Valancourt Books discussion

In André Bjerke's classic THE LAKE OF THE DEAD (1942), one of Norway's all-time favorite novels, victims are sucked down to their deaths in a bottomless lake, preternaturally blue from the eternal blue hellfire said to burn in its depths. For the special limited hardcover edition (250 numbered copies), we had them bound in matching "hellfire blue" cloth, and they're really strikingly handsome books. This one got a great review in the Washington Post and from Booklist, and we've heard from several readers who devoured it in one sitting. Grab yours here: https://www.valancourtbooks.com/the-l...

I am so excited about this one!

Thank you! Hope you enjoy it.

I just finished Lake of the Dead and found it a gripping novel with fascinating philosophical overtones. It's in an ancient house in a VERY remote region near a lake thought to have supernatural powers. Four characters, including one who carries the author's name, venture into this remote wilderness to investigate that apparent suicide of a friend. The ensuing developments contain several unexpected twists, several interesting interchanges among characters that follow from their different philosophical takes on the supernatural, and an unexpected but satisfying ending. Crucially, everything we get is in the voice (and mind) of the "author," who has his own biases that color what we read in ways that empower some of the twists. I found this a wonderful addition to the (happily) every growing list of international works in translation Valencourt is publishing!