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Der Besuch des Leibarztes
Als der dänische Kronprinz Christian 1766 16-jährig zum König ausgerufen wurde, war er bereits geisteskrank. Nicht von Geburt, nein -- er war von seinen Ausbildern psychisch gefoltert worden. Das war die spezifisch dänische Methode, sich mit dem Absolutismus zu arrangieren, denn wenn der König arbeitsunfähig war, delegierte er die Macht zwangsläufig an seine Beamten. Und da diese durchaus gern regierten, wurden Thronfolger schon einmal systematisch in den Wahnsinn getrieben, so funktionierte das System. Doch als Christians Leibarzt, der eigens eingestellt worden war, um allzu peinliche Auftritte des "kleinen kranken Königs" zu verhindern, sich in die junge Frau des Herrschers verliebt, droht der Staatsapparat zusammenzubrechen. Der Arzt wird zum mächtigsten Mann am dänischen Hof und initiiert eine kleine Revolution.
Die für ihre Hörspielproduktionen zu Recht gerühmten Rundfunkanstalten NDR und SWR haben sich an eine szenische Bearbeitung von Enquists großem Roman über die tiefen Zusammenhänge von Liebe und Macht gewagt, und das mit Erfolg: Die mit namhaften Sprechern wie Ulrich Matthes, Felix von Manteuffel und Jutta Hoffmann aufgenommene Produktion haucht nicht nur diesem eigentümlichen Kapitel der dänischen Geschichte Leben ein, sondern schafft es auch, die herrlich schlichte, stellenweise fast naive Sprache der Romanvorlage auf denkbar gelungene Weise zu übernehmen. Auch wenn gut zwei Stunden Hörspiel natürlich nie alles transportieren können, was 350 Seiten Roman vorlegen, und Leser des Romans deshalb sicher die eine oder andere lieb gewonnene Episode vermissen werden, ist diese Produktion für sich genommen doch ein schönes Kleinod. --Christoph Nettersheim
Hörspiel, 2 CDs, Spieldauer ca. 137 Minuten.
440 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1999
About the author
Per Olov Enquist
82 books174 followersPer Olov Enquist, better known as P. O. Enquist was one of Sweden's internationally best known authors. He has worked as a journalist, playwright, and novelist. In the nineties, he gained international recognition with his novel The Visit of The Royal Physician.
After a degree in History of literature at Uppsala University he worked as a newspaper columnist and TV debate moderator from 1965 to 1976. Because of his work he soon became an influential figure on the Swedish literary scene. From 1970 to 1971 Enquist lived in Berlin on a grant from the German Academic Exchange Service and in 1973 he was a visiting professor at the University of California, Los Angeles. He has been working as an independent writer since 1977.
Enquist's works are characterized by a chronic pessimistic view of the world. They always describe the restrictions imposed by the pietistical way of living, especially in March of the Musicians (1978) and Lewi's Journey (2001). He gained international recognition with his novel The Visit of The Royal Physician (1999) where he tells the story of Struensee, the personal physician of the Danish King Christian VII. Many of Enquist's works have been translated into English by Tiina Nunnally.
After a degree in History of literature at Uppsala University he worked as a newspaper columnist and TV debate moderator from 1965 to 1976. Because of his work he soon became an influential figure on the Swedish literary scene. From 1970 to 1971 Enquist lived in Berlin on a grant from the German Academic Exchange Service and in 1973 he was a visiting professor at the University of California, Los Angeles. He has been working as an independent writer since 1977.
Enquist's works are characterized by a chronic pessimistic view of the world. They always describe the restrictions imposed by the pietistical way of living, especially in March of the Musicians (1978) and Lewi's Journey (2001). He gained international recognition with his novel The Visit of The Royal Physician (1999) where he tells the story of Struensee, the personal physician of the Danish King Christian VII. Many of Enquist's works have been translated into English by Tiina Nunnally.
