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.

An engrossing saga of seamen and a sailing town

The book is filled with great characters—mostly ordinary folk who become larger than life. The narration is superb. This book deserves much more attention than it has received (at last in the U.S.)

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.

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.

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.

Try Something New

I got this book because my partner had started reading it and said I should to. I was very hesitant as it is nothing like anything I ever listen to. I honestly started listening thinking I was going to hate it. We will do anything for love though, right?

The beginning was a little slow but, it quickly picked up. I found myself eager to hear how each character’s story progressed.

There is a bit of a slump on the middle bit was easy to get through. It just wasn’t as exciting as the rest of the story.

In the end, I highly recommend this to everyone. It’s a good story told over several generations by a fantastic narrator. He really brings each character to life. You won’t be disappointed.

favorite!

absolutely in my top 3 of all time! highly recommend! story spans generations and is beautifully written. performance of reader is engaging and equals the quality of writing.