Aksel Sandemose is one of the most fascinating personalities in twentieth-century Norwegian literature, in part because the study of his life and literary career involves many odd, puzzling, or mysterious moments. For example, just as he began to establish himself as an author in his native Denmark, he moved to Norway and began writing in Norwegian, a move that is difficult to understand. Furthermore, in his new environment Sandemose quickly became the subject of gossip that he often seemed to encourage, although his motives are unclear. Many people, including some who knew him well, were led to believe that he had committed murder and that he possessed telepathic powers. His behavior tended on occasions to be aggressive and unpredictable. Because of such episodes and issues Sandemose has presented a challenge to literary critics, who have struggled to categorize, define, and explain his life and works and the relationship...