Birger Emanuelsen

The Story of a Good Man

Historien om et godt menneske

When Thomas was growing up, society deteriorated around him. Marriages dissolved, and drugs flooded the shores. The lucky ones left to go to college, the unlucky ones stayed. Twenty years later, old childhood friends are living vastly different lives. This is the story about what happens when they reunite.

A novel about doubting one’s own truth, The Story of a Good Man is an intense story propelled by a rich cast of characters, continuously raising new questions about who we are for each other. This book is constantly challenging the distinction between good and evil, between honesty and putting on an act, the picture we want to paint of ourselves and how the world really sees us.
Is it even possible to be a good man?

Emanuelsen historien om et godt menneske hd

‘The composition is tight, the tension palpable and steadily increasing, the language bold, vivid and realistic.’

Bergens Tidende
Emanuelsen, birger hd
Photo: André Løyning

In his third book, Birger Emanuelsen (born 1982) displays a strong interest in what is deeply human, in the same gripping writing that has earned him critical acclaim. He made his debut in 2012 with the praised short story collection For riket er ditt (For Thine is the Kingdom). His last novel, Fra jorden roper blodet (Blood Cries from the Earth), won him both the Norwegian Youth Literature Award and Southern Norway’s Literature Award.