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April 9, 2017
4.5 Stars.
I love books that bring history to life and what an utterly fascinating and compelling read based on historical fact The Royal Phsician's Visit was. It tells the story of King Christian VII of Denmark, his young Queen Caroline Mathilda of England and his Physician Johann Friedrich Struensee and the Royal Affair that that rocked the Danish Court and brought the kingdom to the brink of revolution
In 1768, a magnetic and handsome German Physician by the name of Struensee became the physician to King Christian VII of Denmark who has been suffering from some kind of "madness" and Struensee's responsibility is to look after the king and ensure he does not appear too "mad" in public, after a short period ot time Struensee becomes the Kings confidant and manages to gain responsibility for reformation of the state much to the court and the Dowager Queen's dismay, however when he embarks on affair with the young Queen the whispering and rumours begin and the Royal Affair becomes the talk of Copenhagen and action needs to be taken.
I have read very little about Danish history but one book leads to another and while discussing Number the Stars with a friend one day she recommended I watch a movie called "The Royal Affair" I am not a one for movies so I googled and found this book called the The Royal Physician's Visit and after reading the blurb I knew I had to find out more.
The story is compelling and so well researched. The account is strongly based on fact but the author does fill in the blanks quite convincingly with believable fictional dialogue and descriptions that leaves the reader in no double that he has done his research on this period in history and created a wonderful sense of time and place and a gripping tale of court intrigue, power struggles and royal affairs.
The book is translated from Swedish to English and there were a few times when I had to re-read scentances just to make sense of them and I think perhaps this may be down to the translation from Swedish to English. Having said that it didn't affect the overall enjoyment of the story.
A terrific read and a nice insight into Danish history that left me wanting more.
I did watch the film The Royal Affair after completing the book and it was superb.
I love books that bring history to life and what an utterly fascinating and compelling read based on historical fact The Royal Phsician's Visit was. It tells the story of King Christian VII of Denmark, his young Queen Caroline Mathilda of England and his Physician Johann Friedrich Struensee and the Royal Affair that that rocked the Danish Court and brought the kingdom to the brink of revolution
In 1768, a magnetic and handsome German Physician by the name of Struensee became the physician to King Christian VII of Denmark who has been suffering from some kind of "madness" and Struensee's responsibility is to look after the king and ensure he does not appear too "mad" in public, after a short period ot time Struensee becomes the Kings confidant and manages to gain responsibility for reformation of the state much to the court and the Dowager Queen's dismay, however when he embarks on affair with the young Queen the whispering and rumours begin and the Royal Affair becomes the talk of Copenhagen and action needs to be taken.
I have read very little about Danish history but one book leads to another and while discussing Number the Stars with a friend one day she recommended I watch a movie called "The Royal Affair" I am not a one for movies so I googled and found this book called the The Royal Physician's Visit and after reading the blurb I knew I had to find out more.
The story is compelling and so well researched. The account is strongly based on fact but the author does fill in the blanks quite convincingly with believable fictional dialogue and descriptions that leaves the reader in no double that he has done his research on this period in history and created a wonderful sense of time and place and a gripping tale of court intrigue, power struggles and royal affairs.
The book is translated from Swedish to English and there were a few times when I had to re-read scentances just to make sense of them and I think perhaps this may be down to the translation from Swedish to English. Having said that it didn't affect the overall enjoyment of the story.
A terrific read and a nice insight into Danish history that left me wanting more.
I did watch the film The Royal Affair after completing the book and it was superb.
September 2, 2020
Ein geistesgestörter König, noch keine 20 Jahre alt, der lieber mit seinem Hund und seinem dunkelhäutigen Pagen spielt, eigentlich noch ein Kind und zum Regieren Dänemarks völlig ungeeignet. Seine Ehefrau, die Königin, zwei Jahre jünger als er, die Schwester des englischen Königs, die als Kind mit dem Verrückten zwangsverheiratet wurde, um dann von ihm „wie eine Muttersau gedeckt zu werden“ (O-Ton), ist verrückt nach leidenschaftlicher Liebe. Und die findet sie bei einem Deutschen, dem Leibarzt des schwachsinnigen Königs, der es versteht die Macht an sich zu reißen und sämtliche Vollmachten zum alleinigen Regieren sich vom König unterschreiben läßt.
