Helen Russell (2015)

Fluffy and without pretensions, this is a fun and mildly entertaining read, half unserious cultural analysis and half displaced biography. But there’s a lot to be learned from Danish culture for those of us from other (or, as the Danes would possibly say if they weren’t too polite, less developed) cultures, not least the importance of getting away from the stresses of industrial life. It doesn’t convince me to move, I have to say (not least because I already know that I don’t like pickled herring and excessive numbers of rules), but the power of tradition and ubiquity of festivals and entertainment do make it sound inviting.

3/5. Finished Saturday 30 January, 2016.

(Originally published on Goodreads.)