be read in our language area. Subsequently, the opening sentence and, by extension, the entire first chapter immediately demonstrate the superior literary quality of the novel.’
★★★★★ (5 out of 5)
De Standaard der Letteren, Belgium
‘In a long inner monologue, Eva struggles with the new certainty of a commitment that is less easy to achieve. Lindstrøm’s prose is subtle, evocative and evocative. A word like ‘loneliness’ is not mentioned anywhere, but sounds unmistakably between the lines. Well done.’
De Volkskrant, Netherlands
‘Merethe Lindstrøm explores in this extremely intimate, beautiful novel how the past can’t be undone, no matter how much it likes to cover it up.’
Trouw, Netherlands
“This remarkable novel, winner of the 2012 Nordic Council Literature Prize, explores the theme of silence in many different forms — a children’s game, a refuge, a lie, a punishment, a solution — and shows its impact on those who long to be spoken to. (…) The prose is simple and elegant, revealing an extraordinary talent.”
Publishers Weekly, US
“It isn’t often that the adjective “bleak” is used in a complimentary fashion, but stay with me. … Lindstrøm’s writing style mirrors her narrator’s demeanor; her sentences are cold and remote, and there is no spare word or overly descriptive paragraph. These tactics make Days in the History of Silence all the more engrossing. The layers of silence that are stacked so neatly within this narrative are skillfully and precisely constructed, so that peeling one back only releases another. There are no detectives or murders to be solved, but it is indeed bleak, and in some ways more frightening than any of its better-known peers.”
Meganne Fabrega, Star Tribune, US
“It is an absolutely outstanding story of a broken marriage that points far beyond the borders of the Nordic region. It is also beautifully written, but certainly not in the classical sense. Rather, you stumble over the language, forcing you to stop and reread passages, which you do with pleasure, because, my goodness, there is so much in this portrait of marriage that hits the nail on the head.
If anything, this is an uncompromising novel. It takes place in a completely stagnant home (…) It involves very few characters and uses no devices other than silence. And yet it contains a simmering tension that is finally released without ending in a chorus of tears and violins. This is truly Nordic contemporary literature at its best.”
Leonora Christina Skov, Weekendavisen, Denmark
“Like an archaeologist, she has set out to explore the silent space of the human soul. Silence as a life-giver, as speech. But also as a killer, because the silence in this novel has made a pact with silence, with secrets born of powerlessness and maintained in the service of good will, but which have now taken shape in the darkness and become a destructive force.
Thus, in her Days in the History of Silence, Merethe Lindstrøm has masterfully captured the duality between the silence that opens and the silence that closes. Liselotte Wiemer, Kristeligt Dagblad, Denmark
“Intensely exciting in a low-key way. I’m completely hooked.”
Anna Tullberg, Sveriges Radio, Sweden
“The melancholy, the anxiety over a silence we cannot seem to escape, has found its ultimate expression.”
Jan Arnald, Dagens Nyheter, Sweden
‘Something as rare as an author it is essential to read. (…) One of the real finds of this year’s autumn book season.’
Vidar Kvalshaug, Aftenposten
‘Merethe Lindstrøm shows the suggestive power of a writer who has faith in her material. The result is a little masterpiece of a book (…) It is impressive how Lindstrøm composes a little chamber play, holding a mirror up to an existence so fragile and delicate without having to resort to big words. The language is simple, elegant and pleasing, but the mood is so evocative in its quiet drama. Lindstrøm is well known as a highly polished writer of short stories, but here she comprehensively demonstrates her command of the larger canvas too. (…) Through an elegant, epic technique of cuttings, she creates a textual mosaic of a life that deserves a multitude of readers.’
Silje M. Stavrum Norevik, Dagbladet
‘With Days in the History of Silence Merethe Lindstrøm has written one of this autumn’s best novels. In unobtrusive, elegant and incisive prose, she has produced a drama of everyday life which insinuates itself under the reader’s skin. (…) Merethe Lindstrøm is never ostentatious, and she does not use original metaphors, irony or subtext, instead depending completely on the power of her own subdued, explicit prose. There is therefore an insistent seriousness about this novel that does not fail to leave an impression of great credibility and authenticity.’
Turid Larsen, Dagsavisen
‘Stylish and clever. Merethe Lindstrøm is not only an outstanding, but also an intelligent, stylist. (…) With Days in the History of Silence she takes a stylistic step further in the methodology of depicting human fates, and this novel is one of the best she has written to date.’
Margunn Vikingstad, Dag og Tid
‘… an intimate and intense narrative about losing oneself through losing other people. (…) One of this year’s most memorable novels.’
5/6, Sindre Hovdenakk, Verdens Gang
‘Merethe Lindstrøm’s new novel Days in the History of Silence is an unusually good account of important matters; matters we cannot keep silent about if things are to go well for us in life. (…) Merethe Lindstrøm’s book is exceptionally well written, wise and beautiful in its approach to the problem of concealment and the lack of sociability in old age.’
Leif Ekle, NRK P2
