Melancholy I & II

By Jon Fosse

From Jon Fosse, winner of the 2023 Nobel Prize for Literature, comes an aching exploration of life, death, time, memory, and the artistic temperament.

Initially published separately and brought together here in a single volume, Melancholy I & II are essential entries in the oeuvre of one of the world's most celebrated living writers. Fosse explores the life and work of Lars Hertervig (1830-1902), a troubled painter of dreamlike landscapes widely regarded as a major Norwegian artist.

Rendered in Fosse's trademark stream-of-consciousness style, Melancholy I focuses on Hertervig's time as a student--a period which he spent tortured by doubts of his artistic abilities and a torn between his studies, his art, and his unrequited loves, culminating in a mental breakdown. Melancholy II is narrated by Hertervig's sister and is set entirely on the date of his death, just after the dawning of the 20th century, as the world sits on the precipice of change.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1628976578
• ISBN13: 9781628976571
• Release Date: July 2026
• Publisher: Dalkey Archive Press
• Length: 450 Pages