Something Rotten

by Andrew Lipstein

In his provocative, crackling new novel, Andrew Lipstein spins a wicked web through the heart of Copenhagen. You'll question everyone and everything—even the very nature of truth.

Cecilie is a fed-up New York Times reporter. Her husband, Reuben, is a disgraced former NPR host and grudging stay-at-home dad. Neither can wait to flee New York and spend the summer in Copenhagen, Denmark, Cecilie’s hometown. But their vacation begins to turn inside out as soon as they land: Cecilie’s first love, Jonas, has been diagnosed with a rare, fatal illness. All of Cecilie’s friends are desperate to get him help—that is, except for Mikkel, a high-powered journalist who happens to be the only one Jonas will listen to.

Mikkel’s influence quickly extends to Reuben, who’s not only intoxicated by Mikkel’s charm, but discovers in him a new model of masculinity—one he found hopelessly absent in America. As Mikkel indoctrinates Reuben with ever more depraved stunts, Reuben senses something is seriously amiss. Cecilie, too, begins to question who to trust—even herself. Drawn in by the gravity of the past, she can’t help but stray onto the road not taken.

A twisting, thrilling tale of loyalty and deceit, lovers and fools, Andrew Lipstein's Something Rotten proves that sometimes to be kind you have to be cruel beyond belief.

Genres: Fiction, Literary Fiction, Contemporary, Book Club, Novels, Audiobook, Adult Fiction

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 21, 2025

About the author

Andrew Lipstein is an American novelist. He wrote Last Resort (2022), The Vegan (2023), and Something Rotten (2025).

Andrew lives in Brooklyn with his wife and three sons.

Reviews

[Left Coast Justin]

Be careful what you wish for. My recent search criteria:

-Set in Denmark
-Set in modern times
-No murders

Something Rotten, with its Hamlet reference in the title, indisputably met these requirements, and as a bonus features the most repellant cover I’ve ever seen. But is it a book I wanted to read? Maybe I should have been more specific:

-No marriage dramas

I’m not against marriage dramas, necessarily. Being married supplies many people with as much drama as they need. I’ve read books by people like Anne Tyler and John Irving that probe the difficulties and rewards of committing yourself to one person for life. They use a little trick: They make the two people involved likeable, so you’re rooting for things to work out. This book opted for realism, which makes for uncomfortable reading.

The plot was well thought out. A couple with a new baby living in New York City head to Denmark for an overdue vacation. The wife hails from Copenhagen, and fifteen years previously was part of a tight group from college who remain friends. One of these was her lover for many years before she decamped for New York, and upon arrival they learn that this man is dying and the group is rallying around him. So we’re taking the basic “third wheel” plot and then slashing the tire for good measure.

Unable to speak Danish, lacking the group’s history, he’s left behind with the baby for much of the story while wifey seeks to console her ex. (The ex lover is not suffering from some wasting disease but rather something like a ticking time bomb; he’s perfectly fine up until the moment he wakes up dead.) Meanwhile, there’s another guy in the group who’s causing all sorts of mayhem, much of which is directed at making Hubby feel even worse. His reaction to all this is not one of Zen-like acceptance.

No murders, modern setting, and deep immersion in Copenhagen. Exactly what I asked for. I have only myself to blame.

[Allen Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Based on the synopsis, and specifically this sentence - "As Mikkel indoctrinates Reuben with ever more depraved stunts, Reuben senses something is seriously amiss" - I was expecting a strange, twisted, or even depraved read. This was not that.

This is a literary fiction with unlikeable characters discussing their jobs, relationships, desires and motivations, and going back and forth about a character's inoperable medical diagnosis - whether the diagnosis is correct, why the friend isn't taking it seriously, if they should get a second opinion, etc.

We alternate between married couple Reuben and Cecielie's points of view. They've recently had a baby and are on vacation in Denmark. (The newborn and parenting take up a surprisingly small amount of this book). I was intrigued by Reuben's intoxication with Mikkel and their strange dynamic/relationship, but it never went in the direction I was hoping, and I was ultimately left a little bored. The cover and synopsis are a bit deceptive in my opinion.

