What do you think?
Rate this book
Føtexsøen
168 pages
First published January 1, 2009
1 person is currently reading
59 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
July 26, 2009
The book title caught my eyes and few minutes later the book found itself lying in my canvas bag, along with other books I checked out from the library the last time.
The back cover promised a story about a young Danish-Egyptian girl named Lene who worked as a cashier lady in Føtex supermarket in the immigrant quarters where she lived so that she could have more time to write a novel that she had dreamed of.
Apart from having a work she hated - mainly because she was embarassed over the job and how pathetic and stupid she thought the job was - she led quite an ok life even though it was peppered with the problems arising from growing up in a multicultural family and other immigrant issues.
Being a foreigner in Denmark is never easy, but at least you could say it out loud that you're not a Dane hence you couldn't be expected to do things that the Danes do. I imagine that it would be twice as difficult for the children of mixed marriages for they had to battle with the confusion they had to live through childhood and teenage.
With Lene's father originated from Egypt and had a way of thinking like a classic middle eastern immigrant pictured in Denmark, Lene had often faced ugly prejudices thrown by her mates while she, at the same time, tried to convince herself that she was also a Dane and had the urge to express her love to her mother's country: Denmark.
This book actually has the potential of being an intriguing book - in a good way since it raised so many issues that children from mixed cultural marriages could identify themselves with - especially those raised in Denmark.
However, the way the book was written has plagued with me with boredom as the plot is almost nonexistent. The story peddles back and forth between her childhood and her memories about her father's grillbar by Langebro (a bridge connecting Amager island with Sjælland in Copenhagen) and the present where she is working now in Føtex and has a relationship with a Danish boy named Johan.
Perhaps it was the author's intention to make the story flows according to her line of thoughts but as a reader who loves chronological plot and symmetry, I must say that I didn't enjoy the book as optimal as it should have been. I had to force myself for flipping the page side further although my other conscience told me to drop the book due to its chaotic way of storytelling.
I certainly don't know much about Lone Aburas and other Danish young writers. Maybe it's the way they do it here *shrugs shoulder* or maybe it's just her.
The back cover promised a story about a young Danish-Egyptian girl named Lene who worked as a cashier lady in Føtex supermarket in the immigrant quarters where she lived so that she could have more time to write a novel that she had dreamed of.
Apart from having a work she hated - mainly because she was embarassed over the job and how pathetic and stupid she thought the job was - she led quite an ok life even though it was peppered with the problems arising from growing up in a multicultural family and other immigrant issues.
Being a foreigner in Denmark is never easy, but at least you could say it out loud that you're not a Dane hence you couldn't be expected to do things that the Danes do. I imagine that it would be twice as difficult for the children of mixed marriages for they had to battle with the confusion they had to live through childhood and teenage.
With Lene's father originated from Egypt and had a way of thinking like a classic middle eastern immigrant pictured in Denmark, Lene had often faced ugly prejudices thrown by her mates while she, at the same time, tried to convince herself that she was also a Dane and had the urge to express her love to her mother's country: Denmark.
This book actually has the potential of being an intriguing book - in a good way since it raised so many issues that children from mixed cultural marriages could identify themselves with - especially those raised in Denmark.
However, the way the book was written has plagued with me with boredom as the plot is almost nonexistent. The story peddles back and forth between her childhood and her memories about her father's grillbar by Langebro (a bridge connecting Amager island with Sjælland in Copenhagen) and the present where she is working now in Føtex and has a relationship with a Danish boy named Johan.
Perhaps it was the author's intention to make the story flows according to her line of thoughts but as a reader who loves chronological plot and symmetry, I must say that I didn't enjoy the book as optimal as it should have been. I had to force myself for flipping the page side further although my other conscience told me to drop the book due to its chaotic way of storytelling.
I certainly don't know much about Lone Aburas and other Danish young writers. Maybe it's the way they do it here *shrugs shoulder* or maybe it's just her.
