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karinlib's review against another edition
3.0
The Brahmadells is a book set in the Faroe Islands, and one of the first Faroese language books to be translated into English. It seems as though the Faroese loved to give people nicknames and Brahmadells was for a specific family, that had a touch of sorcery. Through the generations of this family, the history of the Faroe Islands is given. This historical fiction started with a measles outbreak in 1851, and ending in the 1990s. From Danish to rule and dominance to almost independence. Denmark is still responsible for military defense, Justice, foreign affairs and currency (according to Wikipedia).
I found the book to be somewhat difficult to follow. The author had a tendency to move back and forth in time. All in all, I am glad I read this, and will continue to seek out authors from this area of the world.
I found the book to be somewhat difficult to follow. The author had a tendency to move back and forth in time. All in all, I am glad I read this, and will continue to seek out authors from this area of the world.
abookishtype's review against another edition
3.0
Imagine a triangle with its points in Iceland, Norway, and Scotland, skewed a little closer to Scotland than the other two countries. That’s roughly were the Faroe Islands at located. The Faroes, a long time colony of Denmark and a place few have heard of, is the setting for Jóanes Nielsen’s The Brahmadells (translated by Kerri A. Pierce), a metafictional family historical saga that runs from the 1840s to the early 1990s. The family stories that make up the bulk of the novel support a variety of tangents that attempt to explicate the Faroese character. The people in this novel eat partially decomposed meat, live dangerous lives, believe strange things, and sometimes fall prey to their worst impulses...
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type.
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type.
cwgrieves's review
4.0
I really enjoyed the sections of the book set in the 1700s and 1800s. The more modern sections didn't hold my attention quite as much though - I'd have preferred them to have been shortened to a brief chapter at the beginning and end to frame the story.
That being said, I'd definitely recommend this book. It's well-worth a read - especially as it's one of the first novels to be translated from Faroese to English. Had I not read [b:Her Mother's Mother's Mother and Her Daughters|34552816|Her Mother's Mother's Mother and Her Daughters|Maria José Silveira|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1516393133s/34552816.jpg|23754919] before this one, I might have rated it as five stars.
That being said, I'd definitely recommend this book. It's well-worth a read - especially as it's one of the first novels to be translated from Faroese to English. Had I not read [b:Her Mother's Mother's Mother and Her Daughters|34552816|Her Mother's Mother's Mother and Her Daughters|Maria José Silveira|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1516393133s/34552816.jpg|23754919] before this one, I might have rated it as five stars.
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