Grief Is the Thing with Feathers

"Grief is the Thing with Feathers” er Max Porters debutroman. Historien centrerer sig om en sørgende familie, der får besøg af en ravn, der udfordrer de tre hovedpersoner. Den agerer både modspil og helling på en og samme tid, og truer, i bedste Mary Poppins stil, med at blive, indtil der ikke længere er behov for at den er der. Det er derfor ikke den altoverskyggende begivenhed i de tre hovedpersoners liv det er i centrum, men derimod hvordan de efterfølgende håndterer det. "Grief is the Thing with Feathers” er en meget usædvanlig roman, men det er typisk også denne type bøger der overrasker mest.

"Grief is the Thing with Feathers” er Max Porters debutroman. Historien centrerer sig om en sørgende familie, der får besøg af en ravn, der udfordrer de tre hovedpersoner. Den agerer både modspil og helling på en og samme tid, og truer, i bedste Mary Poppins stil, med at blive, indtil der ikke længere er behov for at den er der. Det er derfor ikke den altoverskyggende begivenhed i de tre hovedpersoners liv det er i centrum, men derimod hvordan de efterfølgende håndterer det. "Grief is the Thing with Feathers” er en meget usædvanlig roman, men det er typisk også denne type bøger der overrasker mest.

Here he is, husband and father, scruffy romantic, a shambolic scholar--a man adrift in the wake of his wife's sudden, accidental death. And there are his two sons who like him struggle in their London apartment to face the unbearable sadness that has engulfed them. The father imagines a future of well-meaning visitors and emptiness, while the boys wander, savage and unsupervised. In this moment of violent despair they are visited by Crow--antagonist, trickster, goad, protector, therapist, and babysitter. This self-described "sentimental bird," at once wild and tender, who "finds humans dull except in grief," threatens to stay with the wounded family until they no longer need him. As weeks turn to months and the pain of loss lessens with the balm of memories, Crow's efforts are rewarded and the little unit of three begins to recover: Dad resumes his book about the poet Ted Hughes; the boys get on with it, grow up. Part novella, part polyphonic fable, part essay on grief, Max Porter's extraordinary debut combines compassion and bravura style to dazzling effect. Full of angular wit and profound truths, Grief Is the Thing with Feathers is a startlingly original and haunting debut by a significant new talent.

Here he is, husband and father, scruffy romantic, a shambolic scholar--a man adrift in the wake of his wife's sudden, accidental death. And there are his two sons who like him struggle in their London apartment to face the unbearable sadness that has engulfed them. The father imagines a future of well-meaning visitors and emptiness, while the boys wander, savage and unsupervised. In this moment of violent despair they are visited by Crow--antagonist, trickster, goad, protector, therapist, and babysitter. This self-described "sentimental bird," at once wild and tender, who "finds humans dull except in grief," threatens to stay with the wounded family until they no longer need him. As weeks turn to months and the pain of loss lessens with the balm of memories, Crow's efforts are rewarded and the little unit of three begins to recover: Dad resumes his book about the poet Ted Hughes; the boys get on with it, grow up. Part novella, part polyphonic fable, part essay on grief, Max Porter's extraordinary debut combines compassion and bravura style to dazzling effect. Full of angular wit and profound truths, Grief Is the Thing with Feathers is a startlingly original and haunting debut by a significant new talent.