Ok, this one's for all my thousands of fans in Norway!

I have to write something about the love of my life. Most of you know already how much I love Tove Jansson, but only some of you know that my other love is Tove too. She's Tove Nilsen from Norway. Tarja Teva has translated into Finnish only two of her books, but she has written over 20 books or so. I really hope that one day they will translate more of them. (Please Tarja Teva? Please Like?) Anyway, I don't remember that much about "Øyets sult" ("Silmän nälkä"). I read it long time ago and maybe I didn't like it that much because right now I have no idea what it was about. But I will tell you about "Lystreise" ("Halun matka") which is the one book I love more that almost anything. It starts like this...

For å våge dett må jeg gjøre noe overspent. Først leser jeg alt jeg kommer over om ekstreme kvinner, slike som har reist ut i jungelen og levd med ville dyr, eller låst seg inee i studerkamre og forfattet folianter. Kvinner som har forsøkt å inngå pakt med hemmelige makter, tatt seg elskere av begge kjønn og blitt kalt hekser eller helgener.

Jeg leser om Juana de la Cruz fra Mexico som var så kunnskapsrik at hun allerede som femtenåring ble eksaminert av 1660-tallets klerikale kollegium som forbløffet måtte vedgå at hun kunne mer enn dem. Jeg leser om Maria Kirch som ikke kunne nøye seg med det jordiske, men forsøkte å forstå fenomenet aurora borealis og stirret i stjernekikkerten til hun oppdaget "sin egen" komet i 1702. Jeg leser om Caterina av Siena som ikke kunne klare seg med en dødelig og derfor kalte de mest ukyske lengsler for den hellige attrå der hun i alles påsyn, med rødflammete bryster og skilte lepper lå på kirketrappen og vred seg av begjær etter ingen ringere ann Guds sønn.

Så slår jeg nummer til et av byens få klostre og spør om det finnes gjesterom? Priorinnen svarer nøkternt at der det finnes behov finnes det også rom.

 

(Jotta uskaltaisin, minun on tehtävä jotain ennenkuulumatonta. Ensiksi luen kaiken mahdollisen äärimmäisyyksiin menneistä naisista, heistä jotka ovat lähteneet viidakkoon elämään villieläinten kanssa tai sulkeutuneet kammioihinsa kirjoittamaan paksuja opuksia. Naisista, jotka ovat yrittäneet solmia liiton salattujen voimien kanssa, jotka ovat ottaneet rakastajikseen sekä miehiä että naisia ja joiden osana on ollut tulla kutsutuiksi noidiksi tai pyhimyksiksi.

Luen meksikolaisesta Juana de la Cruzista, jonka tiedot olivat niin laajat, että hän jo viisitoistavuotiaana joutui kuulusteltavaksi 1660-luvun pappiskollegion eteen, jonka täytyi yllätyksekseen myöntää, että tyttö tiesi enemmän kuin he. Luen Maria Kirchistä, joka ei voinut tyytyä maalliseen, vaan joka yritti ymmärtää aurora borealis-ilmiötä ja tuijotti kaukoputkeen, kunnes löysi ikioman komeetan vuonna 1702. Luen Katariina Sienalaisesta, jolle ei tavallinen kuolevainen ollut tarpeeksi ja joka sen tähden kutsui kaikkin siveettömimpiä halujaan pyhäksi himoksi maatessaan kaiken kansan nähden tulipunaisin rinnoin ja huulet raollaan kirkon portailla kiemurrellen halusta ei sen vähäisempää kuin Jumalan poikaa kohtaan.

Sitten soitan yhteen kaupungin harvoista luostareista ja kysyn, onko heillä vierashuonetta. Abbedissa vastaa asiallisesti, että siellä missä on tarvetta, on myös tilaa.)

 

Book tells about Norwegian writer who tries to get pregnant. She is writing a book about Rembrandt and his painting "Batseba". She is really interested in Hendrickje Stoffels who was modeling for that painting and who was also Rembrandt's maid and lover.She is interested in all those forgotten women in history who doesn't have names. Who was the dead woman that Leonardo da Vinci cut open and draw when he was studying human anathomy? Who was her dead baby? This reminds me of another book. Anna Kortelainen's book "Virginie! " which tells a story of famous finnish painter Albert Edefelt's model Virginie.

I'm glad that nowadays there are women who ask these questions. "Who was that model in that famous painting? Ok, maybe she was just a whore or poor girl from the street but what was her name? What was her story? What do you mean that nobody knows?"

I can't really say why I love "Lystreise" so much. It's just the way story flows, right words in right places, sentences that crawl inside your skin and bite your bones. Maybe it just talks about things which I find the most interesting in this world: traveling, religion, philosophy, history, art, ageing, love, sex, writing...

It's also interesting that everytime I borrow my book to some of my friends it's always so hard to get that book back. People who usually read very fast keep that one book with them months or years and everytime I want it back I have to get angry and start to threaten them. So I know I'm not the only one who loves Nilsen.

Next time I will tell you Fakta om Erlend Loe. Or Linn Ullman or Herbjörg Wassmo. (Or even Jostein Gaarder. I think that one day I probably have to say something about him too...) While waiting it, please do go and read "Lystreise"!