There were a few weeks back in November when I kept seeing We, The Drowned everywhere. From popping up online, to lining the shelves in bookshops, it seemed like the universe was trying to tell me that my next reading adventure should be Denmark. This also aligned nicely with a meeting of my book club, who were happy to give it a try, too. It’s a lot longer than the books we usually read. I’m not normally intimidated by the size of a book, but the combination of 678 pages plus a Storygraph consensus that it was slow-paced did give me pause for thought. Unsurprisingly, book club has been postponed!
Reading Denmark
Translated by Charlotte Barslund with Emma Ryder, the story follows several generations of fishermen from Marstal, a town located on the island of Ærø, in southern Denmark. We follow Laurids Madsen into battle against the rebelling Germans in 1848. Then his son, Albert, on a round-the-world voyage searching for answers. Finally, we see the Second World War through the eyes of Albert’s stepson, Knud Erik, a captain in the British Navy.
The story is told in fits and spurts; a very exciting section is followed by nothing happening, then occasionally something incredibly dark will happen. I found this pacing difficult. The exciting sections were often excellent, and Albert and Knud Erik’s time on board various ships was particularly thrilling (though sometimes also awful). But I could have done without most of the sections on land.
I think it was let down by the blurb. It promised ‘a wise, humorous, thrilling story of fathers and sons, of the women they love and leave behind’, but the women left behind are rarely loved. They are mostly victims of circumstance, rarely given centre stage. They seemed like an afterthought to provide unnecessary padding to a book which felt 678 pages long.
I seem to be in the minority in not loving this book. It’s got a score of 4.09 on Storygraph, and 4.24 on Goodreads. I’ve given it three stars, but I found it such a mixed bag I struggled to rate it at all. Some sections are five stars, and others are on star. I can see why it appeals to other people, and if you’re interested in seafaring history or Danish history, then this might be a great pick for you.
Denmark Travel Inspiration
While this book didn’t provide that much travel inspiration for Denmark, it’s given me a few ideas:
Marstal, home of the protagonists, a small town on the island of Ærø. Visit the Marstal Maritime Museum to learn about the history of this seafaring town.
While you’re on Ærø, swing by Ærøskøbing, a town with many preserved historical buildings, one dating back to 1645.
Visit the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde for an even earlier taste of the high seas.
On a sea-related tangent, stop to say hi to the Little Mermaid in Copehagen harbour.
While you’re in Copenhagen, pay a visit to the royal family at Amalienborg Palace. The king (not the current one) pops up once or twice in the books.
Denmark isn’t the first stop on my reading around the world adventure. Check out all of my posts so far (and some other suggestions) here. My favourite book so far has been Retrospective, set in Colombia.
What’s your favourite Danish book?
Cover photo by Heidi W. Hemmje on Unsplash