I would recommend this to someone who likes literary fiction that is just following characters as they discuss their lives, relationships, desires, etc., where there isn't a strong plot moving the story along. This reminded me style/vibe wise of Evenings & Weekends by Oisin McKenna, and Sally Rooney.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy for review.

[Letitia | Bookshelfbyla · Rating 5 out of 5]

“It can be a lot of responsibility, he said, having something so big over someone else.”

In ‘Something Rotten’ by Andrew Lipstein, we meet Cecilie, a Danish NYT reporter, and her husband, Ruben, a disgraced former NPR host and grudging stay-at-home dad. Both crave a break from their New York life and are relieved to spend the summer in Denmark, Cecilie’s hometown. “No, it wasn’t where they were going that gave her hope, but what they were leaving behind. What awaited them was, quite simply, a life that wasn’t this one.” However, what lies ahead is not the calm paradise they expected. They learn Cecilie’s first love, Jonas, has been diagnosed with a rare disease and is refusing treatment, and Mikkel, the only person Jonas will listen to, is unbothered. With humor, an unpredictable adventure, and delving into the interiority of Cecilie and Reuben, ‘Something Rotten’ explores timely concerns of adulthood and how the meanest thing you can do to someone might be the kindest.

This perfect blend of character and plot made it readable, interesting, and fun. While the characters can be deemed unlikeable, I enjoyed Reuben’s POV the most. His inner dialogue and interactions made me laugh, and he had interesting musings on socio-political issues, our moral lives, and masculinity. Between him and Cecilie, we see the challenges of a modern relationship, the ramifications of his cancellation on them individually and as a unit, and the question many ponder about whether life in America is really the better alternative. “But another part knew it was fantasy, nothing more than a counterweight to reality; if he really had this life, all he’d yearn for was the life he had now.”

I never knew where this story was going or who to trust. I appreciated how, even with the twists and turns, it never went off the rails and resolved itself with an ending that reflected the greater themes of the book satisfyingly.

“It’s easy to say that people deserve to know the truth. But it’s fucking impossible to be the one to deliver it.”

While people are singular, we are also generic, and I found it sobering to see some recognition or understanding of these characters. I feel many will see a sense of familiarity in their dilemmas - how the fear of death shapes your decisions, the fragility in social circles, winning people’s approval, and the tension and sometimes insincerity between the person you want to portray to the world versus your actual feelings. Cecilie’s contemplation of her life gave me elements of the movie 'Past Lives’ and the relatable feeling of what life would be like if you made different choices. “She was often struck with envy, and more: a persistent compulsion to imagine the life her parallel self was living.”

I couldn’t have asked for a better book to start the year. This was exactly what I wanted *chef’s kiss*

Thank you so much, FSG for the #gifted copy. Publishing Jan 21st!

[morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up the first 250 pages were sooo fun but it kinda lost me at the end. i liked this one a lot thanks frankie 😀

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Andrew Lipstein is a wonder - how he manages to be so such a prolific writer with a full time job in fintech AND three small children remains a mystery to me - but no matter: it has now resulted in three completely different, interesting novels in a row. Don't be alarmed or turned off by the provocative and slightly misleading cover art (this is not a novel about the painful early days of parenthood). Lipstein is an auto-read author for me so the cover was no issue, though my husband did regularly ask me how I was enjoying the "distressed baby mouth" novel 🙃

