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North: How to Live Scandinavian
Why are Scandinavians constantly topping the happiness table? How do you get more Scandi-style in your life? Just how do you use lagom? Whether you want your apartment to look like it belongs in Copenhagen, to workout like a Norwegian or to make cinnamon buns like a Swede, this is the ultimate insider’s guide to the countries of the north.
Full of inspiration and ideas, how-tos and recipes to help you experience the very best of Scandinavian design, philosophy, cookery and culture, this honest behind-the-scenes look at the culture provides an invaluable insight into the wonderful and visually stunning world of Scandinavia. Like her viking ancestors before her, Brontë Aurell left Denmark to explore the world beyond home shores and in her travels has come to understand the fascination with her kinfolk, as well as seeing the idiosyncrasies of the Scandinavian lifestyle that locals take for granted.
With a signature wit and a keen eye for detail, she takes you on a journey through fjords and mountains, farmlands and cities to better understand these three nations and what makes each one so unique. So get outdoors, learn the life lesson that there's no such thing as bad weather (only bad clothing) and you may discover your inner Scandi sooner than you think.
Full of inspiration and ideas, how-tos and recipes to help you experience the very best of Scandinavian design, philosophy, cookery and culture, this honest behind-the-scenes look at the culture provides an invaluable insight into the wonderful and visually stunning world of Scandinavia. Like her viking ancestors before her, Brontë Aurell left Denmark to explore the world beyond home shores and in her travels has come to understand the fascination with her kinfolk, as well as seeing the idiosyncrasies of the Scandinavian lifestyle that locals take for granted.
With a signature wit and a keen eye for detail, she takes you on a journey through fjords and mountains, farmlands and cities to better understand these three nations and what makes each one so unique. So get outdoors, learn the life lesson that there's no such thing as bad weather (only bad clothing) and you may discover your inner Scandi sooner than you think.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published September 7, 2017
104 people are currently reading
1621 people want to read
About the author
Brontë Aurell
30 books25 followersI’m Brontë, a food writer and co-founder of ScandiKitchen, a café, grocery shop, online store and wholesale business. After I moved from Denmark to the UK and started a career in finance, I quickly realised that wasn’t for me. After some happy years working for Innocent drinks, I launched ScandiKitchen with my Swedish husband Jonas on 10th July 2007 – and gave birth to our first child a few hours later, just for an additional challenge.
So far, I’ve authored a few cookery books and published my own guide to hygge after an essay I wrote about it caused a mini media controversy. My mostly non-food book Nørth: How To Live Scandinavian is a humorous, but incisive look at what it means to be Scandinavian. I also manage to get out of the kitchen to appear on TV and radio as a cook, guest chef and talking about life as an entrepreneur, as well as helping with brand and recipe development for various companies. I created the #proudimmigrant movement in 2014 as a response to my own experiences as someone from overseas living and working in the UK.
So far, I’ve authored a few cookery books and published my own guide to hygge after an essay I wrote about it caused a mini media controversy. My mostly non-food book Nørth: How To Live Scandinavian is a humorous, but incisive look at what it means to be Scandinavian. I also manage to get out of the kitchen to appear on TV and radio as a cook, guest chef and talking about life as an entrepreneur, as well as helping with brand and recipe development for various companies. I created the #proudimmigrant movement in 2014 as a response to my own experiences as someone from overseas living and working in the UK.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
April 7, 2024
An informative miscellany of the essentials of Scandinavian culture. The book starts with a definition of Scandinavia(n) vs. Nordic, and then explores Scandinavian life further through sections on style, at the table, life outside, family life, culture, and celebrations.
The trendy topics of hygge and lagom are covered as well as unique entries including the top ten Vikings, how to wear a Norwegian jumper, and how to slice cheese. I especially appreciated the pages on idioms, superstitions, and the best Scandinavian words with no equivalent. I have not seen those parts of Scandinavian culture covered elsewhere.
Filled with gorgeous complementary photography, this is a very nice introduction to many things Scandinavian with a slightly heavier emphasis on Swedish culture.
The trendy topics of hygge and lagom are covered as well as unique entries including the top ten Vikings, how to wear a Norwegian jumper, and how to slice cheese. I especially appreciated the pages on idioms, superstitions, and the best Scandinavian words with no equivalent. I have not seen those parts of Scandinavian culture covered elsewhere.
Filled with gorgeous complementary photography, this is a very nice introduction to many things Scandinavian with a slightly heavier emphasis on Swedish culture.
December 5, 2017
I really enjoy reading cultural books. I'd like to think that they help to make the world feel just a little bit smaller, and a little more connected. Surprisingly enough, I don't think I've ever read a book on Scandinavia. This is weird, because I have a strong love of Norway. Also, because growing up around the American Northern Midwest, you grow up with some familiar Scandinavian words and customs. (I'm looking at you, Minnesota and Wisconsin!)
This book is divided into smaller sections that include: What is Scandinavia?, Style, At the Table, Life Outside, Family Life, Culture, and Celebrations.
I love the tone of this book. It's very playful. There's a lot of information here, about a lot of different places and countries and customs, but it never, even for one page, feels like a text book or a bland travel guide. The author has a fantastic sense of story telling that makes you feel like you're at the table with them, listening about their experiences. It has strong dashes of humor and there's jokes made at all of the countries' expense in turn.
This is a good crash course for the region. There's information about values and aesthetics and the differences between regions and countries. Perhaps my favorite part, this also includes recipes.
This is a lovely, quick read that will make you want to visit the area soon for yourself. The photos are gorgeous, the tone is clever, and there is just so much charm.
I received a copy in exchange for my honest review.
This book is divided into smaller sections that include: What is Scandinavia?, Style, At the Table, Life Outside, Family Life, Culture, and Celebrations.
I love the tone of this book. It's very playful. There's a lot of information here, about a lot of different places and countries and customs, but it never, even for one page, feels like a text book or a bland travel guide. The author has a fantastic sense of story telling that makes you feel like you're at the table with them, listening about their experiences. It has strong dashes of humor and there's jokes made at all of the countries' expense in turn.
This is a good crash course for the region. There's information about values and aesthetics and the differences between regions and countries. Perhaps my favorite part, this also includes recipes.
This is a lovely, quick read that will make you want to visit the area soon for yourself. The photos are gorgeous, the tone is clever, and there is just so much charm.
I received a copy in exchange for my honest review.
October 20, 2017
First published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
Every year for the last several years there have been studies and polls which sample people from many countries in the world. The questions range from general (how happy you are) to specific things about health, general well being, satisfaction, wages, living, safety etc.
Every year the statistics have been compiled, the Scandinavian countries (or more generally speaking, northern Europe) have ranked highest.
This charming book by Brontë Aurell on Quarto Press' Aurum imprint
explores (in a very laid back and humorous and sweet manner), just why Scandinavians are so darned happy (but not smug).
The book is surprisingly comprehensive and does a fairly good job at pointing out some of the subtler differences between Danish, Swedish, Norwegian and other cultures. Obviously there are generalizations, no country is completely homogenized, there are regional differences, but it manages to cover the basics without being preachy, boring, or rude.
My personal journey is sort of a mirror image, I moved from the USA to Norway to study and work, and very many of the things she explains in the book, I wish I'd known when I moved here. I personally also found that sometimes the cultural differences (and there ARE some) are semi-hidden because nearly everyone in Scandinavia speaks English perfectly fluently, so when there are cultural misunderstandings, they can be difficult to pin down.
