Initially, “Dyr i byen” strikes me as another novel of the type that makes a number of the author’s problems in writing it. Fortunately, it will turn out to be more than that. In the book, we meet a narrator who is only called Hun. She lives alone in a small apartment with her girl, whom she calls Ungen. And quite rightly, She is a writer, and she struggles terribly with writing. And that’s not all she struggles with. BOOK DEBUTANT: Marte Wulff was born in 1980 and grew up in Kristiansand. She is known as an artist, composer and writer with seven solo albums, two Spellemann nominations and a number of well-known songs behind her. “Animals in the city” is her first novel. Photo: Fartein Rudjord / October Obsessed with climate She is obsessed with the climate crisis, She carries a concern for the planet’s woes and well that clearly breaks the boundaries of a healthy environmental commitment and turns into obsessions and fixed ideas. She has such a boundless love for the planet that it makes her despise, yes, almost hate, humanity. This entire text is dominated by this inner voice of this neurotic, strict superego. In the beginning, I get irritated and a little dull by the gloomy, monomaniacal and self-absorbed nature of the narrator. Then it turns to fascination. Eco-satire Gradually we become better acquainted with this woman’s personal life, or what is left of it. Because the author in the book has broken contact with most of those closest to him. Supposedly because they don’t live up to her principles and high ideals. The ex-husband turns out to be something along the lines of a core person. And she is the one who has left him, by starting a relationship with another guy, who she also dropped. It makes me wonder: Is it her own sense of inadequacy and shortcomings that she projects onto humanity? Is she angry at the people because she is really disappointed in herself? The only exception is the love for the Child, which in principle must be pure and undefiled. But here, too, problems creep in. She does, however, need the discipline that life as a single mother entails. On the other hand, she needs room to live out her vocation as an artist, as well as to cultivate her interests in wine, cigarettes and casual sex. So how are we to understand this, is it satire on eco-fanatics? Only exceptionally do I think this tips over into comedy. Like when Hun in some almost Hamsun-like scenes scolds people in the street, or ends an argument with an old man at the thrift store by running away with his bicycle helmet. Listen to the genes Typical of the protagonist’s psyche is that it goes into a loop, and rests in place. Like so many of us, she is in a way stuck in herself. Is it even possible to envisage a development or a reversal here? It comes, at least sort of, when she hears a dark and potentially wise voice on the radio. It is the evolutionary biologist Marius Ask Andersen, one of the few in this book who is honored with his own name. The evolutionary biologist can tell that we are controlled by evolution and our genes. In a certain sense, we are all animals in the city, so one can interpret him. He teaches her to free herself from nature. To not always listen to the roar of the genes. It helps. The novel opens up towards the end, as the main character takes in the new lessons. She also opens up to the outside world by letting the occasional man into her life, albeit with variable results. And old ties with the family are renewed. The language also changes, becomes more sensual and more clarified, not quite so breathless and staccato. We can say that the novel ends in a better place, without that meaning that all problems are over for this one-track and all in all likable personality. Marte Wulff has delivered an interesting psychological portrait of an obsessed person, who is torn between selfishness and altruism, and who has great difficulty distinguishing between what is what. For her sake, we have to hope it’s not a self-portrait. news reviews Photo: October Title: “Animals in the city” Author: Marte Wulff Genre: Novel Number of pages: 337 Published: 2024 Publisher: Oktober Hi! My name is Ola Hegdal, and I read and review books for news. Preferably crime and suspense literature, or non-fiction. Feel free to read my review of “The Anomaly” by Hervé Le Tellier, “Raging Light” by Nikolaj Frobenius or “A Perfect Mother” by Alex Dahl. Published 27.08.2024, at 10.19
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“Animals in the city” by Marte Wulff – Reviews and recommendations