Something Rotten is very plotty, just like his previous efforts have been, but this time with the added location of Copenhagen, where Reuben and his Danish journalist wife Cecilie spend an extended parental leave months after Reuben has been fired from his NPR job for inadvertently exposing himself during a Zoom call. Once they're settled with the in-laws in Copenhagen, things start to go south as Reuben and Cecilie get caught up with her friend group and their attendant dramas. Her first love Jonas has been diagnosed with a terminal illness and all of the friends have come together to problem solve and grieve together in their own way. Journalist friend Mikkel has a persuasive role in the group and quickly exacts a svengali-like spell on an impressionable and "blank slate" guy like Reuben. Things devolve for everyone from there. If the plot sounds complicated, it kind of is and is hard to explain without spoilers, but Mikkel challenges Reuben to examine a different type of masculinity and question what he's doing with his life. Another complicating factor to the plot is the lack of quotation marks for dialogue attribution (21st century trend that won't die) and the overuse of Danish dialogue, which came off more like a flex than a necessary plot device (IMO better to just say "He said in Danish" or "they switched to speaking Danish"). It took away from the reading experience to have so much Danish dialogue that was simply chatty and not expository or revealing in any way - and trust me, I ADORE the Danes. The plot is twisty and propulsive despite its short timeframe, and the writing is excellent as usual.

Highly recommend Ben's podcast interview with Andrew on Beyond The Zero from a few weeks ago (spoiler free discussion): https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast...

Many thanks to Farrar, Straus and Giroux and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Dannie · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was so good…mostly a character driven book but the discussions on masculinity, institution, (light) politics, finances, and gender roles combined with a decently moving plot kept my attention well enough to finish in one day
only 4 stars because i guessed the plot twist from the start

[Amy Strong · Rating 3 out of 5]

The jacket cover and the opening pages set up a tantalizing premise: This story will (finally!) probe the confusing mix of privilege and paralysis at the heart of modern masculinity. An American man--a journalist, no less--has been cancelled and shamed. Reduced to a stay-at-home dad, he has become a passive shell. But when he travels to Denmark, he meets the ultimate alpha male, who seduces him with visions of what could be.

How I wish that had been this book. Initially, it appeared to be. The male protagonist, Reuben, is stuck in a glass box, professionally cancelled, yet on display. He's exhibit number one for why you should ALWAYS make sure your Zoom camera is off. His wife, Cecilie, equally humiliated, yet miraculously un-cancelled, has taken on the role of bread-winner, leaving Reuben to care for their toddler. When the couple travels to her native Denmark, they both wonder (for different reasons) whether they should stay: Reuben, because he feels liberated from the yoke of scandal, and Cecilie, because--well, it's just easier to raise kids in Denmark.

There is so much rich compost to draw from here, Reuben's cancellation, the inverted power structure in his marriage, his foreignness, the loss of control over his narrative. The introduction of Mikkel, Denmark's answer to Joe Rogan, opens a door for Reuben to engage with these issues, which he's kept suppressed in hopes of being re-admitted to polite society. Mikkel is a vigorous boor, a loud-mouthed bully, the kind of man the #MeToo movement attempted to crush to extinction. Reuben marvels at his apparent freedom and self-mastery. He hits on the idea of recording a podcast, an unflinching exploration of the differences between Danish and American masculinity.

Except . . . he never does. Sure, he records a few conversations with Mikkel, but that's as far as he gets. The moment he starts asking heavy questions, a subplot about a medical diagnosis takes over, manspreading across the entire book. As the pages ticked down, I began to worry that the author wasn't going to deliver on his premise--and from my perspective, he didn't. The remainder of the story is taken up with D-list intrigue about whether one of the wife's friends is sick, rather than the original question: "What does it mean to be a man?"

Once I became disinvested in the book, its faults started to jump off the page. There were so many references to a specific soda (Pepsi Max) that I began to wonder if it was a negotiated endorsement. (Is this what we've come to, in the age of streaming, that we're embedding commercials into books?) Although the story alternates between Reuben and Cecilie's perspectives, the point of view was sometimes slippery, as if the author forgot whose head he was in. I also became exasperated with the use of questions to illuminate internal states. Entire paragraphs went something like this: "Why had Mikkel asked him to start recording? Had he only wanted Reuben to have to relive [plot point]? . . . . [H]adn't he needed some time to rationalize [another plot point]? But what could possibly justify Jonas lying about [yet another plot point]? Could he have been that in need of sympathy? Could he have been testing how his friends would respond?" While most of these faults were apparent in the first half, they became overwhelming in the second. I got the sense that the author (or perhaps his editor?) focused all of his attention on the first hundred pages, knowing most reviewers would do the same.

