The Looking-Glass Sisters
by Gøhril Gabrielsen
£12.00
A tragic love story about two sisters who cannot live with or without each other.
Far out on the plains of northern Norway stands a house. It belongs to two middle-aged sisters. They seldom venture out and nobody visits. The younger needs nursing and the older keeps house. Then, one day, a man arrives…
This is a tragedy about a woman who yearns for love but ends up in a painfully destructive conflict with her sister. It is also a story about loneliness – both geographical and psychological. Facing the prospect of a life without love, we fall back into isolating delusions at exactly the moment when we need to connect.
Translated from the Norwegian by John Irons.
192pp, paperback with flaps, £12.00
ISBN 978-1-908670-24-3
Publication date: 25 September 2015
Press & Reviews
'The sisters' violent intimacy has its own power, but the real strength of this book lies in the way so much is withheld.' - Claire Allfree, Daily Mail
'Excellently translated by John Irons, Gabrielsen’s novel disturbs and challenges. Once we have begun, though, it is near impossible to pull away.' - Malcolm Forbes, The National
'A work of intelligence, empathy, intensity and exceptional beauty and originality.' - Pam Norfolk, Lancashire Evening Post
'This is a brilliant, twisted and totally original story- the ending especially, I thought was stunning.' - The Little Ripon Bookshop
'I think that The Looking-Glass Sisters may be my favourite Peirene.' - Lizzy's Literary Life
About The Book
Translator
John Irons studied modern & medieval languages at Cambridge before doing research within the field of poetic imagery. Since the mid 1980s he has translated poetry, fiction and non-fiction from the Scandinavian languages and was awarded the NORLA translation prize for non-fiction in 2007.
