The Birds

The Birds (1957) might be Tarjei Vesaas’ masterpiece. No other character has portrayed with as much care and empathy as Mattis. Helpless in everyday life and useless as a worker, Mattis in some ways still understands more than the sharper ones.

Nature reveals secrets to Mattis. He can decipher the language of birds. He can read the letters that the woodcock writers to him with its beak and feet. And he can articulate the deepest questions of life: Why are things the way they are? he asks the friendly farmer’s wife who offers him coffee when he has again failed in doing the work he has been asked to do.

No-one can offer any answers, but the author tells the story in such a way that the reader comes to share his empathy for Mattis, while still understanding Mattis’s sister Hege and all those who want to help Mattis, but who can’t reach all the way in to him.

In 1967, The Birds was made into a film by the Polish director Witold Leszczynski.

Foreigns Sales
Iran,
Italy,
Lithuania,
Slovakia,
UK,
US, Archipelago Books
Hungary,
Poland, Wydawnictwo Poznańskie
Denmark,
Russia,
Bulgaria,
Georgia,
Switzerland,
Korea,
Japan, Kokusho Kankokai
Croatia,
Turkey, Timas Publishing House
Netherlands,
Israel, Hakibbutz Hameuchad 
Sweden, Norstedts
Germany, Guggolz verlag
Spain, Nordica
Catalonia,Club Editor
Greece, Kastaniotis Editions SA
France, Éditions Cambourakis

Praise
«The best Norwegian novel ever» - Karl Ove Knausgård

«A Masterpiece.» - Ian McEwan

«Read, read read The Birds by Tarjei Vesaas … This is the highlight of his life.» - Politiken [6/6 hearts]

«A masterpiece. Tarjei Vesaas’ The Birds is an everlasting existential study of solitude, proving that a fool may ask more questions in an hour than a wise man can answer in seven years.» - Weekendavsien

«A spare, icily humane story... The character of Mattis, absurd and boastful but also sweet, pathetic and even funny, is shown with great Insight.» - Sunday Times

«True visionary power» - Sunday Telegraph 

«Beautiful and subtle» - The Scotsman

«The Birds  is a delight»  - The European