Mirror, Shoulder, Signal - Softcover

Dorthe Nors

Softcover

ISBN 10: 178227314X ISBN 13: 9781782273141

Publisher: Pushkin Press, 2018

SHORTLISTED FOR THE MAN BOOKER INTERNATIONAL PRIZE 2017

'Dorthe Nors is fantastic!' Junot Díaz

'Nors' writing is by turns witty, gut wrenching, stark and lyrical' Los Angeles Times

Sonja's over forty, and she's trying to move in the right direction. She's learning to drive. She's joined a meditation group. And she's attempting to reconnect with her sister.

But Sonja would rather eat cake than meditate.

Her driving instructor won't let her change gear.

And her sister won't return her calls.

Sonja's mind keeps wandering back to the dramatic landscapes of her childhood - the singing whooper swans, the endless sky, and getting lost barefoot in the rye fields - but how can she return to a place that she no longer recognises? And how can she escape the alienating streets of Copenhagen? Mirror, Shoulder, Signal is a poignant, sharp-witted tale of one woman's journey in search of herself when there's no one to ask for directions.

Review:

'Dorthe Nors bewitches with zingy one-liners' -- Observer

'Sonja is a thoroughly modern heroine... nothing at all like Bridget Jones. Comical and clever, with a knife-twist of uneasiness' -- The Times

'This novel reads like a sort of Danish Woody Allen: existential, domestic, gently humorous' -- Daily Mail

'Deceptively simple, this book addresses longing and its futility, estrangement and displacement, with a casual ease. Nors' writing creeps up on you, and then overwhelms with its emotional power. She is a master' -- Chris Kraus, author of I Love Dick

'Absolutely loved this book - highly recommend!' -- Fiona Melrose, author of Midwinter

'Dorthe Nors is fantastic!' -- Junot Díaz

'Witty and insightful depth... Nors writes important modern women's fiction... she gives back agency and centrality to older women' -- Financial Times

'In this short novel Nors manages to condense the essence of life' -- Spectator

'Benevolent ingenuity of Nors's writing... excellent situational tragicomedy... Nors's reinvention of experimental fiction is marvellous' -- Guardian

'A magnificent exploration of anxiety... Ms Nors's novel delivers a bracing antidote to the cult of hygge' --Economist

'A smart, funny and clever satire' -- Emerald Street

'Nors' novel is as lyrically stimulating as it is illustrative of Danish culture' -- Culture Trip

'Agile and profound... the novel's power builds as Sonja's inner world unfolds' -- The Atlantic

'This is a book for anyone, from Stockholm to Shanghai, who finds themselves living in a city, feeling unaccountably anxious, with 'restless legs poised for flight'' -- TLS

'Forty-something Sonja takes control by learning to drive - with hilarious consequences' -- Vogue

'An unflinching eye makes the new queen of Danish literature stand out... very moving... Nors' watchful eye... the tenderness of her writing' -- Big Issue

' Ferociously talented . . . an insightful and compassionate novel' --Sunday Herald

'In flowing and absorbing prose, Nors illustrates how this anxious, alienated woman experiences setbacks and triumphs, proportionate to her carefully enclosed life, and how it might be possible for anyone to overcome immense loneliness and make a connection' -- New Yorker

'A quick and offbeat read. It might just remind you of situations you've allowed to control you, and inspire you to find a way out' -- Bookbag

'The ending... is perfect: hopeful without sentimentality, allowing for love but not equating love with magic. And the love comes from a most unexpected place, one that made me smile with surprised delight' -- Elle Thinks (blog)

' Sharp, very funny... deftly combining wit with acute observation' -- A Life in Books (blog)

' Dorthe Nors' novel is wonderful to read on different levels' -- Miss Mesmerized (blog)

'Dorthe Nors is a writer of moments-quiet, raw portraits of existential meditation, at times dyspeptic, but never unsympathetic' --Paris Review 'What We're Loving'

About the Author:

Dorthe Nors was born in 1970 and is one of the most original voices in contemporary Danish literature. She holds a degree in literature and art history from Aarhus University and has published four novels so far, including Mirror, Shoulder, Signal - which was shortlisted for The Man Booker International Prize - as well as the short story collection Karate Chop and a novella Minna Needs Rehearsal Space. Nors' short stories have appeared in numerous publications, including Harper's Magazine and the Boston Review, and she is the first Danish writer ever to have a story published in the New Yorker. In 2014, Karate Chop and Minna Needs Rehearsal Space are also published by Pushkin Press.

• Publisher: Pushkin Press
• Publication date: 2018
• ISBN 10: 178227314X
• ISBN 13: 9781782273141
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 192