Morning and Evening (Norwegian Literature)

The Norwegian Writer Jon Fosse’s novel Morning and Evening is about the birth and death of a Norwegian Fisherman named Johannes. The novel was translated from the Norwegian language to the English language by Damion Seals. Jon Fosse won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2023. Seals’ translation of Fosse is written uniquely. The book does not have chapters. The book does have two sections. The first section is from the perspective of his father who was also named Johannes. Johannes witnesses the birth of a son who will be named Johannes as well. Johannes lives on a coast of the Norwegian coast. Jon Fosse is from a village “on the west coast of Norway” in the words of the biographical sketch. The second section is from the perspective of Johannes, as he is dying or dead. As Johannes is dying or has died, he meets the people from his life again. Fosse leaves the idea up to the writer whether Johannes is dying or died during most of the novel. Even though the novel is only set at the beginning and end of Johannes’s life, Fosse shows the reader, Johannes’ life. I think the novel is effective at showing the reader the life of Johannes. Jon Fosse’s novel, Morning and Evening is an interesting meditative on life and death.