Arne: A Sketch of Norwegian Country Life

by Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson

"Arne: A Sketch of Norwegian Country Life" by Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson is a peasant novel published in 1859. Young Arne Kampen grows up torn between two legacies: his hardworking mother's devotion and his father's troubled artistry and violence. As the son of a disorderly fiddler whose frustrations manifest in alcohol and abuse, Arne struggles with dark impulses and a desperate yearning to escape. Yet love for his mother, his land, and a girl who understands his songs pull him toward an uncertain future.