July 1, 2024
Lone Aburas har skrevet en lille roman, der kredser om især 2 perioder i - formentlig - forfatterens eget liv, nemlig hendes barndom og den del af hendes ungdom, hvor hun prøver at skrive en roman, mens hun arbejder i Føtex. Fortællerstemmen er Lene (ikke Lone), der vokser op som datter af en dansk mor og en egyptisk far, som har lidt svært ved at finde fodfæste på arbejdsmarkedet i Danmark. Han har forskellige jobs, men det mest underholdende er, da han med sin underskudsgivende grillbar kommer i kløerne på en vis Ali, der tvinger ham til at afsætte hælervarer i grillbaren.
Som ung har Lene været sendt til en tante i Egypten for at lære arabisk, hvilket ikke lykkes. Hun har læst på RUC, men for at skrive er hun droppet ud og i stedet taget arbejd ei Føtex.
Skrivestilen er lidt søgende. Der fortælles om småepisoder med kollegerne i Føtex, om kæresten og en skrive-vejleder, der heller ikke selv har drevet til nogen udgivelse, hvilket ikke afholder ham fra at kritisere ‘elevernes’ arbejder sønder og sammen. Der er ikke rigtigt nogen handling, der drives frem, så det er mest småepisoder.
Som ung har Lene været sendt til en tante i Egypten for at lære arabisk, hvilket ikke lykkes. Hun har læst på RUC, men for at skrive er hun droppet ud og i stedet taget arbejd ei Føtex.
Skrivestilen er lidt søgende. Der fortælles om småepisoder med kollegerne i Føtex, om kæresten og en skrive-vejleder, der heller ikke selv har drevet til nogen udgivelse, hvilket ikke afholder ham fra at kritisere ‘elevernes’ arbejder sønder og sammen. Der er ikke rigtigt nogen handling, der drives frem, så det er mest småepisoder.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 4, 2019
No real plot is to be seen in the novel, but Lene as a character is someone you can relate to.
October 23, 2023
kan være en smule forvirrende ift hvor man er henne i tid, men skrivestilen er medrivende. no plot just vibes 🫶🏻
March 22, 2011
Rigtig fin debut. Er spændt på om denne forfatter vil være forfatter? Det viser sig nok i "Den svære toer"
October 31, 2023
Det er altid spændende at læse en bog, der (geografisk) ikke er langt fra én selv. For mit eget vedkommende, blev mine fordomme om Høje Taastrups borgere dels bekræftet, dels gjort til skamme.
Aburas har på fin vis illustreret en opvækst i Høje Taastrup med alt hvad det kan indebære. En opvækst i “ghettoen”, hvor der er skudhuller i muren og hvor folk har deres penge fra, tales der ikke rigtig om. En opvækst, hvor hovedkarakteren (og hendes kæreste) gør alt for at fjerne sig fra fordommene og skammer sig over sin ansættelse i Føtex.
Det der tager bogen ned, for mig, er, at hovedkarakteren prøver alt for meget på at adskille sig fra sin opvækst. Finkulturelle kunstnernavne og højt profilerede forfattere bliver nævnt i tide og utide som for at illustrere, at HUN i hvert fald ikke lever op til de fordomme, der (måske) hersker om unge i Høje Taastrup. Dog virker det, for mig at se, meget forceret. Noget i mig siger dog, at det er en del af pointen, men jeg synes ikke, at det virker så godt, som Aburas formentlig havde håbet på.
Ikke desto mindre synes jeg, at Aburas bringer noget virkelig spændende til den danske litteratur og jeg har stor respekt for hendes stemme. Jeg er glad for at være stødt på hendes forfatterskab, så selvom “Føtexsøen” ikke er min favorit, så fortsætter jeg med at læse mere af hende.
Aburas har på fin vis illustreret en opvækst i Høje Taastrup med alt hvad det kan indebære. En opvækst i “ghettoen”, hvor der er skudhuller i muren og hvor folk har deres penge fra, tales der ikke rigtig om. En opvækst, hvor hovedkarakteren (og hendes kæreste) gør alt for at fjerne sig fra fordommene og skammer sig over sin ansættelse i Føtex.
