Fiskimenn

Description

This realistic novel gives a psychological depiction of the Faroese sloop fisherman. The man who lade himself bare in small sloops to cross oceans in order to catch the fish which would then be exported as dried salted fish to Southern Europe. This trade sustained the Faroese economy for a long period and made it possible for many of the Faroese to establish their own households.

Martin Joensen diligently portrays personal horizons, faith and superstition, and the longings and hopes of the men on board, as well as their costly experiences.

In addition to the psychological depictions the Faroese society is lucidly portrayed. The novel is in many ways a true description of the 20s and 30s in the Faroes.  

In the sloop ‘The Eagle’ we find the heavy-handed captain, the religiously converted first mate who struggles with temptations, the confrontational Sigmundur, the bullied cook, the indifferent Ólavur, Hans Pauli who is overcome with homesickness, the atheist Gunnar, the greedy Andrias and the doubter Símun. We have all the characters on stage for a good and interesting play with a lot of tension.