Das ist die wahre Geschichte, die sich so zwischen 1769 und 1772 in Dänemark zutrug. Mir war sie zuvor nicht bekannt. Mir wurde diese tragische Dreiecksbeziehung von Per Olov Enquist in ganz wunderbarer Weise näher gebracht, denn der schwedische Autor erzählt diese Geschichte nicht einfach chronologisch durch einen auktorialen, beschreibenden Erzähler herunter. Vielmehr versteht er es, den Figuren des Hofstaates durch ihre wiedergegebenden Gedanken, Leben einzuhauchen. Da wird z.B. nicht einfach nur gesagt, dass jemand verzweifelt hadert, sondern da werden mantrahaft die Gedankenströme wiederholt und das in einer Eindringlichkeit, dass ich mir den Roman am liebsten von Schauspielern auf der Theaterbühne hätte vortragen lassen. Man spürt wie der junge König Christian VII. an seinen Verschwörungstheorien zu zerbrechen scheint. Man fühlt, wie Königin Caroline Mathilde sich immer größere Lust verschafft und beginnt ihren eigenen Körper zu entdecken und wertzuschätzen. Man erlebt die Erregung des Leibarztes Johann Friedrich Struensees, wie er sich der Grenze der Lust beim Zusammensein mit der Königin immer stärker nähert und er ihr immer mehr verfällt. Die Sexszenen zwischen den Beiden ist mit das Erotischste, was ich bisher in einem Roman gelesen habe. Der Akt wie er langsam in sie eindringt, zieht sich über mehrere Absätze und man muss dabei aufpassen, dass man als Leser nicht das Weiteratmen vergisst.
Sprachlich ist das ein absoluter Hochgenuss, sehr bildhaft und intensiv, aber auch spannend, obwohl man als Leser recht früh schon erfährt, dass diese Menage a trois kein gutes Ende findet für die beiden Liebenden. Die Königin wird nach Celle verbannt und Struensee endet auf dem Schafott. Eigentlich verwunderlich, denn die über 600 Dekrete, die er verfasste, gaben den Dänen eine Freiheit, von denen die Franzosen zu der Zeit noch träumten, fast 20 Jahre vor dem Sturm auf die Bastille. So bescherte der Deutsche den Dänen z.B. die Pressefreiheit und das Ende der Leibeigenschaft. Aber es gab auch Beschlüsse, die die Zahl der Feinde Struensees erhöhten, wie z.B. die Verkleinerung der Armee zur Kostenreduzierung. Und so formierten sich die Widersacher um die Königinwitwe, die Mutter Christians, und Kopenhagen versank im Putsch. Die Tatsache, dass Caroline Mathildes zweites Kind wohl von Struensee stammte, brachte das Volk gegen ihn auf. Was für eine verrückte Geschichte! Was für ein toller historischer Roman. Unbedingte Leseempfehlung.
Das ist die wahre Geschichte, die sich so zwischen 1769 und 1772 in Dänemark zutrug. Mir war sie zuvor nicht bekannt. Mir wurde diese tragische Dreiecksbeziehung von Per Olov Enquist in ganz wunderbarer Weise näher gebracht, denn der schwedische Autor erzählt diese Geschichte nicht einfach chronologisch durch einen auktorialen, beschreibenden Erzähler herunter. Vielmehr versteht er es, den Figuren des Hofstaates durch ihre wiedergegebenden Gedanken, Leben einzuhauchen. Da wird z.B. nicht einfach nur gesagt, dass jemand verzweifelt hadert, sondern da werden mantrahaft die Gedankenströme wiederholt und das in einer Eindringlichkeit, dass ich mir den Roman am liebsten von Schauspielern auf der Theaterbühne hätte vortragen lassen. Man spürt wie der junge König Christian VII. an seinen Verschwörungstheorien zu zerbrechen scheint. Man fühlt, wie Königin Caroline Mathilde sich immer größere Lust verschafft und beginnt ihren eigenen Körper zu entdecken und wertzuschätzen. Man erlebt die Erregung des Leibarztes Johann Friedrich Struensees, wie er sich der Grenze der Lust beim Zusammensein mit der Königin immer stärker nähert und er ihr immer mehr verfällt. Die Sexszenen zwischen den Beiden ist mit das Erotischste, was ich bisher in einem Roman gelesen habe. Der Akt wie er langsam in sie eindringt, zieht sich über mehrere Absätze und man muss dabei aufpassen, dass man als Leser nicht das Weiteratmen vergisst.
