Lucas Rijneveld

A confession, a lament, a mad gush of grief and obsession, My Heavenly Favorite is the remarkable and chilling successor to Lucas Rijneveld's international sensation, The Discomfort of Evening. It tells the story of a veterinarian who visits a farm in the Dutch countryside where he becomes enraptured by his "Favorite"--the farmer's daughter. She hovers on the precipice of adolescence, and longs to have a boy's body. The veterinarian seems to be a tantalizing possible path out from the constrictions of her conservative rural life. Narrated after the veterinarian has been punished for his crimes, Rijneveld's audacious, profane novel is powered by the paradoxical beauty of its prose, which holds the reader fast to the page. Rijneveld refracts the contours of the Lolita story with a kind of perverse glee, taking the reader into otherwise unimaginable spaces. An unflinching depiction of abjection and a pointed excavation of taboos and social norms, My Heavenly Favorite "confirms Rijneveld's singular, deeply discomforting talent" (Financial Times UK).

The electrifying new novel from the sensational bestselling winners of the International Booker Prize and 'one of the boldest writers alive today' (Max Porter).'It's been a long time since a book has destroyed me like this.' Max Porter'Obsessed me from the first line.' Daisy Johnson'I'm in awe.' Brandon TaylorWINNER OF THE JAMES TAIT BLACK PRIZE FOR FICTION 2024In the tempestuous summer of 2005, a local veterinarian becomes enraptured by a 14-year-old farmer's daughter - his 'favourite' - as he tends her father's cows. This deeply troubled soul is our narrator: a man who believes he offers the object of his love a tantalizing path out of the constrictions of her conservative rural life, a chance to escape to a world of fantasy. But the obsessive reliance he cultivates builds into a terrifying trap, with a crime and confession at the heart of it that threatens to rip their small community apart.'Mesmerising . . . A singular, deeply discomforting talent.' Financial Times'An extraordinary literary achievement.' Daily Telegraph *****'I was floored by this novel . . . Unholy brilliance.' Observer'A unique creation and a tour de force of transgressive imagination.' Guardian (Book of the Day)

Sommeren 2005. I en lille hollandsk landsby er den 49-årige dyrlæge Kurt blevet fuldstændig forblændet af nabogårdens 14-årige datter. Et følsomt, trist barn med en vild fantasi, som længes efter opmærksomhed – en mand som ovenikøbet har samme navn som hendes idol. Han vinder hendes fortrolighed, og snart vokser noget, der ligner et venskab frem. Kurt lytter fortryllet til hendes historier om alt, hvad der sker i hendes liv: musik, tab, venner og drenge. I en hypnotisk ordstrøm suges læseren ind i dette skrigende skæve forhold. For det er Kurt der fører ordet, og igennem sprækkerne i hans fortælling, siver en anden frem: fortællingen om et overgreb. En rystende smuk og grum fortælling om en dyrlæge og hans udvalgte, om en ensom mand og hans destruktive lidenskab og en ung kvindes rastløse længsel efter at høre til. Marieke Lucas Rijneveld (f. 1991) voksede op i en stærkt kristen landbofamilie i Nordbrabrandt og vandt den internationale Bookerpris for sin debutroman Aftenens ubehag som den yngste nogensinde.

A harrowing, unforgettable masterpiece by the winner of the Booker International PrizeA confession, a lament, a mad gush of grief and obsession, My Heavenly Favorite is the remarkable and chilling successor to Lucas Rijneveld's international sensation, The Discomfort of Evening. It tells the story of a veterinarian who visits a farm in the Dutch countryside where he becomes enraptured by his "Favorite"--the farmer's daughter. She hovers on the precipice of adolescence, and longs to have a boy's body. The veterinarian seems to be a tantalizing possible path out from the constrictions of her conservative rural life. Narrated after the veterinarian has been punished for his crimes, Rijneveld's audacious, profane novel is powered by the paradoxical beauty of its prose, which holds the reader fast to the page. Rijneveld refracts the contours of the Lolita story with a kind of perverse glee, taking the reader into otherwise unimaginable spaces full of pop lyrics, horror novels, the Favorite's fantasized conversations with Freud and Hitler, and her dreams of flight and destruction and transcendence. An unflinching depiction of abjection and a pointed excavation of taboos and social norms, My Heavenly Favorite establishes Rijneveld as one of the most daring and brilliant writers on the world stage.

SENSATIONAL WINNERS OF THE INTERNATIONAL BOOKER PRIZE'It's been a long time since a novel has destroyed me like this . . . One of the boldest writers alive today.' Max Porter'A novel of exquisite discomfort and delicious poetry . . . Made me laugh and gasp . . . I'm in awe.' Brandon Taylor'Rejuvenating, glorious, brilliant. A book about obsession with prose that obsessed me from the first line.' Daisy JohnsonIn the tempestuous summer of 2005, a local veterinarian becomes enraptured by a 14-year-old farmer's daughter - his 'favourite' - as he tends her father's cows. This deeply troubled soul is our narrator: a man who believes he offers the object of his love a tantalizing path out of the constrictions of her conservative rural life, a chance to escape to a world of fantasy. But the obsessive reliance he cultivates builds into a terrifying trap, with a crime and confession at the heart of it that threatens to rip their small community apart. An unflinching excavation of taboos and social norms, My Heavenly Favourite is a torrent of grief and obsession. The remarkable and chilling successor to Lucas Rijneveld's international sensation, The Discomfort of Evening, this profane novel is powered by the paradoxical beauty of its prose, which holds the reader fast to the page. Translated by Michele HutchisonThis novel is about an adult who is sexually attracted to a minor and contains sexual violence.

