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A review by jamesdanielhorn
Dependency by Tove Ditlevsen
4.0
Mama Mia! This this a solid ending to an amazing trilogy. Breathless, simple but elegant prose take us through the final act of Ditlevsen’s life.
While the this is the darkest of the three, it is also the richest in depth. Of the three, this one is the best stand alone, and while it does drop the reader into her life right after her first marriage. I think they are best read combined, but one could argue that enough is explained that you could read this without the other two. Regardless, this work is rife with beautiful turns of phrase even when talking about heartbreaking subjects. Take this bit from after her abortion:
“I don’t regret what I did, but in the dark, tarnished corridors of my mind there is a faint impression, like a child’s footprints in damp sand.”
And that is in translation!
Anyway. Read the whole collection it’s great.
While the this is the darkest of the three, it is also the richest in depth. Of the three, this one is the best stand alone, and while it does drop the reader into her life right after her first marriage. I think they are best read combined, but one could argue that enough is explained that you could read this without the other two. Regardless, this work is rife with beautiful turns of phrase even when talking about heartbreaking subjects. Take this bit from after her abortion:
“I don’t regret what I did, but in the dark, tarnished corridors of my mind there is a faint impression, like a child’s footprints in damp sand.”
And that is in translation!
Anyway. Read the whole collection it’s great.