Sprachlich ist das ein absoluter Hochgenuss, sehr bildhaft und intensiv, aber auch spannend, obwohl man als Leser recht früh schon erfährt, dass diese Menage a trois kein gutes Ende findet für die beiden Liebenden. Die Königin wird nach Celle verbannt und Struensee endet auf dem Schafott. Eigentlich verwunderlich, denn die über 600 Dekrete, die er verfasste, gaben den Dänen eine Freiheit, von denen die Franzosen zu der Zeit noch träumten, fast 20 Jahre vor dem Sturm auf die Bastille. So bescherte der Deutsche den Dänen z.B. die Pressefreiheit und das Ende der Leibeigenschaft. Aber es gab auch Beschlüsse, die die Zahl der Feinde Struensees erhöhten, wie z.B. die Verkleinerung der Armee zur Kostenreduzierung. Und so formierten sich die Widersacher um die Königinwitwe, die Mutter Christians, und Kopenhagen versank im Putsch. Die Tatsache, dass Caroline Mathildes zweites Kind wohl von Struensee stammte, brachte das Volk gegen ihn auf. Was für eine verrückte Geschichte! Was für ein toller historischer Roman. Unbedingte Leseempfehlung.
Read
July 21, 2018Like Nostromo this historical novel opens with its ending. We experience the story within a frame, knowing the unhappy fate of the hero and heroine even before we have been introduced to them. What ever may happen within the novel we know that any happiness can only be fleeting, the framing device has already told us that this story will be tragic.
The Royal Physician's Visit, was written in Swedish, translated into many languages, but is set in late eighteenth century Denmark. The background is the events of the Struensee reforms in Denmark. Struensee became personal doctor to the absolute monarch Christian VII who suffered from severe mental health problems which left him unable to rule. From his position Struensee was able to initiate a series of reforms, however these, and his affair with the Queen (a sister of George III of Britain ), led to his downfall.
Christian VII perceives the world as a play and the book is a piece of theatre. The initial frame, a progressive drawing back of the curtain. A constant, strong narrative voice explaining the significance of what we see , the internal drama of the doomed romance and the pathos of the king - an absolute ruler, absolutely incapable of ruling , worse not being able to ever escape a drama that he lacks the capacity to control.
Unfortunately it is not entirely historical accurate, as Alex von Tunzelmann pointed out in her review of the film version of this book, Struensee may not have been constant in his relationship with Caroline Matilda and her habit of wearing trousers walking around Copenhagen is left out. But as a novel it is a good story, the King locked in his insanity, the Doctor with his Enlightenment aspirations >spoiler> themselves from a conservative point of view mad enough , and the Queen will be left alone and isolated as a consequence of Struensee's fall from grace.
The story is theatrical, built up out of contrasting characters each representing ideas that contrast with each other:
Enlightenment:madness
son of an undertaker:doctor (which is to say life:death)
purity:danger
sex:death (again life:death)
role playing:naturalness
birth:death
The king may be mad, but his understanding of the world is none the less correct. The world of the Danish royal court is a theatre. Every character plays their part. One scene follows another. The ending though, we already know, will not be comic but tragic. The coin turns, life on the one face gives way to its necessary twin.