The electrifying new novel from the sensational bestselling winner of the International Booker Prize.'A novel of exquisite discomfort and delicious poetry. Rijneveld writes with peerless moral courage and a sheer delight in the abject that we must each face in ourselves. This book unsettled me even as it made me laugh and gasp. I'm in awe.' Brandon TaylorIn the tempestuous summer of 2005, a 14-year-old farmer's daughter makes friends with the local veterinarian who looks after her father's cows. He is trying to escape trauma, while she is trying to escape into a world of fantasy. Their obsessive reliance on each other's stories builds into a terrifying trap, with a confession at the heart of it that threatens to rip their small community apart. Indelible, audacious and impossible-to-put-down, My Heavenly Favourite confirms Rijneveld as one of the bravest and brilliant writers on the world stage. Translated by Michele Hutchison

Lucas Rijneveld er bare 32 år, men allerede kjent som en av Nederlands beste og mest særegne forfattere. I Norge har leserne stiftet bekjentskap med ham gjennom de to romanene Kveldens ubehag og Min kjæreste skatt, men da Rijneveld debuterte som forfatter i 2015, var det som lyriker. For sin første diktsamling, Kalfsvlies, fikk han den nederlandske debutantprisen for poesi, C. Buddingh'-prijs. Også for sin neste poesiutgivelse, Fantoommerrie i 2019, fikk Rijneveld en pris, denne gangen Ida Gerhardt Poëzieprijs, som deles ut annethvert år. I 2022 kom Rijnevelds tredje diktsamling, Spisskarvekløyvere (Komijnsplitsers). Også denne fikk svært gode anmeldelser, og igjen er det Rijnevelds billedrike og nyskapende språk som fremheves. Spisskarvekløyvere består av åtte seksjoner der dikteren utforsker hva det vil si å bo: i et hus, i seg selv og i relasjoner til andre. Hvem eller hva trenger man for å være et fullstendig menneske? Rijnevelds stil er utforskende og dristig, men dette nyskapte språket er ikke innadvendt og navlebeskuende. At det kan kommunisere, ser vi av at diktsamlingen raskt ble folkelesning da den utkom i Nederland, og i flere uker sto på bestselgerlisten for skjønnlitteratur. Det blir seint, så seint at vi glemmer tida, at vi manøvrerer mellom trøtthet og ikke å ville kapitulere, vi legger storslagne planer, vi er maur som bukserer sukkerkorn på ryggen og deretter eter seg i hjel på alt det søte. Vi danser, ja, vi slingrer, legger armene om feil kjæreste ... Utdrag fra «Gressengler»

Blant årets beste bøker i Dagbladet, Klassekampen, Dagsavisen og BOK365! «Trass i avskyeligheten, trass i all skyld jeg pådro meg, fortsatte jeg likevel å treffe deg. Og for hver gang raste begjæret mitt voldsommere, selv om jeg også på en måte håpet at vi kunne bli venner, det mente jeg oppriktig, jeg ville ikke fortsette med å erklære deg lystenes giftige krig, jeg ville holde deg uskadd og ikke gjennomhullet av kuler, men det fantes ikke det minste grann fred i meg, ikke noe brorskap, jeg visste det så fort jeg fikk på meg soldatuniformen, dyrlegejakka, at vi begge skulle bli verre og verre tilredt, og jeg sverger på det, ærede magistrater, at jeg ikke ville friste denne skjebnen lenger.» Min kjæreste skatt er historien om en dyrlege og hans utvalgte; om en ensom mann og hans destruktive lidenskap, og en ung kvinnes rastløse lengsel etter tilhørighet. Dette er en vond, men vakker fortelling.

Blant årets beste bøker i Dagbladet, Klassekampen og BOK365. Vinner av International Booker Prize 2020. «Kveldens ubehag» handler om en strengt religiøs bondefamilie i etterdønningene av en tragisk ulykke og er en fortelling om etterlengtet trøst som aldri kommer. I en tilværelse preget av skam og skyldfølelse oppdager tiårige Jas sin egen seksualitet parallelt med den til tider lammende sorgen. Alt skildres på et vis som er nøkternt, poetisk og urovekkende. Rijnevelds prisvinnende debut er en original og vakker roman om barndom og tapt uskyld, om familie og sorg - og om hvordan fraværet av språk kan drive mennesker fra hverandre.

*SENSATIONAL WINNER OF THE BOOKER INTERNATIONAL PRIZE 2020* 'One of the best debut novels I have ever read. Shockingly good ... A classic.' Max Porter'Haunting . . . reminded me a lot of Iain Banks. It's incredible that it's a debut.' Douglas Stuart'Exceptional' (Financial Times)'Exhilarating' (Independent)'Luminous' (Observer)'Beautifully wild' (Guardian)'An earthy and irreverent new voice, thrillingly uninhibited' (New York Times)I asked God if he please couldn't take my brother Matthies instead of my rabbit. 'Amen.' Ten-year-old Jas has a unique way of experiencing her universe: the feeling of udder ointment on her skin as protection against harsh winters; the texture of green warts, like capers, on migrating toads; the sound of 'blush words' that aren't in the Bible. But when a tragic accident ruptures the family, her curiosity warps into a vortex of increasingly disturbing fantasies - unlocking a darkness that threatens to derail them all. A bestselling sensation in the Netherlands, Lucas Rijneveld's radical debut novel is studded with images of wild, violent beauty: a world of language unlike any other, exquisitely captured in Michele Hutchison's translation. ONE OF VOGUE'S TOP FIVE DEBUTS ONE OF THE OBSERVER'S HIGHLIGHTS ONE OF THE GUARDIAN'S TOP TEN BEST NEW BOOKS IN TRANSLATION