Can Siss get hooked on fantasy? – Siss Vik’s book letter

Hello hello! Then Easter was over, and I didn’t get to read a single book, granted. Maybe that’s how it is for us who work with books: It gives a greater sense of freedom to scrub the bathroom tiles to 80’s hits on the radio than to deal with the tall pile of books on the bedside table. But I hope you read something good! Either a new book or something whimsical you found in the cottage library. This week I give you a challenge to get me hooked on fantasy, you get the picture of the week and I’ve heard a podcast that I think everyone should listen to. Uka’s poem comes from the Minister of Culture himself. When I worked at Tanum bookshop in the 90s, we had a small wall with fantasy and science fiction literature in English. There was always a smell of farts there, because that section was in a corner, so customers with gas in their stomachs liked to go there to relieve the pressure. Possibly it has shaped my attitude towards fantasy literature. But the customers who shopped the most from that shelf were also a bit special. They didn’t have the smartest style of dress, and were more of the lonely kind, I think. One of them even had a Prince Valiant hairstyle, it was so complete that it was a bit cool. At the time, fantasy was a narrow genre with very dedicated fans, living its own life on the fringes of the book world. When Ian McKellen himself plays the role of Gandalf, you really like him. I’m not alone in being skeptical of fantasy. In “Doppler” from 2004, Erlend Loe writes about the main character who goes with his daughter to Tolkien’s “Two Towers” at the cinema. A slightly ironic comment from the father about the evil Saruman causes the daughter to turn away from him in disgust. For her, the saga of the ring is a powerful story about the battle between good and evil. For the father, it is “an unusually expensive film about trolls”, which does not touch. As the same age as Erlend Loe, I sympathize with the father, but also understand the daughter. The status of the fantasy genre has changed dramatically since the 1990s. Undoubtedly, expensive TV and film adaptations of famous fantasy series have contributed enormously to popularizing tales with dragons, magical swords and knights. Another reason is the explosion in the Young Adult Fiction market in the US. If you walk into a large bookshop in New York today, you will find a long wall of children’s literature, and within that wall again, a separate wall of fantasy books for young people. There is something about fantasy that particularly attracts young people, and authors who address a young audience know this. Many young people read almost exclusively fantasy. Many who love the classic “The Lord of the Rings” discovered it precisely in their teens. My colleague Turi has read the entire trilogy eleven times, and the podcast “Bokklubben Bastard” recently had “The Lord of the Rings” as its theme. Author Maria Navarro Skaranger told about when she discovered Tolkien’s universe as a young person and entered it wholeheartedly, with costumes and full speed. Today, there is a large selection of fantasy literature, especially in English. Photo: news The fact that fantasy is primarily youth literature perhaps contributes to my skepticism. It feels a bit childish with kind wizards, cunning witches and giant sand worms. If you put on the ironic glasses, it’s easy to giggle at elvish language, talking trees and silly fantasy names like Egwene Al’Vere and Tolya Yul-Bataar. At the same time, I thought Khaleesi and her dragons were tough in “Game of Thrones”, I enjoy Harry Potter and I devoured Siri Pettersen’s “Iron Wolf”. So my door is ajar. My boss thinks I should ABSOLUTELY read The Lord of the Rings, but the work is over a thousand pages long, and I’ve already seen the movies several times. The Nazgûl are fucking creepy, but the talking trees seem a bit silly. But there is so much new fantasy out there that I know little about. So I leave it to you to decide: Which fantasy book should I read, and why? I promise to read the one that is most strongly recommended with an open mind, and submit a report when I’m done. Maybe I’ll be hooked. MANY FANTASY ADAPTATIONS: Author Robert Jordan’s popular book series “The Wheel of Time” came to TV series format in 2021. Photo: Amazon Prime Tolkien never goes out of style. The first season of the world’s most expensive TV series, “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power”, appeared on Amazon Prime last year. PHOTO: The Amazon PrimeNetflix series “The Witcher” is based on a Polish book series. But it is probably the computer game version of the books that laid the foundation for its popularity. Photo: Netflix Picture of the Week Speaking of fantasy: I found the third feature in the series of pictures of people reading books by chance online. I haven’t been able to find out who took it, but the occasion was the theatrical premiere in LA of the last film in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Photo: Unknown origin It’s about 100 percent certain that the picture is staged, but I still think it’s fun. The freshly groomed Viggo Mortensen is barely recognizable on the cover. Equally handsome in both versions, if you ask me. New must-hear podcast about JK Rowling Although I wrote about the controversial Harry Potter author quite recently, I have to revisit the subject. The reason is a new podcast series: “The Witch Trials of JK Rowling” The Free Press, which is behind the series, is passionate about creating dialogue where the debate has gone completely deadlocked. And the Rowling case is precisely a wasp’s nest of rage and hatred on both sides. Through seven episodes of one hour each, program creator Megan Phelps-Roper goes through the different levels of the story of JK Rowling and the world’s biggest book phenomenon, Harry Potter. What many have forgotten, or perhaps were not born to experience, was that the first time people burned Harry Potter books, it was fundamentalist Christians who lit the fire. They believed that Rowling had smuggled real witchcraft into children’s books and that the readers were thereby getting Satan into their hearts. In 2023, people on the opposite political side are burning Harry Potter books. Now trans activists are showing their disgust. This 180 degree turn in book burning policy makes the Rowling case an excellent case for examining how polarization arises and develops. The photo shows a bonfire outside Christ Community Church in 2001 in Alamogordo, New Mexico. The vicar had encouraged people to throw Harry Potter books on the bonfire. Photo: Neil Jacobs / Getty Images There are many good American documentarians out there, but Megan Phelps-Roper has a unique background. She grew up in the Westboro Baptist Church sect, you know, the ones who show up at funerals with big placards shouting that gays should burn in hell. Megan Phelps-Roper got out of the sect, and today strongly distances herself from the attitudes the church and herself stood for. She has agonized over the fact that in future she will do her utmost to listen to and understand other people’s opinions and feelings. Presumably, it is Megan’s special background that made Rowling agree to an interview when she received the request. The program creator gets good access to the media-shy author at the castle where she lives, and together they unravel the story of a book phenomenon the likes of which no one has seen. When we read or hear people say that Rowling should burn in hell or that they want to stuff her throat until she suffocates, it’s appalling. Such remarks are completely unacceptable, no matter who they affect. But show creator Megan is also trying to understand where such anger can come from. After all, she herself has shouted hateful remarks to people in mourning, while she thought she was doing it out of love. Photo: The Free Press / Lavine Agency After we’ve heard the story from Rowling’s side, and understand how she’s been thinking, it’s time to hear from the other side. In episode six, “Natalie and Noah,” we meet two transgender people who have been die-hard Potter fans but feel let down by JK Rowling’s statements on Twitter. Their stories completely turned around what I had thought so far. I gained a whole new understanding of the background to the pain and disappointment people in the trans community can experience when a heroine lets them down, as they perceive it. In the final episode, Megan goes back to Scotland, to hear Rowling’s response to the questions Natalie and Noah have sent with her. I’ll hear it tonight. If you’re not particularly interested in Harry Potter, “The Witch Trials of JK Rowling” is just as much about freedom of speech, climate of debate, internet history and the nature of the witch trial, all over the world, at all times. This is the podcast you must hear this spring. And you have to hear all seven episodes or you’ll miss one side. Poem of the week Culture Minister Anette Trettebergstuen recently shared a poem on Instagram that may be recognizable to many. A kind of New Norwegian version of #thefeeling: Photo: Instagram The poem was written by Kjersti Wøien Håland, from the debut book “Kjersti is a fictional person, greetings Kjersti” from 2013. Babies and renovation, there you have two topics that are only exciting to hear about if you have a baby yourself or are redecorating. Shooting is always sad. Comment So, now you’ve had time to think a bit: Which fantasy book should I read, do you think? And why exactly that one? Hello! Welcome to dialogue at news. Since you are logged in to other news services, you do not have to log in again here, but we need your consent to our terms of use for online dialogue



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