The Royal Physician's Visit, was written in Swedish, translated into many languages, but is set in late eighteenth century Denmark. The background is the events of the Struensee reforms in Denmark. Struensee became personal doctor to the absolute monarch Christian VII who suffered from severe mental health problems which left him unable to rule. From his position Struensee was able to initiate a series of reforms, however these, and his affair with the Queen (a sister of George III of Britain ), led to his downfall.
Christian VII perceives the world as a play and the book is a piece of theatre. The initial frame, a progressive drawing back of the curtain. A constant, strong narrative voice explaining the significance of what we see , the internal drama of the doomed romance and the pathos of the king - an absolute ruler, absolutely incapable of ruling , worse not being able to ever escape a drama that he lacks the capacity to control.
Unfortunately it is not entirely historical accurate, as Alex von Tunzelmann pointed out in her review of the film version of this book, Struensee may not have been constant in his relationship with Caroline Matilda and her habit of wearing trousers walking around Copenhagen is left out. But as a novel it is a good story, the King locked in his insanity, the Doctor with his Enlightenment aspirations >spoiler> themselves from a conservative point of view mad enough , and the Queen will be left alone and isolated as a consequence of Struensee's fall from grace.
The story is theatrical, built up out of contrasting characters each representing ideas that contrast with each other:
Enlightenment:madness
son of an undertaker:doctor (which is to say life:death)
purity:danger
sex:death (again life:death)
role playing:naturalness
birth:death
The king may be mad, but his understanding of the world is none the less correct. The world of the Danish royal court is a theatre. Every character plays their part. One scene follows another. The ending though, we already know, will not be comic but tragic. The coin turns, life on the one face gives way to its necessary twin.
November 5, 2019
Prince Christian becomes king of Denmark against his will, succeeds his alcoholic father to the throne and is destined to continue what the author describes as a "void of power" where the incompetent king merely acts as an actor performing their duties, while the actual governance of the country is done by his courtiers. An abused, mentally ill child, (allegedly suffering from schizophrenia) dreaming that one day he will be freed.
The Danish court may have been too small to influence and define the international political scene. Love can be crushed by obstacles and adversities. But a castle can more easily be destroyed than an idea if the idea is deeply rooted in people's consciousness. And this is the true and essential significance of the Danish Revolution and the proof that the most crucial changes can be initiated by an inspiring leader but can only come to fruition via the maturity and consensus of the People.
Ο συγγραφέας στην εναρκτήρια παράγραφο του έργου του αποκαλύπτει τα πάντα για το περιεχόμενο ιστορίας του, συμπεριλαμβανομένου και του τέλους της:
"Ο Johann Friedrich Struensee διορίστηκε ως βασιλικός γιατρός του βασιλιά Χριστιανού (Christian) του 7ου και τέσσερα χρόνια μετά, εκτελέστηκε".
Ενδεχομένως να θεωρούσε πως το αρχικό κοινό του, οι Σουηδοί, γνώριζαν ήδη την υπόθεση που βασίζεται πράγματι σε αληθινά ιστορικά γεγονότα. Ο Per Olov Enquist γεννημένος σε ένα από αυτά τα μικρά Σουηδικά χωριά των οποίων το όνομα δυσκολεύομαι ομολογουμένως να προφέρω, ορφανός από πατέρα, μεγαλωμένος από μια δεσποτική, θρησκόληπτη μητέρα, γράφει χρησιμοποιώντας μια ενδιαφέρουσα τεχνική όπου συνίσταται κυρίως από ένα μείγμα μαρτυρίας (είτε αυτοβιογραφικά, είτε ιστορικά γεγονότα με ενδελεχή μελέτη των πηγών) και αυτοαναφορικότητας, όπου οι εσωτερικοί μονόλογοι, οι επαναλήψεις φράσεων και λέξεων και ο στοχασμός των ιστορούμενων προσώπων έχουν πρωτίστως ως στόχο να εκφράσουν τις προσωπικές του αγωνίες, ενοχές και προβληματισμούς.
