Johan Bojer writes about fisheres
in Lofoten in his youth and before the advent of motorized fishing vessels. He
depicts the life and circumstances of these fisher men with such dignity that
his tale will maintain its place among the very best in Nordic literature.
He is able to narrate in such a
way that you sense the age-old winds whipping the sails and you begin to understand
the importance of these fishing grounds for the thousands of homes that
depended on it.
Here you meet men hardened as
steel by the tough life at sea. They are Vikings. There is nothing wretched or
pitiful about this life, because although it is a hard life, it is always
touched by the grandeur and power of the sea.