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A review by bonnieg
Long Live the Post Horn! by Vigdis Hjorth
5.0
This was full of surprises, perhaps the biggest of which was its quiet hopefulness, which is certainly not hinted at early on.
Elinor is a successful Norwegian marketing consultant who is living in a sort of suspended animation - she moves through her days of work, her family relationships, her romantic partnership with a clinical sort of detachment and spectacular compartmentalization, sharing nothing that matters with anyone who is not on a need-to-know basis. When Elinor unearths journals she wrote in her 20s she is reminded of her youthful optimism and energy and is horrified by how far from her dreams she has drifted because, apparently, she lost a sense of purpose. At the same time, other things happen which cause her to question things, a sister having fertility issues, a shift in her intimate relationship, and a significant and sad event in her work life. (In any other book at least the last two things on this list would be seismic life events, but this is so Norwegian so everybody just moves through their days with barely a ripple, barely mentioning these huge shared events normally filled with joy and heartbreak.) One of those huge shifts ends up dropping into Elinor's lap marketing responsibility for opposition to Norway's adoption of an EU postal regulation which would essentially change mail delivery from a public utility to a business required to self-sustain. I won't go into details, but will say that no one is more surprised than Elinor when the postal directive becomes that purpose she has been looking for.
This moving and deeply philosophical tale is beautifully written and though it takes on big ideas it is as quiet as you can imagine. It is a charming and sometimes funny (in a very quiet Norwegian way), and as mentioned at the top a surprisingly hopeful lens on the importance of community, meaning, history, and risk-taking. A 4.5 I would say, rounding up because I feel quite certain this is one that will stay with me.
Elinor is a successful Norwegian marketing consultant who is living in a sort of suspended animation - she moves through her days of work, her family relationships, her romantic partnership with a clinical sort of detachment and spectacular compartmentalization, sharing nothing that matters with anyone who is not on a need-to-know basis. When Elinor unearths journals she wrote in her 20s she is reminded of her youthful optimism and energy and is horrified by how far from her dreams she has drifted because, apparently, she lost a sense of purpose. At the same time, other things happen which cause her to question things, a sister having fertility issues, a shift in her intimate relationship, and a significant and sad event in her work life. (In any other book at least the last two things on this list would be seismic life events, but this is so Norwegian so everybody just moves through their days with barely a ripple, barely mentioning these huge shared events normally filled with joy and heartbreak.) One of those huge shifts ends up dropping into Elinor's lap marketing responsibility for opposition to Norway's adoption of an EU postal regulation which would essentially change mail delivery from a public utility to a business required to self-sustain. I won't go into details, but will say that no one is more surprised than Elinor when the postal directive becomes that purpose she has been looking for.
This moving and deeply philosophical tale is beautifully written and though it takes on big ideas it is as quiet as you can imagine. It is a charming and sometimes funny (in a very quiet Norwegian way), and as mentioned at the top a surprisingly hopeful lens on the importance of community, meaning, history, and risk-taking. A 4.5 I would say, rounding up because I feel quite certain this is one that will stay with me.