Η αμαρτία, η ενοχή που αυτή επιφέρει, η έννοια του σωστού και του λάθους, το τίμημα της ανυπακοής και οι συνέπειες της γνώσης, συνδυάζονται με ποιητικές περιγραφές, μοιάζουν με πίνακες ζωγραφικής, με τις λέξεις να παίζουν τον ρόλο είτε των χρωμάτων είτε τον ρόλο μιας επίπονης και εμμονικής εξομολόγ��σης, ως μέσο ψυχικής και συναισθηματικής εκτόνωσης. Αυτά είναι τα βασικά θέματα της συγγραφικής του παλέτας, με τα οποία δημιουργεί παραλλαγές ενός υβριδικού μυθιστορηματικού είδους, πολύ κλασικό για να θεωρηθεί μοντέρνο και πολύ μοντέρνο για χαρακτηριστεί κλασικό, όπου η αναλογία ποικίλει ανάλογα με τον αν αντλεί το θέμα του από την προσωπική του ζωή ή από τη ζωή των άλλων.
Ο πρίγκιπας Christian γίνεται παρά τη θέλησή του βασιλιάς της Δανίας, διαδέχεται στον θρόνο τον αλκοολικό πατέρα του και προορίζεται να συνεχίσει απρόσκοπτα αυτό που ο συγγραφέας χαρακτηρίζει ως "κενό εξουσίας" όπου ο ανίκανος βασιλιάς λειτουργεί απλώς διεκπεραιωτικά, ως ηθοποιός που απαγγέλει γραμμές που άλλοι έγραψαν για λογαριασμό του, την στιγμή που την αληθινή διακυβέρνηση της χώρας ορίζουν οι αυλικοί του - μεταξύ των οποίων δίνεται η πραγματική μάχη για τη διεκδίκηση και κατοχύρωση της αληθινής εξουσίας. Ένα κακοποιημένο παιδί, ένας ψυχικά ασθενής (εικάζεται πως έπασχε από σχιζοφρένεια) όπου ονειρεύεται πως κάποια μέρα θα αποκαλυφθεί το γεγονός πως είναι απλώς το παιδί ενός χωρικού που μπερδεύτηκε με το πραγματικό βασιλόπουλο κατά τη γέννα:
"Κανένας δεν υποστήριζε την ιδέα πως ένας βασιλιάς δεν πρέπει να εξασκεί την εξουσία του. Όμως όλοι πίστευαν πως ήταν παράφρονας, βαρύτατα αλκοολικός ή χωρίς διάθεση να εργαστεί. Αν δεν ίσχυε τίποτε από αυτά, τότε η θέλησή του έπρεπε τσακιστεί. Έτσι η απάθεια των βασιλέων και η παρακμή τους ήταν άλλοτε κληρονομική κι άλλοτε σκόπιμα καλλιεργημένη. Ο Reverdil (σσ. ο παιδαγωγός του πρίγκιπα) περιγράφει τις μεθόδους που χρησιμοποιούνταν ως "μια συστηματική διαπαιδαγώγηση που στοχεύει στην πρόκληση αδυναμίας και αποβλάκωσης ώστε η διακυβέρνηση να παραμείνει στα χέρια των πραγματικών εξουσιαστών". Σύντομα διαπίστωσε πως η αυλή της Δανίας ήταν διατεθειμένη να θυσιάσει την πνευματική υγεία του νεαρού πρίγκιπα για να πετύχει τα αποτελέσματα που είχαν προϋπάρξει στους προηγούμενους βασιλείς".
