Thursday, February 24, 2022

Dreams of Roses and Fire by Eyvind Johnson

Name: Eyvind Johnson

Year Won: 1974

Read: Dreams of Roses and Fire

Original Language: Swedish

Reason: "for a narrative art, farseeing in lands and ages, in the service of freedom"

About: "Dreams of Roses and Fire" is set in 17th century France and seems to mostly involve nuns being seduced by demons. Seriously. The demons appear to them at night and go absolutely wild. They caress their thighs, they arouse them, they make them cry out in pleasure. I'm fairly sure the demons are supposed to be exorcised as well, but mostly it's nun on demon sex for pages and pages and pages.

What I liked: I mean, who doesn't like some hot demons seducing nuns (who, of course, are always young and nubile).

What I Disliked: I'm not sure that there is a plot. In many ways, this reads almost like fan fiction, in which some hot demons get it on with some hot and sexually frustrated nuns.

Should it have won a Nobel: I always sigh a little when I see that the writer is Swedish. These stories are rarely as good as those where the writer is from literally everywhere else. This is no exception to that rule.

Next Up: "Aniara" Harry Martinson

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