In the shallows was our first volume of short stories - written mainly during the summer of 2008 on a long commute from Horten, Vestfold to Sandvika. The train line runs low along the Oslo fjord for some miles; the scenery, though not as dramatic as the fjords on the west coast, to someone brought up in England, is beautiful and dramatic; the detail of the woods and fields, too, the old barns and wooden churches, in green fields, under clear blue northern skies.
Originally, the collection was titled 'separations' - each of the stories had an element of separation - significant separation, such as death or divorce, or more abstract separation, such as that between generation or gender.
Because of the consistency of the writing and the theme, it was intended to make the collection like an LP, specifically those early 60s records, where musicians were starting see the bigger picture, where an album was a complete thing, rather than just a collection of tracks - like Pet Sounds, Revolver or Something else by the Kinks, where there is a 'feel' that holds the collection together. This was the plan for In the Shallows, where, despite the stories being very different there is the sensation that, rather than being a collection, it is one single text, with a consistent tone and atmosphere.
The collection starts off with the 'title track' - In the Shallows - where the fjord is the star, and the separations are numerous: between male and female, old and young, the living and the dead, the past and the present, the fjord and the forest and the cabin. It is a story about how our mind processes memories, about how shadows of the past can trigger the most profound emotions.
Young Henrik did not appear in the original eBook, written two years later, but fits in seamlessly with the tone and atmosphere of the other stories. It also deals with separation, not so distinctly, focusing, again, on the past and present, but in this case on the differences between expectation and reality.
Herr Melby Makes Coffee is a period piece, indistinctly set in mid-century Norway. It is the first story to tackle the subject of separation within relationships - here with the added complication of social and class barriers.
Life and death, one's influence in the world are the problems faced by the protagonist in A Guilty Conscience. A guilt-ridden man battles with a life choice, battles to chose which burden is the greatest - to be or not to be.
A man torn between his family and his lover is the subject of Billingstad. Whether he has made the decision, or that it has been made for him, guilt returns as a theme in this winter tale of infidelity.
Pre-dating the other stories in the collection, Randolph's Cosmetics is none-the-less very much a part of the continuing theme of the book. Once again, we are on a train, only this time it is man and wife - yet therein lies the separation, what is it that hold this husband and wife together, and what gulfs lie between them?
The subject of married couples is continued in After Dinner Speakers - a wordless, deconstruction of an argument.
Food continues as the theme in The Date, much like the previous story, this is a deconstruction of a not very successful meal, shared between two people on a first date.
Like Cars that Pass in the Morning Night, shifts the perspective back to social differences, with jealousy and desire entering the equation, adding confusion and deeper emotion to an everyday passage of thought.
An extended train of though is the basis for I Know That - the wondering of a bored checkout girl. As the world passes her by the girl considers her life and the argument she had with her other half, earlier that morning.
Constant Companions returns to the themes of marital separation and one's relationship to the past, as a man stares from his high window, down the side of the fjord to the sea and the islands, the familiarity harsh as he feels the loss of the departure of his wife.
Despite its short length, But I wasn't... is a heartbreaking little tale about two young children, forced together, yet worlds apart.
Youth also plays a starring role in Konditori, only now juxtaposed with older generations - how is it that families can be so different, and similarities spring up in the least expected ways?
Rather than relationships torn apart, unsavable ...And Over Again considers a relationship temporarily broken apart, the longing and desperation of being away from someone much loved and the unmatchable bliss of reacquaintance.
Beginning Norwegian, in essence, is really the starting point for all these stories - a new country and the problems of settling in, fitting in to a new world. Sometimes, it is the comfort of something familiar that gets us through difficult times, and sometimes inspiration comes in the most unexpected way.
Another period piece, A Candlelit Room, considers the themes that appear throughout the text in a more mysterious way. A woman is waiting for something, something unknown, but the effect on her is significant, and it is only fitting that we are left wondering, too.
Meredith is an atmospheric story, almost like a stage play, with a dream sequence - the story looks at the break between past and present, about something possessed and then lost. It is also about perception and the barriers and connections within society.
Based on the Loney Dear song Saturday Waits, going by the same name, Saturday Waits is a short prose-poem, a flash of thought and emotion in response to the revelation of the death of a relationship.
Finishing the collection, titularly seemingly out of place in this very Norwegian collection, Göteborg is the story of two people who break from their lives to find new paths and new futures, just over the border in Sweden - the thing with separations, they can't exist without togetherness.
Kind words about the stories.
Herr Melby makes coffee:
"This short story radiates power in its distinctive and understated way, and is rich in symbolism, with great attention to physical detail. The relationship between the two protagonists is handled in such an artistic and understated manner that the emotional impact of their estrangement is subtle, but highly palpable." via Good Reads
"...a touching and amazing short story which introduces two complex and conflicted characters. Despite the short length the character development is amazing and feels complete and the plot is engaging. A great quick read!" via Smashwords
"A short story with prose that is both descriptive and restrained, "Herr Melby Makes Coffee" tells of two aging men who face the realities of their affair. Although I enjoyed the way it was written, the ending was too inconclusive for me, and I found myself wondering what exactly had just happened." via Smashwords
"The writer has examined every detail, movement, look and feeling with microscopic vigilance in this unusual short story. Two male lovers, two agendas crossing paths on different levels. There is a sense of ending, of mourning a relationship but no tangible or verbal conclusion that explains the situation completely. The setting, as with all the stories from this author, is beuatifully presented." via Smashwords
A Guilty Conscience:
"What a wonderful mix of descriptive, observational poetry and introspective turmoil as the focus of this brief story rolls over thoughts in a mind tormented by perpetual analysis, juggling with cause and effect, action and consequence, while still maintaining a safety net of absolute distraction in an amazing location. A well written ambiguous piece that challenges the reader's inagination intellectually at the same time as fulfilling it aesthetically with a complete atmospheric portrait." via Smashwords
Kind Words about the collection.
"(In the Shallows) is a collection of 18 short stories set in Norway. As the title suggests the stories follow the theme of separation on the part of the characters. Truly of the modernist bent, these stories are not plot-driven (which is not to say that they don't each have a plot of sorts), rather we see a slice of each main character's life in the tales, which range widely in length. Just don't expect the traditional obvious rising action - climax - resolution structure; it's there, but more subtle as the work focuses deeply on moments, which is highly effective." via Smashwords
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