The House With the Blind Glass Windows (Women in Translation) [Hardcover]

Herbjorg Wassmo (Author), Lloyd Roeann (Author), Allen Roseann (Translator)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The title of this heartbreaking tale, set in a small Norwegian town shortly after World War II, refers to the house in which young Tora and her mother, Ingrid, live. Henrik, Ingrid's husband and Tora's stepfather, personifies the evils of poverty and hunger for Tora. He also sexually abuses her. The sound of his footsteps frightens her, and the sight of his belongings terrifies her, reminding her of what Henrik inflicts on her while her mother works the night shift at a fish-packing plant. Tora also suffers because her real father was a German who deserted the Nazi occupation army but was killed before he and Ingrid could fleeher schoolmates taunt her and call her the "German brat." Much of the time she dwells in a dream world where rich daddies rescue their little girls from unhappiness. Tora's despair cuts to the heart, and the fragmented prose appropriately conveys her dilemma.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Set in an isolated fishing village in northern Norway, this novel chronicles one year in the life of 11-year-old Tora. A tragic legacy of the German occupation, illegitimate Tora is a social outcast. Worse, Tora also has to cope with the fear of her brutish stepfather and his sexual assaults. She consoles herself with lonely fantasies about her real father, with books, and with the friendship and support of a few village women. This proletarian feminist novel is about the victimization of women, but also about women's solidarity and power. Awarded a coveted Nordic prize, this is the first volume of a trilogy. Recommended. Ulla Sweedler, Univ. of California, San Diego, Lib.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 227 pages
• Publisher: Seal Pr (January 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0931188512
• ISBN-13: 978-0931188510
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #492,422 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Windows open on a fierce and sensitive soul, November 28, 1999

By 

Lady Marian "wordreign" (Florence Italy) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The House With the Blind Glass Windows (Paperback)

Wassmo's spare and lyric prose is a joy to read. In unabashed language she tells the story of Tora, a young girl growing up on a remote Norwegian island a decade after World War II. The illegitimate daughter of a German soldier, Tora lives in a poor household with her drudging mother and a brutal step-father who subjects her to repeated sexual abuse. Fiercely silent, Tora deals with her ordeal alone, groping blindly for safety and an understanding of her predicament--and, at last, she becomes strong enough to overcome it. Her tale is set in the context of life in a small island village where the economy is based on fishing and small everyday dramas constantly unfold. This is the first volume in a trilogy about Tora; unfortunately, the other books in the series seem not to be available yet in English translation. I, for one, having also read "Dina's Book" with immense admiration for the author's talent and skill, will be waiting impatiently for them. Wassmo is a splendid writer and "The House with the Blind Glass Windows" is an excellent way to make her acquaintance.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars magnificent, September 18, 2001

By 

Ingeborg (Gent, Belgium) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The House With the Blind Glass Windows (Women in Translation) (Hardcover)

I bought the trilogy as 3 books in one. And that is how you should read them, as 1 book. The 3 books are the 3 main chapters in the life of the main character, Tora.
There is so much pain in the book(s), so much suffering and loneliness your heart will sometimes break, but together with the maincharacter you will fight back, still too many pages to go/read, you can't give up, you have to go on and hope there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
So I suggest if you decide to read the story of Tora,( how she fights back, being a bastard child of a german soldier and norwegian islander, how she tries to connect with her mother, how she tries to avoid her stepfather of coming in her room at night, how she copes with an unwanted pregnancy, ... ) you buy the 3 books or the omnibus ... because when you start reading about Tora, you won't be able to let her go. You'll become her, and she'll become you.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutley Great, January 4, 2006

By 

Rachel H. Freeman "Annushka" (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The House with the Blind Glass Windows (Paperback)

When I read this boook for the first time, I was really blown away by how good it was, and I give it a definite five stars, and strongly reccomend 'The House With the Blind Glass Windows' for any young girl who has known lonliness and hurt herself, just like Tora. There's some real strength to be found in this book, and I can't wait to read the other two in the trilogy. Kuudos to Herbjorg Wassomo!