Melancholy (novel)

Melancholy, original title Melancholia I, is a 1995 novel by the Norwegian writer Jon Fosse. It is about the Norwegian painter Lars Hertervig (1830–1902) and his time as a young student in Düsseldorf, where he, agonised by unrequited love and doubt in his art, is driven toward a mental breakdown.
The book was awarded the Melsom Prize and the Sunnmøre Prize. It was followed by a 1996 sequel, "Melancholy II", which is set on the day of Hertervig's death. The first part of "Melancholy I" was the basis for Georg Friedrich Haas' 2008 opera "Melancholia".
Reception.
"Publishers Weekly" wrote in 2006: "In this wild stream-of-consciousness narrative, Fosse delves into Hertervig's mind as the events of one day precipitate his mental breakdown. ... Fosse's prose, which often affects a childlike quality, might put off some readers, but many gorgeous passages and Fosse's pursuit of the 'glimmer of the divine' in art make this a powerful book."