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The World's Best Unknown Books
02 04 2014

Absurd and Humorous Dystopia

Epp Axel Jensen

Translation Oliver Stallybrass

Axel Jensen’s Epp (1965) is a darkly dystopian book about a pensioner called Epp, who is living in a town on an unnamed planet in a big block surrounded by hundreds of similar blocks. The society is strictly controlled by the authorities.

Science-fiction and a dark description of a future society with obvious connection to our present day’s society

Cappelen Damm

Epp lives together with a carnivorous plant called Ili, and fills his days with cooking an egg for breakfast, studying wall papers (he used to work in a wall paper factory), writing reports on his own doings and those of other people living in the block, cutting pictures from journals and gluing them in a book. The only people he has contact with are his sister, who he sends letters to, and a neighbour Lem, who moves away. Epp is happy, if he succeeds in cooking a perfect egg and if there are no ink spots in the report.

Epp is an average citizen, which is revealed by his three-letter name. If he held a higher position, the name could be Eppe, Eppen or even Eppenepp Epp; it could be worse though: Ep or just plain E.

Nothing really ”happens” in the book: it consists solely of Epp’s thoughts, plans and discussions. This is a dark picture of the future, but also a criticism of the technological development and the control of society. The novel’s humour distinguishes it from other literary dystopias - Huxley’s, Bradbury’s or Orwell’s - and puts Jensen closer to authors like Kurt Vonnegut.


Contact translation rights

Kristin Weholt, Kristin.Weholt@cappelendamm.no
Cappelen Damm Agency
N- 0055 Oslo
Akersgata 47/49
Tel: +47 21 61 65 00

Publisher
Chatto & Windus
Published
1967
Genre
Fiction
Original language
Norwegian
Original title
Epp (1965)
Earlier in these languages
Danish, French, German and Swedish.
Awards
Abraham Woursell Prize (1965)

Available as
Hardcover
ISBN
120 Pages
second hand
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