Debuting in 1983 with the novel Raudt, svart (Red, Black), Jon Fosse did not write his first play until 1994. Since then he has published fifteen dramas, and his plays have been produced around the world. The most performed Norwegian playwright, both domestically and abroad, since his compatriot Henrik Ibsen, the "Father of Modern Drama," he has been hailed as the "new Ibsen." In 2001 he was the single most produced playwright of any nationality in Germany. Although his dramatic works have garnered him the widest recognition, Fosse has won critical acclaim in a wide variety of genres. Extremely prolific--publishing more than forty books in twenty years--Fosse has also been successful as a writer of novels, short stories, children's literature, poetry, essays, and a screenplay that has not been produced or published.

Fosse's literary production is characterized by a lyrical, hypnotically repetitive, yet minimalist style. Written in a simple, pared-down, rhythmic...