The Other Name cover art

The Other Name

Septology I-II (Septology, Book 1)

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The Other Name

By: Jon Fosse, Damion Searls - translator
Narrated by: Kyle Snyder
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About this listen

The Other Name follows the lives of two men living close to each other on the west coast of Norway. The year is coming to a close and Asle, an aging painter and widower, is reminiscing about his life. He lives alone, his only friends being his neighbor, Åsleik, a bachelor and traditional Norwegian fisherman-farmer, and Beyer, a gallerist who lives in Bjørgvin, a couple hours drive south of Dylgja, where he lives. There, in Bjørgvin, lives another Asle, also a painter. He and the narrator are doppelgangers—two versions of the same person, two versions of the same life.

Written in hypnotic prose that shifts between the first and third person, The Other Name calls into question concrete notions around subjectivity and the self. What makes us who we are? And why do we lead one life and not another? Through flashbacks, Fosse deftly explores the convergences and divergences in the lives of both Asles, slowly building towards a decisive encounter between them both. A writer at the zenith of his career, with The Other Name, the first two volumes in his Septology, Fosse presents us with an indelible and poignant exploration of the human condition that will endure as his masterpiece.

©2019 Jon Fosse; Translation copyright 2019 by Damion Searls (P)2023 Tantor Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Psychological Small Town & Rural World Literature Ageing

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All stars
Most relevant
Totally absorbing, lyrical prose delving into the human condition underlying the lives, childhoods and circumstances of two men in remote Norway, one an artist. The narration is superb. I realise that this will not be everyone's cup of tea, but if it is, it will become almost part of you. Hypnotic, stream of consciousness suggestive of Samuel Beckett. Exploring the deep meaning of life and art, I think.

Mesmerising masterpiece

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Sorry but I don’t get it or enjoy it. I won’t try another book from the author.

Tedious

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Couldn't get into this at all. I don't like the narrator's voice, the story is taking too long to get going, and there's a very annoying repetition of "he thinks". I'd return it, but Audible won't let me because I didn't buy it with my credit even though it cost the same as a credit.

Not recommended.

Wish I could return it

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