A review by notesofacrocodile
Childhood by Tove Ditlevsen

4.0

4☆ — what a beautifully-written memoir on childhood and its inherent helplessness, when you feel like everything perfect is constantly just out of reach. its very first paragraph was enough to immerse me in the narrative and i identified a familiar something in tove ditlevsen's memory of childhood- an antithesis of the popular image of childhood as laughter and sunshine, or just in general as a time where there was Nothing To Do. her childhood was filled with bitterness, short-lived pleasures, and the occasional hope. she doesn't mince words or over describe anything, but at the same time she manages to get her message across in a manner that feels lyrical at times. her story is by no means a perfectly happy one but she makes her points bravely and for at least that alone i think this one is worth a read