Έτσι η μέθοδος διαπαιδαγώγησης του πρίγκιπα περιελάμβανε μαστίγωμα και διάφορες άλλες σωματικές τιμωρίες καθώς και άσκηση ψυχικής και λεκτικής βίας. Ο ίδιος σε όλη τη διάρκεια της ζωής του, έζησε ανάμεσα σε φάσεις απόλυτης κατατονίας που εναλλάσσονταν από βίαια ξεσπάσματα οργής και σε ένα επινοημένο, φανταστικό σύμπαν, το μόνο καταφύγιο που είχε προκειμένου να δραπετεύει από τους εφιάλτες του.
Ωστόσο όλοι όσοι φρόντισαν να καλλιεργήσουν αυτήν την αξιοθρήνητη κατάσταση, όσοι επέλεξαν, για λογαριασμό του νεαρού βασιλιά, μια αγγλίδα πριγκίπισσα (Caroline Mathilde) που θεωρούσαν πως είναι εξίσου απλοϊκή και ανόητη και εκείνοι που διάλεξαν τον Γερμανό γιατρό Struensee με κύριο μέλημα τη διατήρηση των προσχημάτων, απέτυχαν να προβλέψουν τις κατοπινές εξελίξεις.
Ο Struensee δεν είναι ένας τυχαίος άνδρας. Έχει ασπαστεί πλήρως τα ιδεώδη του Διαφωτισμού. Όλη του ζωή περιστρέφεται γύρω από αυτό ακριβώς το φιλοσοφικό δίπολο:
"Αν ο Διαφωτισμός είχε ένα λογικό και σκληρό πρόσωπο, την πίστη στη Λογική και στον Εμπειρισμό της ιατρικής, των μαθηματικών, της φυσικής και της αστρονομίας, ωστόσο είχε επίσης κι ένα απαλό πρόσωπο, είναι ο Διαφωτισμός ως ελευθερία της σκέψης, η ανεκτικότητα, η ελευθερία".
Ο Διαφωτισμός και η δράση του ενάντια στο πιετιστικό περιβάλλον των θρησκόληπτων προτεσταντών, οι ενέργειές του για τη βελτίωση των συνθηκών διαβίωσης των αδύναμων κοινωνικών στρωμάτων, η ελευθερία του Τύπου, η μείωση της κατασπατάλησης των δημοσίων εσόδων και η αναδιάρθρωση του φορολογικού συστήματος, έγιναν πραγματικότητα μέσα στα τέσσερα χρόνια που κατέλαβε την κορυφή της εξουσίας, αθόρυβα και ξαφνικά, χωρίς να προηγηθεί καμία επαναστατική δράση ή βίαιη στρατιωτική παρέμβαση, απλώς επειδή βρέθηκε πολύ κοντά στον Βασιλιά - Παιδί, κέρδισε την εμπιστοσύνη του ή μάλλον την τυφλή υπακοή του, όπως άλλοι είχαν κάνει πριν από αυτόν κι όπως άλλοι θα συνεχίσουν να κάνουν μετά το τέλος του τετραετούς αυτού πραξικοπήματος, που οι Δανοί χαρακτηρίζουν (κι εδώ δεν μπορώ παρά να γελάσω) ως "Δανέζικη Επανάσταση".
"Ποτέ δεν εγκατέλειψε το γραφείο του κι ωστόσο η επανάσταση είχε ήδη ξεκινήσει. Ίσως όλες οι επαναστάσεις να έπρεπε να συμβαίνουν έτσι. Ο στρατός δεν είναι απαραίτητος, ούτε βία, ούτε τρόμος, ούτε απειλές. Απλώς ένας τρελός βασιλιάς με απόλυτη εξουσία και ένα έγγραφο εξουσιοδότησης".
Εκείνη ωστόσο που αφυπνίζεται πρώτη από τις νέες φιλοσοφικές ιδέες, είναι η ίδια η βασίλισσα. Κάτι που θα αφήσει έκπληκτους όλους εκείνους που δεν κατάφεραν να διανοηθούν πως το κλαψιάρικο, τρομαγμένο κοριτσάκι έκρυβε μέσα της μια δυναμική και ανεξάρτητη γυναίκα, ικανή για πολιτικούς ελιγμούς και αποφάσεις, διατεθειμένη να γνωρίσει και να απολαύσει τον έρωτα έξω και πάνω από κάθε πρόσχημα και κοινωνική σύμβαση.
