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A review by nivadahl
The Danish Girl by David Ebershoff
4.0
I came across this book after seeing a show about Einar/Lili, called Sommerfugl (Danish word for "Butterfly", a fitting metaphor for Lili). I thought the show was beautiful and wanted to know more about Einar/Lili, so I read this book. Ultimately a tender and touching novel about love and self-discovery.
Though I enjoyed the book as a whole, there are clearly problematic elements. The seperation of Einar and Lili as different people residing in the same body seemed off to me from what I know of the transsexual experience. Yet I am willing to give the author the benefit of the doubt and assume that it's the way Lili described her experiences in her diary. Watching the show I could feel myself rooting for Lili and Gerda, that same enthusiasm wasn't as prominent while reading the book.
All in all a very touching and enjoyable read about a very important subject.
Though I enjoyed the book as a whole, there are clearly problematic elements. The seperation of Einar and Lili as different people residing in the same body seemed off to me from what I know of the transsexual experience. Yet I am willing to give the author the benefit of the doubt and assume that it's the way Lili described her experiences in her diary. Watching the show I could feel myself rooting for Lili and Gerda, that same enthusiasm wasn't as prominent while reading the book.
All in all a very touching and enjoyable read about a very important subject.