Dark Branches

Joe Uddermann, the narrator of this unsettling tale from Norwegian author Frobenius (De Sade’s Valet), appears to have found success with the publication of his autobiographical novel, The Chalk, but he soon finds himself in trouble. First, an anonymous phone caller tells Joe’s partner, Agnes, that Joe has been with a prostitute. Then, at the local supermarket, Joe has an unpleasant encounter with ex-con Vebjorn, the husband of Katinka Moen, who inspired a major character in The Chalk and with whom he had an affair while Vebjorn was in prison. The situation deteriorates further with Katinka’s murder and the reappearance of George Nymann, who was the model for the novel’s central figure and was believed to be dead. Finally, Agnes leaves Joe and takes their daughter, Emma, with her, and Joe becomes a suspect in Katinka’s murder. Frobenius adroitly charts the disintegration of his hero’s life in this astute psychological study. (Mar.)