Anyhow, it's a fun book, a very relaxed and gently humorous book. The styles and crafts and food (MOST of the food), the breathtaking scenery and the wonderful friendly down-to-earth people are worth a visit (or a longer stay).
I know that I personally am so much happier living here and have never regretted it.
Stats: 224 pages, released 7th Sept 2017
Four stars
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher.
Every year for the last several years there have been studies and polls which sample people from many countries in the world. The questions range from general (how happy you are) to specific things about health, general well being, satisfaction, wages, living, safety etc.
Every year the statistics have been compiled, the Scandinavian countries (or more generally speaking, northern Europe) have ranked highest.
This charming book by Brontë Aurell on Quarto Press' Aurum imprint
explores (in a very laid back and humorous and sweet manner), just why Scandinavians are so darned happy (but not smug).
The book is surprisingly comprehensive and does a fairly good job at pointing out some of the subtler differences between Danish, Swedish, Norwegian and other cultures. Obviously there are generalizations, no country is completely homogenized, there are regional differences, but it manages to cover the basics without being preachy, boring, or rude.
My personal journey is sort of a mirror image, I moved from the USA to Norway to study and work, and very many of the things she explains in the book, I wish I'd known when I moved here. I personally also found that sometimes the cultural differences (and there ARE some) are semi-hidden because nearly everyone in Scandinavia speaks English perfectly fluently, so when there are cultural misunderstandings, they can be difficult to pin down.
Anyhow, it's a fun book, a very relaxed and gently humorous book. The styles and crafts and food (MOST of the food), the breathtaking scenery and the wonderful friendly down-to-earth people are worth a visit (or a longer stay).
I know that I personally am so much happier living here and have never regretted it.
Stats: 224 pages, released 7th Sept 2017
Four stars
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher.
October 23, 2017
An Insider View of the Heart and Soul of Scandinavia:
This book brings up a lot of good memories for me. In my twenties I travelled with a friend to Norway and spent about three weeks travelling from Hytte to Hytte, having a wonderful time along the rugged coast between Kristiansand and Bergen. At that time we had a taste of the brown cheese Bronte describes in her book. We ate it on crisp bread. Had we known it goes well with waffles, we surely would have tried that. We also witnessed the Norwegians' love of hiking when we hiked up to Preikestolen, a steep cliff with a breathtaking view of the Lysefjorden. I have never seen families, with little toddlers in tow, climb so fast and effortlessly over the rocky path to the top of the trail. Our travel also briefly took us through Denmark and Sweden, and I still remember the freshly prepared porridge we were offered for breakfast in a Swedish hostel. During our trip we saw a lot of places but never had the opportunity to meet local people and experience how they live and see the world. Bronte closes this gap for me by describing their way of life with a lot of refreshing humor and she makes me fall in love all over again with the Scandinavian countries.
This book brings up a lot of good memories for me. In my twenties I travelled with a friend to Norway and spent about three weeks travelling from Hytte to Hytte, having a wonderful time along the rugged coast between Kristiansand and Bergen. At that time we had a taste of the brown cheese Bronte describes in her book. We ate it on crisp bread. Had we known it goes well with waffles, we surely would have tried that. We also witnessed the Norwegians' love of hiking when we hiked up to Preikestolen, a steep cliff with a breathtaking view of the Lysefjorden. I have never seen families, with little toddlers in tow, climb so fast and effortlessly over the rocky path to the top of the trail. Our travel also briefly took us through Denmark and Sweden, and I still remember the freshly prepared porridge we were offered for breakfast in a Swedish hostel. During our trip we saw a lot of places but never had the opportunity to meet local people and experience how they live and see the world. Bronte closes this gap for me by describing their way of life with a lot of refreshing humor and she makes me fall in love all over again with the Scandinavian countries.
November 13, 2017
This book was a lot of fun. It is a tongue in cheek look at the lives of Scandinavians. It starts of telling you who is and who is not Scandinavians, when and why to call whom what. Then how to look like a Norwegian, look like to came from Copenhagen. Its stereotypes that are used to get a laugh, but also show what things are like in the north.
November 17, 2017
I received the galley of Nørth from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
It's no secret among my friends that I am enamored of Scandinavia and the Nordic Union. From my obsession with Danish TV shows (Borgen, Forbrydelsen, Bron/Broen, etc), to the frequency of my trips to Norway, to my traveling all over at high latitudes in the coldest part of the year to see the Northern Lights (Iceland at -44 F wind chill, why sure!) it's clear I have a love of the Nordic. I was so excited to go to Helsinki for this past WorldCon that I booked my room a year in advance. Heck, I am learning Norwegian Rosemåling (Telemark style, though I'm quite fond of Hallingdal and Rogaland styles, too) in order to decorate an all wood three season room in my house. So yes, I love most Nordic and Scandinavia things and it's easy to see how I'd be drawn to this book. (If you want to know what I don't like, we can talk about whaling, especially the Faroe Islands' wholesale whale slaughter, and think twice before you click this link.)
Nørth is a playful introduction to Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden and Denmark and don't you dare lump in Finland or Iceland, okay?) Denmark is the smallest because they totally leave out the Inuit Danes of Greenland, which is obviously far larger than Norway and Sweden. (And this overlooking them is a problem that no doubt feels is all too accurate to the Greenlandic Inuit.) From the sleek clothing of Danes and Swedes to the crazy dishes like Flying Jacob (no really, Swedish Flyvende Jacob has cooked chicken, bacon, canned chopped tomatoes, cream, chili and curry powder topped with sliced bananas and salted peanuts, all baked in a casserole dish until the banana is brown) or the redoubtable Lutefisk (really, you're not missing much, I promise you). They do manage to leave out Fenalår (cured leg of lamb, a big Norwegian Christmas item), and hvalkjott (whale, probably left out for the obvious reasons of cultural controversy). There's the usual discussion of Salmiakki (salted licorice, which is really Finnish but is popular all throughout Scandinavia). Salmiakki is disgusting. You'll love it after you've tried it for about the 30th time. Maybe. Maybe not.
This book is filled with recipes, instructions and playful sideways satirical jabs at each of the three Scandinavian countries. From the OCD "it has to be white, all white," to the absolute gaucheness of taking a knife to a beautiful Danish cheese (you MUST use a slicer!) to the proper way to smörgåsbord and how to drink aquavit (probably just don't, okay?), this book covers many aspects of living, dressing and eating in Scandinavian culture. The quirky idioms will make you laugh and the Janteloven (Law of Jante) will give you insight into the Scandinavian psyche.
All in all a very enjoyable short introduction to Scandinavian culture!
It's no secret among my friends that I am enamored of Scandinavia and the Nordic Union. From my obsession with Danish TV shows (Borgen, Forbrydelsen, Bron/Broen, etc), to the frequency of my trips to Norway, to my traveling all over at high latitudes in the coldest part of the year to see the Northern Lights (Iceland at -44 F wind chill, why sure!) it's clear I have a love of the Nordic. I was so excited to go to Helsinki for this past WorldCon that I booked my room a year in advance. Heck, I am learning Norwegian Rosemåling (Telemark style, though I'm quite fond of Hallingdal and Rogaland styles, too) in order to decorate an all wood three season room in my house. So yes, I love most Nordic and Scandinavia things and it's easy to see how I'd be drawn to this book. (If you want to know what I don't like, we can talk about whaling, especially the Faroe Islands' wholesale whale slaughter, and think twice before you click this link.)
