Varg Veum
Created by Gunnar Staalesens

Down those mean fiords...

Norwegian writer Gunnar Staalesen has written a dozen or so books, numerous short stories and even two graphic novels about hard-working and even more hard-drinking privatdetektiven VARG VEUM, a former Child Welfare worker and "slightly" alcoholic divorced father of one son, who plies his trade (and does his drinking) in Bergen, Norway.

As far as I know only three books have appeared in English, but At Night All Wolves Are Grey is a truly superb, bleak read, well worth looking for. I didn't enjoy the second, whose title I can't remember, half as much, but At Night is a definite keeper.

Staalesen was inspired by hardboiled American detective fiction, and cites Raymond Chandler as his prime inspiration. He's considered a pretty big deal in Norway, where he's considered a serious literary figure who uses crime as a vehicle for exploring the human psyche.

In fact, in the town of Bergen, there's even a statue dedicated to Veum, located right outside the Strand Hotel, where he maintains his office.

NOVELS

• Bukken til havresekken (1977)
• Din, til døden (1978; translated as "Yours Until Death," 1993) ...Buy this book
• Tornerose sov i hundre år (1979)
• Kvinnen i kjøleskapet (1980)
• I mørket er alle ulver grå (1983; translated as "At Night All Wolves Are Grey," 1986) ...Buy this book
• Svarte får (1986)
• Falne engler (1986)
• Bitre blomster (1987, translated as "Bitter Flowers")
• Begravde hunder biter ikke (1992)
• Dødelig madonna (1992)
• Som i et speil (1993)
• Ansikt til ansikt (1993)
• Skriften på veggen (1995; translated as "The Writing on the Wall)...Buy this book

SHORT STORIES
(These are possibly not all Varg Veum stories. My Norweigan isn't quite what it should be...)

• "Fra en privatdetektivs barndom" (November 1954)
• "De dødes dal" (November 1970 – February 1971)
• "Det siste de gjorde" (September 1975)
• "Dødelig ekko" (7 fjell, Bok 2) (September 1977)
• "Gunnar Reiss-Andersen, sa han" (January 1978)
• "Ved enden av korridoren" (October 1983.
• "Vintermassakren" (November 1983.
• "Deilig er jorden" (December 1983)
• "Kilroys bombe" (February 1988)
• "Den siste Bøschen" (October 1989)
• "Død og tannpine" (October 1992)
• "Det ufullendte" (March1993)
• "Han var jo broren hennes" (October 1994)
• "Det store spranget" (1995)
• "Siste reis" (April 1995)
• "Krake søker make" (October 1995)
• "De døde har det godt" (February 1996)
• "Skyggen" (February 1996.
• "Blondine til besvær" (May 1999)
• "Det siste de gjorde" (September 2000)

GRAPHIC NOVELS

• Bok 1: De dødes dal
  (2004, Westwind Forlag AS)
  Written by Gunnar Staalesen
  Art by Mike Collins
  
  
• Bok 2: Dødelig Ekko
  (2005, Westwind Forlag AS)
  Written by Gunnar Staalesen
  Art by Mike Collins
  
  
• Bok 3: Vintermassakren
  (2007, Vigmostad & Bjørke)
  Written by Gunnar Staalesen
  Art by Mike Collins
  
  
• Bok 4: Hevneren Fra Solbris
  (2008, Vigmostad & Bjørke)
  Written by Gunnar Staalesen
  Art by Mike Collins
  
  
• Bok 5: Død Mann Sladrer Ikke
  (2009, Vigmostad & Bjørke)
  Written by Gunnar Staalesen
  Art by Mike Collins

TELEVISION

• VARG VEUM
  (2007-08)
  Based on characters created by Gunnar Staalesens
  Starring Trond Espen Seim as VARG VEUM
  Good stuff. Trond Espen Seim plays Veum with a certain lanky, slightly scuzzy charm.

• Series One.. Buy this DVD set
• Bitre blomster ("Bitter Flowers")
• Tornerose ("Sleeping Beauty")
• Din til døden ("Yours Until Death")
• Falne Engler ("Fallen Angels")
• Kvinnen i kjøleskapet ("Woman in the Fridge")
• Begravde hunder ("Buried Dogs")

RELATED LINKS

• Northern Eyes: Scandinavia
  More eyes from northern Europe...

Contributed by Geoff Bradley, with additional information supplied by Kevin Burton Smith. Illustration by Mike Collins, taken from cover of the De dødes dal graphic novel.