Henrik mines his library

Last year I was aiming high and didn't reach my goal. Work got in the way - when doesn't it? - and it will probably still get in the way this year as well. Therefore my ROOTing this year will be a bit less ambitious: fewer books attempted, and I will probably skip the mini-reviews I have done so far. I want as much time to actually read as possible.

I have also changed my categorization a bit. Deep ROOTs (DROOTS) are books bought before I started systematically registering new books last year. ROOTs are books acquired after that point.




ROOTs:
1. Christin & Mézières: Linda og Valentins samlede eventyr, bind 6
2. Helle Helle: Hvis det er
3. Siegfried Lenz: Landesbühne
4. Wladimir Kaminer: Russendisko
5. Stine Pilgaard: Lejlighedssange
6. Kaare Dybvad: Udkantsmyten
7. Margaret Atwood: MaddAddam
8. Eugen Ruge: Cabo de Gata
9. Chris Claremont: Essential X-Men, vol 7
10. Dan Abnett: Guardians of the Galaxy - The Complete Collection vol. 1
11. Det lokale Danmark
12. Elsa Morante: Arturos ø
13. Stefan Zweig: Die Augen des ewigen Bruders
14. Mads Váczy Kragh: Iværksættersamfundet
15. Ismail Kadare: Die Brücke mit den drei Bögen
16. Isabel Kreitz: Die Sache mit Sorge
17. Ruth Ozeki: Tidens væsen
18. Claus Holdt: Vi flytter på landet

DROOTs:
1. Philip Roth: Komplottet mod Amerika
2. William Shakespeare: De to herrer fra Verona
3. Peter Härtling: Hubert oder die Rückkehr nach Casablanca
4. Maximilien le Roy: Over muren
5. Bent Vinn Nielsen: Opkøb af dødsboer
6. Peer Meter og David von Bassewitz: Vasmers Bruder
7. George R.R. Martin: Kampen om tronen
8. Umberto Eco: Rosens Navn
9. Elisabeth og Niels Christian Hvidt: Kunstens mirakler
10. Mary Shelley: Frankenstein
11. Jane Austen: Emma
12. Per Petterson: Jeg nægter
13. Rudyard Kipling: Junglebogen
14. William Shakespeare: Trold kan tæmmes

Welcome back, Henrik. And congratulations on your first ROOT!

Welcome and congrats!

Welcome back and good luck!

Thanks, everyone. It's good to be back. 8-)

Hello Henrik. I'm glad you are back again!

Hello and good luck ROOT'ing this year!
>1 Henrik_Madsen: I have been pondering the time and effort I put into my reviews as well.... It's hard for me to say nothing at all; perhaps I will try to just say less. ;)

Plot Against America! What did you think? No review necessary.. just a couple words ;) I love that book...

>7 avanders: I liked The Plot against America but I didn't love it. It is interesting to ponder what might happen, if small but crucial events turned out differently, and obviously Jewish history is so full of progroms that fear is never buried very deep. But are democratic institutions in America really that brittle?

I liked the Roth family story, but found the larger story less convincing.

I finished my second book and second ROOT of the year! I got tome 6 of the collected stories of Valérian and Veronique for Christmas. It contains three late albums in the series, and they are actually pretty good. I enjoyed reading them, but they just don't have the originality of the early stories.

3 stars

And I finished another one: The two Gentlemen from Verona by William Shakespeare. It is the first play in the first volume of a complete new Danish translation of all his plays. The order is chronological, and this is believed to be one of his first works. I think it shows. There are excellent lines - beautifully translated - but the story is rather simple and not very original.

3 stars

Three ROOTs already!

Yeah! Good job Henrik.

>10 Henrik_Madsen: but anytime you finish a Shakespeare, it's satisfying!

>8 Henrik_Madsen: interesting, thanks for your thoughts! :)
and congrats on 2 more ROOTs down!

I'm moving nicely along and have finished another book: Hvis det er by Danish author Helle Helle. I have enjoyed her books for a long time. Her prose is extremely precise and I really enjoy her portraits of people, especially women in crisis. This theme is also prevalent in her newest novel. Two people are lost in the woods i Jutland and have two spend a night together. We get to listen to their stories, which are perfectly normal and for that reason very compelling.

4 stars

Sounds interesting!