Nørth is a playful introduction to Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden and Denmark and don't you dare lump in Finland or Iceland, okay?) Denmark is the smallest because they totally leave out the Inuit Danes of Greenland, which is obviously far larger than Norway and Sweden. (And this overlooking them is a problem that no doubt feels is all too accurate to the Greenlandic Inuit.) From the sleek clothing of Danes and Swedes to the crazy dishes like Flying Jacob (no really, Swedish Flyvende Jacob has cooked chicken, bacon, canned chopped tomatoes, cream, chili and curry powder topped with sliced bananas and salted peanuts, all baked in a casserole dish until the banana is brown) or the redoubtable Lutefisk (really, you're not missing much, I promise you). They do manage to leave out Fenalår (cured leg of lamb, a big Norwegian Christmas item), and hvalkjott (whale, probably left out for the obvious reasons of cultural controversy). There's the usual discussion of Salmiakki (salted licorice, which is really Finnish but is popular all throughout Scandinavia). Salmiakki is disgusting. You'll love it after you've tried it for about the 30th time. Maybe. Maybe not.
This book is filled with recipes, instructions and playful sideways satirical jabs at each of the three Scandinavian countries. From the OCD "it has to be white, all white," to the absolute gaucheness of taking a knife to a beautiful Danish cheese (you MUST use a slicer!) to the proper way to smörgåsbord and how to drink aquavit (probably just don't, okay?), this book covers many aspects of living, dressing and eating in Scandinavian culture. The quirky idioms will make you laugh and the Janteloven (Law of Jante) will give you insight into the Scandinavian psyche.
All in all a very enjoyable short introduction to Scandinavian culture!
November 20, 2017
Nørth: How to Live Scandinavian by Brontë Aurell is a fun introduction to Scandinavia. This book is filled with recipes, instructions and playful sideways satirical jabs at each of the three Scandinavian countries. From the OCD "it has to be white, all white," to the absolute gaucheness of taking a knife to a beautiful Danish cheese, use a slicer is proper and easier, to the proper way to smörgåsbord and how to drink aquavit, this book covers many aspects of living, dressing and eating in Scandinavian culture. The quirky idioms will make you laugh and the Janteloven (Law of Jante) will give you insight into the Scandinavian psyche.
I was excited to read this book. I lived for a year in Denmark and the year impacted the way I live my life. I knew Denmark and Danes impacted my life greatly but this book helped me realized just how much.
I highly recommend this book to people who want to learn about Scandinavian culture, or are Scandinavian.
I received this book from NetGalley via Quarto Publishing Group - Aurum Press and Aurum Press Ltd in exchange for an honest review.
I was excited to read this book. I lived for a year in Denmark and the year impacted the way I live my life. I knew Denmark and Danes impacted my life greatly but this book helped me realized just how much.
I highly recommend this book to people who want to learn about Scandinavian culture, or are Scandinavian.
I received this book from NetGalley via Quarto Publishing Group - Aurum Press and Aurum Press Ltd in exchange for an honest review.
October 1, 2017
Love pictures. Fun information. Interesting details. Overall, a lighthearted book that's more informal and has a very colloquial style so it was hard to take seriously but still a fun quick read.
September 12, 2017
A quick and conversational read, North succinctly describes Scandinavian cultures, social norms and stereotypes. Though subtitled 'How to Live Scandinavian', North dives beyond being a simplistic, superficial guide to sleek wooden furniture and forest cabins. Informative with a humorous flair, North presents a motley selection of windows into various details of the Scandinavian life. Paired with charming snapshots of Sweden, Denmark and Norway, her casual tone also has a cozy cast – as if she were sitting her readers beside a crackling fire in her stylishly simple home.
However, as her book is primarily aimed at a British audience, other readers may feel a slight disconnect, especially when she drew broad comparisons between her culture and her presumed readers', or when she presumed her readers' presumptions about her culture. Regardless, I enjoyed living vicariously through the photographs in the stifling, typhoon-laden Hong Kong summer heat.
However, as her book is primarily aimed at a British audience, other readers may feel a slight disconnect, especially when she drew broad comparisons between her culture and her presumed readers', or when she presumed her readers' presumptions about her culture. Regardless, I enjoyed living vicariously through the photographs in the stifling, typhoon-laden Hong Kong summer heat.
September 2, 2017
I have a huge love for Sweden/Scandinavia as a whole because of the huge differences between their culture and our typical British culture.
In North, I learnt there's actually a lot of differences between Norway and Sweden too in particular one shocking fact to me was that working in a coffee shop in Sweden pays £17 an hour!
There's Danish, Swedish and Norwegian cheat sheets on how to be more like them from language to style on you and in your home as well as recipies on traditional cuisine
The book layout is completed with select illustrations complementing the clean colour scheme of the book, along with astonishing photographs of their environments and cultural themes.
I really recommend this book if you also like Scandinavia or if you will be travelling that way especially.
Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!
In North, I learnt there's actually a lot of differences between Norway and Sweden too in particular one shocking fact to me was that working in a coffee shop in Sweden pays £17 an hour!
There's Danish, Swedish and Norwegian cheat sheets on how to be more like them from language to style on you and in your home as well as recipies on traditional cuisine
The book layout is completed with select illustrations complementing the clean colour scheme of the book, along with astonishing photographs of their environments and cultural themes.
I really recommend this book if you also like Scandinavia or if you will be travelling that way especially.
Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!
September 10, 2017
*This book was given to me by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review – all opinions are my own.*
I really enjoyed this book. I've been obsessed with all things Danish lately and asked to read this advanced copy because it sounded interesting, about life in Scandinavia. The book delivered so much more than I thought. It was written brilliantly and with just enough tongue-in-cheek to make it an enjoyable but enlightening read. I'd recommend it if you want to learn more about Scandinavia, and about how people in Scandinavia seem each other and themselves.
I really enjoyed this book. I've been obsessed with all things Danish lately and asked to read this advanced copy because it sounded interesting, about life in Scandinavia. The book delivered so much more than I thought. It was written brilliantly and with just enough tongue-in-cheek to make it an enjoyable but enlightening read. I'd recommend it if you want to learn more about Scandinavia, and about how people in Scandinavia seem each other and themselves.
February 2, 2019
I had a wonderful time reading this book, and I am happy with all the beautiful things I discovered..I recommend this to all lovers of skandinavia who wish to be introduced to the way of life and culture in a fun way, plus the illustrations are gorgeous..❤️
February 28, 2024
That was fun. I can’t vouch for the truth of every claim, but it rings true to me and my experiences in the “Nørth.” And the Scandinavian people I know appreciate the humor, generalizations, and attention paid to the ways each country is both similar to and different from the others. Kan du hygge dig!
December 25, 2023
Pipe dream
December 17, 2024
4.5 beautiful pictures, funny words! I am into hygge right now and this book was lovely. I need to travel to all of the places
February 22, 2018
This book spoke to my soul, and I ate it up. My mom's side of the family is full-blooded Norwegian, and a lot of the traditions in the book are familiar to me. I grew up eating krumkake, lefse, and Swedish meatballs and rice porridge at Christmas, with creepy tomte figures looking on. I have always been enamored with all things fair isle, and hygge is my spirit animal. While there are a lot of tongue-in-cheek overgeneralizations in the book, it kept it entertaining and funny.
