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A Line in the World
A Line in the World: A Year on the North Sea Coast | Dorthe Nors
10 posts | 4 read | 13 to read
A celebrated Danish writer explores the unsung histories and geographies of her beloved slice of the world. Me, my notebook and my love of the wild and desolate. I wanted to do the opposite of what was expected of me. Its a recurring pattern in my life. An instinct. Dorthe Norss first nonfiction book chronicles a year she spent traveling along the North Sea coastfrom Skagen at the northern tip of Denmark to the Frisian Islands in the Wadden Sea. In fourteen expansive essays, Nors traces the history, geography, and culture of the places she visits while reflecting on her childhood and her family and ancestors ties to the region as well as her decision to move there from Copenhagen. She writes about the ritual burning of witch effigies on Midsummers Eve; the environmental activist who opposed a chemical factory in the 1950s; the quiet fishing villages that surfers transformed into an area known as Cold Hawaii starting in the 1970s. She connects wind turbines to Viking ships, thirteenth-century church frescoes to her mothers unrealized dreams. She describes strong waves, sand drifts, storm surges, shipwrecks, and other instances of nature asserting its power over human attempts to ignore or control it. Through a deep, personal engagement with this singular landscape, A Line in the World accesses the universal. Its ultimate subjects are civilization, belonging, and change: changes within one persons life, changes occurring in various communities today, and change as the only constant of life on Earth.
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Kazzie
Pickpick

Beautiful. She is introspective and honest about rural coastal living. Gorgeous tales with sweeping history. Would recommend

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lauraisntwilder
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Pickpick

I loved this beautiful book, part essay collection and part memoir, about exploring the western coast of Denmark. Nors talks about nature, history, and her own life and family. Her writing, as in all her fiction that has been translated to English, is perfection.

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lauraisntwilder
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Oops. I sort of accidentally bought a stack of books.

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rockpools
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I loved loved loved this book.

A series of essays stemming from the North Sea coast of Denmark, where the author explores the environment, home, history, belonging, the city, art, the sea, the seafarers, and all sorts, with a dry humour.

With gorgeous illustrations by her friend Signe Parkins, this was a quite lovely read, and it may be time to renew my passport and get exploring again.

rockpools Thank you for introducing me to this @Mitch through #AuldLangSpine. I‘ve loved reading the books on your list, and have a few more to read throughout the year ☺️. And thank you for putting all of this together, with such great matches @monalyisha / I‘ve really enjoyed my January reading! 2y
Mitch I had the exact same reaction. It‘s been nearly 10 years since I‘ve been to this region and the book soooooo made me want to return! 2y
rockpools @Mitch In the early 2000s, me and a friend did a bunch of North Sea ‘mini-cruises‘ - which translates as packing a suitcase full of books and catching a seriously cheap ferry there-and-back. We did the Harwich-Esbjerg one she mentions in the book (it was as described!) and actually spent a few days in Esbjerg visiting Ribe, Fanø and Copenhagen. But now I‘m wondering if I‘m up for a bit of solo Euro travel- it‘s been AGES since I‘ve been away away! 2y
56 likes3 stack adds3 comments
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rockpools
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I‘m enjoying each chapter of this a little more. Essays set on the Danish North Sea coast - rather than a travelogue, they go wherever - memories, customs, geography, environment, belonging.

And a dry humour. Somehow I‘d never fancied reading Nors‘s fiction, despite being aware of her since the dawn of Litsy. Partly that may be down to her other book covers (how shallow! She‘s making up for it

rockpools here.) And partly because I‘ve ‘grown into‘ more plotless stories over the past few years.

Really loving this though. #AuldLangSpine @Mitch @monalyisha
2y
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rockpools
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Going in to my next #AuldLangSpine read - I‘ll be hanging out (reading-wise) on the west coast of Denmark for the next couple of weeks. I don‘t often go for print copies, even less hardcovers, but this is a BEAUTIFUL object!

I‘ve visited Esbjerg, Fanø and Ribe (about half-way up the map), so I have a small picture of the landscape she‘s describing.

Thanks @Mitch - I‘m really looking forward to this. Have you ever read her fiction?

Mitch It‘s a stunning book as an object in itself isn‘t it! 2y
rockpools @Mitch it is. I only just twigged that the illustrator is her friend Signe, the frescoes lady. That probably explains all sorts! 2y
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rockpools
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I am SO excited to be reading from @Mitch ‘s #AuldLangSpine list. I haven‘t read any of them, lots I‘ve never even heard of, plus a few authors I‘m really keen to read/read more of.

Pictured are available through my library; right now, The Offing and A Fortunate Woman really appeal, I loved Brooks‘s People of the Book, and Perrin‘s other book sounded amazing, so I‘d love to try this one.

rockpools However, I think book shopping might have to happen, because there are SO many of the others I‘d love to read - Marzahn, Rooted, A Line in the World… And how lovely is it to have an excuse to buy My Soul Twin?! Though it would be wrong to buy that without getting the Eighth Life to go with it… Spending spree coming on 😁

Thanks for putting together an amazing list @Mitch and for putting so much into the matches @monalyisha
2y
Chelsea.Poole Oh, I hope you enjoy! @Mitch was my match last year and I was also introduced to many titles I had never heard of before! It was a great list!! This one sticks out to me 2y
squirrelbrain Such a great list! ❤️ 2y
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rockpools @Chelsea.Poole That‘s so cool! I think a couple of these came from your list last year as well? I love that they‘re being passed along! 2y
rockpools @squirrelbrain Isn‘t it fab? I‘m looking forward to digging into everyone else‘s through this week, as well. 2y
Chelsea.Poole I think so..Betty hit me so hard 😭 and Empire of Pain was so well done. 2y
Mitch @Chelsea.Poole Betty definitely came into my life via you! 🤣 2y
Mitch @rockpools so glad there are things there that hot the spot for you! I love starting the reading year with some sure fire winners! Sets a high bar for my reading year! 2y
46 likes8 comments
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Mitch
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Soooo many good ones this month! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

https://bookmarks.reviews/the-best-reviewed-books-of-the-month-11-30-2022/?utm_s...

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Mitch
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Pickpick

This book is got me reaching for timetables - plotting trains, ferries and paths in order to get me into her landscape. The world she describes, a land holding the imprint of its history and memories so deeply is so inspiring. She writes in ways that I try to photograph and I‘m so grateful to have had that put into words. Fabulous!

Chelsea.Poole Love when books inspire travel! My last read has me thinking of the redwood forests and how I‘ll get myself there one day! 2y
Soubhiville @Chelsea.Poole me too! And I love when books inspire art! It‘s great reading something that makes you want to get creative. 💜 2y
AllDebooks This sounds amazing x 2y
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Mitch
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This maybe one of my favourite covers this month ! It‘s beautiful the gold leaf lifts it and the subtle greys mirror the colours of the North Sea. So you have a fav cover for October?

jlhammar Beautiful! Sounds really good. 2y
52 likes1 comment