Bokelskere.no

Once, we are told, in the good old days, in ancient times it was different, Death was more loquacious and affable, was part of society and the family, encounters with him were not avoided, and if he was not a close friend at least he was on familiar terms with mankind. There has been a fundamental change over the last two hundred years. Death has fallen silent and commands our silence, and we are happy to comply; indeed, we preserve a deathly hush. And not because we know nothing about it - that, as everyone knows, is no reason at all to keep one's mouth shut - no, it is simply because death is the spirit of the eternal negative, a spoilsport, literally a killjoy, and we want nothing to do with such characters today.