I learned some new things too, that make me wonder if some of my own quirks are actually part of my DNA. I am SUPER introverted and do not "talk to strangers," or strike up a conversation with someone sitting next to me at a work conference, etc. and I get REALLY wigged out if the person next to me does it, lol. I am a Colorado girl through and through, I absolutely love the snow (have snowflakes tattooed on me...) and have been crazy about snowboarding ever since middle school when my parents finally agreed to let me learn how. Hot weather is NOT my deal, and even where I live, July to September for me is a special kind of torture.
Thanks to this book and a cookbook written by the same author, I have revamped my work lunchbox (and actually lost a couple of pounds, thanks to the amazing open sandwiches). I grew up eating gjetost, but never on waffles, and now I can't stop. My mom gifted me a heart shaped waffle maker at some point during my early adulthood, and lately I'm keeping buttermilk waffles (from my great grandma's recipe) stocked in the freezer. Baking with yeast is tricky at my altitude but I'm working on it. To be honest, I am not sure about a lot of the fishy things, because Colorado is landlocked like nobody's business so we don't eat a lot of fish here, especially more adventurous types of fish eating. Pickled fish just sounds super weird, but I would probably try it. I think I can get some at Ikea.
I would read this again and probably will. It was super fun.
I learned some new things too, that make me wonder if some of my own quirks are actually part of my DNA. I am SUPER introverted and do not "talk to strangers," or strike up a conversation with someone sitting next to me at a work conference, etc. and I get REALLY wigged out if the person next to me does it, lol. I am a Colorado girl through and through, I absolutely love the snow (have snowflakes tattooed on me...) and have been crazy about snowboarding ever since middle school when my parents finally agreed to let me learn how. Hot weather is NOT my deal, and even where I live, July to September for me is a special kind of torture.
Thanks to this book and a cookbook written by the same author, I have revamped my work lunchbox (and actually lost a couple of pounds, thanks to the amazing open sandwiches). I grew up eating gjetost, but never on waffles, and now I can't stop. My mom gifted me a heart shaped waffle maker at some point during my early adulthood, and lately I'm keeping buttermilk waffles (from my great grandma's recipe) stocked in the freezer. Baking with yeast is tricky at my altitude but I'm working on it. To be honest, I am not sure about a lot of the fishy things, because Colorado is landlocked like nobody's business so we don't eat a lot of fish here, especially more adventurous types of fish eating. Pickled fish just sounds super weird, but I would probably try it. I think I can get some at Ikea.
I would read this again and probably will. It was super fun.
November 23, 2018
I read North: How to Live Scandinavian (think hygge, wool sweaters, candles, and tea) wrapped up in my own blanket with a cup of scalding tea; which is the perfect environment for taking in this sort of book. Very cute, and a wonderful book to take up in between longer reads/if you're in need of a bit of a lighter read. I especially enjoyed the passages on Nordic mythology, and Scandinavian holiday customs. North makes me want to replenish my candle stash and buy the coziest scarf I see! I hope to read more books like this as the winter months roll along.
April 6, 2018
Lovely guide to Scandinavian life.Aurell Bronte shares with us the traditions the quirks the cozey concept of hyggie trips to Ikea & a lot of other traditions quirks of Scandinavian life.I found myself reading passages out loud to my husband.There are beautiful pictures.A really delightful read would make a great gift to anyone curious about Scandinavia.Thanks tonNetgalley&Quarto books for an advance readers copy for honest review.Now I'm Off to look for more of Aurell Brontes' books,
February 20, 2018
I really enjoy this book, written in a easy style that makes you want to keep reading. The region that fall under the guise of Scandinavia is dissected for us and many myths broken - all in a fun way that make you want to read more and more, and to visit to see for yourself. I could not put it down very modern, very now and such fun
January 14, 2018
A really good, all-round insight into Scandinavian life. Humorous, but engaging and informative.
January 15, 2018
A great read! Loved❤
A lot of information, some recipes and humour. Covers the BIG three nordic countries: Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Highly recommend.
A lot of information, some recipes and humour. Covers the BIG three nordic countries: Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Highly recommend.
October 9, 2020
Трошки не ідеально структурована і поверхнева, але пізнавальна книжечка про Скандинавську жизнь (для мене, наприклад, великим здивуванням було навіть те, що Фінляндія - не Скандинавська країна. як бачте, я не дуже розумна) з красивими картинками і навіть кількома рецептиками)
April 26, 2021
Love reading books like this: kind of Scandinavian self-help type books about how they live, and this is one of my favourites so far.
February 20, 2025
Morsom. Trekk i stjerner for noen faktafeil.
March 1, 2020
This was great! Genuinely informative, warmly witty AND full of beautiful photos & illustrations. What more could you want?
September 6, 2022
Funny book! I learned about some traditions that were new to me.
August 1, 2023
What Am I reading? 16: North – How to Live Scandinavian by Brontë Aurell
Well, this was a birthday present to me from a Danish fellow, Morten, so he should know his stuff. Now, to start at the beginning, the first text page Pg6 is absolutely the best in terms of sowing confusion: Scandinavia is defined as the peninsula containing Sweden and Norway, and, get this, Denmark, even though it isn’t on the peninsula, but it is connected by a bridge, made famous by the TV series , The Bridge, excellent by the way, and the bridge itself is shown on the title page, no doubt to work in the wow factor, but the bridge itself is also a tunnel! Why? You might well ask. The Øresund bridge is 4.875 miles long but it passes near busy shipping lines, so it couldn’t be too low for shipping, and it couldn’t be too high for aircraft landing nearby. As true a modern design conundrum as I could imagine. Solution: the bridge becomes a tunnel! One of my wants is to cross this bridge and dive into the tunnel! What an experience. But I digress, not an unusual event for my readers.
Now, the next part of the confusion, the peninsula also contains some of Finland, which isn’t Scandinavian, “though it borders Sweden and Norway.” Pg6. Here, I’m being very generous as the quotation actually “even thought (sic) it borders” is typical of a number of typos and odd sentence construction which sit at odds in what is otherwise an absolutely exquisite production with beautiful pictures, but no descriptive identifiers. The words to describe the pictures would make a great addition. I feel like I’m quibbling: the book is otherwise a real work of art.
The conclusion of the second paragraph states that “… officially Finland is Nordic not Scandinavian.” Pg6 Having determined that Scandinavia is Norway, Sweden and Denmark, the position is confused by the peoples’ views of themselves. “If you ask a Scandinavian person how they see themselves, you will – guaranteed – never get the reply ‘Scandinavian.’ Nobody in Denmark, Sweden or Norway identifies with a collective nationality. Just because it is a geographical definition doesn’t mean it is a national one.” Pg10 And here we’ve already forgotten that Denmark isn’t even part of that geographical entity, being linked only by a bridge, which itself is also a tunnel. Confused? Not really. But it makes for a fun tale. Having set the scene of confusion, I continue through this really very beautiful book (I repeat myself), which is a credit to any bookshelf. Having written that, I get to the section on IKEA. Swedish, of course. The “Billy bookcase – yes you have two in your house already – IKEA’s most popular product, with one sold every ten seconds.” Pg24 That is phenomenal. I admit in my study I have three of the traditional sized 40x28x202 cm ones in black and I’m staggered to read in IKEA’s own online copy that, “It is estimated that every five seconds, one BILLY bookcase is sold somewhere in the world.” Sales have doubled as I read! Then I realise that the name Billy is also applied to the 80x28x202 cm sized bookcase, and I have two of those. I can see why they sell: if you have books, they are the cheapest addition to your library.
