''Morning and Evening'' () is a 2000 novella by the Norwegian writer Jon Fosse. It tells the story of a fisherman: the first part of the book is about his birth seen from the perspective of his father, and the second part is about his death, when he revisits important places and moments from his life. The book was published in English in 2015. The book received the

Melsom Prize The Melsom Prize () is a Norwegian literary award. It is given annually to a writer or translator who writes in Nynorsk, for a work published during the preceding year. The prize was established in 1922 by the shipowner Ferdinand Melsom. The prize ...

. It was the basis for the 2015 opera ''

Morgen und Abend ''Morgen und Abend'' (German: ''Morning and Evening'') is an opera by Georg Friedrich Haas to a libretto by the Norwegian writer Jon Fosse.

'' with music by

Georg Friedrich Haas Georg Friedrich Haas (born 16 August 1953 in Graz, Austria) is an Austrian composer. In a 2017 ''Classic Voice'' poll of the greatest works of art music since 2000, pieces by Haas received the most votes (49), and his composition ''in vain'' (20 ...

Reception

Critical response

Ole Karlsen of ''

Dag og Tid Dag, or variant forms, may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''DAG'' (American TV series), 2000–2001 * ''Dag'' (Norwegian TV series), 2010–2015 * ''DAG'' (newspaper), a former free Dutch newspaper * DAG (band), an American funk band * D ...

'' noted how Fosse had moved on from his early works, where he merely described problems related to gaps between language and reality, to actively trying to heal the problems he identified. Karlsen wrote about ''Morning and Evening'': "Fosse's repetitive writing style has perhaps an even more clear Biblical intention than in his last novel – and thus the text becomes charged with meaning. Yes, Fosse is rightly a poet, he can remind of Vesaas and is thus far on Vesaas' level." ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...

'' wrote: "Indeed, the moments throughout the novel are simple, quotidian, yet Fosse's pared down, circuitous, and rhythmic prose skillfully guides readers through past and present. In this short, gripping novel, Fosse composes a hypnotic meditation on life and death."

Accolades

The book received the 2001

for best book written in

Nynorsk Nynorsk () () is one of the two written standards of the Norwegian language, the other being Bokmål. From 12 May 1885, it became the state-sanctioned version of Ivar Aasen's standard Norwegian language ( no, Landsmål) parallel to the Dano- ...

. It was nominated for the

Nordic Council Literature Prize The Nordic Council Literature Prize is awarded for a work of literature written in one of the languages of the Nordic countries, that meets "high literary and artistic standards". Established in 1962, the prize is awarded every year, and is worth ...

and the

Norwegian Critics Prize for Literature The Norwegian Critics Prize for Literature (''Den norske Kritikerprisen for litteratur'' or ''Kritikerprisen'') is awarded by the Norwegian Literature Critics' Association (''Norsk Litteraturkritikerlag'') and has been awarded every year since 1950 ...

References

External links

Publicity page
at the Norwegian publisher's website {{in lang, nn
Publicity page
at the American publisher's website 2000 novels 20th-century Norwegian novels Norwegian-language novels Norwegian novellas Novels adapted into operas Novels by Jon Fosse