The Boat of Longing (Borealis Books) - Softcover

Rolvaag, O. E.

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9780873511841: The Boat of Longing (Borealis Books)
Softcover
ISBN 10: 0873511840 ISBN 13: 9780873511841
Publisher: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 1985

Synopsis

From the rocky, mist-enshrouded shores of Norway to the bustling streets of Minneapolis, O. E. Rĝlvaag lyrically chronicles the experiences of Nils Vaag, a young Norwegian immigrant. Abandoning the life of a fisherman in Nordland, a region poor but full of mystical beauty, Nils emigrates to the New World in 1912. There he sweeps saloons, lives in a boardinghouse called "Babel" for the many languages used by its residents, and begins to find his way among the people of the city.

The Boat of Longing was Rĝlvaag's favorite of all his books and the only one set in urban America. When it was first published in English in 1933, it received wide praise from American critics. This edition includes an introduction by Einar Haugen, professor emeritus of Scandinavian and Linguistics at Harvard University and author of a critical study of Rĝlvaag.

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Language Notes

Text: English, Norwegian (translation)

Review

"A tale woven of wisps of fog and shreds of sunshine: it is all Norse, yet thoroughly American." -- New York Times Book Review

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

Publisher
Minnesota Historical Society Press
Publication date
1985
Language
English
ISBN 10 
0873511840
ISBN 13 
9780873511841
Binding
Paperback
Number of pages
319
Rating
  • 3.98 out of 5 stars
    116 ratings by Goodreads