The feelings of shame and guilt are recurring themes in literature and in the analysis of literature. Shame can present as a fear of not meeting the expectations of others. To authors, this might be a doubt concerning the purpose of their writing. Is it relevant? Is it good enough? The young author in Sult (Hunger) from 1890 by Knut Hamsun is depicted as both agressive and “hed af skam” (burning with shame). In the novel Í havsins hjarta (In the heart of the ocean) from 2007 by Gunnar Hoydal, the protagonist, who is a writer, „dandar“ (swings) between feelings of passion, arrogance, and shame.

In 1936, William Heinesen sent an article about Chr. Matras to the Swedish periodical Ord och Bild. When Chr. Matras learned this, he subsequently wrote to William Heinesen to inform him that he was “heldur illa við” (rather taken aback) and compared the feeling to a halibut being pulled from the bottom of the sea.

If authors feel this way, then what about critics? The famous poet and essayist T.S. Eliot (1888-1965) felt that when reviewing and analysing literature, it is crucial to respect a different authority than one’s own, unless we want fortuity to rule.

The texts in this book consist of a selection of reviews and analyses that have previously been printed in Faroese magazines and publications. The selection is based on whether the text contains an analysis founded on more than simply personal opinion and what was the typical attitude of the time. Emphasis is placed on new Faroese literature from the past 20 or so years. Some reviews are short and a some analyses are long and contain references.

- from the book's introduction

About the author

Bergur Djurhuus Hansen (b. 1968) is a professor of literature and the Head of the Department of Faroese Language and Literature at the University of the Faroe Islands. He has written multiple reviews and articles about literature published in Faroese as well as international publications. His doctoral thesis about four travel accounts by Kristian Osvald Viderø was published in 2015 with the title Er heima til? (Does home exist?) As a researcher, he has published research articles about contemporary literature, modernism, and travel accounts from the arctic seas and the Artic. Since 2012, he has served as the editor of the periodical Arctic Humanities.