''Melancholy II'', original title ''Melancholia II'', is a 1996 novella by the Norwegian writer

Jon Fosse Jon Olav Fosse (born 29 September 1959) is a Norwegian author and dramatist. Biography Jon Fosse was born in Haugesund, Norway. A serious accident at age seven brought him close to death; the experience significantly influenced his adulthood wr ...

. It is set in 1902, on the day of the Norwegian artist

Lars Hertervig Lars Hertervig (16 February 1830 – 6 January 1902) was a Norwegian painter. His semi-fantastical work with motives from the coastal landscape in the traditional district of Ryfylke is regarded as one of the peaks of Norwegian painting. Life an ...

's death, and is told from the perspective of Hertervig's fictitious sister Oline. The book is the sequel to Fosse's 1995 novel '' Melancholy'', which is about Hertervig's time as a student.

Reception

Øystein Rottem Øystein Rottem (1 February 1946 – 5 December 2004) was a Norwegian philologist, literary historian and literary critic. Personal life Rottem was born on the island of Hemnskjela in what was then the municipality of Heim. His parents were ...

of ''

Dagbladet ''Dagbladet'' (lit.: ''The Daily Magazine'') is one of Norway's largest newspapers and is published in the tabloid format. It has 1,400,000 daily readers on mobile, web and paper. Traditionally ''Dagbladet'' is considered the main liberal newsp ...

'' wrote: "On one level this is a shiveringly reductive novel. Here existence is pressed down to the most elementary level: the oral and anal, food and feces." Rottem wrote that the story also has a religious aspect: "The connection between these two layers makes ''Melancholy II'' one of Fosse's most consistent works—and that is no small feat! You won't become happier by reading the book, but it grabs us more intensely than the vast majority of what otherwise is written nowadays." ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of B ...

'' wrote in 2014: "In this coda to the acclaimed '' Melancholy'', Fosse’s presentation of commonplace events is almost unbearably intense. ... Admirers of the first book will find this novel subtler and more profound than its predecessor, and new readers will discover a stunning, haunting meditation on age."

References

External links

Publicity page
at the Norwegian publisher's website {{in lang, nn
Publicity page
at the American publisher's website 1996 novels Fiction set in 1902 20th-century Norwegian novels Norwegian-language novels Norwegian novellas Novels about artists Novels by Jon Fosse Sequel novels Works about painters