In the end, Reuben changes very little. He never answers the question, and he abandons his podcast for a more traditional calling. What a waste. The crisis of modern masculinity is ripe for exploration, but it needs a writer who will confront it head on. This book plays a game of literary chicken, only to swerve at the last minute.

[Angie M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Insane things happening in american heterosexual hell

[Le Dillingham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very addictive and readable, Lipstein’s writing feels more fine-tuned, stylish, and shrewd than ever. Plot is very compelling; cliffhangers abound and pacing is excellent. I was engaged and intrigued the entire time. I will say, having read the Vegan (and the blurb of this one) I did think it was going to be more unhinged than it was.

Quick hits:
- biggest complaint: Cecilie’s character and voice were not defined, especially in contrast with Reuben. You hate to see it.

- the ensemble cast of Danes was hard to keep track of and (I thought) a bit extraneous. Some of them just disappeared about halfway through the novel (perhaps intentional, but was more confusing than anything else)

- Loved the cross-cultural contrast/critique, especially Reuben’s trajectory of idolizing Danish culture to resentment and disillusionment to resignation/ambivalence. Virtue/Morality v. Truth/authenticity is always a fun (and false) dichotomy to bear out, but I especially loved how these musings tied into American (e)masculinity — and the way that Reuben comes away from his experience changed, but also, and maybe more correctly, unchanged.

- Cecilie and Reuben spend so little time together that they barely feel like a couple. I assume this is purposeful to highlight the separation that occurred after Reuben’s cancellation and also the very real, isolative experience of stay at home parenting. However, this sometimes lowered the relational stakes, as their partnership felt ill-defined. Cecilie’s lack of distinct voice amplified this feeling of lowered stakes

- in contrast, the choice for Arne to be basically invisible the entire novel — he slips further and further into the background (often, I would find myself vaguely concerned that he was going to choke/die/crawl away, that’s how infrequently his whereabouts came up) felt clever and bolstered the indictment of American parenthood. It’s clear that Reuben and Cecilie love Arne and try to be good parents, but in Denmark, their identity as parents more or less disappears (like Cecilie’s milk!), because the American Parent Stress also disappears. Maybe more could have been explored re:their relationship to their son, but I don’t think that’s what this novel was trying to do.

- Much to mull over re: love, especially platonic love, and death/what one does with a life (and how illness or imminent death might foreground a new framework for right and wrong, both on the national and personal level)

Can’t wait for book club, I think it’ll really crack this open for me!

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Andrew Lipstein’s previous novel, Last Resort, and was looking forward to reading his newest work. I think Lipstein has a talent for crafting propulsive plot lines and unlikeable characters. Something Rotten highlights some of these skills, but for me, there were a number of factors weighing the book down.

Something Rotten alternates chapters and perspectives between a couple: Reuben and Cecilie. I enjoyed reading each distinct voice but felt that Cecilie had almost no growth or depth throughout the novel in comparison the Reuben. The couple, while they do not seem to like each other, or really interact with one another, are bound by their baby Arnie. I was surprised by how little thought the role of parenthood plays into this novel. Neither character interacts with their son beyond a few minutes of play time once they arrive in Denmark, so much so that their role as co-parents feels very unrealistic. In short, I didn’t feel like there was anything to tie the couple together, which made me quickly loose interest in their relationship.

