Nonfiction

A Line in the World: A Year on the North Sea Coast

A Line in the World: A Year on the North Sea Coast

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  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2022-11-20 10:19:34
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Dorthe Nors
  • ISBN：B0BHQS8QVJ
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Summary

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。 It’s a recurring pattern in my life。 An instinct。

Dorthe Nors’s first nonfiction book chronicles a year she spent traveling along the North Sea coast—from 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 Midsummer’s 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 mother’s 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 person’s life， changes occurring in various communities today， and change as the only constant of life on Earth。

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Reviews

Timothy Neesam ，

I’m interested in books where people find beauty in locations that are considered by many to be inhospitable。 I was particularly drawn to this spare， beautifully written book about author Dorthe Nors’ relationship with Jutland， located in northern Denmark。 Over the course of a year， in the 14 essays that make up the book， Nors travels to locations that are personally significant to her and her family。 Jutland is far removed from Nors' bustling， fast-pasted lifestyle in Copenhagen。 She provides h I’m interested in books where people find beauty in locations that are considered by many to be inhospitable。 I was particularly drawn to this spare， beautifully written book about author Dorthe Nors’ relationship with Jutland， located in northern Denmark。 Over the course of a year， in the 14 essays that make up the book， Nors travels to locations that are personally significant to her and her family。 Jutland is far removed from Nors' bustling， fast-pasted lifestyle in Copenhagen。 She provides historical insight into why people live in a location so susceptible to bad weather， of which there seems to be a great deal。 Shipwrecks abound， churches get covered in sand， borders become blocked， and people are solitary and often uncommunicative。 It's not all grim。 Communities pull together in times of difficulty and there's a great essay on the positive influence of surfers on locals。 Nevertheless， there’s a raw， unsettled beauty in the book， and Nors describes herself as 'a movement pinned in one place。’ I found myself drawn into her writing and her sense of place。The book is quiet， a little foreboding and utterly beautifully written （and/or translated）。 I also loved the beautiful line drawings of Jutland landscapes that intersperse the book。 A wonderful book， highly recommended for those interested in a person's sense of place。 。。。more

Paul Lehane ，

A beautiful magical book。。full of understated insights。。I loved it。Highly recommended。Have been lucky enough to explore part of these brooding Danish coasts。Just ordered another of hers。。'Mirror， shoulder， signal' A beautiful magical book。。full of understated insights。。I loved it。Highly recommended。Have been lucky enough to explore part of these brooding Danish coasts。Just ordered another of hers。。'Mirror， shoulder， signal' 。。。more

Anne Lambert ，

This is another non-fiction book that caught my attention amongst the display of new books in the library。 This one is a mix of biography， diary and travel journal by the award winning Danish writer， Dorthe Nors。The 'Line in the World' that the title refers to is the west coast of Denmark， stretching from the northern tip down to where the Wadden Sea meets Holland， （and for those of us who are not terribly familiar with the area， there is a nice little map in the front of the book）。 Generations This is another non-fiction book that caught my attention amongst the display of new books in the library。 This one is a mix of biography， diary and travel journal by the award winning Danish writer， Dorthe Nors。The 'Line in the World' that the title refers to is the west coast of Denmark， stretching from the northern tip down to where the Wadden Sea meets Holland， （and for those of us who are not terribly familiar with the area， there is a nice little map in the front of the book）。 Generations of Nors's family have lived on this coastline， and after many years living in cities， she decided to take a year to explore her homeland and delve into it's history。Denmark is not all that far north in the great scheme of things， but the weather along the west coast can be ferocious。 For hundreds of years great storms have ripped into the land and in some cases have claimed the lives of thousands。 The very worst storm in 1362 is known as the Great Drowning of Men， which took so many lives that the bodies washed up in lines along the shores。 When you live in an environment like this you learn to respect the weather and the power of the sea because either could take your life at a moment's notice。After reading the book I came away with the impression that the Danes are very practical people and generally say things how they see it。 The northernmost point of the country juts into one of the busiest waterways in the world， and this area of water is also critical to NATO defence， as Russian submarines can sometimes be seen lurking beneath the waves。 The Danish government has installed a little black shed on this rocky outcrop， and there is a man in there all day every day keeping an eye out for the Soviets。 Nors makes this observation to a local caretaker:'It's very Danish setting up something that looks like a camper van and sending a man with binoculars to guard some of the busiest waters in the world。''Not sure about the binoculars，' said the caretaker， 'but every now and then he goes out for a smoke。'Good to know that the Danes have got our backs。 。。。more

