T Singer

A poignant exploration of love and loneliness

Dag Solstad author Tiina Nunnally translator

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Vintage Publishing

Published:30th May '19

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

T Singer cover

In this compelling novel, T Singer explores themes of loneliness and transformation through the life of a young librarian navigating love and loss.

In T Singer, the latest novel from one of Norway’s most esteemed authors, readers are introduced to the poignant tale of a young librarian seeking solace in a small town. Singer, a thirty-four-year-old man, arrives in Notodden with hopes of starting anew, only to confront the complexities of loneliness and relationships. His life takes a turn when he falls for Merete, a ceramicist, and becomes part of her family, including her young daughter. Their initial happiness begins to wane, revealing the fragility of human connections.

As the story unfolds, the couple faces challenges that test their bond, leading to a pivotal moment that changes everything. A car accident serves as a catalyst for introspection and transformation, forcing Singer to reevaluate his life choices and the nature of love. The narrative is crafted with Solstad's signature blend of dark humor and heartbreak, making it a compelling exploration of the human condition.

T Singer is not just a story about personal struggles; it also delves into the absurdities of existence, as noted by critics. With accolades from renowned authors like Haruki Murakami and James Wood, this novel invites readers to reflect on their own lives and the connections they forge. It is a testament to the power of literature to illuminate the complexities of life and the emotions that come with it.

Solstad’s construction of reality is uniquely his own… mad, sad and funny… the behavioural possibilities of the novel are subtly and fundamentally enlarged. -- Geoff Dyer * Observer *
All of the whispers have been right: Solstad is a vital novelist. -- Charles Finch * New York Times *
Solstad is expert in delineating the absurdities of existence… Solstad exposes us to ourselves. -- David Mills * Sunday Times *
He’s a kind of surrealistic writer... I think that’s serious literature. -- Haruki Murakami
His language sparkles with its new old-fashioned elegance. -- Karl Ove Knausgaard
He doesn’t write to please other people... Do exactly what you want, that’s my idea… the drama exists in his voice, in his comments and views, and that works, it helps connect the reader to the story. -- Lydia Davis
Solstad's novels are full of dryly comic, densely existential despair . . . reminiscent of Witold Gombrowicz, with his keen sense of the absurd. Both translators Tiina Nunnally and Steven T. Murray have rendered Solstad's rhythms into wonderfully idiosyncratic English. -- Nathan Kapp * Times Literary Supplement *
[Solstad] is a wonderful stylist whose prose gives the impression of not being stylised at all… The prose is distracted and persistent, compelling and compelled. -- Frank Lawton * Literary Review *
Before Knausgaard, Norway had Solstad, whose pitiless, mesmeric, darkly comic stories of quiet desperation – here it’s a failed librarian – turn banality to sublimity. * The Arts Desk *
An idiosyncratic, at times impish writer, whose voice – insinuating yet direct, droll but aghast – is impossible to ‘unhear’ once you’ve encountered it. * The White Review *

ISBN: 9781784703066

Dimensions: 198mm x 129mm x 17mm

Weight: 219g

272 pages