When the Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridzén review – a novel anyone will take to heart

A huge hit in Sweden, this portrait of one man and his dog as the end approaches is a simple yet effective meditation on mortality, love and careLisa Ridzén’s debut, which has been a runaway success in her Swedish homeland and elsewhere, demonstrates how sometimes the simplest storytelling can be the most effective. This is a novel with no clever structural devices or burden of symbolism and a setting so limited geographically that the reader ends up knowing precisely where everything is.It is narrated by Bo, a former timbermill worker who has reached the age when people worry about him, and has a network of carers calling in three times a day. One of Ridzén’s inspirations was the team journal kept by the carers looking after her dying grandfather; very movingly, bulletins from the journal of Bo’s carers punctuate his narrative, the alternative perspective like a chill breeze through a briefly opened door. Continue reading...

Comments

Culture

Josh Gad backs out of star-studded Jesus Christ Superstar due to Covid

Independent

Comments

Culture

Josh Gad backs out of star-studded Jesus Christ Superstar due to Covid

Liam Neeson opens up about filming ‘strange’ sex scene with Pamela Anderson on Naked Gun as romance rumours swirl

Naked Gun reboot sets new Rotten Tomatoes score for spoof comedy film franchise

Hulk Hogan’s cause of death revealed

Rupert Everett walks back claims he was ‘fired’ from Emily in Paris

Jason Momoa shaves for the first time in six years for Dune 3: ‘I hate it’

Viewers praise BBC reality show Destination X for being the ‘new Traitors’

Justin Timberlake shares Lyme disease diagnosis after concert backlash

Jeremy Clarkson ‘devastated’ after Diddly Squat farm suffers TB outbreak

Ellen DeGeneres’ staffers were ‘scared to death’ while working on her show, former guest says

MasterChef contestant edited out of new series after objecting to it being broadcast

Justin Baldoni comes face-to-face with Blake Lively for her deposition: report

Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight to write Denis Villeneuve’s James Bond movie

Brian Cox:&#160;Trump talking 'b*******s' on Scottish independence

Lindsay Lohan on motherhood, acting again and the Freaky Friday sequel

Brian Cox returns to the Scottish stage as Edinburgh festivals begin

‘And Just Like That …’ Season 3, Episode 10 Recap: Moving On

Smithsonian Removes Reference to Trump’s Impeachments, but Says It Will Return

Bite Me by Reneé Rapp review: these tracks have teeth but could snap even harder

Dragon’s Den: Adorable moment son joins father to pitch sensory-friendly T-shirt

Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight to write Denis Villeneuve’s James Bond movie

Hulk Hogan died of heart attack, says medical examiner

Justin Timberlake Reveals Lyme Disease Diagnosis as Tour Ends

Screenwriter of new James Bond film revealed as Peaky Blinders creator

Joanna Lumley leaves Billie Piper in stitches with dramatic reading of her hit song

Todd and Julie Chrisley’s new reality show teases unseen footage from their prison release

Justin Baldoni comes face-to-face with Blake Lively for her deposition: report

‘We were rejected on Dragons’ Den – our business is changing children’s lives’

Justin Timberlake Reveals Lyme Disease Diagnosis as Tour Ends

‘Summertide’ Is a Human-Scale Beachy Drama

Terrifying trailer drops for horror sequel to ‘the scariest franchise to ever exist’

Singer Lucy Spraggan reveals she ‘clashed’ with boxer Conor Benn on Celebrity SAS

Justin Timberlake reveals Lyme disease diagnosis

Robert Wilson, Provocative Playwright of ‘Einstein on the Beach,’ Is Dead at 83

Ellen DeGeneres’ staffers were ‘scared to death’ while working on her show, former guest says

Justin Timberlake shares Lyme disease diagnosis after concert backlash

Children's author Allan Ahlberg dies aged 87

Jet2 ‘does not endorse’ White House deportation video featuring Jess Glynne clip

‘Maybe Happy Ending’ Casting Change Ignites Debate About Asian Representation

‘Triumphant’ biopic with Hollywood A-lister finally arriving on Netflix in days after delay

Hulk Hogan’s cause of death revealed

Even with Willem Dafoe and a magical blue orangutan, The Legend of Ochi could stand to be weirder

‘Ozzy Osbourne was the best of us’: Thousands turn out in Birmingham to bid farewell to the prince of darkness

Hulk Hogan’s official cause of death confirmed after wrestling legend dies aged 71

The completely free streaming service that ‘rivals Netflix’ with 30,000 titles

Foo Fighters’ new drummer revealed after band member’s firing and death of Taylor Hawkins

Wednesday: what went down in season one, and the questions we need answered

'The Colonel and The King' dives into the relationship between Elvis and his manager

'Code of Silence' is a twisty crime series with an unsentimental take on deafness

Man Dies After Apparent Fall From Whitney Museum

Museums Lobby Against Strengthening a Holocaust Art Recovery Law

Gwyneth Paltrow’s reputation should be in tatters – but she’s untouchable

UK viewers can now watch ‘gripping’ movie about jaw-dropping true story for free

Josh Gad backs out of star-studded Jesus Christ Superstar due to Covid

Jeremy Clarkson ‘absolutely devastated’ after Diddly Squat farm suffers TB outbreak

Erasing a woman from MasterChef over the mistakes of a man is a shocking move from the BBC

Outlander: Blood of My Blood is unintentionally hilarious

Jeremy Clarkson ‘forced to cull farm’s cows’ after devastating disease outbreak

ITV drops all episodes of gripping crime thriller that fans hailed ‘phenomenal’

Oscar and Emmy winners to star in Social Network 2 - Facebook’s darkest chapter hits screens

Brian Cox: Trump talking 'b*******s' on Scottish independence