Det der tager bogen ned, for mig, er, at hovedkarakteren prøver alt for meget på at adskille sig fra sin opvækst. Finkulturelle kunstnernavne og højt profilerede forfattere bliver nævnt i tide og utide som for at illustrere, at HUN i hvert fald ikke lever op til de fordomme, der (måske) hersker om unge i Høje Taastrup. Dog virker det, for mig at se, meget forceret. Noget i mig siger dog, at det er en del af pointen, men jeg synes ikke, at det virker så godt, som Aburas formentlig havde håbet på.
Ikke desto mindre synes jeg, at Aburas bringer noget virkelig spændende til den danske litteratur og jeg har stor respekt for hendes stemme. Jeg er glad for at være stødt på hendes forfatterskab, så selvom “Føtexsøen” ikke er min favorit, så fortsætter jeg med at læse mere af hende.
November 9, 2017
fin debut. små scener, som tiden i Egypten og hendes angst omkring Forfatterskolen rejser sig og drager virkeligt ind, med hendes nøgterne, let humoristiske og forsigtige sprog. Men også en del tomgang.
February 1, 2018
Virkelig sjov og lige ud af landevejen fortalt. Om en pige der arbejder i Føtex og gerne vil være forfatter.
February 21, 2012
When I started reading Føtexsøen by Lone Aburas I quickly realized that this book ought to be a story I could really identify with. The plot centres around a female character, Lene, who is in almost exactly the same position as I am at the moment:
- Taking time off from her studies to write
- Working on the side at a job that doesn't interest her much (I prefer my library over her Føtex any day, though!)
- Mostly ending up working and wasting time rather than writing as much as she planned to
Even though Lene feels stuck in her writing as well as in life she stubbornly applies to Forfatterskolen* for the 5th time . I myself am applying this year! Am I this girl in 3-4 years? Oh, the horror.
I'm guessing that this book is more autobiographical than it is fictional and in that way it works in a sort of two-sided fashion: Lene, a girl and aspiring writer, often complains that she doesn't want to write about boring daily life, that she hates these kind of books. Instead she works on a novel project about all the famous writers of Denmark going down with a ship far ashore leaving only aspiring writers and other mortals to take their places. Abura's book then goes and does the exact opposite with it's portrait of this bland young woman and I'm guessing that this meta thing is meant to bring some humour to the book and to make it seem clever.
Yet I do feel that the joke ends up being on Aburas - the book *is* kind of boring. Lene *doesn't* really ever end up meaning that much to me and I find myself feeling really happy each time somebody puts her in her place for being too hateful or judgemental of her surroundings, be it her boyfriend or a writing teacher.
In the book is also a great deal of stories from Lene's family and background growing up with an Egyptian father and a Danish mother. This part of the book is written as a story unfolding alongside Lene's present life. It's funny and sometimes interesting to hear about her upbringing with her silly yet heartwarming father struggling to understand Danish culture and build a proper home for his family - at some point in the book by owning a hotdog stand even though he doesn't eat pig. But I have to argue that this storyline doesn't really relate or matter to the story that is being told about our main character's present. I do see the obvious "She grew up to feel confused as to who she should be and feeling lost in life"-kind of thing, but it's just too easy to go there IMO.
In spite of my critique points I did read this book at the perfect time in my life and as it sometimes made me smile and identify with the main character's writing issues, it didn't leave me stone cold and I'll give it a 3/5
*Forfatterskolen is the only proper writing school in Denmark with a very limited number of accepted new students each year.
- Taking time off from her studies to write
- Working on the side at a job that doesn't interest her much (I prefer my library over her Føtex any day, though!)
- Mostly ending up working and wasting time rather than writing as much as she planned to
Even though Lene feels stuck in her writing as well as in life she stubbornly applies to Forfatterskolen* for the 5th time . I myself am applying this year! Am I this girl in 3-4 years? Oh, the horror.
