The Scent of Light - by Kristjana Gunnars (Paperback)
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<p/><br></br><p><b> Book Synopsis </b></p></br></br><p><strong>Kazim Ali introduces five autofiction novellas by Kristjana Gunnars--available in the U.S. for the first time, in a single, handsome volume</strong></p> <p>Between the late eighties and late nineties, Kristjana Gunnars published five transgeneric novels comprised of a scintillating blend of fiction, autobiography, literary theory, and philosophy. Elusive and poetic... rigorous yet passionate...these books were treasured by a devoted readership and have been lauded by critics throughout the years since. </p> <p>-- Kazim Ali, from the introduction</p> <p>From a childhood in Cold War Iceland to love affairs and deaths, these short works document a life of perpetual motion, told a discontinuous, subversive style to reflect the singular, feminist, nomadic life of the narrator. </p> <p>It is a life of thought, an ongoing engagement with writers from Proust to Kierkegaard to Kristeva, seeking and often finding a companionship in the writing of others. These five spellbinding narratives act as a bending bow, open to what life has to offer day by day and taking the gentler course, wherein nothing is forced and life's big questions remain beautifully unanswered.</p> <p><em><strong>The Prowler</strong></em> is a reminiscence of childhood spent in Iceland, seen from a distance with the Cold War as a backdrop, just before the hyper-modernization of the mid-sixties, when the air of the past was still discernible. When an orange was a delicacy against the darkness. This is Gunnars' most lauded novella.</p> <p><strong><em>Zero Hour</em></strong> is a contemplation and remembrance of the narrator's father and his death. The narrative traces the course of the father's illness and final moments, and confronts the reality and grief of absolute endings. </p> <p><em><strong>The Substance of Forgetting</strong></em> is ultimately about happiness. Set in a lush valley in central B.C., the narrator begins to awaken to possibilities of love and transcendence. </p> <p><em><strong>The Rose Garden</strong></em> is set in Germany and the narrator is on an academic exchange wherein all that happens are things that are not supposed to happen. </p> <p><em><strong>Night Train to Nykøbing</strong></em> is a darker exploration of life's (and love's) unknowns and the dangers inherent in choices we make. The narrator is travelling between Vancouver and Oslo in a continuous back and forth that gives rise to a sense of the liminality of life itself.</p><p/><br></br><p><b> Review Quotes </b></p></br></br><br><p>"A quiet persistent beauty sets this work of fiction apart ... vivid and magical language ... disturbing and powerful." <strong>--<i>Windsor Star</i></strong></p><p>"Gunnars gets at the heart of what it means to read, to write, to remember ... and, in the process, to struggle for understanding and identity." --<i>Edmonton Journal</i><strong><i><br></i></strong></p><p>"If Kristjana Gunnars's writings are miraculous, their miracle is much like that of the miniature flora of northern climes. There is no showiness, no dazzle. But when you pause and bow your head for a moment to look with care, you are captivated by snowflake intimacies. Hers is an elemental writing." --Monique Tschofen<i><br></i></p><br><p/><br></br><p><b> About the Author </b></p></br></br>Kristjana Gunnars is a writer and painter, author of several books of various genres, and she frequently exhibits her artwork in Canada. She has participated in Buddhist groups and retreats with Tibetan teachers in years past. She lives in British Columbia, Canada. She is currently Visiting Professor in Languages and Literature at the University of Iceland in Reykjavik.
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