Norwegian lawyer, author, poet and playwright Jonas Lie was not fated to be a sailor; apparently he had poor eyesight. He became a lawyer instead, studying at University of Christiania (now University of Oslo). He first began writing while practising law in the town of Kongsvinger. Jonas married his cousin, Thomasine Henriette Lie, who would collaborate with him on The Visionary: Pictures from Nordland. Inspired by the great folk tales of the North, Lie with his writings would become one of the Four Greats of Norwegian literature, the other 3 being Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, Henrik Ibsen, and Alexander Kielland.
Jonas Lie wanted his readers to see, hear and feel his subjects' experiences and comprehend them with the utmost intensity. In that case, probably best to read his stories in the original Norwegian.
image: Lie gravestone in Stavern cemetery
