The Fishermen

By Hans Kirk

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0967389917
• ISBN13: 9780967389912
• Release Date: December 1999
• Publisher: Fanpihua Pr
• Length: 330 Pages
• Weight: 0.82 lbs.
• Dimensions: 5.0" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Great read. A classic

The Fishermen is the debut of Danish author Hans Kirk (1898 - 1962). It was published in 1928 and was the first Danish collective novel, meaning that it was about a group of people, not just one person. In this case, the reader follows a group of fishermen and their families from the day they move from the harsh Northern Sea to the more quiet land around the large fjord, Limfjorden. We follow these families for at least a couple of years. The fishermen and their families have bought rights to fish for eel in the fjord, they've rented small houses and they are all looking forward to a somewhat easier life than what they led when they were living by the rough Northern Sea. The families are, with a few exceptions, very religious, belonging to a certain branch of Christianity called The Inner Mission. Two of the major themes of the book are religion and sin. We follow several familie, among the the most religious one of the group Thomas Jensen and his family, the non-inner mission Povl Vrist and his wife Mariane with the big heart, the bachelor Anton Knopper who has to fight his sinful urges all the time and the gossipy but holier-than-thou Tea and her family. We also meet the town-people who lived there before the fishermen and their families arrived: the old religious teacher Mr. Aaby, the well-read but somewhat annoying tax-man Kock, the inn-keeper Mr. Mogensen and the mild and friendly priest, whose religious outlook is not strict enough for the fishermen and their families, so they more or less chase him out of the town and employ an inner-missionary priest instead. The story continues over several years. Winter is followed by spring, summer by fall and specially fall is an important season. This is where the fishermen put out their eel-traps (I'm sorry, I am simply not familiar with the English words for all those words about fishing-gear) and earn most money. God willing, that is. It is a rough life to be a fisherman. No doubt about that. Between working on the fjord fishing, the families read the bible, go to church and fight sin (which among other things include fighting against the hotel, where the town's youth dance each Saturday). Last but not least, everyone tries to fight his or her inner demons, which show themselves often because of the strict laws of the Inner Mission religion. Its impossible to talk about all persons in this book, but if I should mention one, it will have to be Tea Roen. Tea is a curious woman, she loves to gossip and she is the first to tell others if she feels that they have sinned or done things which Jesus might not have approved of. At the same time she knows that she must deal with her own sins each day, but she also feels that she has found her way and in many scenes in the book, she acts in an annoying holier-than-thou way. As a reader you can sense that at some point, she is going to taste her own medicine I have read The Fishermen a couple of times now and it is one of the most interesting social-rea

Amazing, absorbing, human, beautiful...

This is one the best novels I have ever read in my life. It was totally absorbing. It paints a powerful portrait of life, love, suffering, human relations, etc. -- its themes are deeply universal. The book tells the story of life about 100 years ago in a small rural fishing village on the coast of Denmark -- it explores the lives of the men and women who struggle there. It also offers the best analysis of lived religion that I have ever come across in literature. I couldn't put it down. A world classic, for sure.

The bestselling Danish novel of all time

Marc Linder deserves an award for his worthy translation of Hans Kirk's masterpiece. It's been a long wait for English-speaking readers to partake of this delicious turn-of-the century novel. It's about a pietistic sect in Denmark whose lives (and religion) are dramatically changed by a change in their economic status. Danish television broadcast a triumphant dramatization of the book in the seventies. This book is distinguished in world literature for not having one central character, but a group of characters--all beautifully portrayed--whose fate fuels the action. The Fishermen and their families move from an area of Denmark where the fishing is poor to a more abundant environment. The effect on these highly religious people is both humorous and dramatic.Kirk's writing displays the ironic wit only found in Danish literature. The scene where a pious fiance apologizes to his buxom ladylove for embracing her is both amusing and heart-rending. More anxiety-provoking is the story of a woman impregnated by her step-father; without success she tries to drown herself and her baby, and is afterwards married to a scoundrel.This book is an excellent introduction to the flavor of Danish literature.