Henrik_Madsen ROOTS - will it never end?

2016 was a great year rooting. I aimed for 25 and managed 43, which suggests I should be a bit more ambitious with my labors in 2017. So my goal for the year will be 40 ROOTS. We'll see how it goes.

I will continue the categorization I used last year. Deep ROOTs (DROOTS) are books bought before I started systematically registering new books in 2014. ROOTs are books acquired after that point.







ROOTS
1. Isabel Kreitz: Rohrkrepierer
2. Maria Edgeworth: Ormond
3. Olof Lagercrantz: At læse Proust
4. Jonas Hassen Khemiri: Alt det jeg ikke husker
5. Erika Fatland: Englebyen
6. J.M. Straczynski og Esad Ribic: Silver Surfer - Rekviem
7. Niels Ploug (red): Social arv og social ulighed
8. Alan Moore: Saga of the Swamp Thing Book 1
9. Dennis Gade Kofod: Nexø Trawl
10. Svetlana Aleksijevitj: Krigen har ikke et kvindeligt ansigt
11. Alan Moore: Saga of the Swamp Thing Book Two
12. Tine Høeg: Nye rejsende
13. Enki Bilal: 32. december
14. Carsten Lê Madsen og Ulrik Kjær: De sidste sande amatører
15. A.J. Kazinski: Den genfødte morder
16. Iben Mondrup: Godhavn
17. Bo Vestergård: Byg bro mellem siloerne
18. William Shakespeare: Titus Andronicus
19. Jörg Ulbert og Jörg Mailliet: Gleisdreieck - Berlin 1981
20. Vigdís Hjorth: Arv og miljø
21. Alan Moore: Saga of the Swamp Thing Book Three
22. Lotte Bøgh Andersen mfl.: Offentlige styringsparadigmer
23. Uwe Timm: Die Entdeckung der Currywurst
24. Chris Carter, Stewart R. Clegg and Martin Kornberger: A Very Short, Fairly Interesting and Reasonably Cheap Book About Studying Strategy
25. Chigozie Obioma: Vi var fiskere
26. Jiro Taniguchi: Den ensomme gourmet
27. Richard Whittington: Hva er strategi?
28. Joop Koppenjan og Erik-Hans Klijn: Managing Uncertainties in Networks
29. Hugo Pratt: Cato Zulu
30. Ida Jessen: Doktor Bagges anagrammer

DROOTS
1. Inger Christensen: Sommerfugledalen
2. Elizabeth Gaskell: Cranford
3. Benn Q. Hom: Sommer
4. Haruki Murakami: Norwegian Wood
5. Apulejus: Det gyldne æsel
6. Knut Hamsun: Markens Grøde
7. Ivan Turgenjev: Forårsbølger
8. Siri Hustvedt: Det jeg elskede
9. Peter Ørsted: Romerne
10. Theodor Fontane: Die Poggenpuhls
11. Thomas Mann: Tidlige fortællinger 1893-1912
12. Günter Grass: Die Blechtrommel
13. Gabriel García Marquez: 100 års ensomhed
14. Ovid: Metamorfoser
15. Otto Steen Due: Ledsager til Ovids Metamorfoser
16. Joseph Conrad: Lord Jim

Welcome back and good luck with your goal!

Happy to see names I recognize! Good ROOTing and very Happy New Year.

Hope you unearth some good ones!

Good luck with your goal!

Thanks everyone. I'm sure there will lots of gold at the end of the rainbow. (Or simply hid in plain sight on my shelves.)

Nice to see you back and good luck with your reading!

Welcome back & Happy 2017 ROOTing!

Hello Henrik! Found your thread and starred it. Good luck with all the Rooting!

Also a round of thanks for the second wave. Now I just have to actually start reading!

I did not touch any ROOT this year too, Henrik. To busy with the ROOTers! (okay, and some houshold-things)

Good luck with your rooting!

1. Isabel Kreitz: Rohrkrepierer

Acquired: I bought this fine graphic novel on February 6th last year on a weekend trip to Hamburg. I have mentioned my purchases a couple of times before, but I think this is the last one. Maybe it's time to go to Germany again and by some more books?

Isabel Kreitz is an interesting German artist who creates good graphic noels. Most of them are adaptions of novels or other books, and I really like her style and her artwork. This book is an adaption of an autobiographical novel by Konrad Lorenz, who grew up in St Pauli in Hamburg after the second world war.

Kalle is the main character. He lives with his mother and grandmother, when they learn that his father - who was believed to be lost during the war - is a war prisoner. New tensions arise as he returns, and the effects of the war is felt everywhere. Many families are without a father or he is deeply traumatized by war experiences. Still, life isn't too bad. Kalle and his friends have a normal childhood and an adolescence filled with girls, drinking and an attempt to figure out, what life should be.

The artwork is beautiful and authentic, and I really enjoyed the story even though it lacks the plot to make it a great book.

3½ stars

>13 Henrik_Madsen: My library has this! Thanks for my first book bullet.

Congrats on your first ROOT pulled!

>14 MissWatson: You're welcome! (It's also a novel by Konrad Lorenz btw - if it doesn't fit the bill)

>15 avanders: Thanks

>16 Henrik_Madsen: The library has both. I peeked at the novel on amazon and was instantly smitten by the use of colloquial words I haven't heard in an age, such as "stratzen". I haven't used the library for quite some time (all those TBRs), but I think I'll renew my membership. They are surprisingly well-stocked with foreign language books these days...

2. Inger Christensen: Sommerfugledalen (Butterfly Valley)

Acquired: I found the receipt in the book, which I apparently bought in January 2009. Inger Christensen had just died and I decided it was time to buy her collected poetry, since she was regularly mentioned as the most likely Danish candidate for the Nobel Prize. I have read her various works over the years, and mostly enjoyed them. This is the last one, so the volume is now officially done!

Sommerfugledalen is a crown of sonnets, that is a series of 15 poems of 14 lines, where the finishing line of one sonnet is the first line of the next. Alle the beginning lines are then summed up in the final 'master' sonnet. Inger Christen loved organizing her poems after complicated mathematical systems so taking on this form first developed in the Italian renaissance seems logical.

The poems contrasts vivid registration of natural experiences with recollections past friends. Christensen shies away from suggesting a life after death or insisting that she is actually encountering her dead friends and relatives again, but she enjoys the moments which - like love - opens a window to a short glimpse of eternity.

The writing and imagery is beautiful and assisted by the poetic names of the butterflies, but I wasn't as moved by her writing as I have been before. Still - the volume is done!

3½ stars

Congrats on #2, Henrik.

That's very cool how Christensen's sonnets are all linked!

>20 rabbitprincess: Absolutely. It must have taken forever to make it all fit and I am definitely in awe of her technical abilities as a writer.

3. Elizabeth Gaskell: Cranford

Acquired: This is an ancient volume which I bought in the middle of the 1990s and just never got round to actually read. This month, however, it was chosen as groupread of the month in the 1001 books before you die group.

I enjoyed this book much more than I expected to. Mary Smith is a young woman who visits her friends in the small town of Cranford, where she takes part in their social life and we learn about their small sorrows as well as the tragic undercurrent of their lives. Smith / Gaskell isn't blind to their weaknesses but the overriding feeling of the novel is sympathy with her characters who are mostly good people. Mattie Jenkyns in particular is a lovable person who has retained her good-natured way even though she has suffered several losses in her life.

Cranford is a small town, and on the surface not much goes on. That is reflected in the novel, but stories of love and loss are to be found everywhere.

4 stars

Great pace! :)
>22 Henrik_Madsen: sounds interesting.. glad the group read worked out for you!

