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aprildawnbest's review against another edition
5.0
Beautifully laid out and written. It is poetic and mindful -- full of quotes and encouragements to recognize beauty in the simple, mundane aspects of everyday life.
isabellediggle's review against another edition
informative
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
2.25
Beautifully written with well selected quotes, it would be good for those trying to find joy in the mundane.
emilygaynier's review against another edition
3.0
*3.5/5
This is the second book on Hygge that I've read in the last six month. I really enjoy learning about Hygge and the life style of the Danish. But I didn't like this one as much as the Little Book of Hygge.
Reading this book felt more like a professor giving a lecture about Hygge. There were some example about the components of Hygge and photos that had the feel of Hygge. But it didn't grip me the way the first book did. I feel like I needed to take extensive notes to remember what the author was talking about.
This is the second book on Hygge that I've read in the last six month. I really enjoy learning about Hygge and the life style of the Danish. But I didn't like this one as much as the Little Book of Hygge.
Reading this book felt more like a professor giving a lecture about Hygge. There were some example about the components of Hygge and photos that had the feel of Hygge. But it didn't grip me the way the first book did. I feel like I needed to take extensive notes to remember what the author was talking about.
mistercrow's review against another edition
3.0
My understanding of hygge is that it's more to do with mindfulness than anything else.
laurenc18's review against another edition
4.0
Really sweet ideas about making the everyday special through the practice of hygge. It also alluded to being more optimistic and less materialistic to experience the magic of hygge. Excited to being going to Denmark to learn further about hygge.
jillyfay's review against another edition
1.0
I listened to the audiobook so didn’t see any of the images everyone else has mentioned. However, I’m underwhelmed by it. Basically it’s saying to keep intimate moments, be thoughtful with others, enjoy the simple and quiet moments, and take care of yourself and others. Ummmm.....okay. Basically be a good human and enjoy life’s simplicity. Got it!
Oh, and I got it after the first few chapters. It was so repetitive - same ideas shifted to different ways of implementing.
Oh, and I got it after the first few chapters. It was so repetitive - same ideas shifted to different ways of implementing.
lynch626's review against another edition
3.0
"Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity." - Simone Weil
"How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives." - Annie Dillard
"How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives." - Annie Dillard
thewordswillchangeme's review against another edition
2.0
Filled with lovely thoughts on appreciating your life and making time to notice the little things.
dingakaa's review against another edition
1.0
I feel bad for what I am about to say because the author seems very passionate about the topic and is making a donation to those who are under-housed for every copy sold. Nevertheless, here goes...
This is not a good book. Brits does a poor job of giving it a direction. The subtitle ("the Danish art of living well") indicates there will be some exploration or explanation of what the art itself is. However, there is no real historical exploration save for a few early paragraphs that don't do the subject any justice. Early in the first paragraph, she writes, "throughout this book, there are suggestions on how to weave Hygge into daily life." This is an understatement; there are so many suggestions strung together through 187 pages which robs the book of any boundaries or focus.
I might be a salty because Brits is not one to use an Oxford comma, which is particularly painful when the book is chock full of lists filled with flowery language. However, if this is where my complaints ended, I would simply state the author has a writing style that isn't for me. But... there's more.
The book, in short, is word salad. Brits combines words and imagery that frankly don't make any sense. One gets the impression she is trying to inspire or uplift and it just doesn't work. For the parts where my eyes didn't glaze over, the meaning of the sentences was more often than not difficult to extract.
When she does manage to avoid metaphor or abstract imagery, her writing is painfully repetitive. At times it becomes contradictory as she tries to give examples of what Hygge is to fit a chapter. On other occasions, the title or subtitles of a chapter are in no way related to the writing that follows.
Unfortunately, she also has the habit of discussing Danes as a monolith instead of Hygge itself, painting the entire group with a broad brush that makes Denmark's citizens seem like automatons of cosiness.
