Silence in October

After 18 years of marriage Astrid, the wife of the novel’s narrator, has left home. Her departure leaves her art-historian husband feeling loss and loneliness that force him to reassess his life: not only his relationship with Astrid, but with their children, friends, his previous lovers, his work and perhaps most significantly himself. Moment by moment, in the silence of their Copenhagen apartment, the puzzle of his life takes shape. Grondahl explores with great subtlety the secret, unpredictable connections between men and women.

Reviews of Silence in October

* superb … Grondahl manages the near impossible: he makes the self-absorbed protagonist sympathetic and shows how a man may not know his wife at all after years of marriage. Grondahl's prose, translated by Ann Born, is electrically charged, while the plot is gripping and full of emotion, making Silence in October a winner all the way. The Times * a novel of quite extraordinary complexity and insight by one of Denmark's most celebrated writers … This is a challenging book, both for its unconventional form and for the density of its ideas. But the rewards for perseverance are great. Not least as an introduction to a writer who is already hugely acclaimed in Europe, and whose debut in our own language is long overdue. The Scotsman * Grondahl handles his montage skilfully, keeping confusion at bay and creating an impression of harmony rather than disjointedness. The prose, in Anne Born's skilful translation, is easy to read, in spite of the abstract nature of much of the subject matter; the narrative is beautifully written, effortlessly flowing and packed with visual snapshots … ultimately very moving. Times Literary Supplement * A work of immense acuity and masterful storytelling … beautifully crafted. The Latest