>23 avanders: It was I who proposed the book for the group read so I sort of had to participate.

Generally I still want to read all my books, even those bought ages ago. Whenever I do, I wonder why they had sat there so long.

>22 Henrik_Madsen: I'm reading Cranford currently. I got it as a Christmas present along with 2 other of her books: North and South and Wives and Daughters.

>25 Tess_W: I hope you enjoy it! I don't have anything else by Gaskell on my shelves, but I will definitely read more of her books down the road. I really liked her tone of voice which seemed rather modern.

I have North and South on my TBR - for some reason I always thought it was an American civil war novel, until lots of people on LT read and reviewed it recently! I think there might have been a civil war mini-series with the same name on TV years ago, maybe that's what I was thinking of!

>27 Jackie_K: There is a trilogy of books written by John Jakes, which does include North and South, a U.S. Civil War novel.

>24 Henrik_Madsen: lol I suppose ;)

& I agree! Sometimes I just look longingly at them and think "some day..."

>28 Tess_W: I wouldn't be at all surprised if that's what I was thinking of!

>29 avanders: I spend lots of time looking longingly on my shelves - that is one of the great things about the ROOT challenge: To really look at your shelves and appreciate what's hidden there.

>27 Jackie_K: >30 Jackie_K: I have been confused by the two North and South novels as well. There was indeed a miniseries based on the American one. Patrick Schwayze played a handsome Southerner, I believe, which is probably one of the reasons my sister loved it.

>31 Henrik_Madsen: True! It really does help w/ appreciating what we "already have" ;)

4. Benn Q. Holm: Sommer

Acquired: I bought this book about 7-8 years ago. After we moved to Nakskov, but before the bookshop changed its name (this is based on the prisetag, which was still on the book when I picked it off the shelves. When I looked through my reading in 2016, I discovered I had only read three Danish novels last year. That is not enough, so I decided to read more, and I have been eying this one for a while.

Peter is in his mid-30s, married to the beautiful Nanna and proud father of the sweet Natasha. It's finally summer and they leave for three weeks in a summer home by the beach. It is sort of a parallel world, where they have other friends and finally have time to be together. This is mostly great, but being around your family this much can also be nervewrecking.

Peter is confronted with his life as he is winding down. He used to be a marginally succesful artist, and he is confronted with that part of his life when Carl and V. drop by for a visit. He is not really unhappy as a business man, but is it really enough? He is also tormented by doubts about Nanna and baseless jealousy directed at her previous lovers.

They are, in short, a pretty normal couple, and Benn Holm actually made me care about them. It is not an earthshattering novel, but worth a read.

3 stars

So, I decided that this year was a great year to have a tracker for acquisitions as well as for ROOTs. Hmmm. I don't know what to say. In a sense it's a great success as it makes it abundantly clear how many books I'm buying. But it's also quite clear that the number of new books is running away from the number of books actually read - and it's my birthday next week!

Oh well, there are worse problems...

>34 Henrik_Madsen: I had a similar experience when I first did the acquisitions tracker, Henrik! I was a bit shocked at how out of control I was! This is the 3rd year I've done it, and I have to say that the initial shock that I bought 3 times more books than I read has really helped me to be firmer in my resolve to not just buy all the books. I've made much more use of my wishlist (which has mushroomed dramatically!) and I have also started to look at negative amazon reviews to try to dissuade me from buying books! (that has actually worked pretty well so far!).

>34 Henrik_Madsen: I was on the wagon for 2 years...bought NO (NONE!) books. Then, I fell off the wagon in December when I got a couple of gift cards to Amazon--spent all of them--and then they kept sending me "bargain" notices, books for 1.99, 2.99 , etc....and I think I made up for not buying any in 2 years. I can't win--I am my own worst enemy! Just like my diet!

I enjoyed Gaskell's N & S better than Cranford; it seemed more polished, mature, and formed. In addition, the political subject matter and feminist sensibility were stronger elements in this story. Haven't read Wives and Daughters but look forward to trying it.

>34 Henrik_Madsen: lol that's always the difficulty ;)

>35 Jackie_K: yes - I would agree w/ that too... both that noting acquisitions & watching the number of TBRs go up is helpful and that my wishlist has mushroomed dramatically ;)

>35 Jackie_K: Yeah, the truth can be eye-opening. First you have to aknowledge you have a problem etc. Actually I think I'm still in denial: It's just a phase, I'll make up for it on vacation next week etc. We'll see at the end of the year.

>36 Tess_W: There's nothin like a former addict letting slipping up and just letting go!

>37 Limelite: I'm looking forward to N&S then!

5. Maria Edgeworth: Ormond

Acquired: I downloaded my copy from Project Gutenberg a couple of weeks ago. Ormond was my first choice for this years anniversary reads - it was originally published in 1817 - and this was the easiest way to get my hands on it.

Ormond depicts the development of a gentleman. As a young boy he is left in the care of Ulick O'Shane and later send the the Black Islands to be raised by the simpler but more noble Cornell O'Shane. He miraculously acquire a fortune - of course he does! - and begins his mental journey into the world of gentlemen. Will his morals hold up, faced with all kinds of temptations?

The book hasn't hold up well. The coincidences are too thick and Ormond is too boring af character to pull the story off. The problem is not a lack of action, but the author moralizes too much for my taste.

2 stars

6. Olof Lagercrantz: At læse Proust In English: Reading Proust.

Acquired: I bought the book in January. Last year I finally started reading In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust, and thought I could use a guide to the next volumes, which are now sitting on my shelves waiting for my attention.

Lagercrantz makes no attempt to interpret In Search of Lost Time as a whole. Instead he offers his own readings of various important chapters and themes. Occasionally he refers to the wealth of literature on Proust, but it is always used to support or expand on his own readings. A lot of it was new to me - though undoubtedly not to scholars of Proust - such as his inspiration from John Ruskin, while other parts mostly discussed or expanded on themes I had encountered before, such as his relationship to his mother, his homosexuality and his Jewish background.

The book is a very personal meeting with a great work of art. I enjoyed the readings and I found reading the book right now, when I know some of Proust's work but not all of it, was a good idea. I could recognize something while others will be on my watchlist. Most of all it made me want to read more Proust, which is a good thing.

3½ stars

7. Jonas Hassen Khemiri: Alt det jeg ikke husker In English: Everyting I Don't Remember.

Acquired: It was book of the month i June last year, and I was rather intrigued by the description so I decided not to cancel it. We went to Sweden for a vacation this week so it seemed like the perfect time to read it.

A young man named Samuel has died in a car crash. Was it an accident due to bad breaks or was it really a suicide? An unnamed author who or may not have something in common with Khemiri is trying to sort things out. To do so, he interviews Samuel's friends and relatives and the book is made up of their statements. The most prominent voices are his friend Vandad and his former girlfriend Laide.

Vandad and Samuel were friends and shared an apartment, when Laide apparently got between them. They see Samuel and each other very differently and the reader has to make up his mind about Samuel from their descriptions. The novel takes place in contemporary Sweden and it is also a story about refugees and the integration of immigrants into Swedish society.

I was very well entertained and really excited to see where the story led me, but I'm not so sure it will hold up well.

4 stars

8. Erika Fatland: Englebyen In English: City of Angels

Acquired: A birthday present from my wonderful children. There is a huge book sale in the local book store right now, and I had made a list of good bargains for them to choose from. And they chose this one and a novel by André Brink which I haven't read yet.

Do you remember Beslan? The Russian town in the Caucasus where more than a thousand women and children were held hostage by terrorists in 2004? I did, but I must admit that I never studied it as intensely as I - and many others - have read about 9/11, Charlie Hebdo etc.

So it's good to have authors like Fatland. She travelled to Beslan in 2007 and 2010 and interviewed lots people to write this important book about the terrorist attack and about what happens to a small society after the lights have gone out and the media moved on to the next crisis. 333 people were killed so most families are affected and the society is not just buried in sorrow but also torn apart by nagging suspicions. Teachers are accused of having helped the attackers, nobody trust the official version of the authorities and tensions with neighboring provinces are growing.

It is a moving and interesting book - and a really nice gift.

4 stars

>43 Henrik_Madsen: That sounds like an important book, I'd love to take a BB, but amazon only seems to have her books in Danish, German or Dutch (none of which I speak or read, sadly). It looks like she has also written about Anders Breivik, and travelled and written extensively about central Asia too. I will have to keep an eye out for her work in English.

I suppose it makes a good change for a native English speaker to be lamenting that a book hasn't been translated, rather than the other way round!

>44 Jackie_K: Yes, it's time for revenge 8-)

Actually, I think there are lots of good and important books not translated to English, not just from small languages like Norwegian but from German and other major languages as well.

I do think Fatland writes well. I don't remember any reviews of her take on Utøya and Breivik, but her travels in the old Soviet Republics were very well received.

Well, things have gotten a little out of hand lately. New books are piling up after a sale at the local bookstore, a trip to a comics festival in Copenhagen and some delayed birthday presents. All great acquisitions but shelf space is in increasingly short supply. Time to get reading!

9. Haruki Murakami: Norwegian Wood

Acquired: I got this novel for Christmas in 2012 and before I got round to actually reading it, it went missing in the TBR piles.

Murakami is wellknown for his magic realism where everybody is a philosopher, a cat lover and a jazz fan. Except for the magic, all these features are also a part of this fine novel, where a middle-aged man named Watanabe thinks back to his youth, where love, sex an death were all intertwined. His friend Kazuki had committed suicide and now Watanabe is getting involved with his girlfriend Naoko as well as getting to know the more vibrant Midori.

It is a book full of original characters, melancholy and hope that love will cure everything in the end.

4½stars

>47 Henrik_Madsen: I got a Murakami from my SantaThing this year. I might have to move it up in the queue...

>48 enemyanniemae: I have definitely enjoyed the ones I have read. Which one is it?

10. J.M. Straczynski og Esad Ribic: Silver Surfer - Rekviem

Acquired: Last weekend we went to Copenhagen Comics. It was pretty cool with drawing battles, cosplay catwalk and lots of good offers. I'm actually quite proud I only bought to volumes - one of which was this one.

Silver Surfer is one of the better known aliens in the Marvel universe. This four part miniseries chronicles his death, and I have very mixed feelings about it. There was too much sentimentality and the aliens developed too many human features - even Galactus, devourer of worlds, is on the verge of sobbing at the end - but I loved the art work.

3 stars

11. Niels Ploug (red): Social arv og social ulighed

Acquired: I ordered the book when it came out in January. Social change is one our main goals at work, and this seemed like a great opportunity to brush up on the current level of research in the field.

This short and well-written anthology is an introduction to the phenomenon of intergenerational transfer. In a universal welfare state like Denmark, everybody has access to the same childcare, schools and hospitals and everybody and their grandmother believes in equality of opportunities - and still the future of children from different social groups is vastly different.

This books shows the current state of the problem, and it discusses various theoretical and practical approaches to it in a Danish context. It is written by renowned researchers in the field, but it is very accessible to outsiders. I was sort of depressed by the results, but the book itself is both thought-provoking and accessible.

4 stars

Hello! I'm not attempting to catch up on threads at this point, but just wanted to drop by & say hi :)

>52 avanders: Thanks! It's good to have you back 8-)

12. Alan Moore: Saga of the Swamp Thing Book 1

Acquired: I bought the book last year when I had an extra hour to spend i the wonderful comic book store Fantask in Copenhagen. Now was a good time to read it: I have been sick with fever and a heavy cold, and a book with pictures just seemed more doable than the Emile Zola novel I was also reading at the time.

Alan Moore is credited with reinventing the superhero comic with his run on Swamp Thing from 1984-87. This is the first volume in an omnibus edition, and I really like what he does with the character. Instead of humanizing the Swamp Thing he makes him even more strange and plant-like, and this exploration of otherness functions really well with the series horror theme. I enjoyed the philosophical and psychological depth in the stories, and I probably enjoyed the artwork by Stephen Bissette and John Totleben.

4 stars

Sorry to hear you've been battling a cold! Sounds like a comic book is the perfect thing to read when you're feeling ill.

Take good care of yourself!

>55 rabbitprincess: >56 MissWatson: Thanks. It's not been too bad - just happened at a really inconvenient time.

>49 Henrik_Madsen: it's 1Q84 (is that the right title?). Every time one of his books come into the bookstore I look at the cover and consider a purchase. So I was thrilled when my SantaThing had one sent to me.

If only I had time.. actually, I do have time. It's the attention I seem to be lacking at the moment to do any serious reading.

>58 enemyanniemae: Yes, that is the right title, but I haven't read that one yet. It looks a bit intimidating since the Danish edition is three thick volumes.

I like Murakami a lot, but I do think his books requires a certain level of concentration or 'serious reading'.

Norwegian Wood was definitely the easiest Murakami so far.

>58 enemyanniemae: >59 Henrik_Madsen: Hi, both! can I recommend audiobooks as a way of tackling these big chunky books? I read the three volumes of 1Q84 in early January, going back and forth between paper book and audio and found that I rattled through it quite quickly.

It's an expensive way to read, for sure, but I save audio/paper for 'big reads' such as Bleak House and Vanity Fair. I know some people don't like audiobooks, or feel that it's not 'real reading', but I'm bereft now if I don't have an audiobook to listen to in the car or while gardening.

>60 floremolla: I heard a lot of audiobooks when I commuted by car - now I mostly go by train and prefer reading physical books instead. I enjoyed it but mostly heard mysteries. I always felt like I should reserve the best books for reading - and some books, especially those which are mostly known for their writing and aesthetics, those I must read to really appreciate the details.

>61 Henrik_Madsen: I agree - favourite authors/books have to be read to be properly savoured.

13. Apulejus: Det gyldne æsel (The Golden Ass)

Acquired: Stricktly speaking, this is not my book but my wife's. She bought it for a class in college, so it's been a few years. Reading it now was part of my ambition to read the 1001 books before you die.

This is the only novel from antiquity which has survived in it's entirety, and it's not too difficult to see why. It is a collection of good stories connected by the travels of narrator Lucius. After enjoying himself with a young girl, Fotis, he wants to crank up the experience by being transformed into a bird. Sadly he is instead turned into an ass and has to go through much hard work and many a beating before he is finally restored through the grace of Isis.

The Danish translation is very good. The writing felt fresh and I really enjoyed the stories which are mostly fun but also includes a romantic gem like the story of Amor and Psyche.

3½ stars

>63 Henrik_Madsen: For years I've heard about this book but never actually known the plot! Interesting. Thanks for reviewing it!

>64 rabbitprincess: You're welcome! Some old books are really hard to comprehend, but if you have a basic knowledge of antique mythologogy, it's a surprisingly easy read.

>61 Henrik_Madsen: >62 floremolla: interesting... I tend to prefer physical books.. a lot.. but I have "read" some really excellent books through the library's audiobook app... A good reader can make a great book even better... :)

14. Dennis Gade Kofod: Nexø Trawl

Acquired: I bought this book at the local book store last year, when I picked it up from the "please take this off our hands" basket. (I paid 1½$ for it- money well spent.)

The narrator and his friend Thomas grow up in the small town Nexø on the Danish island Bornholm during the 80s and 90s. The fishing industry was booming and bringing in huge loads of cash until a sudden collapse, which left the town gasping for air. This sudden poverty and desperation is not at the center of the story, which focuses on the young boys growing up, but the violence and widespread use of alcohol and drugs is related to it. Thomas, especially, is a heavy user. He is also a sensitive boy and young man trying to find his way as an artist. When his family is hit by tragedy he cannot live any longer and kills himself.

The novel is well-written and obviously a very personal project. Kofod himself grew up just outside of Nexø.

4 stars

Hi Henrik, just stopping by and skimming your thread to see what you were reading.

>68 connie53: Hi Connie, good to have you back on LT :-)

>69 Henrik_Madsen: I'm glad I'm back too!

15. Knut Hamsun: Markens Grøde

Acquired: I don't really remember, but it was a long time ago - probably 10-15 years - and the book was already used when I bought it.

Isak is a young man striving to make his way as a homesteader in far-off Northern Norway around 1900. Using only his hands and his strength he clears land and builds a farm, always trying to improve production and master the wilderness around him. He soon marries Inger and they are happy until she gives birth to a handicapped girl, which she promptly kills. It does not appear, though, that it is the crime itself, which disturbs the family. Much worse is the air of city life and civilization which clings to her as she returns from imprisonment many years later. She has a hard time readjusting to rural life, and the city, even the small town several days march away, is generally presented as a source of corruption threatening not just Inger but also their son Eleseus.

I loved Hamsun's novel Hunger which is a modernistic classic giving an unforgettable description of modern life and the infinite loneliness as an outsider in a large city, but I was much less fond of this book. I don't believe living on the land is in and of it self better than living in a town, and I didn't appreciate the writing of the book much. It just seemed like the kind of language a very intellectual writer would make up for people living a life which in his eyes was "original" and "natural".

2½ stars

>71 Henrik_Madsen: It's a shame you didn't like the book---it sounds like a good premise for a book; the frontier and all!

>72 Tess_W: Well, they can't all be great. (And I'm pretty much alone with this evaluation - lots of readers love the books for pretty much the reasons I don't)

16. Svetlana Aleksijevitj: Krigen har ikke et kvindeligt ansigt

Acquired: I bought this book last year, but it's already a re-read. I have chosen it for my bookclub this month.

The many voices of Russian women who recount their experiences as soldiers in WWII is just as horrible, compelling and incredible as the first time I read the book. If you haven't read it already, and if you can stomach a glimpse into the depths of the human soul, go for it.

5 stars

17. Ivan Turgenjev: Forårsbølger

Acquired: A couple of years ago I visited the library for the annual sale of materials which were rarely borrowed by anyone. There I found a five-volume collection of Turgenjev's novels and I just couldn't live with the thought that it might end up in the trash, so I saved it / bought it even though I had never read anything by him. Also: It was cheap.

Spring Torrents is a story of young love and an old man's reflection on it. Dmitri Sánin goes on the traditional tour of Europe in the middle of the 19th century and meets the beautiful girl Gemma and her family in Frankfurt. He was really on his way home, but he let's himself be distracted and fall in love with the young girl. It is not, however, a story of young love accomplished - but it is not really a tragic story of young love gone wrong either.

Dmitri is ready to marry Gemma within a week, or so he thinks. The story is a memory told 30 years later, so we know it never works out - but the how and why is for the reader to discover on his own.

The novel is very well written, and I enjoyed the way Turgenjev depicts the relationship of the young couple. Is Dmitri in love with Gemma or is he just in love with the thought of being in love? And does it really matter? I enjoyed the book and look forward to reading the rest of the volumes.

4 stars

18. Alan Moore: Saga of the Swamp Thing Book Two

Acquired: After an exam I took in the beginning of April as a part of my master in public governance, I went on a book-buying spree in Copenhagen. One of the books I bought was this volume - I had just read the first one and wanted to continue the series.

In volume two things take a turn to the worse for Swamp Thing and Abby. In what is a genuine horror story their old nemesis Arcane returns from the dead along with a host of demons. In the finale he has to travel to the land of the dead to save his beloved Abby. In the last issue they finally declare their love for eachother and have some kind of sexual experience. (He is a plant, so it's complicated.) It is both strange and quite beautifully done.

4 stars

>76 Henrik_Madsen: A book-buying spree sounds like an excellent reward for finishing an exam! :)

>77 rabbitprincess: I cannot think if a better one! (Any realistic alternative would have to incorporate beer...)

>78 Henrik_Madsen: LOL. I would go for the books too.

>75 Henrik_Madsen: I thought from your review that I have this one on my TBR - I have a Russian novel called Sanin. But it's a different author, so can't be the same one. Even though I managed War and Peace the other year, I must admit I still find Russian classic literature a bit intimidating!

>79 connie53: True

>80 Jackie_K: I haven't dared start War and Peace yet, but not all Russian classics are intimidating. This was definitely not - they didn't even start philisophical discussions as they usually do.

19. Tine Høeg: Nye rejsende (New Travellers)

Acquired: This was the book of the month in my bookclub in April. It is a new book by a new Danish author and since I have heard a lot of good things about it, I decided to read it right away.

The book is written in verse but it feels very much like a novel. The narrator is a young woman who, just out of college, is starting as a high school teacher. This is told with a lot of humor but it is also scary standing on the other side teaching kids who are just 7-8 years younger than herself. But that's just half the book. The new job means commuting a couple of hours on the train where she meets a man. Almost instantly they starting having sex in strange places, but he is married with a little kid, so the outlook is bleak. The narrator starts following his wife online and she fantasizes about being a parent to his child - all just foolishness of course.

I found the book both moving and funny. I will be looking out for more books by Tine Høeg.

4 stars

20. Enki Bilal: 32. december

Acquired: This is another one of the books from my post-exam bookbuying spree in April.

This graphic novel takes place in a post-apocalyptic world filled with androids, extreme artists and other strange things. It is quite well done if you are a fan of dystopian visions of the future.

It is also volume 2 of af four-part series, which I didn't notice when I bought it, so I'll reserve further reflection on it until I gets my hands on the other volumes.

Can't catch up, but will start anew here! Happy reading!

>84 Tess_W: Good to see you back😊

21. Carsten Lê Madsen og Ulrik Kjær: De sidste sande amatører (The Last True Amateurs)

Acquired: I bought the book when it came out in autumn 2015. I know one of the writers and I was immediately interested in the subject matter (politics in local communities) and the approach: seeing local politicians as amateurs - and considering this a good thing.

The book definitely lived up to my expectations. It is a well´-written book which can be read by everyone interested in the development of local democracy because academic theory is introduced sparingly and always explained and put into a recognizable context. The authors argue that the amateur status of Danish local politicians - except for the mayors they all have regular jobs on the side - is good, because it increases the social representativeness of the councils.

They also argue that politicians should remain politicians and not let themselves be reduced to managers. It is precisely because not all answers have logical and rational answers that their judgement and their values are needed to improve the life of local communities.

I suspect most of the points can be transferred to local governments in other countries, but it is written with a Danish audience in mind so it would probably have to be rewritten to local contexts elsewhere to be really helpful.

4 stars

22. A.J. Kazinski: Den genfødte morder (The Reborn Murderer)

Acquired: I got this book as a gift from the newspaper behind the publisher a little over a year ago. It was the "merry Christmas and thanks for a good year of cooperation" thing.

