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A review by _rusalka
We, the Drowned by Carsten Jensen
4.0
I love being surprised by books. I had heard wonderful things about this book, but I wasn't won over by the blurb. I mean, a book about sailors and boats, how interesting could that really be? Aye aye Captain, loading and unloading on docks, scurvy, maggoty sea biscuits, twenty seven ways of tying a rope. Come on, 700pp of that doesn't sound like riveting reading.
But I was wrong on two counts. While there is sailing and some life on boats, there is so much more going on with these characters. The characters themselves are developed and interesting, the town Marstel is fascinating and you want it and those within it to survive, the places they visit and the adventures are intriguing. And it's riveting reading.
The sea is a character in this book. It is pervasive and lingering. It is purpose and reason for being. It is executioner and sustainer. It is complex and constant. And I have so much more of an appreciation for those who choose to live their life somewhat on it than before (don't mention that to my father, the sailor).
Please do not interpret the time it took me to read the book as a reflection of it. I picked it up and put it down as other reads and challenges came up. It was too big to take overseas. However, the ease that I could pick it up and slip back in is a testament to the writing. It is also a book that I thought of frequently when I was not reading it. And that's a pretty high recommendation when that occurs for over 9 months.
But I was wrong on two counts. While there is sailing and some life on boats, there is so much more going on with these characters. The characters themselves are developed and interesting, the town Marstel is fascinating and you want it and those within it to survive, the places they visit and the adventures are intriguing. And it's riveting reading.
The sea is a character in this book. It is pervasive and lingering. It is purpose and reason for being. It is executioner and sustainer. It is complex and constant. And I have so much more of an appreciation for those who choose to live their life somewhat on it than before (don't mention that to my father, the sailor).
Please do not interpret the time it took me to read the book as a reflection of it. I picked it up and put it down as other reads and challenges came up. It was too big to take overseas. However, the ease that I could pick it up and slip back in is a testament to the writing. It is also a book that I thought of frequently when I was not reading it. And that's a pretty high recommendation when that occurs for over 9 months.