Northern Lights (O'Brien novel) explained
Northern Lights is the debut novel of Tim O'Brien.[1] [2] The novel, originally published in August of 1975,[1] [3] focuses on the relationship of two brothers. Much of the plot is set during a cross-country ski trip.[4]
Reception
Initial reviews of Northern Lights were mixed,[5] but many critics noted the heavy influence of Ernest Hemingway upon the style, mood, and tone of the novel.[6] [7] One critic observed that O’Brien’s writing style in this novel is a “deliberate parody” of Hemingway.[8]
Upon its publication in 1975, Kirkus Reviews wrote that:
Alasdair Maclean, in the Times Literary Supplement, concluded that "O'Brien's ambition outreaches his gifts." [5] At the time of its publication, Northern Lights was generally seen as a promising debut novel from a young writer. After a 50 year writing career (as of 2023), it’s now viewed as perhaps O’Brien’s most flawed book.[8]
Notes and References
- Web site: NORTHERN LIGHTS | Kirkus Reviews. www.kirkusreviews.com.
- Philip A. Greasley - Dictionary of Midwestern Literature, Volume 1: The Authors 2001- p395 0253108411 "…Northern Lights, was published two years later to mixed reviews. In 1976 O'Brien left Harvard without a degree to pursue his writing career, settling in the Boston area. Chapters from what would become Going after Cacciato ..."
- Web site: Minnesota Historical Society.
- Patrick A. Smith Tim O'Brien: A Critical Companion 2005 p52 0313330557 "CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT Even though an ill-fated cross-country ski trip consumes nearly half the novel, Northern Lights is perhaps more aptly categorized as character- rather than plot-driven fiction, focusing on the relationships ..."
- Web site: O'Brien, (William) Tim(othy) 1946- | Encyclopedia.com. www.encyclopedia.com.
- Stefania Ciocia Vietnam and Beyond: Tim O'Brien and the Power of Storytelling 178138004X 2014 "Hemingway's legacy is, as one might expect, never felt more strongly in O'Brien's oeuvre than in his first novel: Northern Lights. Critics are nearly unanimous in acknowledging that, while showing promise, this book has serious limitations, ..."
- Mark A. Heberle A Trauma Artist: Tim O'Brien and the Fiction of Vietnam - 2001 p77 0877457611 "Besides its resemblance to one classic American postwar novel, Northern Lights also recalls In Our Time, Hemingway's modernist pastiche of intrusive World War I and bullfighting scenes, first-person reminiscences, and postwar stories."
- Web site: Tim O'Brien | Databases Explored. www.gale.com.
