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The Dedalus Book of Faroese Literature
The Dedalus Book of Faroese Literature offers a wide-ranging selection of fiction from the end of the nineteenth century until the present day, including work by The Faroes' classic and most important contemporary authors.
The Faroes is an autonomous region of Denmark and consists of 18 small islands with a population of 52,000 and is situated in the Atlantic Ocean midway between Scotland and Iceland.
It is almost incredible that such a small country could have produced such a wonderful and extensive literature in 2 languages. Even more incredible is that it produced 2 of the greatest Scandinavian authors of the twentieth century William Heinesen and Jorgen-Frantz Jacobsen.
The twenty-seven texts of The Dedalus Book of Faroese Literature take the reader on a voyage of discovery as they fall under the spell of these windswept islands
The Faroes is an autonomous region of Denmark and consists of 18 small islands with a population of 52,000 and is situated in the Atlantic Ocean midway between Scotland and Iceland.
It is almost incredible that such a small country could have produced such a wonderful and extensive literature in 2 languages. Even more incredible is that it produced 2 of the greatest Scandinavian authors of the twentieth century William Heinesen and Jorgen-Frantz Jacobsen.
The twenty-seven texts of The Dedalus Book of Faroese Literature take the reader on a voyage of discovery as they fall under the spell of these windswept islands
396 pages, Paperback
Published May 31, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 19, 2025
The Faroe Islands form an autonomous region of Denmark in the north Atlantic. The islands’ occupation by Britain during WWII, while Denmark was occupied by Nazis, helped advance the islanders’ advocacy for linguistic primacy of the Faroese language. Still, with a population of 50,000+ souls, Faroese literature remains largely overlooked by the world literature community. The Dedalus Book of Faroese Literature collects 29 stories by 29 Faroese writers spanning late 19th to late 20th centuries, rendered into English by three translators.
Beginning with transcriptions of oral lore and leading to encounters with the rest of the world and contemporary social problems, from legends about selkies (humans who have turned into seals), religious hypocrites, and secret pacts with the devil, to calamities caused by drugs, alcohol, and migrations of desperation (climate, war), the outlook of the Faroese and their tales, like Jon Fosse’s Norwegians, is shaped by the harsh climate and the brutal, unforgiving ways of nature. The conversation is as sparse as the population—people live in their heads until their nerves are frayed. After that, God help them and those around them.
For more of my reviews, please see https://www.thebookbeat.com/backroom/...
Beginning with transcriptions of oral lore and leading to encounters with the rest of the world and contemporary social problems, from legends about selkies (humans who have turned into seals), religious hypocrites, and secret pacts with the devil, to calamities caused by drugs, alcohol, and migrations of desperation (climate, war), the outlook of the Faroese and their tales, like Jon Fosse’s Norwegians, is shaped by the harsh climate and the brutal, unforgiving ways of nature. The conversation is as sparse as the population—people live in their heads until their nerves are frayed. After that, God help them and those around them.
For more of my reviews, please see https://www.thebookbeat.com/backroom/...
September 9, 2025
I bought this book in the Faroes, during a longer stay. I thought maybe I'd find some insight into my temporary friends and coworkers, or maybe a choice selection of the best the Faroes has to offer, but I was left dissapointed with the contemporary half of the book.
"Dissapearing Men" by Firouz Gaini and "The Last Fishing Trip" by Magnus Dam Jacobsen are both incredible, and William Heinesens style was pretty enough to convince me to buy one of his novels. There's a lot of little gems in this collection, and it casts a wide enough net that it ought to have a little something for everyone. But to me, the book was far too morose and tragic to give any justice to the playful (but reserved) people I've gotten to know - And not consistently good enough to read for fun.
"Dissapearing Men" by Firouz Gaini and "The Last Fishing Trip" by Magnus Dam Jacobsen are both incredible, and William Heinesens style was pretty enough to convince me to buy one of his novels. There's a lot of little gems in this collection, and it casts a wide enough net that it ought to have a little something for everyone. But to me, the book was far too morose and tragic to give any justice to the playful (but reserved) people I've gotten to know - And not consistently good enough to read for fun.
September 1, 2026
Lovely stories to dive in to the Faroes, wish I had read this during my trip and not after, but nevertheless it made me see these islands a bit clearer.
I struggled a bit with the fragmented character of this style of book, whenever I started to like and vibe with the writing and story of one author, their chapter was over. In the beginning there are older legends which are problematic and often sexist, but I got motivated again by the newer works.
I struggled a bit with the fragmented character of this style of book, whenever I started to like and vibe with the writing and story of one author, their chapter was over. In the beginning there are older legends which are problematic and often sexist, but I got motivated again by the newer works.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews