A love story of immense emotional and philosophical reach - compelling, elegant and astute. Lucca Montale, a 32-year-old Danish actress, is rushed into hospital after a motor accident. She is severely injured after a head-on collision with a lorry. Robert, the doctor responsible for treating her, is obliged to break the news that she may never see again. Robert and Lucca are both suffering the after-effects of love. He has sought refuge in controlled resignation since his divorce. She has rushed into dramatic, desperate acts. Gr?ndahl masterfully deploys a dual narrative, switching with astounding insight between the stories that the two protagonists relate to each other. This superb novel was a sensational literary bestseller in Gr?ndahl's native Denmark.
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An actress is injured in a motor accident and rushed to hospital. As she convalesces she begins an intense relationship with her doctor. Both are suffering the after effects of love, and confide in each other in a dual narrative of astounding insight and power.
About the Author
Jens Christian Gr?ndahl is one of the most celebrated and widely-read writers in Denmark today. Born in 1959, he was trained as a film director. His literary work includes eleven novels, essays and several plays. Anne Born has translated many works of Danish, Swedish and Norwegian literature, including Gr?ndahl's previous novel, Silence in October for which she received extensive praise.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
By Jesper Garde
Format:Paperback
I just read this book in Danish and what a journey!
It brilliantly observes and describes the nature of relationships in our time. Rarely have I read such beautiful descriptions of the challenges and workings of relationships between parents/children, couples and friends.
Highly recommended!
It brilliantly observes and describes the nature of relationships in our time. Rarely have I read such beautiful descriptions of the challenges and workings of relationships between parents/children, couples and friends.
Highly recommended!
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
3.4 out of 5 stars
5 reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Inner Life of Human Relationships
13 Feb 2004
By H. Korda
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
Can we ever really know another person? What is human connection--and disconnection--all about?
Danish author Jens Christian Grøndahl explores basic--and complex--questions of human relationship in this carefully detailed story of Lucca, a young actress who is blinded in a head-on collision, and Robert, the physician who oversees her recovery. Both characters have been damaged by love. We quickly learn that Lucca has a son and a husband from whom she is estranged. Robert is a divorced father with a young daughter who sometimes visits. We learn their stories as they come together through platonic self reflection and recall memories of past relationships to understand and heal.
With the same emotionally disciplined style of Silence in October, Grøndahl lets us deep into the minds and souls of these characters, but never lets us feel pity for them, only respect. His writing is brutally honest, intellectual and definitely European in genre. Grøndahl lays bare the innermost thoughts of his characters using a process that is slow and ponderous at times, but very effective for exploring the delicate path to redemption.
Like a Bergman film, Lucca is not an action tale and can be dreary and grey in its realism. But it is well worth the read to experience Grøndahl's unique depiction of his characters and his masterful literary style.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Exquisite poetry
31 Aug 2005
By Inta K. Miele
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
After I finished this book I though that for a long time I could never read another book by any other author - I thought no other book could be so beautifully written - exquisite detail and character description. A melancholy searching beautiful soul! I read the first book which was translated and liked that very much as well. I am eagerly waiting for another book to be translated into English. Perhaps because I was born in Riga Latvia (neighbor) I identify with his characters more.
0 of 2 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
No wonder they call Hamlet the gloomy Dane
3 May 2006
By Chaussee St. Pierre
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
Hats off to the translator; the book reads as if it were written in English. Grondahl has an interesting style; you could take his descriptions and dialogue and repeat them verbatim in a movie script. I felt I was watching a bleak Scandinavian film with Ikea-like furniture rather than reading a book. The novel is very well constructed with parallels and flashbacks and all that good stuff.
Okay, he can write.
Unfortunately, after starting out interested in Lucca and Robert's search for identity, I found myself, halfway through, not caring. The wounded-by-sex-and-relationships theme, wears thin pretty quickly. If there's an Oprah equivalent in Denmark, this book has gotta be on her list. If that's not your cup of "te" be warned.
Okay, he can write.
Unfortunately, after starting out interested in Lucca and Robert's search for identity, I found myself, halfway through, not caring. The wounded-by-sex-and-relationships theme, wears thin pretty quickly. If there's an Oprah equivalent in Denmark, this book has gotta be on her list. If that's not your cup of "te" be warned.
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3.4 out of 5 stars
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