A Quick Look Through the Danish Literature

The Trouble with Happiness by Tove Ditlevsen

One day, while exploring the Kinokuniya shelves, I decided to go for the unfamiliar for me, the Danish literature, and chose short stories by Tove Ditlevsen. It is time to say that this is my way of exploring places where I have never been, through their literature or art pieces. I find it difficult to clearly explain the events that resulted in this purchase. I accidentally forgot that about 7 years ago, I had read ‘Smilla and Her Sense of Snow’ by modern Danish writer Peter Hoeg.

Or, most likely, I was carried away by such an abstract woman’s portrait on the cover and such a promising title—all of us are looking for happiness, and from time to time, experience some troubles with it.

Hence, I acquired this book, and my Penguin collection grew larger. Actually, I am willing to get more ‘penguins’ and keep in my wishlist another book: ‘Penguin in Montmartre: Picasso, Matisse, and Modernism in Paris, 1900-1910’ by Sue Roe.

So, returning to the main topic, the book consists of two parts, ‘The Umbrella’ and “The Trouble with Happiness.” If you want, you can find ‘The Umbrella” in another, smaller edition of the Penguin Archives.

Tove Ditlevsen’s short stories seem to me to be deeply psychological. Each of these stories could be the reason for a discussion with a therapist, as well as being written by James Joyce (saying hi to ‘Dubliners’) or by Ernest Hemingway. Yes, it means that the narration and style are quite good, but she does not leave any chance that her heroes will find happiness. I can riskily compare these short stories to photoshoots—we do not know all the background and what helped the heroes to get their personalities, but we can observe their lives captured in one precise moment.

So, at the end of the New Year’s holidays (and at the end of my review), I wish you experience nothing from this book and start exploring Danish literature with something less dramatic.