NOBEL PRIZES 2023: The Literature Prize for «Mystical Realism»
Photo by Alexander Mahmoud, 2018. Art design: Olena Burdeina (FA_Photo) via Photoshop
This year, the Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded to someone worth discussing in more detail. Norwegian Jon Fosse writes in a unique style. Today, he is regarded as a near-living classic and a hallmark of Norwegian literature. But it was only sometimes this way…
EXPRESSING THE INEXPRESSIBLE
As is well known, in 2023, the Nobel Committee awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature to Norwegian writer and one of the world’s most renowned playwrights, Jon Fosse, «for his innovative plays and prose that express the inexpressible».
This may be the best description of Fosse’s work, as the author himself describes his writing process as «an experience of entering a new place». However, not everyone always appreciated this experience.
Many readers were outraged, critics harshly criticized Fosse, and publishers often refused to print his books. All of this was due to his «original» style of writing — what is now known as «Fosse minimalism», a unique and recognizable manner that today garners admiration from all. His novels have been translated into all major languages, and in 2007, the British publication The Daily Telegraph named him a «living genius».
NEIGHBORING HIS MAJESTY
In Norway, Jon Fosse’s award of the Nobel Prize sparked a nationwide celebration. He received congratulations from an overwhelming number of fellow countrymen, starting with His Majesty the King, the Prime Minister, and, of course, editors and publishers.
Long before his «Nobel moment», Jon Fosse was already regarded as a national treasure in his home country. By the time he won the 2023 prize, the 64-year-old writer had received nearly fifty prestigious literary and theatrical awards across Europe. The press had labeled him many things, from the «Beckett of the 21st century» to the «Scandinavian Chekhov» and the «new Ibsen».
It’s no surprise that, instead of waiting for the Nobel Committee to «wake up», the Norwegian government began paying him a lifetime stipend and even provided him with a residence near the royal palace in Oslo.
BOOKMAKERS «PREPARED» FOSSE FOR THE PRIZE
Fosse received the Nobel news with calm, Nordic composure. When asked about the award on public broadcaster NRK, Jon said he wasn’t particularly surprised by his win. The reason? Bookmakers!
They had been seriously discussing his candidacy for the past ten years, so he had plenty of time to get used to the idea. Besides, as he put it, why be surprised when he has been writing since the age of 12 and «doing it quite well»?
It may sound like a bold statement, but it is true. Fosse’s first «professional» novel, Red, Black, was published back in 1983, and his first play, And We’ll Never Be Parted, came out in 1993. However, his full artistic power truly blossomed, starting in 2012.
FAITH IN GOD SAVED THE WRITER FROM ALCOHOLISM
Fosse himself attributes this to his conversion to Catholicism, bringing him closer to what is called the «Mother Church» in Norway. This is especially remarkable considering that Catholics make up only 5% of Norway’s population. However, the Catholic Church is the second-largest religious community in the country and plays a vital role in Norwegian society.
His conversion to Catholicism helped Fosse overcome psychological issues, frequent panic attacks, and a severe alcohol addiction. A former atheist, he embraced his newfound faith so deeply that he even translated the Bible into Nynorsk, a Norwegian written standard.
AN ATHEIST CAN NOT UNDERSTAND THE NATURE OF CREATIVITY
Jon Fosse’s reflections on the nature of talent and creativity led him toward faith in God — he genuinely couldn’t grasp how masterpieces that many admired were born in his mind and soul.
In one interview, Fosse described his reasons for converting to Catholicism: «There was a kind of religious shift in my life… I was an atheist, but I couldn’t explain what happened when I wrote how it happened. Where did it come from? I couldn’t answer that question. You can always explain brain function scientifically, but you can’t capture the light or the spirit within it. It’s something else».
The culmination of these reflections became a series of seven novels — Septology, which focuses on an aging artist’s relationship with God. Fosse’s protagonist struggles with whether his last painting, resembling St. Andrew’s Cross, is finished.
LITURGICAL PROSE
Septology was published after Fosse’s conversion to faith. It is the work that attracted the most attention and readership in the English-speaking world. This popularity could be seen as a divine gift to the writer.
Besides freeing him from paranoia and alcoholism, of course. The wonder lies in the fact that people don’t read Fosse’s books for their plots — he openly acknowledges this in his interviews. It takes effort to get used to his style, his «mystical realism», and his «slow prose».
But once you immerse yourself in it, it’s hard to leave. His prose is so unique that critics frequently compare it to liturgy. Indeed, despite the apparent simplicity of his words and images, Fosse encourages spiritual reflection. He often includes prayer within the structure of his narratives.
LANGUAGE AND STYLE
Fosse’s style pays homage to Joyce, Woolf, and Dostoevsky’s «stream of consciousness» literature. Jon became the fourth Norwegian Nobel laureate after Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, Sigrid Undset, and Knut Hamsun. But, unlike his predecessors, he writes in Nynorsk — New Norwegian.
This is another minor miracle. Nynorsk is a minority language composed of various dialects, and hardly anyone speaks it — neither at home nor at work. It is essentially an artificial, constructed language used in television and theater. But it is precisely this intentional artificiality and theatricality that attracts Fosse to Nynorsk.
Additionally, Jon Fosse is a theater theorist. He emphasizes the role of silence and pauses, which create «theatrical magic». It’s no coincidence that one of Fosse’s most famous collections as a playwright is called When an Angel Passes the Stage.
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We hope that this story about one of the most unusual Nobel laureates will inspire readers of our almanac to explore Fosse’s work firsthand — believe us, the aesthetic pleasure you will find in the reading process is well worth it.
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