Everyone has a dream of some sort – to build a bridge, to swim an ocean or to brave the weather. But what The History of Danish Dreams opened my eyes for and taught me, was that all the dreams of all the people around us, our grandparents’ and parents’ dreams, come together and combine within our own lives.
The History of Danish Dreams is a family saga, that spans four generations. It follows the lives of two families, their ups and their downs, their appearances and disappearances, until their children meet in the third generation and have children of their own. This book unravels the dreams of generations past, and knots them together and gives them forward, showing that every dream someone has had, has important consequences on their descendants in the future. The dream of the Danish housewife to combine passionate lovemaking with brown soap and bleaching. The dream of a mother, whose compassion knows no bounds, the dream of protecting your child of becoming like other children. And of course other dreams – like the one of a charming soldier or a girl, who can take care of herself, the dream of rebellion and that of the lovely and beloved Danish countryside. The 50’s dream of young love and the 60’s dream of love between brothers and sisters. And believe it or not – in the end all of these dreams combine and lead to the life of one last person.
The book was a pleasure for me, because I enjoy magical realism more than anything else. In this book, which is Peter Hoeg’s first, he outruns most of the magical realism books I have ever read. It is like reading Marquez or Borges on speed. In the same time, however, I realise it is a book I won’t feel comfortable recommending, because it is definitely not an easy read. With so many goings-on, so many characters and so much magic, myths and dreams.
If I would pick a favourite book out of every 5 I read for this project, then I suppose Denmark and The History of Danish Dreams would be the number One for this quarter.
[reading rites] 