Eric Anderson ，

I enjoyed the unique narrative of Dorthe Nors' novel “Mirror， Shoulder， Signal” so I was curious to experience her first book of nonfiction which is a meditation on the coast of her native Jutland。 She visits various points along the line of the map where the land meets the North Sea including villages， churches， lighthouses， power stations and surfing beaches。 It's an area where she was raised and where she currently lives， but she poignantly captures the seemingly paradoxical sense of being fr I enjoyed the unique narrative of Dorthe Nors' novel “Mirror， Shoulder， Signal” so I was curious to experience her first book of nonfiction which is a meditation on the coast of her native Jutland。 She visits various points along the line of the map where the land meets the North Sea including villages， churches， lighthouses， power stations and surfing beaches。 It's an area where she was raised and where she currently lives， but she poignantly captures the seemingly paradoxical sense of being from this place as well as being a perpetual outsider。 She frequently refers to the “schism” where identity is formed。 This is an intersection between time， memory， landscape and community which the individual uneasily occupies。 At the same time she reflects upon her personal history as well as the factual and mythic history of the people found here。 However， she realises that there cannot be one true chronicle as details of the past become muddled: “When does a story begin？ Always somewhere else， always further back in the text， beyond the horizon， in the unknown”。 What she offers instead is a personalised view of the beauty and dangers of this natural environment as well as the courageousness， warmth and occasional narrow mindedness of its people。 Read my full review of A Line in the World by Dorthe Nors at LonesomeReader 。。。more

Bronwen Griffiths ，

The 'line' in question is the North Sea coast of Denmark。 I have flown over this coast on my way to Sweden where I have family。 I have often wondered about the islands and land below me。 Nors grew up in rural Jutland and she has a house on the coast， but as an adult she has led a nomadic life， although always returning to her roots。 This is a book about home and of leaving home， but returning as someone different。 It is a journey through history， geography and the imagination。 Most of all it is The 'line' in question is the North Sea coast of Denmark。 I have flown over this coast on my way to Sweden where I have family。 I have often wondered about the islands and land below me。 Nors grew up in rural Jutland and she has a house on the coast， but as an adult she has led a nomadic life， although always returning to her roots。 This is a book about home and of leaving home， but returning as someone different。 It is a journey through history， geography and the imagination。 Most of all it is a book about the sea， how it gives and takes。 I have read all of Nors fiction （at least those translated into English） and she brings to this book， as to her others， her singular vision。 It is a book to be savoured， to be read again。 Just magical。 。。。more

Cath Y。 （riso。allegro） ，

🌊 Danish coast🌊 nature memoir🌊 tradition， anecdotes， reflectionsA Line in the World is a book to be savoured slowly。 With nuanced strokes and riveting details， these 14 essays blend nature writing with personal reflections and anecdotes about communities along the Danish coastline。Nors opens the book with the ‘schism in which identity is formed’。 Identity is shaped by plurality and contradictions， mixing individual experiences with heritage and landscape。 The sea connects and deters， simultane 🌊 Danish coast🌊 nature memoir🌊 tradition， anecdotes， reflectionsA Line in the World is a book to be savoured slowly。 With nuanced strokes and riveting details， these 14 essays blend nature writing with personal reflections and anecdotes about communities along the Danish coastline。Nors opens the book with the ‘schism in which identity is formed’。 Identity is shaped by plurality and contradictions， mixing individual experiences with heritage and landscape。 The sea connects and deters， simultaneously a highway to new lands and a watery grave。 It feeds wanderlust， but also instils fear and suspicion towards the outside world。 The land retains human memories， archiving lived experiences through paths， shipwrecks， frescoed churches， and mythical ruins。 I enjoyed the story of the wandering Borglum Abbey， which disappears from time to time on moonlit nights。 Similarly eerie are the rumours about Marmø， where lonely people vanish into thin air。Women’s place in traditional communities is another recurring theme。 I learned about the Danish custom of burning witch dolls on summer solstice。 It’s not for a foreigner like me to judge， but it made me reflect on the misogynist roots of festivals I grew up with and still love deeply - Qixi， for example。 Nors paints vivid portraits of strong women in coastal communities， from weather-hardened grandmothers on ‘housewife beaches’ to womenfolk in Sønderho who used to run the town when the men were at sea。 She also shares personal stories about how her mother defied her parents to become an artist， and how Nors still had trouble fitting into local communities as an independent， unmarried woman。Alongside tradition， Nors also discusses change and renewal。 Two stories are my favourite。 One is about the Cheminova chemical factory， whose unchecked pollution pushed Denmark’s first environmentalist， Aage Hansen， to take action。 The other is about population shifts。 While many towns become depopulated as young people move to cities， surfers in the Cold Hawaii camp revived a dying fishing village called Klitmoller despite the initial suspicion of the locals。Thank you Pushkin Press for this ARC。 。。。more

