Childhood, Youth, Dependency cover art

Childhood, Youth, Dependency

The Copenhagen Trilogy

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Childhood, Youth, Dependency

By: Tove Ditlevsen, Tiina Nunnally - translator, Michael Favala Goldman - translator
Narrated by: Stine Wintlev
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

Following one woman's journey from a troubled girlhood in working-class Copenhagen through her struggle to live on her own terms, The Copenhagen Trilogy is a searingly honest, utterly immersive portrayal of love, friendship, art, ambition and the terrible lure of addiction, from one of Denmark's most celebrated twentieth-century writers.

'Utterly, agonisingly compulsive ... a masterpiece' Liz Jensen, Guardian

'Sharp, tough and tender ... wrenching sadness and pitch-black comedy ... Ditlevsen can pivot from hilarity to heartbreak in a trice' Boyd Tonkin Spectator

'Astonishing, honest, entirely revealing and, in the end, devastating. Ditlevsen's trilogy is remarkable not only for its honesty and lyricism; these are books that journey deep into the darkest reaches of human experience and return, fatally wounded, but still eloquent' Observer

'The best books I have read this year. These volumes slip in like a stiletto and do their work once inside. Thrilling' New Statesman

© Tove Ditlevsen 2020 (P) Penguin Audio 2020

 Art & Literature Authors Women Denmark

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Critic reviews

To get it out of the way: these are the best books I have read this year ... Childhood has the simple declarative sentences of Natalia Ginzburg and the pervasive horror of a good fairy story (John Self)
Mordant, vibrantly confessional... A masterpiece
Semi-miraculous, raw and poignant ... Radiates the clear light of truth and stands as the ultimate victory of a life that must have felt, in the living of it, like a defeat (Alex Preston)
Intense, elegant ... Ditlevsen's portrait of Vesterbro in the Twenties has something of the same texture of Elena Ferrante's description of the poor Neapolitan neighbourhood in which her heroines grow up (Lucy Scholes)
Wrenching sadness and pitch-black comedy ... Sharp, tough and tender (Boyd Tonkin)
Ditlevsen's taut, simple prose shines a light on what life and love were like for working-class women in 20th century Copenhagen. Elena Ferrante fans, take note
Despite the darkness that haunts these three books, they shine with Ditlevsen's honesty and humanity ... Her work, seemingly so simple, has the miraculous quality of a life perceived in perfect clarity. Despite the author's untimely death, The Copenhagen Trilogy is a powerful - and uplifting - testament of survival (Erica Wagner)
As in much of the best autofiction, the protagonist's weakness is counterpoised by the strength of her voice ... [Ditlevsen speaks] beyond the cruel and disappointing figures she encounters to us, her readers, awaiting her in another time and another place (Lara Feigel)
All stars
Most relevant
Delicately written description a life. Dependency is the most interesting. The narrator is fine, only I found her intonation a distraction, I guess it is English with a Danish rhythm.

Made me want to know more about author

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A sensitive, detailed account of life through unpretentious honesty.
It's about a life, Toves life, her thoughts emotions decisions and consequences love's and losses.
I havent the words to describe the beauty of Toves writing
She makes everyday life, the natural and mundane come to life with sensitive emotional observations.
All I can say is that as I listened I walked with her in my heart
I found it a very moving book, every part relatable in its simplicity
Yet intriguing by its intricate detail
And deeply relatable
I think this is the best book I have ever listened to
My new personal favourite

Captivating

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The narration is slightly strange but after a while, I grew used to it and started to really enjoy the accent, intonation and tone of the narrator. I found that I was gripped by the story as there are a few twists and shocking storylines. Around the middle I felt like the pace accelerated and some timelines were skipped, as if the author was in a rush to move on. I found childhood strangely nostalgic although I’m not Danish and wasn’t born 100 years ago. Overall enjoyed this a lot

Quite fascinating

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Couldn’t stop listening! The first volume, Childhood, has the great strength of recreation of a child’s eye view of the world, and the frustrations of having no control over one’s life. Youth, covering the ages 14-20, is more conventional but certainly reminded me of many foolish moments in my own teenage life years later. The third volume, Dependency, recounts a series of disastrous marriages in a horrifyingly flat tone but is nevertheless riveting. I can’t get Tove out of my head now.

Astounding, coruscating autobiography

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boring narrator spoils content. stopped after first chapter and am
planning to return the book..

no!

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