The Year of Living Danishly

Entertaining but Brittle

Pleasant but superficial account of the author's first year in Denmark as a British expat. As a personal history, the book is glib, with very little attempt at plumbing depths of feeling or experience. The author writes in a bright, brittle style that may have been what she was used to as a staffer for a slick London magazine. She's also not as witty as she thinks she is. As an impersonal, journalistic account of contemporary Danish society, the book is entertaining, but slanted heavily towards the rosy. Russell doesn't bother to examine the negative implications of some of the national characteristics she describes, such as the pressure to conform and the dread of conflict. If you want a balanced look at Denmark and the Danes, you'll have to go elsewhere. Lucy Price-Lewis does a fine job with the narration.

64 of 66 people found this review helpful

Interesting content. Unfortunate delivery.

Where does The Year of Living Danishly rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This book ranks right in the middle. Time well spent and very interesting, but not touching or miraculous or life changing.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

I do wish that the author had read this book herself for the audiobook as there was a lot of subtle humor and personal musings that were totally lost in Lucy Price-Lewis's delivery. There were quite a few very funny moments - big and small - that managed to fall noticeably short. Knowing nothing about her beyond reading this book, I imagine that the author is very sharp-witted, fun and bold. This was a story about her personal life and it was unfortunate that it somehow felt flat and impersonal.

What three words best describe Lucy Price-Lewis’s performance?

Not well matched, too proper, lacking a flair for subtle humor.

Any additional comments?

I truly enjoyed taking a step into Danish culture and felt like the author hit every mark - from pastries to neighbors to politics to parenting. Her professional writing experience offered an unexpected quality of perspective and observation. I came to appreciate that her story wasn't just a meandering "year in the life", but followed a rather diligent and purposeful (but still lighthearted) path.

The concept of "hygge" (even if it was pronounced incorrectly) is a major theme that stands out as one of the only things I have any hope of embracing or emulating in my own life. I hope to do so though as it seems to be a wonderful thing! Unfortunately, most of the social norms and programs described could never exist outside of such a small and unique country. There is just no comparing Denmark to my fast-paced country suburb of New York City and I tried hard not to let the stark differences in maternity leave, work days, education and bakery offerings depress me.

A worthwhile read nonetheless!

91 of 95 people found this review helpful

Very Enjoyable

What made the experience of listening to The Year of Living Danishly the most enjoyable?

As an expat in Denmark myself, it was both interesting and entertaining to hear from another expat's perspective. I really like hearing the facts and figures to boost her anecdotal observations. I liked how open and honest she is about her life and her experience. I laughed. I cried. It was a good listen.

I'd recommend it, and have, to anyone who wants to know more about Denmark, or just the expate experience in general.

What aspect of Lucy Price-Lewis’s performance would you have changed?

Lucy Price-Lewis had a very pleasant voice, but her Danish pronunciation was almost unintelligible.

29 of 31 people found this review helpful

Just loved it!

Witty, insightful, and hilariously charming. As delightful as nonfiction gets. The author Helen Russell describes her personal adventures in a year of living in Denmark, including personal stories interwoven with expert interviews analyzing WHY the Danish are so consistently happy, is it possible for foreigners to achieve the same mindset, and how can the rest of global humanity adopt aspects of Danish living without uprooting to the tiny, cold pastry paradise. As a reader, I couldn't get enough. As a nonfiction author myself, I am inspired by a great example.

Side note: Her other book Leap Year is equally lovely.

7 of 7 people found this review helpful

A Surprising Little Nugget of Awesome

I'm impressed with this book for many reasons. The author was relateable and her situation was epathtically lamentable. In the end, this is upper-class writing.

As non-fiction goes, an author's voice is often dull and mechanical, unless you are Helen Russell. She was witty, glib, and completely normal from start to finish. As I do, she assigned nicknames to most of those she interacted with. Examples include "Judgy Face" or "Lego Man."

Her research was neither tediously academic nor jeuvenile. The majority of her research is based on interviews, jotted notes, and humerous internal monologue.

From start to finish the reader loves the story woven around her main goal to identify what makes Danes so happy. The project is broken up into 12 months, with each month ending in a summary of her findings. The best of her observations, interviews, and internet research are highlighted throughout. The reader stands to learn more about rural Danish life and tradition than you thought possible. Certainly more than you previously thought interesting.

In summary, well done Helen. Please write more so I can read all of your work.