We move on to the Norwegian hytte which means cabin or hut, and there is a whole array of traditions, customs and habits surrounding the hitter. They are generally remote with no WiFi and games are de rigueur. “The Yahtzee dice game is very popular, as is Ludo.” Pg29. Yippee!
“One of the most popular exports of the Scandinavian cuisine is the humble cinnamon bun. … Buns don’t have seasons, they are for every week and are great to eat in the morning, mid-morning, mid-afternoon and in the evening. Very few people don’t like Kanelbullar.” Pg56 It would seem that the cinnamon buns should be part and parcel of assembling the Billy bookcases. As is the norm in discussing Scandinavian life, there are significant contradictions. Having established that the buns are for every day, there is nonetheless a day: “In Sweden, 4 October is known as the Day of the Cinnamon Bun. On this day, people eat more buns than usual – and a Swedish tourist website claims that the average Swede consumes 316 buns of various fillings bought from bakeries (so not including any home-baked buns) a year. Buns are not only delicious, but also big business, both for bakeries and fitness centres.” Pg56
Salty liquorice: “A favourite pastime of Scandinavians is to make people from other countries eat salty liquorice.” Pg60 And, following on from the above themes, of things not being what they seem, “What most people think is salt isn’t actually salt at all – it is salt of Ammon, more commonly known as ammonium chloride. In Latin this is sal ammoniacus, from which the Finnish word salmiakki is derived. All over, Scandinavia, salty liquorice is called salmiakki rather than ammonium chloride = it sounds less like you’ve raided the contents of your medicine cabinet.” Pg60 And note bene: this salmiakki is Finnish, technically not a part of Scandinavia. The clear sub-narrative is not to get too hung up on absolutes, go with the flow and just enjoy the experience. Scandinavian, Nordic, both clearly defined for academic purposes but not to the extent that they interfere with the serious act and art of living.
We move on to open sandwiches. “The Scandinavian words for ‘open sandwich’ (smørrebrød in Danish. Smørbrød in Norwegian and smörgås in Swedish) literally mean ‘buttered bread.’ Pg62 No Finnish offered! “There is a three-year training course in Denmark to be educated in the art of making smørrebrød open sandwiches. When you finish this, you are qualified as ‘Open Sandwich Maiden (smørrebrødsjomfru).” Pg62 Do I detect a touch of sexism? “The most famous place in Copenhagen, Ida Davidsen, has a menu od 190 different kinds of open sandwich.” Pg62
Foraging: this is where we take a turn to the Nordic. If you think you don’t forage, think blackberries. When I was a kid, we did the lot: wild strawberries, gooseberries, blackberries (everybody’s favourite), blackcurrants and bilberries (my favourite) but incredibly small and requiring patience to pick sufficient for a tart. Nordic food foraging is a modern fad cultivated by fancy restaurants (a nod today to Sinead O’Connor). “Of course, we all go foraging: we are the Vikings, the foragers.” Pg64 Well there’s a blend of mythical desire and a seasoning of reality. In fact, blackberries are normally it for everyone.
So, let’s make light work of the rest of the cuisine chapters.
Fredagsmys – a TGIF Friday night ritual of comfort food, friends and family, and maybe a movie. The food of choice: the taco! With anything savoury. Pg68
Lördagsgodis – Saturday sweets Pg68
Cheese and how to slice it – Scandinavians eat approximately 47lbs per person per year; in the UK that is 26lbs. Norway: the favoured variety is brunost or brown cheese with a taste like caramel goats’ cheese. The Danes opt for the more pungent cows’ milk cheese Gamie Ole. The Norwegians top this with Gamalost – really old cheese, of Viking origin and smelling as if came from Viking times and somehow survived, maybe being too smelly to eat. Cheese is eaten with jam: think mature cheddar with marmalade in the UK. Slicing the cheese isn’t functional, it's an art form: knives are banned in favour of a slicer, a firm metal one for the harder cheeses. Pg70
Smörgåsbord – a buffet of smaller dishes based around the open sandwich. Never to be rushed. Four to six hours should be allowed. At Xmas it is the julbord – the Xmas table. Rules: always start with the herring, working through fish, cold meat, warm meats cheese and dessert. Drinks: beer and aquavit. Skål! Pg74
We venture on through breakfast and brunch. Tip: in Denmark weekend mornings are the time for rundstykker – white bread rolls fresh from the local bakery. Pg82
Winter darkness is more invasive the further north: the rule is to cosy up and create hygge – that Danish sense of cosying up, where candles help. Pg89
Then comes the time of the Midnight Sun – known to upset the circadian rhythm. Pg90 Heaven to me.
Ut på tur – hiking in Norway: smile, comfy clothes, maps, hot beverage, chocolate, orange; and that expensive smart phone probably won’t work as “Half of Norway is made up of mountains. The rest is fjords, rivers and lakes.” Pg92
Favourite sports: depends on where you are. “Norway wins the Winter Olympics every year (sic) (clearly written by a Dane not recognising the four yearly event); it’s a wonder anyone else bothers taking part. Usually topping the medal tables … 329, Sweden 144, … Denmark is rubbish, with only one medal won in any Winter Olympics, ever. And that was in curling.” Pg101 Well, that was pretty demeaning to the Scots. I first saw curling when visiting My Uncle Bill and Aunt Nan in Stirling – okay not real relatives but those substitute ones formed out of military and war exploits – and it wasn’t exciting. Brushes, for goodness’ sake! Then I visited Mürren in the Bernese Highlands for Xmas and skiing, great for the older children, and curling was a fun family sport. I had been there before in summer 1972 when staying at Interlaken and doing the railways. A reflection, indeed! And on to Woodland Hills in Manitoba, Canada, where I didn’t so much do x-country skiing, as prepare the trails, immaculately I might add, with a Bombardier wide track snowmobile and a trail setter. You couldn’t get closer to it all than that, but the magic of the skiing was lost on me.
Bicycling: remember that Denmark is pretty flat, and not part of the main peninsula, and you won’t be surprised to learn that bikes are favoured in Denmark. The first bike lane dates from 1892, really before cars and I sense it was to protect the pedestrians. “… in fact there are over 12,000 kilometres (75, 450 (sic) miles) of signposted bike routes across the country.” Pg102 Well, what can I say? All that biking may just have addled the mathematics! But impressive, nonetheless. [Of course, it should have read 7,500 miles.]
Taking a sauna – “Saunassa ollan kuin kirkossa” (‘In the sauna one must conduct oneself as one would in church’) – Finnish saying” pg106. So, the etiquette is clearly Nordic, extending to Finland, if not exactly Scandinavian. We are learning not to be picky and just take it as it comes. It isn’t Scandinavian to point out inconsistencies, simply know then for what they are, and carry on. The word sauna isn’t used in Sweden and Norway: they use bastu or bathhouse. Bastu-time is a time of contemplation.
Relationships: basic underlying fact. – “read up on your equality basics.” Pg116
Kids: “It is not unusual for a Scandinavian child not to be able to read until around eight years of age.” Pg118
Etiquette is defined in the Law of Jante, a cultural code based on a 1933 novel. “You are free to do anything you want or can in Scandinavia – as long as you don’t appear different to any of us and stand out. Ever.” Pg143 Now, in picky English, I was lectured, not taught, certainly not taught Scandinavian style, that things were similar to, heading to the same point, and different from, tending away from that same point. Yawn! I keep reminding myself that English is a living language, capable of change and does change! Oh, and a Jack song: ‘You’re free to do as you please, as long as you agree to follow me.’
