Sjón's novel, The Blue Fox, reviewed by Tine Frellesen

So, Iceland in 1883: A vicar foxhunting in the glaciers and a botanist making funeral arrangements for a dead woman. It really doesn’t sound like the kind of book you’re dying to read. But – once I picked it up, I couldn’t put it down.

The novel begins, like a poem, with sparse sentences on each page. Glimpses of the settings and protagonists, like atmospheric photographs or film clips. It slowly gathers pace and volume as the plot builds and the stories of the two men unfold in a mysterious pattern.

Baldur Skuggason is tracking a blue fox in the stark Icelandic landscape and as the weather turns colder and wilder there is telepathic messaging between fox and hunter.

The herbalist Fridrik who has returned from studies in Copenhagen puts together the pieces of a strange parcel and thereby the pieces of the strange life of the dead woman, Abba. A woman, who suffered from Down’s Syndrome, who had appeared out of the womb of a stranded shipwreck.

The fox hunt turns into a mad fable as the communication between the vicar and the fox turns more and more surreal. This is where the novel becomes absolutely magical. And the unpredictability of the plot twists makes you laugh and wonder.

Also the simplicity of the lives of Fridrik and Abba is deeply satisfying to read. A wooden house, a stove, clothes and utensils made and crafted by hand. This, and the rawness of a life governed by nature seems soothing to the senses.

Sjóns poetic language is beautiful and has a certain mystery:

“Snow covered the land up to the root of the glacier, not a bare path of earth to be seen; the vixen would write the tale of her travels on the blank sheet as soon as she embarked on them.”

” The sun warms the man’s white body, and the snow, melting with a diffident creaking, passes for birdsong.”

“Ghost-sun is the name given by poets to their friend the moon”

And when Baldur is trapped in a snow drift and ravens line up ready for dinner:

“A shadow darkened the snow crust and a moment later a raven landed there. It cocked it’s head on one side, examining the man stuck fast in the snow trap.”

The best stories are the ones that surprise you, where you have no idea of the outcome, but in the end you realise the writer knew where he was heading all along. The Blue Fox is a short novel of 110 pages, but like The Great Gatsby or Sieze the Day, the length is perfect and the story complete.

Sjón is an Icelandig novelist, poet and librettist. Born 1962, his name is Sigurjon (Sjon) Birgir Sigurosson. He has published novels, poetry collections and plays and has written many songs in collaborations with Björk. His twitter account is here: Sjonorama

Review by Tine Frellesen

29/10/2018