Scissors

Laura Lindstedt

Original title: Sakset

Author: Laura Lindstedt

Published: 2007

Publisher: Teos

Genre: Literary Fiction

Pages: 240

Reading material:

English sample

Laura Lindstedt’s impressive novel Scissors succeeds in developing from a description of contemporary adoptive parenthood and motherhood into a discourse on fundamental issues.

Scissors is a story of a woman, Maria, who adopts a little girl from China. Great expectations and the desire to love turn to inadequateness before the child’s blank stare. What happens if a child doesn’t respond at all? Or if the mother and the child are afraid of each other?

Lindstedt writes boldly about a woman’s life and the need to love one’s child. The novel discusses sensitive matters that are not often talked about: the distance between child and parent, the fear of failure and finally a mother’s mental instability.

Scissors manifests both a great command of language and structure and a skillful ability to manipulate plot.

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Rights sold:
FINLAND: Teos (orig.)

About author

Laura Lindstedt

Laura Lindstedt (b. 1976) became a critical darling with her adoption-themed debut novel Scissors (Sakset, Teos 2007), which earned her a nomination for the Finlandia Prize, the country’s most prestigious literary honour. She is currently revising her Ph.D. thesis on French author Nathalie Sarraute. Lindstedt’s second novel Oneiron (Teos 2015) is a work of speculative fiction that takes place in the mysterious moments that follow one’s death. Oneiron has continued Lindstedt’s critical success, earning her the coveted 2015 Finlandia Prize. Lindstedt’s latest novel My Friend Natalia has been a critical success and the rights have been sold to 12 territories.

Bibliography


2019, Literary Fiction

Laura Lindstedt

My Friend Natalia


2015, Literary Fiction

Laura Lindstedt

Oneiron


2007, Literary Fiction

Laura Lindstedt

Scissors