“Lagom is the most important Swedish word you will ever learn.” Pg144 In terms of consensus and equality it sort of means okay, just enough, that’ll do, and so on. It originated from Viking drinking and meant save some for the rest of the team. “It’s a feeling, it’s something engrained in the culture and psyche of the people that is almost impossible to learn.” Pg144
Hygge (who-guh) – means to feel satisfied and is mainly used in Danish. “In fact, the Danes have built their whole cultural identity around hygge – it is part of what makes Denmark Danish and what makes the Danish person who he or she is.” Pg146
The Top Ten Vikings – Ragnar, obviously, but they’re all myth-laden. A beautiful two-page photo of Viking longships makes you fancy a bit of adventuring. Pg152/3 Besides the witticisms about Cnut and Canute, the Bluetooth as the great connector (the Bluetooth icon is made up of rune letters spelling Harald Bluetooth’s initials), I draw issue with the paragraph on Harald Hardrada, which states, “When the King of England died [Edward the Confessor], he seized an opportunity to take over, but in battle with William the Conqueror, he lost ‘by an arrow to his throat.’” Oh dear: Harald Hardrada lost at the Battle of Stamford Bridge to Harold Godwinson who was later defeated by William the Conqueror, led to death by over-closely watching an arrow. Now, I have to confess to zero Scandinavian history knowledge except for the Kings of Sweden trying to beat Russia and losing in the early 18th century, and the House of Bernadotte took over and established as the Swedish summer home, chateau Eze, now a beautiful hotel and restaurant with grand views of the Mediterranean. Back in the day, the 1980s, the real reason for attending the Monte Carlo Reinsurance Rendez-vous was to stay at Eze and eat at the Chèvre d’Or.
The Nordic mythical creatures seem to have populated our children’s stories right up to and beyond Tolkien, and the elves, dwarfs and trolls are everywhere. Pg159
On to politics, and it is true to say, says this grand book, that the countries are ruled for the people, with a leaning left of left.
Norse mythology is fun and often seems vaguely familiar but it is way too complex and how the raconteurs remembered it all, is a really big question. Long nights, I guess.
Strange to relate for such left-wing sounding politics, the Scandinavians keep Royal families, if far less elevated than in the UK. I think they may well have looked at America and preferred the politically neutral everyday royals.
Scandinavians like to drink but like a lot of places, in Sweden and Norway you have to visit state-governed stores. And it’s expensive.
Interesting words do occur, at least interesting in their interpretation. I was drawn to Orke - “Orke is a verb that refers to not having the energy to do something.” Pg176 There again, I lay the blame at my age. And say this one slowly, and it’ll make sense “Utepils – Literally, ‘outside beer’, this is the beer you have when you are sitting outside – the outside beer.” Pg176 Say it again and split it in two. Ute pils! There you go. Now, what’s the problem? That is. Norwegian but it says what it means and fits the Scandinavian lexicon.
Paying taxes with a smile is part of ‘for the Greater Good’ philosophy and indicates a contented society and a belief that society is doing its best for each and every individual. Pg178 The nearest I came to this was inheriting, by default, a Norwegian 50-foot ketch, which was incredibly strongly built, doubling as a research vessel when some of the taxes exceeded 100% - not so crazy if you think that tax in the UK in the 1960s and 1970s was at 83% with a 15% investment income surcharge bringing up a possible rate of 98%, when good people were tempted to cheat on their tax returns. Laws that make possible criminals of ordinary people are never good for society. Think about Thatcher’s Poll Tax.
We wander on through superstitions and Xmas and the Lussekatter saffron buns. “There are fireworks and fancy food and, at midnight, as the bells ring in the New Year, Danes will jump down from chairs onto the floor, as is traditional. Nobody else has this tradition, but Danes across the world will do this and will always expect to be taken seriously, so you’d better join them in jumping into the New Year.” Pg193 Various cooking lessons follow: the Lent buns Semlor sound and look good. Pg200 Easter and Eurovision are celebrated and Norway rounds off the festivities with its 17th May National Day. Denmark has more of a Constitution Day Grundlovsdag on 5th June. Pg213 Sweden’s National Day is 6th June Svenska flaggans dag. Pg214 One of the biggest celebrations of the year is Midsommar: the date is 23rd June, fixed in Denmark and Norway, but moved to the closest Friday in Sweden. Pg216 We finish with food and the August crayfish season. Pg220
Sexy, sleek, stylish, Scandinavian, what more could you ask for?
Any bias in the book? It’s levelled out by a wife and husband team: Brontë Aurell is a Danish entrepreneur, restauranteur and cook. Together with her Swedish husband Jonas, she runs the acclaimed ScandiKitchen Café and shop in central London.
*****
Well, this was a birthday present to me from a Danish fellow, Morten, so he should know his stuff. Now, to start at the beginning, the first text page Pg6 is absolutely the best in terms of sowing confusion: Scandinavia is defined as the peninsula containing Sweden and Norway, and, get this, Denmark, even though it isn’t on the peninsula, but it is connected by a bridge, made famous by the TV series , The Bridge, excellent by the way, and the bridge itself is shown on the title page, no doubt to work in the wow factor, but the bridge itself is also a tunnel! Why? You might well ask. The Øresund bridge is 4.875 miles long but it passes near busy shipping lines, so it couldn’t be too low for shipping, and it couldn’t be too high for aircraft landing nearby. As true a modern design conundrum as I could imagine. Solution: the bridge becomes a tunnel! One of my wants is to cross this bridge and dive into the tunnel! What an experience. But I digress, not an unusual event for my readers.
Now, the next part of the confusion, the peninsula also contains some of Finland, which isn’t Scandinavian, “though it borders Sweden and Norway.” Pg6. Here, I’m being very generous as the quotation actually “even thought (sic) it borders” is typical of a number of typos and odd sentence construction which sit at odds in what is otherwise an absolutely exquisite production with beautiful pictures, but no descriptive identifiers. The words to describe the pictures would make a great addition. I feel like I’m quibbling: the book is otherwise a real work of art.
The conclusion of the second paragraph states that “… officially Finland is Nordic not Scandinavian.” Pg6 Having determined that Scandinavia is Norway, Sweden and Denmark, the position is confused by the peoples’ views of themselves. “If you ask a Scandinavian person how they see themselves, you will – guaranteed – never get the reply ‘Scandinavian.’ Nobody in Denmark, Sweden or Norway identifies with a collective nationality. Just because it is a geographical definition doesn’t mean it is a national one.” Pg10 And here we’ve already forgotten that Denmark isn’t even part of that geographical entity, being linked only by a bridge, which itself is also a tunnel. Confused? Not really. But it makes for a fun tale. Having set the scene of confusion, I continue through this really very beautiful book (I repeat myself), which is a credit to any bookshelf. Having written that, I get to the section on IKEA. Swedish, of course. The “Billy bookcase – yes you have two in your house already – IKEA’s most popular product, with one sold every ten seconds.” Pg24 That is phenomenal. I admit in my study I have three of the traditional sized 40x28x202 cm ones in black and I’m staggered to read in IKEA’s own online copy that, “It is estimated that every five seconds, one BILLY bookcase is sold somewhere in the world.” Sales have doubled as I read! Then I realise that the name Billy is also applied to the 80x28x202 cm sized bookcase, and I have two of those. I can see why they sell: if you have books, they are the cheapest addition to your library.
