Jan Kjærstad

Norwegian author

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July 22, 2026

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Jan Kjærstad is a Norwegian author known for his postmodernist style. His breakthrough novel was Homo Falsus; eller, det perfekte mord (1984), which translates to Homo Falsus; or, The Perfect Murder. He is also recognized for his three-part fictional biography of a television celebrity named Jonas Wergeland, which explores an entire epoch through postmodernist strategies. Kjærstad's work demonstrates how skillful application of these strategies can create dynamic portraits of both individuals and their times.12

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20th-century Norwegian literature
After World War II
Jan Kjærstad’s breakthrough novel Homo Falsus; eller, det perfekte mord (1984; “Homo Falsus; or, The Perfect Murder”) exhibits postmodern features; his three-part “biography” of a fictional television celebrity, Jonas Wergeland, demonstrates how a skillful application of postmodernist strategies could lead to an exciting, multidimensional portrait…
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Jan Kjærstad’s breakthrough novel Homo Falsus; eller, det perfekte mord (1984; “Homo Falsus; or, The Perfect Murder”) exhibits postmodern features; his three-part “biography” of a fictional television celebrity, Jonas Wergeland, demonstrates how a skillful application of postmodernist strategies could lead to an exciting, multidimensional portrait…
Read More