Mirage 38
First edition (Sweden) | |
Author | Kjell Westö |
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Original title | Hägring 38 |
Language | Swedish |
Subject | Politics |
Set in | Helsinki, Finland 1938 |
Published | 2013 |
Publisher | Albert Bonniers förlag (Sweden) Schildts & Söderströms (Finland) |
Publication place | Finland |
Awards | Nordic Council's Literature Prize of 2014, Sveriges Radio's Novel Award of 2014 |
The Wednesday Club (Swedish: Hägring 38) is a 2013 novel by Finnish author Kjell Westö. It won the Nordic Council's Literature Prize in 2014.[1] The novel tells about Helsinki in 1938.
Plot
The story takes place over eight months in 1938 in Helsinki. The main character is lawyer Claes Thune and the book is set in a Finnish-Swedish bourgeois environment. He has been left by his wife Gabi, who has gotten together with his friend Lindemark. Banan and Lindemark meet in the discussion group Wednesday Club (Onsdagsklubben), which they have founded with old friends Arelius and Joachim Jary, to discuss politics and culture, but mostly to socialize and drink themselves senseless.[2] The group gradually splits into a liberal section, to which Thune belongs, and a right-wing one. Adolf Hitler's expansionist policies arouse both anger and admiration. Joachim Jary suffers from insanity and is admitted to a mental hospital.
Thune becomes involved as a foreign policy writer in the daily press and is published in Svenska Pressen [sv]. In Thune's office, Matilda Wiik works as a newly hired secretary. She has tragic memories of the Finnish Civil War and the abuses committed against her in prison camps. One day, when the Wednesday Club meets in Thune's office, Matilda hears her tormented voice from the prison camp. The tormentor, "the Captain," who does not realize who Matilda is, begins to court her. Only at the end of the book does the reader learn who the "Captain" really is.
The book recounts the event at the opening of the Helsinki Olympic Stadium when Abraham Tokazier, who was of Jewish descent, crossed the finish line in the 100-metre race in first place. The official results only put him in fourth place, even though he had initially been declared the winner. In the book, Joachim Jary's nephew Salomon Jary is Tokazier.
References
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- 1962: The Days of His Grace – Eyvind Johnson
- 1963: Under the North Star 3: Reconciliation – Väinö Linna
- 1964: The Ice Palace – Tarjei Vesaas
- 1965: From Hell to Paradise – Olof Lagercrantz and The Good Hope – William Heinesen
- 1966: Diwan on the Prince of Emgion – Gunnar Ekelöf
- 1967: Nye noveller – Johan Borgen
- 1968: Flight of the Eagle – Per Olof Sundman
- 1969: The Legionnaires – Per Olov Enquist
- 1970: Anna, I, Anna – Klaus Rifbjerg
- 1971: Coast of Slaves, Ships of Slaves & Islands of Slaves – Thorkild Hansen
- 1972: Sju ord på tunnelbanan – Karl Vennberg
- 1973: Kersantin poika – Veijo Meri
- 1974: Uden mål – og med – Villy Sørensen
- 1975: Siinä näkijä missä tekijä – Hannu Salama
- 1976: Að laufferjum & Að brunnum – Ólafur Jóhann Sigurðsson
- 1977: I de mörka rummen, i de ljusa – Bo Carpelan
- 1978: Dalen Portland – Kjartan Fløgstad
- 1979: Pubertet – Ivar Lo-Johansson
- 1980: Vredens barn – Sara Lidman
- 1981: Hauströkkrið yfir mér – Snorri Hjartarson
- 1982: Samuels bok – Sven Delblanc
- 1983: Om fjorten dage – Peter Seeberg
- 1984: The Christmas Oratorio – Göran Tunström
- 1985: A Day in Ostrobothnia – Antti Tuuri
- 1986: Líkasum – Rói Patursson
- 1987: Hudløs himmel – Herbjørg Wassmo
- 1988: Justice Undone – Thor Vilhjálmsson
- 1989: Roman 1987 – Dag Solstad
- 1990: For the Living and the Dead – Tomas Tranströmer
- 1991: The Sun, My Father – Nils-Aslak Valkeapää
- 1992: Night Watch – Fríða Á. Sigurðardóttir
- 1993: Byen og verden – Peer Hultberg
- 1994: Blackwater – Kerstin Ekman
- 1995: Angels of the Universe – Einar Már Guðmundsson
- 1996: Hva skal vi gjøre i dag og andre noveller – Øystein Lønn
- 1997: Bang. En roman om Herman Bang – Dorrit Willumsen
- 1998: After Having Spent a Night Among Horses – Tua Forsström
- 1999: Queen's Gate – Pia Tafdrup
- 2000: Drømmebroer – Henrik Nordbrandt
- 2001: The Discoverer – Jan Kjærstad
- 2002: The Half Brother – Lars Saabye Christensen
- 2003: Revbensstäderna – Eva Ström
- 2004: Juoksuhaudantie – Kari Hotakainen
- 2005: The Blue Fox – Sjón
- 2006: The Ocean – Göran Sonnevi
- 2007: Drömfakulteten – Sara Stridsberg
- 2008: Baboon – Naja Marie Aidt
- 2009: I Curse the River of Time – Per Petterson
- 2010: Purge – Sofi Oksanen
- 2011: Between the Trees – Gyrðir Elíasson
- 2012: Days in the History of Silence – Merethe Lindstrøm
- 2013: The Prophets of Eternal Fjord – Kim Leine
- 2014: Mirage 38 – Kjell Westö
- 2015: Wakefulness, Olav's Dreams & Weariness – Jon Fosse
- 2016: Songs and Formulae – Katarina Frostenson
- 2017: Memories of Love – Kirsten Thorup
- 2018: Hotel Silence – Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir
- 2019: Efter Solen – Jonas Eika
- 2020: Who killed Bambi? – Monika Fagerholm
- 2021: Flower Valley – Niviaq Korneliussen
- 2022: Om udregning af rumfang – Solvej Balle
- 2023: Ihågkom oss till liv – Joanna Rubin Dranger
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