We move on to the Norwegian hytte which means cabin or hut, and there is a whole array of traditions, customs and habits surrounding the hitter. They are generally remote with no WiFi and games are de rigueur. “The Yahtzee dice game is very popular, as is Ludo.” Pg29. Yippee!
“One of the most popular exports of the Scandinavian cuisine is the humble cinnamon bun. … Buns don’t have seasons, they are for every week and are great to eat in the morning, mid-morning, mid-afternoon and in the evening. Very few people don’t like Kanelbullar.” Pg56 It would seem that the cinnamon buns should be part and parcel of assembling the Billy bookcases. As is the norm in discussing Scandinavian life, there are significant contradictions. Having established that the buns are for every day, there is nonetheless a day: “In Sweden, 4 October is known as the Day of the Cinnamon Bun. On this day, people eat more buns than usual – and a Swedish tourist website claims that the average Swede consumes 316 buns of various fillings bought from bakeries (so not including any home-baked buns) a year. Buns are not only delicious, but also big business, both for bakeries and fitness centres.” Pg56
Salty liquorice: “A favourite pastime of Scandinavians is to make people from other countries eat salty liquorice.” Pg60 And, following on from the above themes, of things not being what they seem, “What most people think is salt isn’t actually salt at all – it is salt of Ammon, more commonly known as ammonium chloride. In Latin this is sal ammoniacus, from which the Finnish word salmiakki is derived. All over, Scandinavia, salty liquorice is called salmiakki rather than ammonium chloride = it sounds less like you’ve raided the contents of your medicine cabinet.” Pg60 And note bene: this salmiakki is Finnish, technically not a part of Scandinavia. The clear sub-narrative is not to get too hung up on absolutes, go with the flow and just enjoy the experience. Scandinavian, Nordic, both clearly defined for academic purposes but not to the extent that they interfere with the serious act and art of living.
We move on to open sandwiches. “The Scandinavian words for ‘open sandwich’ (smørrebrød in Danish. Smørbrød in Norwegian and smörgås in Swedish) literally mean ‘buttered bread.’ Pg62 No Finnish offered! “There is a three-year training course in Denmark to be educated in the art of making smørrebrød open sandwiches. When you finish this, you are qualified as ‘Open Sandwich Maiden (smørrebrødsjomfru).” Pg62 Do I detect a touch of sexism? “The most famous place in Copenhagen, Ida Davidsen, has a menu od 190 different kinds of open sandwich.” Pg62
Foraging: this is where we take a turn to the Nordic. If you think you don’t forage, think blackberries. When I was a kid, we did the lot: wild strawberries, gooseberries, blackberries (everybody’s favourite), blackcurrants and bilberries (my favourite) but incredibly small and requiring patience to pick sufficient for a tart. Nordic food foraging is a modern fad cultivated by fancy restaurants (a nod today to Sinead O’Connor). “Of course, we all go foraging: we are the Vikings, the foragers.” Pg64 Well there’s a blend of mythical desire and a seasoning of reality. In fact, blackberries are normally it for everyone.
So, let’s make light work of the rest of the cuisine chapters.
Fredagsmys – a TGIF Friday night ritual of comfort food, friends and family, and maybe a movie. The food of choice: the taco! With anything savoury. Pg68
Lördagsgodis – Saturday sweets Pg68
Cheese and how to slice it – Scandinavians eat approximately 47lbs per person per year; in the UK that is 26lbs. Norway: the favoured variety is brunost or brown cheese with a taste like caramel goats’ cheese. The Danes opt for the more pungent cows’ milk cheese Gamie Ole. The Norwegians top this with Gamalost – really old cheese, of Viking origin and smelling as if came from Viking times and somehow survived, maybe being too smelly to eat. Cheese is eaten with jam: think mature cheddar with marmalade in the UK. Slicing the cheese isn’t functional, it's an art form: knives are banned in favour of a slicer, a firm metal one for the harder cheeses. Pg70
Smörgåsbord – a buffet of smaller dishes based around the open sandwich. Never to be rushed. Four to six hours should be allowed. At Xmas it is the julbord – the Xmas table. Rules: always start with the herring, working through fish, cold meat, warm meats cheese and dessert. Drinks: beer and aquavit. Skål! Pg74
We venture on through breakfast and brunch. Tip: in Denmark weekend mornings are the time for rundstykker – white bread rolls fresh from the local bakery. Pg82
Winter darkness is more invasive the further north: the rule is to cosy up and create hygge – that Danish sense of cosying up, where candles help. Pg89
Then comes the time of the Midnight Sun – known to upset the circadian rhythm. Pg90 Heaven to me.
Ut på tur – hiking in Norway: smile, comfy clothes, maps, hot beverage, chocolate, orange; and that expensive smart phone probably won’t work as “Half of Norway is made up of mountains. The rest is fjords, rivers and lakes.” Pg92
Favourite sports: depends on where you are. “Norway wins the Winter Olympics every year (sic) (clearly written by a Dane not recognising the four yearly event); it’s a wonder anyone else bothers taking part. Usually topping the medal tables … 329, Sweden 144, … Denmark is rubbish, with only one medal won in any Winter Olympics, ever. And that was in curling.” Pg101 Well, that was pretty demeaning to the Scots. I first saw curling when visiting My Uncle Bill and Aunt Nan in Stirling – okay not real relatives but those substitute ones formed out of military and war exploits – and it wasn’t exciting. Brushes, for goodness’ sake! Then I visited Mürren in the Bernese Highlands for Xmas and skiing, great for the older children, and curling was a fun family sport. I had been there before in summer 1972 when staying at Interlaken and doing the railways. A reflection, indeed! And on to Woodland Hills in Manitoba, Canada, where I didn’t so much do x-country skiing, as prepare the trails, immaculately I might add, with a Bombardier wide track snowmobile and a trail setter. You couldn’t get closer to it all than that, but the magic of the skiing was lost on me.
Bicycling: remember that Denmark is pretty flat, and not part of the main peninsula, and you won’t be surprised to learn that bikes are favoured in Denmark. The first bike lane dates from 1892, really before cars and I sense it was to protect the pedestrians. “… in fact there are over 12,000 kilometres (75, 450 (sic) miles) of signposted bike routes across the country.” Pg102 Well, what can I say? All that biking may just have addled the mathematics! But impressive, nonetheless. [Of course, it should have read 7,500 miles.]
Taking a sauna – “Saunassa ollan kuin kirkossa” (‘In the sauna one must conduct oneself as one would in church’) – Finnish saying” pg106. So, the etiquette is clearly Nordic, extending to Finland, if not exactly Scandinavian. We are learning not to be picky and just take it as it comes. It isn’t Scandinavian to point out inconsistencies, simply know then for what they are, and carry on. The word sauna isn’t used in Sweden and Norway: they use bastu or bathhouse. Bastu-time is a time of contemplation.
Relationships: basic underlying fact. – “read up on your equality basics.” Pg116
Kids: “It is not unusual for a Scandinavian child not to be able to read until around eight years of age.” Pg118
Etiquette is defined in the Law of Jante, a cultural code based on a 1933 novel. “You are free to do anything you want or can in Scandinavia – as long as you don’t appear different to any of us and stand out. Ever.” Pg143 Now, in picky English, I was lectured, not taught, certainly not taught Scandinavian style, that things were similar to, heading to the same point, and different from, tending away from that same point. Yawn! I keep reminding myself that English is a living language, capable of change and does change! Oh, and a Jack song: ‘You’re free to do as you please, as long as you agree to follow me.’
