We, the Drowned

By: Carsten Jensen

Narrated by: Simon Vance

Length: 25 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's summary

In 1848, a motley crew of Danish sailors sets sail from the small island town of Marstal to fight the Germans. Not all of them return - and those who do will never be the same. Among them is the daredevil Laurids Madsen, who promptly escapes again into the anonymity of the high seas. This is also the story of the port town of Marstal, Denmark, whose inhabitants sailed the world from the mid-19th century to the end of the Second World War and about the women and children they left behind.

The novel tells of ships wrecked and blown up in wars, of places of terror and violence that continue to lure each generation with their cannibals, shrunken heads, prophetic dreams, forbidden passions, cowards, heroes, tragedies, and miraculous survivals. The result is a brilliant seafaring novel, a gripping saga encompassing industrial growth, the years of expansion and exploration, the crucible of the first half of the 20th century, and, most of all, the sea.

Hailed in Europe as an instant classic, We, the Drowned, spanning four generations, two world wars, and a hundred years, is an epic tale of adventure, ruthlessness, and passion destined to take its place among the greatest seafaring literature.

©2006 Carsten Jensen og Gyldendal. Translation © 2010 by Charlotte Barslund (P)2016 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Simon Vance at his greatest

Simon Vance effortlessly moves through characters and accents, adding energy and movement to a briilliant work of multu generational historical fiction. He has done well in honoring the drowned to which he has given voice.

Too sad and depressing

Good story, I suppose, but I couldn't make it past chapter 3. It's just too sad and depressing.

Slow going at first, but what a tale!

I’m an American and was travelling to Denmark. I wanted to soak up some of the literature beforehand, and this novel popped up. It’s l o n g and spans four generations of Danish sailors and their families. The names are not familiar, so in the beginning it took me a while to get into the flow. I even put it down for a month, but once I restarted, I was slowly hooked. Of course, it’s skillfully written, and it’s lovely to watch characters grow up. The narrator, Simon Vance, was a beautiful reader.

Amazing

The book might be the best I’ve ever read and the narrator is easily the best narrator I’ve ever heard. It was very long and I’m sad it’s done. I’ll probably think about this book for the rest of my life.

Sorta a Danish Hundred Years of Solitude

A following of the maritime town of Marstal from Samoa to the North Atlantic and back.

We, the Drowned

If you could sum up We, the Drowned in three words, what would they be?

Sailing, Marstal, Sailing

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Cut out the middle, limited sections on Albert-I didn't like him nearly as much as the author.

What about Simon Vance’s performance did you like?

It was fine. Nothing stands out.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

WWII.

Any additional comments?

The beginning is very good, so is the final third to a lesser extent. The middle was tough to get through for me.

Wow! The sea of life and humanity.

Narration by Simon Vance is sublime to the ears and mind. The story translated into English is done with perfect balance of wind and sail and sea.

Encompassing the time-typical Danish megalomania, from a past not too distant yet worlds away from the current state of tiny DK

Sets out high paced with great building of characters, although the storyline often will, instantaniously, skip through years of untold events.
The character of Alfred is never build to the strenghts of the his father Laurids, althoug he is the pivotal charater thoughout the entite mid section.
On a general note, the mid section may be of historical interest to locals, but exiting it is not.
Last 1/4 is great.

A must read if you're Danish and/or interested in seafaring.

Enjoyable

I really enjoyed this audiobook - its well read and written. Super informative if you're interested in the naval battles around the Danish peninsuala. I'd recommend this to anyone.

Great

Was an amazing story. Well performed and a joy to listen to. You won’t regret it