I think that I liked this book. It was very unlike anything I've read before. Basically, it follows the sea-lives of Laurids Madsen (very briefly), his son Albert Madsen, and Albert's sort of adopted son Knud Erik Friis, from 1848 (First Schleswig War) to 1945 (end of WWII). This was a novel about the sea turning boys into men and the cruelty of being inescapably wedded to the sea. These men were both witnesses to and participants in some horrible things, from being beaten at school and murdering their teacher's dog to nearly starving to death while ice-locked in the North Atlantic or being torpedoed during the World War. It's hard to argue that there is a plot here; just the men of Marstal struggling to survive the lives they were given.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about this book was the narration. A majority of the narration was first person plural: "we" did this and "we" felt that. He briefly switched to the first person for Albert's big voyage,then back to first person plural. Toward the end, he switched to third person plural (unless this was a mistake of the translators?): "they" did this and "they" felt that. Ultimately he returned to the "we." It's like the novel was voiced by every citizen of Marstal over a 100-year span (or at least every young, male citizen). The narrator is present for every significant event, and his memories and feelings are the memories and feelings of an entire community. I think this narrative choice made the novel stand out more than it might have otherwise.

If you read this book (especially if you don't have an interest in Danish seafaring history), don't expect an exciting adventure tale. The characters struggle with their lives and their choices, and you will find yourself struggling as you also contemplate their choices, long after you've turned the last page. Personally, I keep thinking there is a higher meaning hidden between those covers that I just haven't figured out yet.