“Lagom is the most important Swedish word you will ever learn.” Pg144 In terms of consensus and equality it sort of means okay, just enough, that’ll do, and so on. It originated from Viking drinking and meant save some for the rest of the team. “It’s a feeling, it’s something engrained in the culture and psyche of the people that is almost impossible to learn.” Pg144
Hygge (who-guh) – means to feel satisfied and is mainly used in Danish. “In fact, the Danes have built their whole cultural identity around hygge – it is part of what makes Denmark Danish and what makes the Danish person who he or she is.” Pg146
The Top Ten Vikings – Ragnar, obviously, but they’re all myth-laden. A beautiful two-page photo of Viking longships makes you fancy a bit of adventuring. Pg152/3 Besides the witticisms about Cnut and Canute, the Bluetooth as the great connector (the Bluetooth icon is made up of rune letters spelling Harald Bluetooth’s initials), I draw issue with the paragraph on Harald Hardrada, which states, “When the King of England died [Edward the Confessor], he seized an opportunity to take over, but in battle with William the Conqueror, he lost ‘by an arrow to his throat.’” Oh dear: Harald Hardrada lost at the Battle of Stamford Bridge to Harold Godwinson who was later defeated by William the Conqueror, led to death by over-closely watching an arrow. Now, I have to confess to zero Scandinavian history knowledge except for the Kings of Sweden trying to beat Russia and losing in the early 18th century, and the House of Bernadotte took over and established as the Swedish summer home, chateau Eze, now a beautiful hotel and restaurant with grand views of the Mediterranean. Back in the day, the 1980s, the real reason for attending the Monte Carlo Reinsurance Rendez-vous was to stay at Eze and eat at the Chèvre d’Or.
The Nordic mythical creatures seem to have populated our children’s stories right up to and beyond Tolkien, and the elves, dwarfs and trolls are everywhere. Pg159
On to politics, and it is true to say, says this grand book, that the countries are ruled for the people, with a leaning left of left.
Norse mythology is fun and often seems vaguely familiar but it is way too complex and how the raconteurs remembered it all, is a really big question. Long nights, I guess.
Strange to relate for such left-wing sounding politics, the Scandinavians keep Royal families, if far less elevated than in the UK. I think they may well have looked at America and preferred the politically neutral everyday royals.
Scandinavians like to drink but like a lot of places, in Sweden and Norway you have to visit state-governed stores. And it’s expensive.
Interesting words do occur, at least interesting in their interpretation. I was drawn to Orke - “Orke is a verb that refers to not having the energy to do something.” Pg176 There again, I lay the blame at my age. And say this one slowly, and it’ll make sense “Utepils – Literally, ‘outside beer’, this is the beer you have when you are sitting outside – the outside beer.” Pg176 Say it again and split it in two. Ute pils! There you go. Now, what’s the problem? That is. Norwegian but it says what it means and fits the Scandinavian lexicon.
Paying taxes with a smile is part of ‘for the Greater Good’ philosophy and indicates a contented society and a belief that society is doing its best for each and every individual. Pg178 The nearest I came to this was inheriting, by default, a Norwegian 50-foot ketch, which was incredibly strongly built, doubling as a research vessel when some of the taxes exceeded 100% - not so crazy if you think that tax in the UK in the 1960s and 1970s was at 83% with a 15% investment income surcharge bringing up a possible rate of 98%, when good people were tempted to cheat on their tax returns. Laws that make possible criminals of ordinary people are never good for society. Think about Thatcher’s Poll Tax.
We wander on through superstitions and Xmas and the Lussekatter saffron buns. “There are fireworks and fancy food and, at midnight, as the bells ring in the New Year, Danes will jump down from chairs onto the floor, as is traditional. Nobody else has this tradition, but Danes across the world will do this and will always expect to be taken seriously, so you’d better join them in jumping into the New Year.” Pg193 Various cooking lessons follow: the Lent buns Semlor sound and look good. Pg200 Easter and Eurovision are celebrated and Norway rounds off the festivities with its 17th May National Day. Denmark has more of a Constitution Day Grundlovsdag on 5th June. Pg213 Sweden’s National Day is 6th June Svenska flaggans dag. Pg214 One of the biggest celebrations of the year is Midsommar: the date is 23rd June, fixed in Denmark and Norway, but moved to the closest Friday in Sweden. Pg216 We finish with food and the August crayfish season. Pg220
Sexy, sleek, stylish, Scandinavian, what more could you ask for?
Any bias in the book? It’s levelled out by a wife and husband team: Brontë Aurell is a Danish entrepreneur, restauranteur and cook. Together with her Swedish husband Jonas, she runs the acclaimed ScandiKitchen Café and shop in central London.
*****
April 26, 2018
Numerous studies point to the general happiness of the Scandinavian people. So what exactly makes these northern European people so unique and content? The author has taken from her personal experiences and from research and has written an entertaining book that covers a lot of aspects, such as style, food, family, culture, and holidays. Full of colorful photographs and tons of information make this a fun and entertaining way to learn more about Scandinavia and it's people.
I absolutely loved reading this book. It was tastefully done with a tongue in cheek type of humor. I learned a lot and the writing made me want to someday travel to this part of the world. This would make an excellent addition to anyone planning to travel. Due to the cover it would also make an excellent coffee table book.
I received a copy of this book from Goodreads. All thoughts expressed are my own.
I absolutely loved reading this book. It was tastefully done with a tongue in cheek type of humor. I learned a lot and the writing made me want to someday travel to this part of the world. This would make an excellent addition to anyone planning to travel. Due to the cover it would also make an excellent coffee table book.
I received a copy of this book from Goodreads. All thoughts expressed are my own.
April 22, 2018
3/5
Bon, bel objet-livre mais légèrement en-dessous de nombreux autres livres sur le même sujet. Le titre est trompeur : il s'agit plutôt d'un comparatif lifestyle entre les 3 principaux pays Scandinaves (Suède, Danemark et Norvège). L'auteure s'amuse à décortiquer les us et coutumes des uns et des autres. Le ton parfois trop sarcastique et le fait qu'aucun des sujets ne soient vraiment exploités m'a un peu refroidi.
+ : beau livre avec de splendides photos, des thèmes variés, parfois amusants, parfois étonnants
- : une ou deux pages par thème, c'est un peu court ! Mettre "hygge" dans le titre pour faire vendre
Bon, bel objet-livre mais légèrement en-dessous de nombreux autres livres sur le même sujet. Le titre est trompeur : il s'agit plutôt d'un comparatif lifestyle entre les 3 principaux pays Scandinaves (Suède, Danemark et Norvège). L'auteure s'amuse à décortiquer les us et coutumes des uns et des autres. Le ton parfois trop sarcastique et le fait qu'aucun des sujets ne soient vraiment exploités m'a un peu refroidi.
+ : beau livre avec de splendides photos, des thèmes variés, parfois amusants, parfois étonnants
- : une ou deux pages par thème, c'est un peu court ! Mettre "hygge" dans le titre pour faire vendre
December 20, 2017
I have tried twice now to read through North: How to Live Scandinavian. Based upon other peoples reviews, I would assume my difficulty in getting interested in the information is the lack of images on my Kindle Edition. Let me suggest an actual paper version. Maybe I can run across one in my local library. Full Disclosure: I was allowed to read a copy of this book for free as a member of NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review. The opinions I have expressed are my own and I was not influenced to give a positive review.
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