Et oppgjør med sykdommen. The Body as Emotional Geography in Jan Roar Leikvoll’s Novels

Abstract Jan Roar Leikvoll’s (1974–2014) novels, set in dystopian, indeterminate worlds, portray captivity, physical, psychological, and socially imposed. This article argues that while the architectural cages featured in these stories (such as walled cities and cloistered monasteries) are significant, it is the body itself that emerges as the central point of confinement. Drawing on biographical criticism, affective narratology, and insights from narrative medicine, the study reveals how Leikvoll’s confrontation with illness intensifies his representations of bodily entrapment, shaping the darkness that characterizes his fictional landscapes. Through a close reading of motifs such as decay, gender constraints, and enforced isolation, Leikvoll’s works are shown to function both as explorations of embodied vulnerability and as critiques of societal norms that reinforce exclusion and control. The interdisciplinary approach highlights how Leikvoll’s distinctive style combines personal affliction with broader cultural anxieties, ultimately highlighting the fragile link between physical being, identity, and power.