I was originally attracted to the exploration of masculinity and cancel culture laid out in the book’s description, but honestly did not feel like I gained a lot of insight into either. My favorite character in the book was likely Gorm, a failure-to-launch type of character who is really underutilized in my opinion, particularly as he fits into the masculinity subplot. I was also quite disappointed in the level of passivity required to tie together the story’s medical drama. It is hard to imagine a character like Jonas in reality, who could be quite so gullible, and take so little impetus to understand his own health emergency. I was so tired of the back and forth of getting Jonas to care about his diagnosis that I failed to make an investment in the book’s outcome.

Overall, there were some storylines and ideas I enjoyed reading and mulling over, but the book was a miss for me.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and FSG for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review! Something Rotten will be published in January 2025.

[MackGetsLit · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars- my main takeaway from this book was that the Danes really like their Pepsi Max, like ALOT. It took me by surprise that Reuben was cancelled because he was having consensual with his wife and accidentally left his computer camera running in the best of the moment. Maybe it is because our current cultural climate is so vile and disgusting that someone having consensual sex in front of coworkers seems more than mild to me, and not really cancel worthy behavior. There was plenty of compare and contrast between US vs Danish culture as it pertains to gender roles, masculinity and social programs for families. I felt the main story line dragged for me though.
Thanks to NetGalley and FSG for an advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Eileen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Andrew Lipstein's Something Rotten focuses on Cecilie and Reuben's summer in Copenhagen. Cecilie is from Copenhagen and Reuben is mystified by some of what he is experiencing there. Jonas, Cecilie's former lover and part of their friend group, has been diagnosed with a serious illness. Mikkel, another member of the group, seems to be the most influential member. He has influenced Jonas to make medically poor choices and influenced Reuben to get a tattoo. Something is rotten in Denmark and it appears to be Mikkel. What is masculinity? When men feel vulnerable are they more likely to make poor choices? Reuben's personality will remind readers who have read The Vegan of a character they have met before. This is a person who knows he is at a vulnerable point in his life, recognizes he is making poor choices, and is driven to continue. Most of the characters in Something Rotten are facing conflicts in their lives and manage to start moving forward. The book does not provide an instant happy ending; one of its strengths is its failure to do so.

[Phyllis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this book was, perhaps, just not for me. The writing moved fluidly, and I appreciated the interiority of the main characters, Reuben and Cecelie, through whom the chapters were alternatingly narrated. I also appreciated the look into Danish culture through the eyes of a couple in their mid-30s.

The overall story, though, just did not really do much for me, and did not, in my view, stick the landing.

And while this feels like a really petty nitpick, I viscerally disliked the cover of the book and, other than a single reference to a photograph gone missing of a crying child, I could not at all understand its relationship to the content of the story.

[Deborah G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

An addictive read full of complicated relationships and the merging of past and present. I deeply enjoyed getting to know the characters, the tone of the novel sat well with me, and the pace was perfect. I also loved the hyper -specific details about Copenhagen and Danish culture. Will definitely be checking out Lipstein’s other work!

Thank you netgalley for the ARC!

[Gabija]

Sorry 😞

[phos · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25

[Kasvi]

Something Rotten started off as something that seemed right up my alley, but as I slowly made my way through the book I realized I wasn't being pulled to read this one and I sensed the start of a slump. By the 51% mark, I had no choice but to DNF. Don't get me wrong, the writing was creatively structured and I feel like it has potential for many other readers, it just was not for me.

The story follows Cecilie and Rueben who are just ready for a break after having their first child, and kick off the book by heading to Cecilie's hometown in Denmark. While there, they find out that Cecilie's childhood love, Jonas, has this mysterious illness that everyone is determined to help cure, aside from Mikkel, a journalist and the only person Jonas will listen to. Rueban slowly gets entwined with Mikkel, and begins to make some impulsive decisions, all while Cecilie is just trying to get through to Jonas.

While the plot sounds right up my alley, there was just something that was not compelling me to read this book. For some context, I started reading this on July 24th, and it is currently the 17th of September, so just a little shy of two whole months. I've found myself having to force myself to pick this one up, and after reading a little bit, I would just want to put it down and read something else.