The book does have some standout parts, but none of these are good:
- (p. 133) "Danes regularly express gratitude and satisfaction without lacquering it in mawkish sentiment." This smacks of irony as this entire book is best described as "mawkish sentiment."
- (p. 145) "The naked togetherness and heat of a sauna, or bathing alone outside in warm water, enveloped by dusk, green leaves and birdsong, both dissolves our boundaries and holds us in intimacy." My first thought while reading this was "where can anyone bathe in warm water outdoors in Denmark?" She answered my question by placing a picture of a bathtub in the middle of the woods with a fire under it on the opposing page. I shit you a not. A bathtub. Outside. With a fire under it.
- (p.156) There is a quote on this page by Ludwig Wittgenstein which made me laugh out loud because my only thoughts conjured at the thought of him are anguish, self-flagellation, and asceticism.
This brings me to my last issue: the quotes. At first, it seemed all the quotes were directly related to Hygge and I found myself thinking "Yikes, the quotes are the best reading in this book." However, it soon became clear she was inserting quotes as long as they were even only minimally related to the topic at hand. The quoted person was often in no way related to Denmark or Hygge itself. And this, to me, is the crux of the issue. This book is more concerned with making an artistic impact than delivering anything of substance. Unfortunately, it fails to do even this.
This is not a good book. Brits does a poor job of giving it a direction. The subtitle ("the Danish art of living well") indicates there will be some exploration or explanation of what the art itself is. However, there is no real historical exploration save for a few early paragraphs that don't do the subject any justice. Early in the first paragraph, she writes, "throughout this book, there are suggestions on how to weave Hygge into daily life." This is an understatement; there are so many suggestions strung together through 187 pages which robs the book of any boundaries or focus.
I might be a salty because Brits is not one to use an Oxford comma, which is particularly painful when the book is chock full of lists filled with flowery language. However, if this is where my complaints ended, I would simply state the author has a writing style that isn't for me. But... there's more.
The book, in short, is word salad. Brits combines words and imagery that frankly don't make any sense. One gets the impression she is trying to inspire or uplift and it just doesn't work. For the parts where my eyes didn't glaze over, the meaning of the sentences was more often than not difficult to extract.
When she does manage to avoid metaphor or abstract imagery, her writing is painfully repetitive. At times it becomes contradictory as she tries to give examples of what Hygge is to fit a chapter. On other occasions, the title or subtitles of a chapter are in no way related to the writing that follows.
Unfortunately, she also has the habit of discussing Danes as a monolith instead of Hygge itself, painting the entire group with a broad brush that makes Denmark's citizens seem like automatons of cosiness.
The book does have some standout parts, but none of these are good:
- (p. 133) "Danes regularly express gratitude and satisfaction without lacquering it in mawkish sentiment." This smacks of irony as this entire book is best described as "mawkish sentiment."
- (p. 145) "The naked togetherness and heat of a sauna, or bathing alone outside in warm water, enveloped by dusk, green leaves and birdsong, both dissolves our boundaries and holds us in intimacy." My first thought while reading this was "where can anyone bathe in warm water outdoors in Denmark?" She answered my question by placing a picture of a bathtub in the middle of the woods with a fire under it on the opposing page. I shit you a not. A bathtub. Outside. With a fire under it.
- (p.156) There is a quote on this page by Ludwig Wittgenstein which made me laugh out loud because my only thoughts conjured at the thought of him are anguish, self-flagellation, and asceticism.
This brings me to my last issue: the quotes. At first, it seemed all the quotes were directly related to Hygge and I found myself thinking "Yikes, the quotes are the best reading in this book." However, it soon became clear she was inserting quotes as long as they were even only minimally related to the topic at hand. The quoted person was often in no way related to Denmark or Hygge itself. And this, to me, is the crux of the issue. This book is more concerned with making an artistic impact than delivering anything of substance. Unfortunately, it fails to do even this.
reading_on_the_road's review against another edition
4.0
Who wouldn't want to welcome a little hygge into their lives? This short book presents a clear explanation of an interesting national philosophy and practice.