I'm guessing that this book is more autobiographical than it is fictional and in that way it works in a sort of two-sided fashion: Lene, a girl and aspiring writer, often complains that she doesn't want to write about boring daily life, that she hates these kind of books. Instead she works on a novel project about all the famous writers of Denmark going down with a ship far ashore leaving only aspiring writers and other mortals to take their places. Abura's book then goes and does the exact opposite with it's portrait of this bland young woman and I'm guessing that this meta thing is meant to bring some humour to the book and to make it seem clever.
Yet I do feel that the joke ends up being on Aburas - the book *is* kind of boring. Lene *doesn't* really ever end up meaning that much to me and I find myself feeling really happy each time somebody puts her in her place for being too hateful or judgemental of her surroundings, be it her boyfriend or a writing teacher.
In the book is also a great deal of stories from Lene's family and background growing up with an Egyptian father and a Danish mother. This part of the book is written as a story unfolding alongside Lene's present life. It's funny and sometimes interesting to hear about her upbringing with her silly yet heartwarming father struggling to understand Danish culture and build a proper home for his family - at some point in the book by owning a hotdog stand even though he doesn't eat pig. But I have to argue that this storyline doesn't really relate or matter to the story that is being told about our main character's present. I do see the obvious "She grew up to feel confused as to who she should be and feeling lost in life"-kind of thing, but it's just too easy to go there IMO.
In spite of my critique points I did read this book at the perfect time in my life and as it sometimes made me smile and identify with the main character's writing issues, it didn't leave me stone cold and I'll give it a 3/5
*Forfatterskolen is the only proper writing school in Denmark with a very limited number of accepted new students each year.
July 13, 2011
Lene er en dansk-ægyptisk pige, som filosofere over sin herkomst, prøver at få vinger under sine forfatterdrømme og derfor tager orlov fra studiet for at skrive - og arbejde i Føtex.
Men hun synes det er lidt svært, for hun får ikke skrevet så meget, og det er hårdt for selvtilliden og forholdet til kæresten Johan (som arbejder i DR!), når hun møder gamle studiekammerater dér ved kassen, som har fået gode jobs og er kommet videre.
En ganske gedigen og underholdende debut,som dog springer lidt meget i handlingen og hvis hovedperson er lidt irriterende, fordi hun ikke rigtig flytter sig.
Men hun synes det er lidt svært, for hun får ikke skrevet så meget, og det er hårdt for selvtilliden og forholdet til kæresten Johan (som arbejder i DR!), når hun møder gamle studiekammerater dér ved kassen, som har fået gode jobs og er kommet videre.
En ganske gedigen og underholdende debut,som dog springer lidt meget i handlingen og hvis hovedperson er lidt irriterende, fordi hun ikke rigtig flytter sig.
February 5, 2017
Ikke den mest ophidsende læseoplevelse, men ikke desto mindre en oplevelse. Det er ikke en bog, jeg kommer til at anbefale, men det er nu ikke fordi historien er dårlig. Det er en velskrevet fortælling, som omhandler forfatteren selv, i en periode hvor frustration er hævet over alle andre følelser. Det er måske derfor jeg ikke synes det var god læsning for mig, idet min hverdag også kan være noget frustrerende for tiden. Måske jeg vender tilbage til Lone Aburas senere, men lige nu bliver hun lagt på hylden med et let suk og en "Godt, den bog ikke var længere"-tanke.
August 14, 2014
Aburas skildrer gennem en specifik persons livsbane presset på nutidens unge om at "blive til noget" og spidder selvhøjtideligheden blandt unge akademikere. Gode dialoger på ryger-trappen bag Føtex. Fine personskildringer. Aburas' tre'er: "Politisk Roman" er endnu bedre.
July 30, 2013
Hovedpersonen bliver ikke helt vedkommende, men er begyndt på Den svære toer, og den er væsentligt bedre.
February 1, 2015
while this wasn't a bad book, it was kind of depressing
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews