Spring Night

Tarjei Vesaas

TRANSLATED FROM THE NORWEGIAN BY KENNETH G. CHAPMAN

First British Commonwealth edition, 1972, Jacket design by Keith Cunningham

The only signs of wear are on the dust jacket, with light scratches along the edges of the spine and along the top and bottom of the front cover. Otherwise, the book is as good as new.

Spring Night, or Varnatt, was first published in 1954. It relates the events that overtake two youngsters who are left alone for a night on their parents' farm. They have to cope with a group of strangers whose car breaks down -- an ill-assorted family who inflict their personal problems and neuroses on them.

On another level, Spring Night is a story of abrupt change from childish dreams and security to adult responsibility and happiness, themes which Vesaas handles with considerable human insight and subtlety.

Tarjei Vesaas is widely considered to be one of the great twentieth century Scandinavian writers. He was born in 1897 in the remote rural Telemark district of Norway, where he grew up and spent most of his life. He died in 1970. His first book appeared in 1923, and he subsequently published novels, several volumes of poetry and a book of stories which was awarded an international prize at Venice in 1952.