I had a hard time connecting with any of the characters, or even just caring about what happens to them. All the characters are pretty unlikable, but I have no problem reading from characters I'm not a fan of. I don't want to sound too harsh, but I think I was just bored by them!

Bottom line: I don't usually DNF books, but after reading a little over half in two months, I coulnd't get myself to continue. For me, this one just didn't hit. But I am definitely in the. minority here, and there are many other amazing reviews for it, so give it a shot if you're interested!

Thank you to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Cullen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will be honest and say the star rating I would give this book swung back and forth all over the 3-5 range during my reading of it. In the end, I think Lipstein’s story did enough unique and dynamic writing with a plot that I honestly didn’t see coming that I felt overall pretty satisfied with this!

Something Rotten takes up Reuben and Cecilie’s story, as their small family (featuring 1 year old baby Arne) takes an extended and delayed maternity leave to stay and reconnect with Cecilie’s home of Denmark. Cecilie’s mother Lispeth and brother Gorm become roommates, and Reuben and Cecilie are given the space and time to finally work through some of their long time relational dysfunction stemming from Reuben’s cancelled journalistic career and extended unemployment. Cecilie reconnects with her journalism school friends, and in doing so re-enters relationships that used to be close, now tainted with her departure. As Reuben becomes obsessed with Cecilie’s charismatic and bluntly contrarian friend Mikkel, both Cecilie and Reuben navigating personal development and growth as they explore questions of gender and masculinity, truth, protection from the truth, one’s own sense of agency in their life, and cultural mindset differences between the USA and Europe.

I think Lipstein does an excellent job of flipping between Reuben and Cecilie’s stories in a way that felt authentic to both of them, both discovering and reacting to the world around them in tandem but complimentary ways. Having lived in Amsterdam for 2 years, the similarities between the Dutch and Danish had my really enjoying and seeing so much accuracy and contrast created between them. Particularly Cecilie’s mindset as a Danish person who chose to move to NYC creates some really meaningful and reflective considerations about the cultural differences and attitudes. Endings can feel make or break for me, and I was really pleasantly surprised by the way that this one was tied up.

[chloe ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

probably a 3.75, but i enjoyed this! i thought it was fun and i was invested enough to want to be a part of these people's lives. however, a lot of the side characters were lacking, specifically the rest of the friend group, and i was consistently frustrated with both reuben and mikkel. i had fun with it and i finished it pretty quickly but didn't bring anything new to the table. if a book can get a little bit sluggish the amount of fun i have with it determines literally anywhere from a 2 star to a 4 star. im inconsistent and thats ok

[Ros · Rating 3 out of 5]

its like, kinda boring but also not? pure litfic, scratches the gossip itch, exactly as it says on the tin. cecilie and rueben are very fascinating characters in their own right and it does touch on american masculinity in an interesting way, i just think it wasnt really my thing. i dont regret reading it and i think i would read more from this author if the premise intrigues me (this is to say it is well written)

[angel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow these characters are unlikable as fuck, constantly cutting each other off even in the text. This couple needs to divorce ASAP; they hate each other. There are many interesting themes that are not revisited in exchange for a strange plot twist that doesn't pay off. Competently written, so that's something.

Danes apparently adore Pepsi Max

[cab · Rating 4 out of 5]

i was brought here by this excellent review delivered to me by way of zubin

[Zachary Swann · Rating 4 out of 5]

-moments of crisis
-moments of clarity
-inner-monologues from selfish, angry, wacky characters who are trying to find insight...

Something Rotten delivers all the staples of Lipstein's best writing.

I particularly enjoyed how the culture of Denmark acted as a sounding board for Reuben to explore his identity and virtues.

I continue to puzzle over the note of futility beneath many of the character's epiphanic experiences.
Is there something in one's nature that cannot be entirely excised? After the glow of revelation has faded, will I once again be stuck here with myself?