I just got home from a short vacation in Berlin - this time without the kids - and I used the trip as an opportunity to finally read a novel I bought when I lived there 15 years ago: Peter Härtling: Hubert oder die Rückkehr nach Casablanca

Hubert is born in 1923. His father is an early participant in the Nazi movement and during the war he serves as a SS-officer in Holland. Hubert never lives up to his expectations and after rejection he starts finding his male role models in the cinema. In the long run this undermines his ability to relate to the world around him, and even though he gets a fine career in the Wirtschaftswunder his life is headed for a crises after the death of his mother. I enjoyed the book and its themes - especially the take on masculine identity.

3½ stars

Going to Berlin was not just an opportunity to read a book - it was also a great opportunity to buy some books! One of them was Siegfried Lenz: Landesbühne which I read this weekend. The story takes place in a German prison as well as in the small town of Grünau. A group of inmates escape during a theater show, but when they could keep on running, they decide to "hide in plain sight" and help develop a cultural festival in Grünau to the great joy of the mayor.

The story is easily read, funny and touching. I recommend it to anyone looking for a laugh and a quick read. (Yes, those things are also part of German litterature! 8-)

4 stars

Did you go and visit the book-café near the Brandenburger Tör, Henrik?

Sounds like a great vacation! Books read, books purchased... :)

Yep, great vacation. I visited more than one bookstore - including the wonderful Dussmann in Fridrichsstrasse - but not a book café near Brandenburger Tor. Guess I will have to look for it next time😀

Not surprisingly I bought more books than I read, so the well of ROOTs is not exactly drying out!

>21 Henrik_Madsen: The book cafe is/was situated on the right side of 'Unter den Linden'. I searched with Google Maps and know I think it is replaced by Madame Tussauds.

>22 connie53: Thanks for the tip, Connie - I'll try looking for it next time.

I'm really making progress right now. I just finished Maximilien le Roy: Over muren which is a really nice graphic novel about living in Palestine. Mahmoud lives more or less literally in the shadow of the wall, and he tells how it is. This is obviously a one-sided presentation of the conflict, but you really feel the frustration and the intense feeling of injustice.

3 stars

>24 Henrik_Madsen: For a second I thought you were reading a Dutch book, Henrik. Over muren could be a Dutch title ;-)) The book is called 'De muur' in the Netherlands.

> 25 That's funny - what does "Over muren" mean in Dutch, then?

It's a simple title but pretty hard to translate, I think. The French original is "Faire le mur" and I don't really think that is captured in the translations. (The English translation of the Danish title would be "Over the Wall" and that is just one aspect of it.)

Over muren = Over walls. So that's rather similar to the Danish title.
De muur = The wall.

Looking at the description of the book I think The Wall can be figuratively as well as literally.

I tried to read your review, but Danish is a bit out of my league. ;-))

>24 Henrik_Madsen: congrats on your great progress! 7/25!

>28 avanders: Thanks - I'm quite pleased as well.

ROOT no 8 is done: Bent Vinn Nielsen: Opkøb af dødsboer. I bought it five or six years ago at a library sale.

I have read a couple of Nielsen's books before. He is one the Danish authors who writes authentically about working people, but he doesn't romantisize their lives. This is very much the case here as well. The Klops are a dysfunctional family with a tyrannical father. Once he retires his son becomes the leader and provider. Gudmund has a special talent for trading and for a while they are making progress. But it's only temporarily. Gudmund and his sister are not fit for normal life. The history of neglect and violence catch up to them and they just don't have the resiliency to stay on their feet.

It was an ok read, but not as good as some of his other books.

3 stars

And so i no 9: Wladimir Kaminer: Russendisko

This is another book I bought on our trip to Berlin, and I had great fun reading it. It is a collection of 50 funny stories about migrant life in Berlin in the 1990s. I recognize some of it from my own stay there, and in general knowing the city will increase the joy of reading it. But it is not a prerequisite for reading it. Kaminer is precisely describes life in most modern cities, where different cultures meet, ordinary people have to relate to "logic" of modern bureaucracies etc.

3½ stars

ROOT no 10 is in the box: Stine Pilgaard: Lejlighedssange

I really liked Pilgaard's debut Min mor siger from 2012 and this is a very good follow-up. The main character is in her late 20s and after moving in to a new apartment with her lover (gender unknown) she gets involved with the people living nearby. They are both archetypical and real people trying to keep their life together. The everyday-life is described with humour and recognizable lines from movies, proverbs and commercials are cleverly vowen together.

The novel is not just about satire, however. The narrator' irony is most of all an attempt to shield her from childhood trauma and a very real difficulty to maintain meaningful relationships to other people.

4 stars

Sounds interesting!
Also, great job.. you're almost halfway done!

Two more ROOTS to report. I'm really moving along this year, and I think I have discoverede how to fulfil my rooting goals: Set a modest target and be too busy to go to the library. It seems to be working for me, anyway.

Root no 11 was Peer Meter & David von Bessewitz: Vasmers Bruder
It is a very dark graphic novel noir. The story of the actual mass murderer Karl Denke is intervowen with a modern crime story. Martin Wasmer has travelled to Zibice to find his missing brother, but soon finds himself sinking into an abyss of human darkness

3½ stars

Root no 12 is a new Danish book on regional development: Kaare Dybvad: Udkantsmyten
It is a political book documenting the severe effects of centralization in Denmark and arguing that it wil hurt the economic and social performance of the country in the future. It's probably not very relevant in other countries, but it has sparked debate and conveys a difficult and complicated subject in a very accessible manner.

4½ stars

Yeah!! Good job Henrik!

Sounds like a good system for meeting your goal! ;) You're doing well!

>33 Henrik_Madsen: Too busy to go to the library so you have to read the books on your shelf - that sounds like a great plan for reading your ROOTs!

>33 Henrik_Madsen: haha, good plan! Now, if only I could be too busy to go to the library too...
Congrats on your progress -- almost half done!!

Thanks, everyone. Yes, it is a pretty good system. Unfortunately less time also means less time to read, but I certainly enjoy the books I do have time to read.

I didn't hunt any eggs for Easter, but I did read another ROOT: Margaret Atwood: MaddAddam This is the third and final part of a dystopian science fiction trilogy. (The first book is Oryx and Crake, the second is The Year of the Flood)

I enjoyed the book a great deal. It picks up where the two first volumes ended. The few survivors try to build a new society on the rubble of the previous disaster, but dangers lurk from genetically modified animals and evil "painballers" who have also survived the plague. The artificial human race, the crakes, is no threat, but obviously challenges any traditional views on humanity.

The trilogy is great and the last part intelligently wraps up some of the loose ends - but it also a little repetitive and could have been shortened a bit, in my opinion.

4 stars

ROOT no. 14 is Eugen Ruge: Cabo de Gata

I loved Ruge's first book In Zeiten des Abnehmenden Lichts so I naturally bought his second novel, when we were in Berlin i February. It is pretty good, but also very different. A man in his 40s decides to cut all ties with his old life and leave Berlin for Southern Spain to find himself an finally start writing the novel he wants to write.

I liked the book and loved some of the early chapters which were written in a poetic prose filled with melancholy and a sense of loss - but also carried by optimism because the narrator evidently got out on the other side in better shape.

4 stars

>39 Henrik_Madsen: Oh I'm really looking forward to that trilogy!

I got a bit behind, both reading and registering those books that I did find the time to read. The reason can be summed up in just one word: Work. Thank God there is such a thing as vacation!

15. Chris Claremont: Essential X-Men, vol 7
I have continued reliving my youth reading classic X-Men comics from the 1980s. This volume culminates with death of the X-men in Forge's Tower in Dallas. I have read both older and newer stories in the series but not this one, so it was nice to finally find out how it ended.

I always enjoy Claremont's writing, but it's not his best work - and I have never been a fan of Marc Silvestri's pencil.

3 stars

16. Dan Abnett: Guardians of the Galaxy - The Complete Collection vol. 1
I saw the movie with my daughter and decided to give the comic a go as well. There are good characters, and I really enjoyed the artwork, but the story was nothing special.

3 stars

17. Det lokale Danmark

A useful and illustrative report on the ongoing urbanization in Denmark. It is great documentation of the changes taking place, but it offers neither explanations nor solutions.

3 stars

18. George R.R. Martin: Kampen om tronen

This is obviously old news - I guess I'm pretty much the last person the start reading A Song of Ice and Fire. I have watched the first season of the TV series and that wasn't a good thing - especially during the first half of the book where every chapter mirrored a scene on screen. The characters grew on me, however, and I will definitely read the next volumes as well.

3½ stars

19. Umberto Eco: Rosens Navn

This is also old news. It's been sitting on my shelf for years and after reading the story of Adso of Melk and William of Baskerville and their struggles to find a murder in a medieval monesatry, I have no idea why. It is a brilliant novel dealing not only with murder but also discussing the very nature of knowledge and truth. And it's a brilliant portrait of a very different age. I loved it!

4½ stars

20. Elisabeth og Niels Christian Hvidt: Kunstens mirakler

Ever watched classic Christian art without totally getting the motives? Then this book might be the answer. It deals with the miracles of the Bible and the depiction of these motives in classic art from 1300-1650. The Bible text, a short theological introduction and some art historistical comments accompanies the pictures, typically 2-4 different paintings of each motif.

