Vesaas is widely considered to be one of Norway's greatest writers of the twentieth century and perhaps its most important since World War II.

[4] A prolific author, he won a number of awards, including the Gyldendal's Endowment in 1943 and the Dobloug Prize in 1957.

Several of his books have been translated into English—many of them published by Peter Owen Publishers—among them Spring Night, The Birds, Through Naked Branches, and The Ice Palace.

[4][9] These early works had many authorial influences, including Rabindranath Tagore; Rudyard Kipling; Selma Lagerlöf, especially her Gösta Berling's Saga; Knut Hamsun, particularly his neo-romantic novels, Pan and Victoria; Henrik Ibsen; and Hans E.

[7][8] Vesaas' first successful novel came with the release of Dei svarte hestane (The Black Horses) in 1928, after his previous works were adversely criticized.

[14] In 1930, Vesaas published Fars reise (Father's Journey), the first in a tetralogy focusing on protagonist Klas Dyregodt.

[4] Although it was originally intended as a trilogy,[15] the final novel in the series, Hjarta høyrer sine heimlandstonar (The Heart Hears Its Native Music), was published six years later in 1938.

[12] Vesaas' breakthrough was in 1934 with The Great Cycle (Det store spelet), which was praised by contemporary critics.

It features a flashing neon sign, adapted from the stage effects Vesaas had seen while traveling in Germany.

The play was inspired by Vesaas' frightened reaction to German soldiers marching and holding swastikas.

[12] Two years later saw the publication of Vesaas' second short story collection, Leiret og hjulet (The Clay and the Wheel).

The book is an extensively reworked version of his unpublished play Vaskehuset, which he had withdrawn from its public premiere six years earlier.

[24] The collection marked the first time free verse dominated in Vesaas' poetry, largely due to Södergran's poetic influence.

The book has been described as similar to the works of Franz Kafka and Samuel Beckett due to its surrealism, allegory, and mood.

[24] The most famous of his works are The Ice Palace (Is-slottet), a story of two girls who build a profoundly strong relationship, and The Birds (Fuglane), a story of an adult of a simple childish mind, which through his tenderhearted empathy and imagination bears the role of a seer or writer.

Vesaas' fourth and final short story collection, Ein vakker dag (A Lovely Day), was published in 1959.

The book consists of lyrical sketches which often, according to scholar Kenneth G. Chapman, eliminates "the distinction between prose and poetry.