Laterna Magica

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Heinesen, 86, is a renowned Danish poet and novelist, and this volume, the first in Fjord's European Short Stories series, consists of fictional reminiscences about his childhood in Torshavn, the capital of the Faroe Islands. Heinesen's themes and characters seem rooted in that rocky, cold, island nation: for example, ``Master Jakob and Miss Urd'' is the tale of an old bachelor who plays the violin, gathers oral histories that few people care about and finds a ``source of comfort'' in Miss Urd, a lame, unmarried minister's daughter in her 50s, who ``carries a certain secret jewel deep in her soul, a dimly glowing topaz, only visible on rare occasions, but which then discloses an exuberant radiating power.'' ``The Lucky Stone'' tells of a deadly struggle between neighbors over a 400-lb. meteorite ``that strong men of the past tested their strength against by trying to lift it.'' Heinesen weaves elegant tales of simple people that are heartwarming but unsentimental. (March)

Library Journal

Heinesen is exceptional, not only for his Faroese birth and allegiance and for refusing nomination for the Nobel Prize, but also as a writer. His gift is exemplified by these ten stories, studies of human nature that are full of vivacity and elegance. In the ``Ballad of the Toft Boy,'' all the characters but a boy who vanishes may be caricatures, but they remain human. ``Lucky Stone'' focuses on two Torshavn residents quarreling to the death over a bit of rockand expiring in each other's arms. Master Jakob, Lucky Stina, and Hot Fanny are other striking characters who remind us that life is transitory. One might find a more interesting collection of stories, but not one imbued by such graceful and superb prose. A fine beginning for Fjord's new ``European Short Stories'' series. Raymond E. Lindgren, History Dept., California State Univ., Long Beach