4 stars

21. Mary Shelley: Frankenstein

Here is yet another classic. Today, most people probably know the story from the films, but the book is still worth reading despite it's artistic shortcomings. The basic idea is compelling, and Victor Frankenstein is an interesting charachter - though not a sympathetic one. His moping and self pity is almost as limitless as his ability to deny responsibility for his actions.

3½ stars

Welcome back, I hope you enjoy your holiday! It' such a great occasion to catch up with ROOTs.

Hi Henrik! Game of Thrones is such a good series. I'm currently reading the fifth book which is divided in two books in the Netherlands. Enjoy!

Great rooting!

>42 Henrik_Madsen: well it looks like you nevertheless made excellent use of your time! Great progress w/ the ROOTs!
Sorry about too much work though! Vacations *are* quite nice..... :)

Name of the Rose is on my shortER list.... it's one of my husband's favorite books!

>43 MissWatson: It is - and I really appreciate it this year, because Work been more time- and energyconsuming than ever. Sadly vacation is now done with, but I have promised myself to find some time for reading anyway.

>44 connie53: My wife read all of them as well and is also seeing the series. Fantasy is not really my thing, but I did enjoy this one and looks forward to the rest.

>45 Tess_W: Thanks - and just on time. I have been ahead for once, and it was almost slipping away from me!

>46 avanders: Vacations are briliant! I have immediately started planning the next one. I can only recommend Name of the Rose. It is clever and thrilling and just a joy to read. (I have written a lengthy review in Danish which does it more Justice than the blurp above.)

>47 Henrik_Madsen: I'm watching the series too, with my brother. When there is a bloody scene I hide behind the papers we have at hand (with names and genealogy). He warns me when it's over ;-))

23. Jane Austen: Emma

This is my second Austen-novel - Pride and Prejudice was the first - and I'm glad it was not the other way around. The themes are very similar. Young, wealthy women are engaged with young, wealthy men in social interaction which must naturally result in marriage. It is not easy, however, to find the right match in a situation where everybody wants to marry up and respecting social distinctions is a paramount concern. Emma is an intelligent woman, who devotes much of her time to arranging realtionships, which she consideres proper. It is not easy, however, to interpret the subtle signals and she mostly fails at her endeavours.

The writing is clever and funny, but the book was a bit long to my taste.

3½ stars

24. Per Petterson: Jeg nægter

Childhood friends Tommy and Jim meet again after 35 years. They are both at crossroads in their lives and they are forced to remember growing up together in a small town. Jim was alone with his mother, and Tommy grew up with a violent father - until he turns the tables on him and ends up in foster care.

Normally I love Petterson's books but I was just not all that captivated by this novel.

3½ stars

That's a pity, Henrik! I hope your next book will be better.

>51 connie53: That's life, Connie. Not all books can be awesome and in a sense this makes me appreciate the best ones even more.

25. Stefan Zweig: Die Augen des ewigen Bruders

I bought this book in Salzburg this summer, when we visited the city for a few days and I had time to visit a couple of bookstores. I have read Zweig before and mostly enjoyed it - especially his memories Verden af i går which is brilliant.

This booklet contains a small fable. Virata is a nobleman in ancient India. After serving his king against an uprising he is faced with the fact that he has killed his brother, who fought on the other side. He declines power and serves as a renowned judge for some years before he gives up this responsibility as well and retreats to hermit's life in the jungle. Still the question lingers: Is giving up all kinds of human contact and responsibility really a virtuous life?

The story is told like a fable or a myth, and convincingly so. The book is just not as good as some of his other books.

3 stars

Also: Yay - I'm done!

Yeah! congrats, Henrik!

>54 Henrik_Madsen: Congratulations!!

Congratulations!

Woo hoo!

Thanks, everybody. It feels great to be done, and I hope I can get some more books read this year - it's also a chance to make up for for my shortcomings inprevious years.

26. Mads Váczy Kragh: Iværksættersamfundet

Kragh has written a very good introduction to entrepreneurship and the environment public authorities can create to promote it. It discusses whether there is a special "entrepreneural" personality (the answer: sort of) and scans some of the most dynamic regions of the World to find out, what they do right. Afterwards the Danish landscape is surveyed and discussed.

Given the Danish context of the book, it is probably mostly relevant here. Within its own context, however, it is both wellwritten and thoughtprovoking.

