The Night Birds
The story of Joakim (Jake), a lonely boy whose father suffers from depression and disappears into the night. Haunted by visions of monstrous night birds lurking in his closet, Joakim must confront both real and imagined fears as his family struggles with his father's illness. Winner of the Norwegian Literature Prize and the German Children's Literature Prize, this is the landmark work of 1990 Hans Christian Andersen Award laureate Tormod Haugen.
Work Information
At night, father disappears. And in the closet lurk the night birds — creatures with red eyes and sharp beaks that only Joakim can see.
The most widely translated work by Tormod Haugen, 1990 Hans Christian Andersen Award laureate. Originally published in Norwegian as Nattfuglene (1975), it has been translated into 24 languages. The story follows Joakim, a boy haunted by night-bird visions as he copes with his father's depression. Translated into English by Sheila La Farge and published by Delacorte Press (1982).
Review Summaries
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Readers praise the lyrical portrayal of a child's inner world and the sensitive handling of parental mental illness. Overall reception is positive.
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Praised as a novel for children that all grown-ups should read, combining simple language with complex ideas and metaphors. Mixed but generally positive reception.
Book Information
- Publisher
- Delacorte Pr
- Published
- 1982-11-01
- Language
- ノルウェー語, 英語
- ISBN-13
- 9780385287364
- ISBN-10
- 0385287364
- Category
- 洋書/Children's Books
Jake struggles to come to grips with terrors real and imagined, including his father's bouts of depression and his own nightmares.