Mitch Karunaratne ，

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！

Lady ，

This was an interesting read。 I enjoyed reading it。 I finished this short story in one sitting。 This book was full of culture and it was fun travelling with the author down from the tip of Denmark。 I loved how each chapter started with a wonderful pen drawing or the place the author was to talk about。 It was so beautifully wrote and so descriptive。 It was almost poetic in places。 It was definitely an interesting and enjoyable journey。 I actually rated it 3。5 stars rounded up as it was better tha This was an interesting read。 I enjoyed reading it。 I finished this short story in one sitting。 This book was full of culture and it was fun travelling with the author down from the tip of Denmark。 I loved how each chapter started with a wonderful pen drawing or the place the author was to talk about。 It was so beautifully wrote and so descriptive。 It was almost poetic in places。 It was definitely an interesting and enjoyable journey。 I actually rated it 3。5 stars rounded up as it was better than a average 3 star rating but fell a little short of the 4th star。 Its a brilliant book that you should read a sample of to see if it your cup of tea it could be your 5 star read。 I recommend this book if you love travelling the world from the comfort of your own home。 So much praise goes out to the author and publishing team for bringing us this lovely travel story。 。。。more

Fran B ，

I was brought up on the opposite side of that wild expanse， the west side of the North Sea in eastern England。 A thousand years ago much of the language， even culture in my part of the world was Danish， Viking， and it was called the Danelaw。 And there are still archaic words of old Norse in use today in our rapidly disappearing dialect。 So maybe we are， in some ways， still Danes。Perhaps that's why， when I began to read this ARC， I immediately felt at home。 Although Jutland's west coast from Skag I was brought up on the opposite side of that wild expanse， the west side of the North Sea in eastern England。 A thousand years ago much of the language， even culture in my part of the world was Danish， Viking， and it was called the Danelaw。 And there are still archaic words of old Norse in use today in our rapidly disappearing dialect。 So maybe we are， in some ways， still Danes。Perhaps that's why， when I began to read this ARC， I immediately felt at home。 Although Jutland's west coast from Skagen to the German border is north and west facing， opposite to our own， the author's loose， short sentenced yet lucid impressionistic streams of consciousness took me not only across the divide of the North Sea， but also into the past， my own childhood often spent at the windswept seaside and walking wrapped up in barren marshland where the sky towers above you。In the flat lands of eastern England there is indeed a psychology at play， much like the writer explains; the quietude does not disguise or distract you from the demons inside like a city does。 Here you are more with yourself， and it can be difficult， even depressing， particularly in the winter。She says 'Our brown calves are wet with cuckoo spit'， fairly typical of her language which is immediate and sensory， creating a timelessness where past and present merge together， much like the schism of land and sea。 She says， throughout the book， that we are defined by schism and I think I know what she means。 A country is defined by its border; our selves from one another。 A home has its boundary， which is both porous and selective。In this book the elements are like beings， sometimes friends， but always needing to be respected; the waves like mythological Valkyries: the Norse gods， like Odin， remain in the collective memory of Scandinavians - and isn't Odin rather 'Christ-like'， hanging from that ash tree， the Yggdrasil， even if he put himself up there？ Yes， our 'civilisation is a snapshot'; we try to understand， perhaps make a mark and then we are gone。Like my own coastline， Jutland is bedecked with massive wind turbine farms， which to my eye， have become a blot on the seascape as well as the land。 Clean energy is to be encouraged， naturally， but these structures which she describes as white trees with circular branches， only have a limited lifespan。 Once defunct they will cause a massive landfill problem - and the wind doesn't always blow either。But I particularly like the way she talks of the past in the present tense in many places， so fitting for this every changing， yet eternal landscape， which has had so many shipwrecks （the Iron Coast） and natural disasters through storms。I loved her tour of the churches too with the artist， the maker of sketches for this book。 My own part of the world is noted for its churches too， but in a different way。 And I was not aware that the Reformation in Denmark was slower to whitewash church frescoes than in England and Holland， all very fascinating。I like the way she describes paths in the landscape as being like memories， connections in the brain， synapses perhaps， testimony to human interaction with the environment and shaping it organically。Her descriptions of the Wadden Sea， the island life， the bird life， are all beautiful too。 I very much relate to the area here being a haven for wading birds， pretty much like my own part of the world。But ultimately it is Skagen， the very northern tip of Denmark where North Sea meets Baltic， the spiritual pinnacle of the Danish and Scandinavian experience。 The schism of seas， between land and sea， our selves from one another: life and death。Like many， I have only visited Copenhagen when in Denmark， but this great city is in no way representative of Denmark any more than London is of England。One day， perhaps sooner than I envisage， I wish to visit Denmark again， Jutland in particular， and take that trip from Skagen to Esbjerg and beyond towards the Frisian islands。 I think I owe it to myself。 Thank you Dorthe Nors for enlightening me - I have never felt more like a Dane。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=A Line in the World: A Year on the North Sea Coast

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=A Line in the World: A Year on the North Sea Coast&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,A Line in the World: A Year on the North Sea Coast&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0