Simple, <b> not</b> simple

Why are some people the way they are, why do some people have so much less than what they need to survive. Aren't their needs and dreams as important....... Exploring this with Vesaas' words. His story is simply told but at the same time digs deep into Mattis , who is the main character and plot that drives this story.

We're invited to see the world as he sees it, and whilst attempting this, I was taken along in a seesaw of his thoughts, joys, fears, plans, dreams, wishes..

I have nothing but admiration for Vesaas, he knows how to sculpt his words and create multiple layers because even if the story focuses only on Mattis we also get his surroundings, the forest, the lake, his sister and her story but above all we also get a sense of quiet and bit by bit I got a deep sense of foreboding which has not left me even now that I've finished the book.

<i>An ARC for a re-publication with a beautiful cover gently provided by publishers Pushkin Press Classics</i>

This was my first experience reading Tarjei Vesaas and it won't be the last. His ability to tell such a complex and difficult story with such lyrical prose and delicate words is awe-inspiring. Moreover, he wonderfully masters the insertion of the protagonist's thoughts and feelings into a third person narration without once disrupting it's flow. This was such a perfectly constructed and delivered story that I find it quite difficult to review it as it deserves.

Regarding this specific edition, for which I thank NetGalley and the publisher, I can say that the translation doesn't feel off even once, thus making me believe that the work behind must have be remarkable. I have no other translations to compare it to nor do I know the original language it was written in, so my thoughts are solely based on my experience of reading translated books, which often feel dragged and their comprehension somehow way too demanding, usually due to the translator's choices.

Pushkin Press Classics is bringing The Birds back into circulation, and I was fortunate enough to read it ahead of release. Tarjei Vesaas tells the story of Mattis, a man whose mind works differently from those around him, living with his sister Hege in a small cottage by a quiet Norwegian lake. Hege, already worn thin by years of knitting to keep them afloat, shoulders the weight of both survival and caretaking, while Mattis tries—often unsuccessfully—to find work in the nearby farms. The villagers know him as “simple,” and though he occasionally finds small tasks, he exists largely on the fringes of their world. The fragile balance between the siblings shifts with the arrival of Jørgen, a new presence whose impact ripples through their lives.

The prose mirrors the world it inhabits—spare, unadorned, and deliberate—yet it draws you in completely. Vesaas writes in the third person, but with an intimacy that pulls you directly into Mattis’s mind. His thoughts come haltingly, often tangled between what he feels and what he can’t quite articulate. That dissonance is the heart of the book: the quiet ache of knowing more than you can express, the loneliness of being misunderstood. The effect reminded me of Hemingway’s precision, but with a Nordic stillness that lingers like mist over the lake.

The novel’s simplicity is deceptive—it is layered with tenderness, isolation, and the complex ties of family duty. It paints a portrait of a small, self-contained community, one where life moves slowly, yet each change feels monumental. You walk away feeling as if you’ve spent time in Mattis’s fragile, beautiful world, and leaving it is bittersweet.

For readers who like:
- Quiet character studies
- Scandinavian settings

Final Verdict
A quietly devastating yet deeply human novel that proves the smallest lives can hold the most resonant truths.

Grateful to NetGalley and Pushkin Press Classics for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed reading this book, it had that element that I was wanting and enjoyed in the genre, I was invested in what was going on in the world. I thought the characters were so well written and enjoyed how realistic they were. Tarjei Vesaas has a strong writing style and was glad I got to read this.