19 of 21 people found this review helpful

Mediocre at best. Reads like a first year university student's paper

It reads like a first year university paper with a bit of humor and lots of stats. She is very judgmental but tries to cover it up with support of constant references-just like a new university student learning how to write. I thought it was ironic that the main intention of the book is to figure out how the Danish are the world's happiest people when one of her references, which she shares only 1/2 way through, is that the Danish on the whole take more antidepressants than any other European country. Other than a few humorous stories here and there, don't waste your time. I will not be reading any of her other books after this one.

41 of 48 people found this review helpful

Danish Destination Delights

Excuse the alliteration but I am feeling whimsical and after listening to this book and am now seriously considering including Copenhagen on my next vacation to Europe. Bob Hope said that he owed his long life to always gravitating towards a group of people heartily laughing rather than to the crowd that was grumbling. Maybe spending a few days in Denmark will be good for the soul, though I suspect the Danes may not be more bubbly and openly friendly than other cultures, they are just more secure and well cared for.

Helen Russell and Lucy Price-Lewis team up to give us an insight into a successful compassionate social model that we should all aspire towards. We are given a month by month account from an outsider who is curious about the source of the country's happiness. At the end of the month Helen tells us what she has learned and links that to worldwide research findings.

Not everything is perfect in the state of Denmark, but there is enough there to be envious. And if I do visit and the Danes don't open up to me in my brief encounters, Helen has me wondering about how tasty all those baked goods really are. After all there must have been good reason to name one of them a danish.

9 of 10 people found this review helpful

Loved it

Great story. Have been looking for someone to explain Scandinavian culture and she did it hilariously. Great insight into the Danes as well as what makes them so happy (and shines a spotlight into why Americans and Brits are not as happy). I laughed out loud repeatedly at her Brit wit. Liked that the book was organized into different topics each month. She made it very informative while keeping it light and very fun. Was ready to move to Denmark after the first chapters. Don't want this book to ever end. Wish she would do the same treatment/living experiment with other countries too. Only downside, the narrator. She blasts through the text so quickly that she does blow through many of the jokes, ruining the timing, as mentioned by other reviewers. Needs a different narrator. Could be more fun to read in print so you can pace it yourself. But don't miss this book!

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

A detailing of why Denmark is great

I expected the author to be mindful of the fact that a very small percentage of her readers either live or have the option to live in Denmark! She is really not. There are no general learnings/approaches that can be applied anywhere. This is simply a Denmark fan going over in detail why Denmark is her Utopia.

6 of 7 people found this review helpful

Cynical Brit softened by snegl and hygge. A 10!

Where does The Year of Living Danishly rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

So few books I purchase on Audible have been a disappointment (swiftly returned the handful of naff ones), so rather unfair to compare to many delights clustered in my Cloud. This is an excellent listen balancing "experience" (Helen and LegoMan, their initial shivering, damp arrival in mysteriously darkened Sticksville-on-Sea) and "research" and statistical analysis. The interviews with a plethora of fascinating folk were amazing!

Glad I did not read the book as the super-abundance of names, titles, institutes and websites might -- just might -- have thrown a wobbly into the delight of the couple's month by month delightful discoveries.

I am contemplating selling every stick of furniture, my IRA and my car and kayak to Denmark to plead with Lego HQ to hire me as a washroom attendant ... and a well paid, tax and 25% VAT added paying, beer and snegl scarfing, bike-riding washroom attendant at that.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Year of Living Danishly?

The one word which is virtually unheard in USA and the one word the Danes prize above all else: Tradition. Tradition is, literally, everything.

We Americans are such a very young country; I only came up with a dismal few -- Super Bowl Sunday, Black Friday and the ritual horrified murmurs to diet after a waist-expanding a Thanksgiving dinner.

What does Lucy Price-Lewis bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Lucy is not afraid to scream. I loved her narration! Spot on and well done!

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Okay, if you must: "From Clueless and Clenched to Hyggled and Healthy?

(I beg of Hollywood, please do not under any circumstances place this book within reach of Judd Apatow.)

Any additional comments?

I am mad as heck and sleep deprived, too! Not only was I up three nights in a row until 2am because I could not stop listening ("...one more month, just onnnne more month..."), but Ms Russell had the temerity to end the book and thus Ms Price-Lewis stopped narrating! Okay, checking kayaks to Jutland (I live in Missouri, but that is such a minor detail...)

23 of 29 people found this review helpful