Vik, Bjørg

(1935-)

   A Norwegian novelist, short story writer, and dramatist, Vik is one of the foremost feminist writers in Norway and has published numerous collections of short stories, several novels, and a large number of plays. Most of her early stories deal with complications brought about by erotic encounters, marital infidelity, gender roles, and the position of women in patriarchal society. The short story collections Søndag ettermiddag (1963; Sunday Afternoon), Nødrop fra en myk sofa (1966; Cries of Distress from a Soft Sofa), Det grådige hjerte (1968; The Greedy Heart), Kvinneakvariet (1972; tr. An Aquarium of Women, 1987), and Fortellinger om frihet (1975; Stories of Freedom), as well as the novel Grat, elskede mann (1970; Cry, Beloved Man), won Vik a devoted readership. Later volumes of short stories evidence the author's concern for the situation of women who are at or beyond middle age. Many of the stories in En haåndfull lengsel (1979; tr. Out ofSeason and Other Stories, 1983), Snart er det høst (1982; Soon It Will Be Fall), and En gjenglemt petunia (1985; A Forgotten Petunia) are love stories marked by melancholy or nostalgia. Vik's preoccupation with love in the lives of women is continued in Den lange reisen til et annet menneske (1993; The Long Journey to Another Person) and Forholdene tatt i betraktning (2002; The Relationships Taken into Consideration), in which the situation of widows is depicted with great tenderness and humor.

   Vik's most important contribution to the Norwegian novel is an autobiographical trilogy, Sma nøkler, store rom (1988; Small Keys, Big Rooms), Poplene pa St. Hanshaugen (1991; The Poplars at St. Hanshaugen), and Elsi Lund (1994). Through the protagonist Elsi, Vik offers a detailed depiction of Norwegian life in the 1940s and 1950s, including young women's struggle for autonomy. Her later novel Roser i et sprukket krus (1998; Roses in a Cracked Mug) tells about a widow who, soon after her husband's death, finds a new love and has to deal with the reactions of her children.

   Vik has written for the stage, TV, and radio. Her first play was To akter for fem kvinner (1974; partly tr. as Two Acts for Five Women, 1995), in which five women who went to school together discuss their experiences with life and love. Hurra, det ble en pike! (1974; Hurrah, It's a Girl!) is more overtly feminist, while Sorgenfri: Fem bilder om kjærlighet (1978; Sans Souci: Five Images of Love) depicts love relationships as well as issues related to age. Døtre (tr. Daughters, 1989), the most important of five radio plays published as Det trassige hap (1981; The Defiant Hope), is a study in isolation and generation gaps as three women of different generations offer their perspectives on life. Vinterhagen (1990; The Winter Garden) and Reisen til Venezia (1991; The Trip to Venice) depict challenges of life associated with middle age and beyond. Alt kvinner tilgir (1999; Everything Women Forgive), in which a man is confronted by his three ex-wives, asks whether women are too forgiving of men, thus enabling their bad behavior. Salong Saratustra (2001; Salon Zarathustra) features the hairdresser Sara and her conversations about life and love with her customers. Vik has also published children's books and a volume of miscellaneous writings, Gatens magi: Kaåserier, dikt og spredte tanker (1996; The Magic of the Street: Causeries, poems, and Scattered Reflections).