The Land of Dreams
by Vidar Sundstøl
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Dear Vidar, Thank you for this interview. Who is the typical reader of Vidar Sundstøl works? Generally speaking, those readers who prefer crime fiction of the more literary sort. In the US, there has been a majority of mid-westerners with Scandinavian roots. This due to the fact that my first three books in the States, the so-called Minnesota Trilogy take place in an American-Norwegian environment on the north shore of Lake Superior. However I think my American audience is getting more diverse with my latest book “The Devil's Wedding Ring”. |
Photo: courtesy of the artist |
What does being a Norwegian writer mean to the wider literary community?
What matters – or at least what should matter - is the quality of your work, and not where you're from.
Having said that, there is definitely a lot of things happening with Norwegian literature abroad these days. Not only mega crime successes like Jo Nesbø, but writers like Karl Ove Knausgård and Per Petterson. They attract a kind of attention that sooner or later rubs off on the rest of us. It's definitely an interesting time to be a Norwegian writer.
Your book, The Land of Dreams, part of your Minnesota Trilogy, was a seamless introduction to an expanded audience. How much work did you put into this book?
The Land of Dreams took me nearly two years to write. But before that I spent a couple of years planning and researching in Minnesota.
I read a lot of local folklore, mostly tales of the local Native Americans, the Ojibway. I studied lots and lots of old photos from the pioneer days, and generally laid down a great amount of work before I even began writing. And then it developed into a trilogy.
What was your initial reaction of how well your work is received in North America?
I was moved, more than anything. It was quite an emotional experience for me to see this story – the Minnesota trilogy – return to the land where it had all begun. And of course the fact that the reception was so good, added to that experience.
What matters – or at least what should matter - is the quality of your work, and not where you're from.
Having said that, there is definitely a lot of things happening with Norwegian literature abroad these days. Not only mega crime successes like Jo Nesbø, but writers like Karl Ove Knausgård and Per Petterson. They attract a kind of attention that sooner or later rubs off on the rest of us. It's definitely an interesting time to be a Norwegian writer.
Your book, The Land of Dreams, part of your Minnesota Trilogy, was a seamless introduction to an expanded audience. How much work did you put into this book?
The Land of Dreams took me nearly two years to write. But before that I spent a couple of years planning and researching in Minnesota.
I read a lot of local folklore, mostly tales of the local Native Americans, the Ojibway. I studied lots and lots of old photos from the pioneer days, and generally laid down a great amount of work before I even began writing. And then it developed into a trilogy.
What was your initial reaction of how well your work is received in North America?
I was moved, more than anything. It was quite an emotional experience for me to see this story – the Minnesota trilogy – return to the land where it had all begun. And of course the fact that the reception was so good, added to that experience.
Excerpt from The Devil's Wedding Ring
Something came rushing at her at top speed. A piece of black night grazed her face like a gust of wind and then disappeared.
A bat.
For all she knew, there could be an entire colony of bats hanging from the overhead rafters during the daytime, but when night came, they let go and flew around inside the stave church. Flapping their way over the rows of pews, over the altar and baptismal font. Around the head of the saint statue. In and out of one or more small openings in the shingled roof. A nocturnal dance that no one ever saw.
Suddenly an avalanche of bats slid down from the rafters and began flying chaotically around the room.
“No, no, no,” she whispered, reaching up to cover her head with her hands.
Then she noticed a different sound. Someone was unlocking the church door. A key scraped and rattled in the crude lock. Her heart began pounding so hard she felt sick.
A bat.
For all she knew, there could be an entire colony of bats hanging from the overhead rafters during the daytime, but when night came, they let go and flew around inside the stave church. Flapping their way over the rows of pews, over the altar and baptismal font. Around the head of the saint statue. In and out of one or more small openings in the shingled roof. A nocturnal dance that no one ever saw.
Suddenly an avalanche of bats slid down from the rafters and began flying chaotically around the room.
“No, no, no,” she whispered, reaching up to cover her head with her hands.
Then she noticed a different sound. Someone was unlocking the church door. A key scraped and rattled in the crude lock. Her heart began pounding so hard she felt sick.
* * *
What are the key elements that make a good crime fiction book?
First, the plot has to be really good. Which doesn't necessarily mean that it has to be very elaborate. The plot of the Minnesota Trilogy is quite small in scope, but it has this ability to keep the reader reading. Secondly, the characters must feel real, as if they are living human beings. If they don't, it doesn't really matter what happens to them. And thirdly, a good crime fiction book must have what any good book needs: that unknown x-factor that only a few writers are in possession of.
How do you explain this genre being a necessary obsession for millions of readers?
I'm afraid a lot of it comes down to habit. People are creatures of habit, and crime fiction mostly gives people what they are used to receiving. In my opinion, the truly great crime novels don't. They present the reader with something brand new and different, although within the framework of the genre.
When did you realize that crime fiction is what you wanted dedicated yourself to?
I never did. My dedication is to literature in general. I have published several volumes of non crime fiction, that have not yet been translated into English. I don't even consider myself a crime writer, but a writer who sometimes write crime novels.
Do you have any other special talents or interests that help you in your writing process?
Very few talents I'm afraid, but I do have somewhat of an obsession with history. And it seems to seep into everything that I write.
Where is your happy place for researching, planning, writing?
I do almost all my work in my home office.
Is there a list of cities you consider as perfect settings for developing a plot line possibly for a future book?
One of my novels takes place in the Egyptian city of Alexandria, where I spent a year, long time ago. It has never been translated, but I think it's a great book. Basically, I think any place or city could work as a setting for a novel. It's all about what the writer manages to make out of it.
What are you currently working on?
I'm in the middle of something and would prefer not to talk about it in public yet.