Doppler

Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm had been collecting fairy tales and folklore for years in Germany. The Brothers Grimm didn't travel to Norway, otherwise they should have picked up the fable Doppler from Erlend Loe, one of Norway's bestselling novelists. Or else, those from Roald Dahl, born to Norwegian parents and named after polar explorer Roald Amundsen.

I've been thinking about the choice of novels to bring on my Norway trip. The Kafkaesque story of Doppler, a captivating blend of humour and absurdity, offers a joyful treat. 

Here is the plot: Andreas Doppler isn't sure if he is a failed man of his time. Or just a man of a failed time. He takes off into the forest around Oslo, leaving a note telling his family not to expect him for dinner. He runs out of food, ambushes and kills a mother elk. He adopts the calf elk, and names the calf Bongo.   

The friendship between Doppler and Bongo, as it turns out, is a whimsical one.