I don't read many mysteries any longer, but this one was really good. Niels Bentzon is a hostage negotiator who is send undercover in the most secure psychiatric ward in Denmark. The chief psychiatrist has been murdered and apparently some of the patients have seen something important. The setting is really fascinating and Niels is soon losing himself because of the heavy medication he is put on. In a parallel story a professor is murdered in England i 1939. There is some kind of mysterious connection between the cases, but it is only slowly revealed.

4 stars

>87 Henrik_Madsen: great premise for a novel, hope there's an English translation in the pipeline!

>76 Henrik_Madsen: wow -- going on a book-buying spree in Copenhagen - sounds like a wonderful time!

>78 Henrik_Madsen: lol ;)

>80 Jackie_K: have you tried Master and Margarita? It's one of my favorites...

>88 floremolla: The first two volumes in the series have been translated, so there is hope! And I agree: it was a really good premise in a genre that struggles to do something new except creating ever more graphic violence.

>89 avanders: Yep, book-buying in Copenhagen can be recommended. There are lots of other great things to do there, of course.

23. Iben Mondrup: Godhavn (Good Harbour)

Acquired: I got this book for my birthday this year. Very nice since I already bought the (granted: independent) second part from my book club.

Three Danish children grow up on Greenland where their parents work. It is quite common to recruit Danes for some of the positions in the administration in Greenland, though it is also controversial. Part of the problem is a large turnover and difficulty integrating these migrant workers in local society. Bjørk, Knut and Hilde have lived there for years and even they experience some of the distance to the Greenland children. They also struggle with finding friends as people come and go, and especially Knut, who is a quiet introvert boy, and Hilde, who loves going hunting and fishing with her father, are discovering puberty and the attraction of the opposite sex. This coming of age is both sweet and frightening.

The novel tells the story of one year three times over, shifting point of view from one child to another. Mondrup handles this format very well as it doesn't get repetitive and I generally enjoyed the book quite a lot.

3½ stars

24. Bo Vestergaard: Byg bro mellem siloerne

Acquired: I bought the book in January because it seemed to address an important challenge at work. Well, life is busy so I only got around to read it now.

The book discusses a very important problem: How do we solve the paradox that organisations become ever more specialized to handle problems more efficiently but at the same time raise more internal barriers hindering solutions to problems involving more than one branch of knowledge? Vestergård proposes the solution, that organisations should build bridges between silos instead of tearing them down and constructing new ones. That is probably a good idea and he gives very hands-on advice to handling this job.

The book, however, is not very well written and I thought it oversimplified a truly complex problem.

2½ stars

25. Siri Hustvedt: Det jeg elskede (What I loved - a very precise translation of the original title)

Acquired: I got the book from the book club I joined ten years years ago an left approximately a year later. The books were good, but they just piled up on the shelves because I was very busy at work at the time. I have wanted to read it for a long time and since it is both a ROOT and a 1001 book, this was the perfect time to do so.

Leo Hertzberg meet Bill Wechsler in a gallery. Hertzberg is an established art historian and Wechsler is a young aspiring artist. When Hertzberg decides to buy one of his paintings it is the beginning of a lifelong friendship which also encompasses their wives and their sons who are born just a little apart. As the boys grow up, the parents advance and despite the irregularities of life this is a golden age. It is all that Leo ever wanted or loved. The title is in past tense and the second part of the book details how he lost it. It is heartbreaking, but it is equally recognizable as life with all its twists and turns.

It is a fascinating story and though it turns tragic it is still extremely well written. Life is complex and interesting in both good and bad times, and Hustvedt really brings her characters to life.

4½ stars

>93 Henrik_Madsen: I've bought this book so it's reassuring to see you've rated it highly. I'm not committing myself to the 1001 book list but using it to guide my reading just now in the absence of any better idea!

>94 floremolla: Glad to hear that my review has encouraged you! The Danish edition had a cover which looks like a cheap romance, so I was a bit sceptic, but it is really good.

I really enjoy the 1001 list but so far mostly use it as inspiration. There will be some tough books on the way to 1001 but I haven't really taken them on yet.

26. William Shakespeare: Titus Andronicus

Acquired: All Shakespeare plays are being translated anew to Danish. This play is the first one in volume 2 which I bought earlier this year after finishing the first volume.

Titus Andronicus is a revenge play, which apparently meant ultraviolent in 16th century London. When Andronicus returns to Rome after fighting the barbarians at the border for most of his life, he and his family soon fall victim to murderous intrigues.

The problem was, that I never believed the dynamic which started the killings and I never got to know the victims enough to care about their fate.

2 stars

>96 Henrik_Madsen: This was the first tragedy Shakespeare wrote. I think it is a bit rougher than later ones. As in all Shakespeare, once has to suspend reality a bit to enjoy them. Don't give up! I like the histories best, but also the tragedies of Macbeth and Hamlet.

>97 Tess_W: I love Shakespeare and plan to read all of his plays in the new Danish translation. This was just subpar and yes, clearly one of his first plays.

Just dropping by to say Hello!

>99 avanders: Thanks - hope everything is well with you.

I just got home from vacation, which this year went to Northern Germany and Berlin. It was a pretty good time for ROOTs - more on that later - and of course for book-shopping. I bought 8 books, mostly fiction but also a couple of books on history. (I was in Berlin, after al)

Some might say that is a lot of books, but I consider it a huge success of restraint! I visited Buddenbrook Haus in Lübeck, Dussmann Kulturkaufhaus + Modern Graphics in Berlin and went through a huge number of kiosks and museum stores, so I'm pretty proud that I limited myself to just 8. Of course, the decision might also be weight-of-luggage related...

Good to see you back, Henrik. Berlin is great!

>101 connie53: Thanks. Berlin is wonderful and changing so much all the time. We brought the kids for the first time and we managed to both show them the highlights and still mostly see new and interesting things there.

Now, if we could just get a little sun for the rest of the vacation...

>100 Henrik_Madsen: You came out of Dussmann's with only a few books? I admire your strength of will, that shop is so dangerous. Enjoy the reading!

Glad you had a great time on vacation. Berlin (and all of Germany) is on my bucket list.

>103 MissWatson: Dussmann is my favorite bookstore. I go there every time I'm in Berlin and try to buy both some classics and something I don't really know. This time I picked Altes Land by Dörte Hansen which I didn't know but seemed interesting.

When my son dragged me to Saturn to look for games, I was also tempted by the TV series Weissensee. Have you seen it? I haven't really heard anything about it, but the subject matter reminded me a bit of Eugen Ruges wonderful novel.

>104 Tess_W: Thanks. I can only recommend Berlin. There are few places with so much living history and so many things going on. It never ceases to amaze me.

>105 Henrik_Madsen: I have read many good things about Weissensee, but I have seen only a few episodes myself so far, it was always shown at the wrong times. To a Wessi like me it looked very realistic.

I'd love to see Berlin one day too. My sister lives in Germany, has done for over 20 years, but a long way away from Berlin (she's near Munich, which is also well worth a visit).

>107 Jackie_K: Munich is definitely also on my list. I have only seen the Allianz Arena from afar when driving around the city going to and from Italy. (BTW: That is not much fun when the vacantion traffic is at its most intense.)

Berlin is surprisingly cheap. We found an apartment with enough room for all of us (4) for a week, it was in the center, and it cost us only 650 Euros.

27. Peter Ørsted: Romerne (The Romans)

Acquired: I remember reading part of this book when I had Latin in the first year of high school. That is a LONG time ago. I probably bought my used copy 15 years ago or something like that. After reading Memoirs of Hadrian by Yourcenar it seemed like just the right time to actually read it.