4 stars

27. Rudyard Kipling: Junglebogen

I have inherited this book from grandmother, who bought it nearly 100 years ago. It's always fun reading older books - as long as the spelling and printing is somewhat modern. Obiviously it is also more fun reading good books, and The Junglebook is definitely still worth reading. The stories are complex and the relationship between animals and humans, the philosophy of the law of the jungle, and the growing-up of Mowgli are alle food for thought.

Read it!

4½ stars

You are reading a lot of good books, Henrik. And I love the thought you can read a book bought by your grandmother!

Books from grandma are good! Also, close to your root goal. I also have The Jungle Book in my TBR pile. It's very old, maybe 1940's. I got it at a school that was closing 30 years ago...guess it's really taken root!

>62 connie53: Absolutely - good books make reading fun, and I always like it, when there is a personal touch to the copy as well. Luckily my parents still got a number of grandma's old volumes on the shelves!

>63 Tess_W: I know how it feels. I have books on my shelves that I bought in highschool more than twenty years ago, but I firmly believe their time is coming. You shouldn't let The Junglebook sit much longer, though. It is much more than I expected it to be.

28. Ismail Kadare: Die Brücke mit den drei Bögen

Last week I had the pleasure of visiting Albania, which was of course also a perfect occasion to read some Albanian litterature. I chose this book by Kadare in the airport, partly because it was short and manageble, partly because it was in German and therefore readable.

The novel chronicles the building of a bridge in late 14th century Albania. The old order is breaking down - symbolised by the old ferry-company which the Count discards for the new road-and-bridge company - as the Turkish conquerors are pushing ahead from the East.

I enjoyed the book which both contains a dramatic story of the building of the bridge and interesting observations on the use and abuse of legends by people in power.

The novel is obviously related to The Bridge on the Drina by Ivo Andric - a novel that is even more recommendable. 8-)

3½ stars

29. Isabel Kreitz: Die Sache mit Sorge

Richard Sorge was one the most famous spies of the 20th Century. Based in Tokyo and with free access to the German embassy he warned Stalin of the impending attack in 1941 and he later assured the communist leader that Japan would not join the attack.

Kreitz tells this story, but she is also interested in the life of Sorge. At this point in his life he was a heavy drinker and womanizer who often made scandal in the small German community in Japan, but his network was impressive and he was indispensable to the German ambassador, who confided all kinds of secrets to him. Since Sorge had been a communist activist since 1920 it is sowhat surprising that the Nazis didn't blow his cover.

I really enjoyed Kreitz' graphic novel. She shows the all too human side of the spy - no James Bond here - and the artwork also grew on me.

4 stars

30. Ruth Ozeki: Tidens væsen

The novel features the story of two women: Naoko, a teenager living in Tokyo, and Ruth, a middle-aged author living in British Columbia. One day Ruth finds the Naokos diary wrapped in a plastic bag on the Beach, and once she starts reading the lives of the two women starts intersecting in strange ways.

There is a philosophical backbone the stories, but it is mainly a very good novel because the two charachters are genuinely interesting and likeable.

4 stars

>67 Henrik_Madsen: Hi, Henrik. So now I am trying to translate that title (again). Creature from the future? Or something like that?

Are you going to ROOT in 2016. Did you know the 2016 group has started?

>68 connie53: Hi Connie. The original title is "A Tale for the Time Being" which carries several meanings as Naoko and others are referred to as "beings of time". The Danish title literally translates back to "The Being of Time" which also has at least two meanings: 'A being made of time' and 'the essence of time'. A pretty good translation, I think.

I plan to root again next year and intend to use the days before New Years Eve to set it up.

I guess Google translate isn't that good in nuances within a language, Henrik. LOL.

Looking forward to seeing you thread appear in the coming days.

Happy New Year to you and yours!

>70 connie53: Google translate does have its limitations, I guess. Happy new year to you as well!

31. Claus Holdt: Vi flytter på landet

This is a very short book intended for Danes who wants to take the plunge and move from the city to the countryside. Unfortunately it is not a good one. The information is insufficient and the countryside and its inhabitants is met with prejudices galore.

1½ stars

32. William Shakespeare: Trold kan tæmmes

Finishing the year with Shakespeare feels good. I plan to buy and read all of his plays, which are being newly translated into Danish, and this is the second one. I enjoyede the witty dialogue and the fast-paced action, even though the great charachter of Katerina is never put to full use.

3½ stars

So this is it for me this year. 32 books done, 7 past my original target and 14 of those were of from the pile of "acquired a long time ago". Very satisfying!
(I will get back with a few words on the book later.)