On Nordic Depression

Tuesday 01 December 2009 at 12:42 pm Every day I travel between Malmö and Copenhagen by the Öresund train. The view from the bridge is quite nice, but not spectacular enough to have hold my attention after the first couple of passes. So, I have spent my time (about two hours each day, unless the trains are late) by reading. First I went through our bookshelves and read most of those novels that I always hoped I'd have the time for, and then started ordering books from the net (mainly from play.com, and recently also from AdLibris).

Covering three of the five Nordic countries, I figured it would be a good idea to find something to read from each country. I was surprised to find out that one major characteristic that Finland, Iceland, Denmark, and Norway all share is a heavy, social depression; misery, ill luck, poverty, and general unhappiness run amok in the melancholic literature of each country. Sweden is an exception, as for some reason I'm yet to find a Swedish book that would carry the same sense of depression. (more)