The subtitle is "Daily Life in the Roman Empire" and that pretty much sums up the book. Focus is on the social and cultural history of the empire, and it is mostly seen from the provinces where most of the people actually lived. The first part focuses on the political framework and the integrating role of the Roman army. The next part details the structure of the cities, their relationship with the land, and the economic and social history of local society. The third and final part is about family life, and is generally well done, but women are somewhat absent from the text.

Ørsted uses a variety of sources, both traditional written sources, art, and archeological findings. This is necessary to get a glimpse of common people's everyday life, and he does it very well. And as a great narrative trick the story is partly told through the travel of the soldier Saio from Brittania to Budapest. And this person actually lived! We know that because he paid for a shrine to the goddess Syria close to Hadrian's Wall.

4 stars

28. Theodor Fontane: Die Poggenpuhls

Acquired: I bought a volume of Fontane novels, which also contains Frau Jenny Treibel, shortly after studying in Berlin and since we were going back there on holiday this seemed like the perfect time to read it.

The family Poggenpuhl is a not very well-off nobel family. The father died early, in military service obviously, and now the mother lives modestly in a small apartment in Berlin with her three daughters. Two sons are already in military service, and the oldest, Wendelin, seems destined for great things. The younger one, Leo, is not as serious and has a tendency to spend more money than he has.

This could have been the departure point of a moralizing tale of social demise, but it isn't. There is very little actual plot in the novel, and Fontane seems intent upon throwing a critical but also loving light on a particular kind of Prussian family. Their pride in nobility is a bit ridiculous, and Leo is a bit to care-free, but at the end of the day their sins are small.

Because of the lack of drama it was not a really memorable read but I enjoyed the character-building and the fine portrait of late 18th century Berlin life.

3 stars

Glad to hear you had a great trip and bought some books! ;)

>111 rabbitprincess: Thanks😊

29. Thomas Mann: Tidlige fortællinger 1893-1912 (Early stories 1893-1912)

Acquired: The book was a Christmas gift from my parents a couple of years ago. I'm not really sure why I didn't get to it until now - and I really don't get it after reading the book.

The collection holds 25 stories, some of which are very well known in their own right (especially Tonio Kröger and Tod in Venedig is worth mentioning as stand-alone books) whereas other stories are less known. I enjoyed reading all of them. Mann writes an incredibly dense and beautiful prose and many of the themes of his large novels are reflected here. I could see preparations for both Buddenbrooks and Magic Mountain but there are also experiments in other genres and just plain good stories

As an added bonus the chronological reading of the texts made it possible to track his development as an author.

4½ stars

30. Günter Grass: Die Blechtrommel

Acquired: This is another book I bought when I studied in Berlin in 2000. It was a classic, so I had to have it, but it is also a loooong classic, so I have never dared starting it. Our vacation in Germany was the right occasion to finally read it.

Oskar Matzerath is the narrator of this famous novel. He is born in 1924 in Danzig and writes the story down in Western Germany in 1954. He is no ordinary man. His consciousness is fully developed at birth, but he soon decides that growing up is not for him. At three he stops his growth and lives through the war as a child, who insists on communicating mainly through banging his drum. Telling the story from this very peculiar point of view gives an alternative approach to the world and the novel relates important and familiar events in a new and touching light.

Grass manages to write the novel in his chosen style. The merit of the book hinges mainly on the voice of Oskar who I experienced as mostly innocent observer but also part self-obsessed nuisance.

4 stars

>114 Henrik_Madsen: That is really a classic, Henrik. I don't know if I ever read it but it could have been on my German list in high school way back when.

>115 connie53: I'm sure it's been on many reading lists in high school, so why not? I think my review here came out a little too flat. I enjoyed it quite a bit, but there is so much going on that it was hard to pick themes of characters to mention here.

>115 connie53: I'd forgotten that I didn't manage to finish this book so it's technically a ROOT for me as it's on my shelves - I must add it to my ROOT pile!

>115 connie53: The Tin Drum is also on American reading lists, but I've yet to read it. Really, from reviews, it doesn't entice me.

>118 Tess_W: Me neither.

>117 floremolla: >118 Tess_W: >119 connie53: Well it's definitely a book which requires a lot of coherent time to get through, and I can understand why many people don't really like it. Oskar, the narrator, is interesting but also rather annoying.

31. Jörg Ulbert og Jörg Mailliet: Gleisdreieck - Berlin 1981

Acquired: Like mentioned above vacation time is also book-buying time. I was partly looking for something with a Berlin setting and this graphic novel fit the bill. Reading it now was also a chance to be reminded of some of the places we saw.

The story is set in 1981. Two men travel to Westberlin, one to plan a new terrorist attacks and the other one to track him down. It would be wrong, however, to see the book as a police story. It is much more a portrait of a city and a time where leftwing activism was strong and animosities between activists and authorities were strong. As the G20 meeting in Hamburg showed, those conflicts are still alive, but fighting in the streets has not developed into bombings and kidnappings like in the 1970s. So far, at least.

Martin Makarov returns to Westberlin via the GDR and aided by Stasi. He is looking for revenge and the next big attack. He is soon reunited with his old group and we follow the planning closely. Otto is a civil agent of the police. He enrolls in university, starts taking part in demonstrations and soon become part of a leftwing group. They are nice people, but they are also angry and as conflicts with authorities result in the death of a young man, they edge towards violence.

The artwork is intense with lots of interesting details and famous places. There is even a playlist so you can listen to Dead Kennedys and other punk bands as you read it.

4½ stars

Ha, music included! Nice.

Makes me think of the tv series Deutschland 83 - also had a cool soundtrack that brought back memories of my twenties!

>122 connie53: >123 floremolla: Music and fashion are such great indicators for particular time periods that it is natural to use it in movies and in comics as well. I have seen it before, e.g. in Fahrradmod by Tobi Dahmen, but I think I would consider it a distraction if I read books without drawing.

32. Vigdís Hjorth: Arv og miljø

Acquired: This was the book of the month in my bookclub in July. Since the book is much talked about in Denmark right now it seemed like a great time to read it. (And it's nominated for the Nordic Council Literary Price, so I might actually have read a winner before it's chosen!)

Bergljot hasn't been in contact with her parents for more than twenty years, when she is told that her father is in the hospital. His death forces her to face her tragic story once again. When she was a little girl he molested her.

But the novel is not about the sexual assaults. (After reading so many books on crime and war, it was a relief to see how un-graphic this could be told.) It's about her family's reaction to her story, which they never really wanted to listen to - hence the break - and which they have never acknowledged. It's not just the father. It's her sisters and especially her mother: They cannot listen to her, because if they do the family will fall apart. The price is just too high.

It is a well-written novel. I could feel Bergljot's desperation in every sentence, and even though the story is obviously told from her point of view, it is not difficult to understand her family. Well, her sisters at least. The mother is weak and egoistic, but that is also human.

4½ stars

What does Arv og miljø mean, Henrik?

It's "Inheritance and Environment" as in the ongoing discussion about what shapes us as human beings. I don't think it's a good title, acutally.

33. Alan Moore: Saga of the Swamp Thing Book Three

Acquired: I'm buying and reading Swamp Thing this year, and I bought this volume back in June on a trip to Copenhagen. Soon I will be going there again, and since I have read this volume it is now ok to buy book four!

In volume three Alan Moore has established himself as the Swamp Thing writer. ST's plant nature has been firmly established and the team is free to write original and interesting horror stories. They build on the fear of pollution and classic horror themes like vampires, werewolves and haunted houses, and even though John Constantive and a long-ranging story arch is introduced the individual issues function in their own right as well.

Stephen Bissette and his fellow artists continue to do a wonderful job.

4 stars

>33 Henrik_Madsen: I'm not really into that genre, but my son loves Swamp Thing!

I just wanted to drop by to say hi :)
I couldn't possibly catch up on the threads here (explanation on my own thread), though I wish I could!
I hear that you feel like you have a little more time again at some point after having a kid... here's to hoping ;)

>130 avanders: Hi, good to see you back again. Don't worry about catching up on everything - it's just not possible to do it all with a baby.

34. Lotte Bøgh Andersen mfl: Offentlige styringsparadigmer

Acquired: The book came out in early June and I bought it because I thought it would be relevant for my work and the masters degree I studying for. Which it is.

Written by four of the most prominent Danish researchers in politics and administration it is only natural to have high expectations for this introduction to public management theory. It covers important theories from bureaucracy to New Public Governance and it is not at bad book. It is not a very good one either, though. Some theories don't get the attention they deserve, it is quite obvious that there are more authors and some more focus on the didactics would have helped.

3 stars

35. Uwe Timm: Die Entdeckung der Currywurst

Acquired: When I went to Dussmann in Berlin this summer, picking up this little book was a given. Being a fan of the currywurst and just having visited the Currywurst museum it was time.

The narrator was born at the beginning of the second world war in Hamburg - much like the author. Many years later he sits down with Mrs Brücker, who used to live in his neighborhood and make the best currywursts. Maybe she is even the inventor of the dish and now he wants to know.

She takes us back to the end of the war. In the last few weeks everything was falling apart and despite the risk she decides to hide a young soldier named Bremer and keep him out the unnecessary slaughter of a last stand. Falling in love with him was not planned, however, and to keep him around after the surrender of the city she tells him that the German army has joined forces with the Western allies against the Russians. How long she can keep that up is the question.

I have read a couple of books by Timm and I enjoy his writing which is mostly an attempt to understand and process the horrible Nazi period. I also enjoyed this one, even though the actual discovery of the currywurst was a bit lost in the love story. Then again, the old Mrs Bremer probably thought that was a lot more interesting.

4 stars

>133 Henrik_Madsen: Sounds right up my alley....however it's not an ebook and I'm trying hard not to buy any more paper books! We'll see!;)

>134 Tess_W: It is also a short and - despite the subject matter - funny read.

(I'm just saying it. Not my responsibility if you are tempted... ;-)

36. Chris Carter, Stewart R. Clegg and Martin Kornberger: A Very Short, Fairly Interesting and Reasonably Cheap Book About Studying Strategy

Acquired: This semester I'm studying strategic leadership for my MPG - and I bought the book because it's on the curriculum

I rather enjoyed the book. It is an informed and short introduction to the growing field of strategy studies. It is also quite funny - at least for a textbook - and the authors are not afraid of giving their biases away. In a few instances this clouds the picture a bit, but mostly it gives the reader a something to think with a reflect on.

4 stars

37. Gabriel Garcia Marquez: 100 års ensomhed (One Hundred Years of Solitude)

Acquired: It always annoys me a bit when libraries sell perfectly good books. I realize they have to create room, but it really hurts my feelings that good books are headed for the junkyard. So I always try to save some and this was one was taken home from the local library 6-7 years ago.

The novel is a classic within the genre of magical realism - in a sense it founded the genre and ensured an international breakthrough for Latin American litterature. José Arcundo Buendia leaves his home and establishes the village / town of Macondo with twenty other families. He is passionately in love with Ursula, who is also his cousin, and intense eroticism within the family is one of the themes of the book. Another theme is political protest and the ultimate failure of liberal critique and protest.

Marquez can definitely create characters and interesting situations, but in this book it was just too much. Every time I got involved with a theme or a character, another magical element was introduced or characters were unceremoniously thrown aside to introduce new ones.

3 stars

>137 Henrik_Madsen: I just read a review published on the occasion of a new translation which made me think I should really read this. Maybe not just yet, though.

>138 MissWatson: I'm still glad I read it. It's one of those books that has truly become a classic, and I can see why. It's not at bad book. I was just expecting to be blown away, and that didn't happen.

I think I'll wait for the right moment and sufficient leisure time.

38. Chigozie Obioma: Vi var fiskere (We were Fishermen - not a precise translation of the English original but in line with the book)

Acquired: I bought it a year ago, when it was the book-of-the-month in my bookclub. Now was the time to read it, since my IR bookclub has chosen it for our meeting tomorrow.

Benjamin and his three elder brothers grow up in Akure in Nigeria in the 1990s. They are a typical middle class family. The father works in the national bank and the parents have huge ambitions for their sons and their education. On the face of it they are modern and rational, but when they start fishing and the mad man Abulu then prophesizes that Ikenna, the oldest brother, will be killed by a fisherman, things start falling apart. Ikenna cannot leave it alone and soon a huge rift opens between him and his family.

The story is tragic but the story is beautifully told and I really enjoyed the setting in modern and yet traditional Nigeria - a place I have not read much about before.

4 stars

39. Jiro Taniguchi: Den ensomme gourmet (The lonely gourmet)

Acquired: In late august my daughter left for Ireland where she will spend the next year as an exchange student. It was very emotional saying goodbye to her in the airport. Afterwards I had to go to a meeting in Copenhagen and there was also time to visit a great bookstore where they had a sale on Taniguchi books.

The main character is an anonymous man. He is running an import business, he is somewhat lonely and melancholic but he is also a huge fan of food. In every chapter he visits another restaurant and eats a specific Japanese meal. Every meal triggers memories but it is also an experience which always leaves the gourmet happier and more satisfied than before.

Jiro Taniguchi's artwork is wonderful as always, and I did enjoy the stories, but the book is nowhere as good as his more dramatic master pieces.

3 stars

>142 Henrik_Madsen: it's always difficult seeing your children fly off to foreign climes - but thank goodness for cheap air travel (she said, ignoring the environmental impact for a moment) and Ireland isn't too far away to pop back to Denmark for occasional parental pampering ;) I hope she has a wonderful experience.

>143 floremolla: Yes distance is not that bad, but it is recommended to keep visits at a minimum. The students have better chances relating to their host family that way.

Rationally this makes perfect sense. As a parent, not so much! But she is having a great time with new friends, so it's all good.

>144 Henrik_Madsen: Good to hear she is having a good time in Ireland, Henrik.

Glad to hear your daughter is having a good time! Ireland is lovely. :D

>145 connie53: >146 rabbitprincess: Thanks! I have only visited Ireland briefly myself, but I definitely look forward to going there later with her as a competent guide.

40. Richard Whittington: Hva er strategi? (What is Strategy?)

Acquired: I bought this book a couple of months ago. It is part of the literature for my course in strategic leadership
- which was also the reason I read it now.

Just like a lot of other books on strategy this one equals strategy with business strategy and all examples are pretty much found in the private sector. It is still a nuanced introduction to the subject. The classic interpretation by Chandler and Porter (strategy is rational planning, defining goals and allocating ressources) is well presented and discussed. I especially found the use of international examples and pointing interesting because it so clearly shows that "normal" strategy thinking is a product of industrialized America. Still, the alternatives to the main tradition are mostly presented as critique instead of real alternatives.

And of course some of the cherrypicked examples are no longer lauded frontrunners of the business world...

3½ stars

Whittington's book on strategy was ROOT #40 for me - which means I have completed my challenge for the year.

Wooohoooo!

Congrats!

Congratulations on reaching your goal!

Well done, Henrik!

Awesome work!

Thanks everyone!

41. Joop Koppenhan og Erik-Hans Klijn: Managing Uncertainties in Networks

Acquired: As was the case with ROOT #40 I bought this book a couple of months ago for a course in strategic leadership

Most of the easy problems have already been solved or can at least be viewed as predominantly technical problems. You just have to pick the solution and implement it. For this reason attention is shifting to "wicked problems" where there is disagreement about both the nature of the problem and the possible solutions. Climate change, racism, urbanization, inequality and their local and regional manifestations are typically viewed as wicked problems

In part one Koppenjan and Klijn try to explain why wicked problems are wicked. The main reason is "uncertainty". Some of this uncertainty has to do with substance - the nature of the problem and possible solutions - but uncertainty is also a result of networks themselves. Because networks consists of independent actors with independent goals, they always engage in complicated and unpredictable games. Institutions and trust can help reduce this strategic uncertainty but institutions can also be a source of uncertainty themselves. Many governments work formally or informally with corporate structures, but they might not be suited for new problems. In this sense established networks can hinder including all the necessary actors.

In part two the authors try to help network managers with good ideas and tools to manage this uncertainty. This part is also interesting but it becomes quite apparent that diagnosing problems is easier than solving them. Some good points are made. There are suggestions for analyzing networks to minimize surprises and generating new, common knowledge is obviously a good strategy for overcoming different views of problems and solutions. Goal intertwinement - making the problem part of a greater context with other possibilities for rewarding key actors - is rightfully stressed.

4 stars

42. Ovid: Metamorfoser and 43. Otto Steen Due: Ledsager til Ovids Metamorfoser (Metamorphosis and Companion to Ovid's Metamorphosis)

Acquired: This is actually two of my wife's books. We have had them for many years, and since I'm about to read Christoph Ransmayer's book on Ovid's exile it seemed like an obvious occasion to read it.

The book recounts Greek and Roman mythology from the creation of the world to the time of Augustus. It is not a work of history, however, since the bulk of the book is a retelling of stories of the gods, Theban and Homeric myths. As is indicated in the title, focus is on the ever-changing world and the strange changings of gods and men, as they are under the spell of love or in the claws of jealousy and ambition.

The stories are very well translated by Otto Steen Due, who has also written the witty and useful companion to the book. I enjoyed the stories and the poetic writing. Sometimes emotions or situations are captured perfectly, but the huge number of stories and characters makes it a bit hard to identify with them.

3 stars

Congrats, Henrik!

>157 connie53: Thanks. I'm pretty thrilled to have reached last years total already. From here on out it is all gravy!

44. Hugo Pratt: Cato Zulu

Acquired: I bought this one on a comic fare in Copenhagen i March.

Set during the Zulu wars this album tells stories which are partly based on historic events. The main character, private Cato, was part a British patrol which failed to protect the French prince Eugène Napoléon. The prince was killed in 1879 and Cato was sentenced to ten years in prison. He managed, however, to escape and sets out on a series of adventures, which can only be characterized as westerns in an African setting.

As usual Pratts artwork is beautiful and I enjoyed the two stories in the book. They are full of action and Pratt never settles for oversimplification of his characters.

3½ stars

45. Ida Jessen: Doktor Bagges anagrammer (Doktor Bagge's anagrams)

Acquired: A birthday gift from my parents in February.

Last year I read En ny tid by Ida Jessen. It told the story of Lilly Bagge who survived her husband in the 1920s and went on to have a second life as living conditions got gradually better. Now Jessen tells the story from her husband's point of view. It is quite clear that the couple was estranged from each other, but it is also revealed that he is a much more complex character. As a doctor he has no illusions about life and death, but his writing is full of dark humor and even on the brink of death he struggles more with the few patients he has failed than anything else. He is, in his own eyes as well, a tough, quiet man, but in his own way he is also an idealist working night and day to improve the life of his community.

Jessen is a master of psychological characterization and it shows. The portrait of Doktor Bagge is engaging and well written. So I'm still a fan of hers.

4 stars

Hello... sorry for such a long absence! I kept seeing that "unread" number get higher and higher and was completely intimidated... Finally, I figured it's better to just stop by and say HI. :)
I wish I had time to go through these threads and read all about what you've all been doing and reading! But, alas, I very much do not. But I think of you often!! And my "hello" is heartfelt and repeated often in my own head ;)

I'm not sure how I will remain involved next year, but I will be around in some fashion!
xo

>161 avanders: So good to see you again, and I hope you will have time to be a bit around in the future! I totally understand the amount of threads and posts are a bit intimidating, and you should absolutely do what's right for you and your family. Babies take a lot of time, it's just a fact, and when you have children, you have to make some choices.

>162 Henrik_Madsen: I sure try ;P And you're so right... babies are so time-consuming!! But wonderful ;)

Also:
I hope you had a wonderful Christmas & Happy New Year!

46. Joseph Conrad: Lord Jim

Acquired: I bought this in the mid-90s when I was a student and a sucker for cheap classics. (I'm no longer a student but still a sucker for good book offers...)

The young sea officer Jim is involved in two situations which both seem to embody the ideology of the white man's burden and the failings of human nature which undermine the ideals. First he is on board the Putna which is sailing pilgrims in Red Sea when disaster strikes and the four principal officers abandon the ship and leaves the passengers to their fate. Only the ship doesn't actually sink and Jim - who jumped in spite of his principles - must face serious charges. Afterwards he is set up in a remote Asian country where he swiftly becomes Lord Jim as he brings peace and prosperity - at least initially because he is once again undone by the gulf between his ideals and reality.

Reading Conrad can be at bit annoying. The ideology of imperialism just seems so dominant everywhere that it makes you want to scream - but it was still a good read because Conrad writes so well, especially about the sea, and because the ideology after all is collapsing beneath it's own burden.

3½ stars

So the year is just about done. I finished with 46 ROOTs read - among them 16 DROOTs of which I have owned some for more than twenty years - and I'm very pleased with this result. As usual the challenge made me more focused on reading and especially on reading my own books.

Few books have left the building this year but many have been read and that is just great.

Throughout the year I have acquired 68 books through purchase or as gifts. I just enjoy visiting book stores, looking at books, reading about books and buying books, so I don't really have any scruples about it, even though the TBR mouintain added new layers again. I'm still perfectly optimistic, that I will read them all.

Step one is signing up for next years challenge. There is plenty of reading to do.

Very good job, Henrik.

I'm still perfectly optimistic, that I will read them all.

I'm too about my own books. Very unreal, but hé, here is to Hoping!

>166 connie53: There is always hope!

Excellent work on reading your deep ROOTs in particular!

I giggled at your comment that "reading Conrad can be annoying" -- I'd tend to agree, although for different reasons. Heart of Darkness drove me nuts with its five levels of quote and is the only book I've had to read in a straight-backed chair to prevent myself from falling asleep! (I had to read it for a university class and couldn't really bail on it.) Lord Jim is on my TBR though. I'm going to try it out using Serial Reader; hoping it will be manageable in snippets.

>168 rabbitprincess: Yes, the multilayered narrative style is a bit of a challenge. I don't know why authors of adventure novels around 1900 were so obsessed with trying to prove they were actually telling a true story. The narrator has always found a box of letters from a sailor who happened to meet a homeless guy who once upon a time talked to the actual main character just before he died.

Come on! You write fiction, we know you made it up! Don't overcomplicate it!

>169 Henrik_Madsen: LOVL, (LaughingOutVeryLoud)

>169 Henrik_Madsen: OMG yes! I think you have the plot of an adventure-novel pastiche all ready to go! :)

And yet there are other books where the multiple levels of narration work. I found Frankenstein, for example, much easier to follow than I was expecting, thanks to the way Shelley structured the book.

>169 Henrik_Madsen: lol!