Septology

Septology (Norwegian: Septologien) is a series of seven novels by Norwegian author Jon Fosse, published between 2019 and 2021. The work is known for its minimal-punctuation narrative style and exploration of existential themes, contributing to Fosse's receipt of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2023.^[1]

Fosse conceived the idea for Septology in 2015 while residing in western Norway.^[2]

A convert to Catholicism, Fosse has described Septology as an exploration of his spiritual beliefs, grappling with the nature of existence and the possibility of transcendence.^[3]

The series centers on Asle, an aging painter and widower on Norway's southwest coast. His life intertwines with that of another Asle, a doppelgänger living in the nearby city of Bjørgvin. While the protagonist leads a sober and solitary life, his counterpart struggles with alcoholism and loneliness. Fosse explores questions of identity, faith, and the human condition through their parallel existences.^[4]

The work comprises three volumes:

• The Other Name: Septology I-II (2019)
• I is Another: Septology III-V (2020)
• A New Name: Septology VI-VII (2021)

The books were originally published in Norwegian and translated into English by Damion Searls.^{[5] [6] [7]}

Narrative technique

Fosse employs long, flowing sentences with minimal punctuation, creating a stream-of-consciousness effect. This style immerses readers in the protagonists' introspective journeys, .^[8]

Major themes

• Identity and duality: The work explores alternative life paths through its doppelgänger motif^[9]
• Faith and spirituality: Religious symbolism and theological questions permeate the narrative^[10]
• Art and existence: The protagonists' work as painters reflects broader existential inquiries^[10]

• In a review of The Other Name: Septology I-II, Harper's Magazine praised the novel as "a very strange novel, beautifully and movingly strange," emphasizing its unique narrative approach. ^[11]
• In a review of A New Name: Septology VI-VII, The Times Literary Supplement noted that the series is "classic Fosse, featuring intergenerational trauma, doppelgängers, obsession, depression, childhood and, of course, that niggling issue of faith."^[12]  
• The Wall Street Journal highlighted the series' focus on "a few days in the life of a painter named Asle, who lives like a religious ascetic on the western coast of Norway."^[13]  
• The Guardian observed that Fosse's prose "has a hypnotic effect, and reading it becomes a meditative experience."^[14]
• The New York Times described the series as "a major work of Scandinavian fiction," commending its deep exploration of art, identity, and existence.^[15]

Septology has garnered recognition, both in Norway and internationally. Fosse was awarded the 2023 Nobel Prize in Literature for his body of work, which includes Septology.^[16]

In July 2024, the Times selected Septology as one of the 100 Best Books of the 21st Century.^[17]

Awards include:

• 2019 Winner of the Brage Prize for Fiction ^[18]
• 2020 International Booker Prize for The Other Name: Septology I - II (Shortlist)^[19]

• 2022 International Booker Prize for A New Name: Septology VI-VII (Shortlist)^[20]

• 2022 National Book Award, Finalist for A New Name: Septology VI-VII^[21]

• 2022 National Book Critics Circle Award, Finalist^[22]

• Official website

• Norwegian-language novels
• Novels by Jon Fosse
• 21st-century Norwegian novels

• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata
• Books with missing cover
• Articles containing Norwegian-language text
• Official website not in Wikidata