Stine Pilgaard

Das Buch behandelt ein Jahr, in dem die Hauptperson mit ihrem Freund und dem kleinen Kind auf dem Gelände einer dänischen Volkshochschule lebt. In Dänemark sind Volkshochschulen Institute, in denen junge Leute die Zeit zwischen Schule und Studium verbringen, Kurse machen und sich orientieren. Das Buch lebt von den Kummerkastenbriefen, die die Hauptfigur beantwortet, von ihren Versuchen den Führerschein zu machen, vom Kontrast zwischen jung und alt, gesprächig und still, Elternschaft und dem Leben zuvor. Ich fand es sehr entspannt und es hat mir gefallen, wie freundlich die Dänen miteinander umgehen. Da würde ich gerne leben! Auch das gemeinsame Singen fand ich toll.… (altro)

‘’We are still new to this field, and we walk through them with our baby carriage in a state of confusion, like two restless vagabonds. We look up at the windmills, the way they appear against the sky like visitors from a distant time, futuristic souvenirs from other planets. They shoot up around our house like cheerful weeds, and, on the rare occasions they stand still, it's as if the globe is holding its breath for a short second, bewildered by the wind's absence.’’

A young family moves to Jutland. A new community, a new professional position, a new life. In a land where short sentences are required, our narrator tries to achieve the golden balance between being a mother and a wife and a successful journalist. From obstacles such as finally getting a driving license to worries concerning baby prams and day schools, she discovers that more often than not togetherness may help you move forward and scheduling is not the be-all-end-all in life…

‘’We are all born into a story that we haven't asked to be a part of, and our lives begin with a brutal decision that was made without our consent.’’

Pilgaard weaves a story with a beautiful sense of place but her themes are universal and highly relatable. Told through a charming mixture of playful, tender irony and poignant confessions, our protagonist demonstrates the familiar confusion that comes with moving to a place that seems and feels ‘’different’’, the pressure and demands of motherhood, the desired ‘’normality’’, the boundaries of language, the possible loss of individuality when you sacrifice the ‘’I’’ for the sake of a familial ‘We’. While providing advice, she actually conveys her own thoughts, memories and fears and we get to know a delightful heroine. Because every modern woman is a heroine. You don’t need legends and myths. Our mundane reality is a constant battle.

Written in a characteristic no-nonsense style, direct and raw at parts, a trait of Danish Literature, Pilgaard’s novel is made for spring morning and summer afternoons when the days are long, the nights are bright, and the clamour from children, colleagues, partners and whatnot finally subsides.

‘’Our generation knows that planes can come crashing into buildings, that people can throw themselves into the sky. We understand that cells can divide in the body, that people can wear bombs under their clothes, that cars heading in the wrong direction suddenly appear on the freeways. All things must pass, but see this is a relief. Sweet Sleepless One, life is not an orderly event, but a fleeting and pointless movement around a dark room. And yet beauty can appear to us like something from another realm. A lovely poem, an unusual painting, a view that leaves us breathless. Your task is to use your time in the best possible way while you await death.’’

Many thanks to World Editions and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My reviews can also be found on https://theopinionatedreaderblog.wordpress.com/… (altro)

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The Land of Short Sentences (Meter i sekundet) by Stine Pilgaard (translated by Hunter Simpson) follows a young mother and her boyfriend into a rural Danish community. Ms. Pilgaard is an award-winning Danish author.

A young woman, her boyfriend, and new born baby have relocated to West Jutland, Denmark. The young couple has to deal with new people, a new culture, as well as juggling jobs.

The young woman writes advice column, while her boyfriend is a teacher at a Folk High School (højskole). The woman attempts to find her place in the community, as well as with her new family.

This novel is a wry, thoughtful, and sometimes funny slice of life in Denmark. The story of The Land of Short Sentences by Stine Pilgaard takes place over a year, and told through the eyes of the narrator. The young lady is an advice columnist, an “oracle” as she calls herself, and this mechanism allows her to pontificate on her life, friends, and culture.
The advice she gives is pretty bad, which it seems like she knows as she reveals more of herself than actually helps her readers.

More than the story itself, I enjoyed reading about the daily life of a different culture. Hunter Simpson, the translator, did a fantastic job at getting the spirit and atmosphere across – no easy task.

I also learned a few things as well. Højskole, a Danish Folk High School seems like a great concept as the allow students non-formal education, and are unique to Scandinavia’s culture. The driving classes are hilarious, I’m surprised this intelligent young lady didn’t complain about the money-grabbing aspect of it, but it allows her to meet new people – so there’s that.

There’s a lot to like in this book, great characters, beautiful scenes, as well as funny dialogue. However, the story is centered around a new mother, in a foreign place, learning to drive – I’m positive that this middle age schmo is not the target audience.

The translator also introduced me to the tradition of group singing, lejlighedssang (occasional song). Lyrics are set to traditional melodies so everyone can sing. The songs in this book are on the World Editions YouTube channel, which I found once but couldn’t find again. On a side note, World Editions have some great books which I intend to check out.… (altro)