[Alex Bednar · Rating 3 out of 5]

This kind of book is usually exactly down my alley (toxic friendships, marriage on the rocks, weird social dynamics) and for the first bit I was really gelling with it then it started to feel flat and repetitive by the end. The amount of pages that were just musings from the characters about the same things over and over again started to get tiring. Too much thought not enough action!!

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

read for frankie's shelf bookclub!

even though this book was very readable and had me gripped in certain places, i'm not sure i entirely enjoyed it. but i made myself think about it quite a lot because of bookclub discussions and i think the most valuable thing i got out of it was its discussions on authenticity and romanticisation of certain lifestyles. the American Reuben constantly imagines a new life for himself in Denmark and acts like it's a utopia and - as someone who visited Copenhagen recently and who wants to live in other countries - i understand the attraction of imagining a different life for yourself without putting in the work to make your current reality and current self any better. and there's a character called Gorm who just really wants to tell a story that's 'loosely based off Norse mythology' where hot woman travel through a fantasy land and even though he's completely irrelevant to the main plot and Reuben just judges him immensely i really enjoyed scenes which included him and his passion because it felt so genuine compared to the stifling careers and bitchiness of the actual main characters and their friendgroup. may this energy in my 30s (or however old they are) never find me.
so yeah. i raced towards the ending but the reveal of the plot twist itself just made me a bit annoyed. i finished this book and just grimaced at it. i just don't think it had enough impact as it should and i still don't understand Mikkel as a character. much to think about but i also don't think this book deserves to be thought of too deeply.

[Carole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel focuses on Reuben, who is disgraced in NPR through an explicit sex act on a Zoom call. Their life in a tailspin, he and his wife take a hiatus with their young son to the wife's mother's home in Denmark. Reuben becomes involved with his wife's male friends, including her ex-husband, and issues of masculinity, deceit and loyalty explode around him. Also an interesting comparison of Danish and American customs and attitudes/

[Mia Everding · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just astoundingly good. I closed the book last night and thought, "That was one of the best books I've ever read." Part of me wishes I'd read it all in one sitting to fully experience the ups and downs and cyclical (and deranged) thinking of one of the main characters. Picked this up on a whim and thought maybe I'd enjoy it and boy, am I glad for that happy accident.

[Mariia · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a pick of the book club that I'm in for the month of September and I fear that if not for the book club I would not finish this book. While having some interesting and at times abstract ideas on masculinity, it was really hard to resonate with, get captivated by and even just get through, honestly.

I want to say that the main problem is how boring the book was the entire time and how unlikable the characters are. Everyone comes off as quite mean, ignorant or full of themselves in their own ways. I'm not sure if it is just difference in cultures, but as a Ukrainian in Canada I have not been a witness of such behaviors (at least in my circles).

There are very few things I could resonate with, but at least there were those few. I liked (and hated) just how much Cecilie was shamed for leaving her friends in Denmark. I could feel just how much pain she was feeling and how it must've ripped her apart to make that decision. Cecilie said what I cannot tell my friends back in Ukraine and it felt freeing, in a sense.

Something Rotten is beautifully written, I really enjoyed the prose and the way chapters ended and started. But however well the text was conveying the narrative, it could not have been enough to keep me interested, as the narrative itself was gruesomely lacking.

As much as I wanted to enjoy this book, I could not grasp the morale and therefore did not care enough about it. I like that little twist at the end, I think it was very nicely lead towards with little tips all over the book. I think you could totally solve it if you paid more attention, but I was clearly lost in the 'soup' of information that was not all that important and interesting to me.

All the characters did SOMETHING wrong at some point in the book and while it makes them more human, it does also make me want to pull my hair out of my head and somehow, not in a good way.

I don't know, maybe I am just not the right audience for this kind of book, or maybe I am not smart enough, but this was not enjoyable unfortunately.

[Caroline Schaper · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book deft as hell

[Laura Winnick · Rating 4 out of 5]

fast paced, funny, plotty, good character development - makes for a really good read