In the novel “Høgfjellsmeldinga”, author Guri Sørumgård Botheim goes straight into an area of high tension, namely the area where reindeer life and various human activities must go on side by side. This is not about Fosen and windmills, but about wild reindeer meeting tourists and other people at Hjerkinn, Dovre. Cross-genre report in the service of the good Our guide through the dispute is Ragna Svae, newly appointed communications manager at the Norwegian Reindeer Center in Hjerkinn. Botheim emphasizes by way of introduction that “any similarities with employees and internal discussions are accidental and not intended.” It can be a good clarification. Not all of Ragna’s colleagues come out of it quite well. The center has been tasked with creating a public report (NOU) on interests and conflicts of interest in Høgfjellet. No one thinks they are particularly well suited to this task, out of laziness or fear of teasing various interest groups. The newest person in the office gets the case. As thought, so done. The conservationist Ragna makes a NOU that can safely be called genre-crossing. The wild reindeer must have the first right. Save nature and save yourself Following Ragna through her work with the NOU is dramatic, on at least two levels: Will someone discover what is actually written there before the text ends up on the desk of the Minister of the Environment? And not least: Will any of those who gradually hate Ragna succeed in scaring her out of her job and the village? The nature-oriented communications employee receives anonymous threats that many can be behind: DNT wants a bus route all the way to the tourist cabin deep in the mountains. The mayor is thinking about business development. The locals will do as they have always done, while the most conscientious conservationists will not back down from sabotage. The latter reason as follows: Hjerkinn has already restored huge natural areas, after several decades as a firing range for the defence. Why stop there? Why not erase all traces of tourism as well, and give the mountain back to reindeer and wolverine and muskox? Diplomacy is not Ragna’s strong point, neither professionally nor privately. On a personal level, Ragna struggles to forget an old flame and nature conservation activist who died several years ago. The new boyfriend, sane Lars, is unsure about the relationship. Especially after Ragna ran off to Dovre almost without giving notice. The colleagues notice that she has a picture of the ex and not of Lars in the office. Sharp look at modern wilderness life Guri Sørumgård Botheim brings the office environment to life, she has a sharp eye for the tiny irritations of everyday life, as well as the large gap between different views on wilderness protection. Someone took the kettle into his own office. Someone destroys the dam plant in the service of the good. THE BATTLE FOR PRIVATE NATURE: Guri Sørumgård Botheim presents different views on pristine nature: Should he be left alone, or is he created for sustenance and recreation? Is it rude to let wild animals dispose of large areas all by themselves? Photo: Benedikte Skarvik / Samlaget I am also very involved in trying to find out who is behind the threats against Ragna, and let myself be fascinated by the practical steps she takes to escape if it gets serious. But the faltering relationship with Lars and the grief over the young dead lover is less interesting. There, the intensity of the novel dropped sharply, even though Ragna’s feelings are both intense and complex. The author has a better grasp of tension curves and external action than of the nuances of the mind and love life. Lucky for her that there are many more depictions of nervous romances out there on the bookshelves than of conflicts surrounding the reindeer tribe on Dovre. The novel is best on the material he is quite alone about. “Høgfjellsmeldinga” is a multi-threaded and readable novel, which addresses one of the big questions of our time by following the reasoning of people with very different interests. The novel helps the reader to think. news reviewer Illustration: Sigurd Brørs / October Title: “Høgfjellsmeldinga” Author: Guri Sørumgård Botheim Genre: Novel Publisher: October Number of pages: 334 Date: 17 March 2023
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“Høgfjellsmeldinga” by Guri Sørumgård Bothheim – Reviews and recommendations