Όταν εξακόσιοι Νορβηγοί ναύτες χάνουν την εργασία τους λόγω των οικονομικών περικοπών στα έξοδα των στρατιωτικών εξοπλισμών, στασιάζουν και εμφανίζονται στα θερινά ανάκτορα για να εκτοπίσουν το καθεστώς, είναι η βασίλισσα που θα παρέμβει προκειμένου με μερικές της λέξεις να αποκαταστήσει την τάξη:
"Απολογήθηκε για τις καθυστερήσεις στην καταβολή της μισθοδοσίας τους, εξέφρασε τη λύπη της για την πείνα και τη δίψα ως συνέπεια του μακρινού τους ταξιδιού και τους ενημέρωσε πως είχε ήδη ορίσει να ετοιμαστεί για εκείνους ένα γεύμα με ψητό αγριόχοιρο και μπύρα. Έλπιζε πως θα απολάμβαναν το γεύμα τους και εξέφρασε την επιθυμία της να επισκεφθεί κάποια μέρα την όμορφη Νορβηγία".
Έπειτα από τις διαβεβαιώσεις της βασίλισσας οι εξεγερμένοι στασιαστές διαλύονται ησύχως και ακολουθεί ένα μεγάλο φαγοπότι. Αυτό που στα κατάστιχα της Δανέζικης ιστορίας έχει διασωθεί καταγεγραμμένο ως εξέγερση - στο πλαίσιο της προσωπικής μου εμπειρίας, αναφορικά με τον δικό μας τόπο - θα μπορούσε να χαρακτηριστεί ως μια συνηθισμένη Πέμπτη. Όπου μια επιτροπή προβαίνει σε στάση εργασίας, μέχρι ο αρμόδιος υπουργός να τους μπουκώσει με υποσχέσεις και ίσως και μερικά ψίχουλα.
Ακόμα κι όταν η πραγματική εξέγερση ξεσπάει στην Κοπεγχάγη, όταν τελικά το καθεστώς του Struensee καταλύεται, κι αυτή μοιάζει να γίνεται συντεταγμένα, διαρκεί μια δυο μέρες κι έπειτα όλα επανέρχονται στη αρχική τους τάξη και ομαλότητα. Νομίζω πως δεν θα διαφωνήσει κανένας μαζί μου, αν υποστηρίξω πως αυτοί οι βορειοευρωπαίοι, ούτε μια επανάσταση της προκοπής δεν είναι ικανοί να κάνουν.
Από την αρχή γνωρίζουμε πως η ιστορία δεν έχει καλό τέλος. Μέσα στον παθητικό πεσιμισμό του ωστόσο, ο συγγραφέας, αναγνωρίζει πως εκεί φυτεύτηκε ο σπόρος που στον μέλλον έφερε τους καρπούς του Διαφωτιστικού ιδεώδους. Η αυλή της Δανίας μπορεί να υπήρξε πολύ μικρή για να επηρεάσει και να καθορίσει το διεθνές πολιτικό σκηνικό. Η αγάπη μπορεί να τσακιστεί από τα εμπόδια και τις αντιξοότητες. Όμως ένα κάστρο μπορεί να ξεθεμελιωθεί με μεγαλύτερη ευκολία, από μια ιδέα, όταν αυτή ριζώσει για τα καλά στη συνείδηση των ανθρώπων.
Κι αυτή είναι η πραγματική και ουσιαστική σημασία της Δανέζικης Επανάστασης και η απόδειξη πως οι πιο καίριες αλλαγές μπορεί να ξεκινούν από κάποιον εμπνευσμένο ηγέτη αλλά πραγματώνονται μόνο μέσα από την ωριμότητα και τη συναίνεση ενός λαού.
The Danish court may have been too small to influence and define the international political scene. Love can be crushed by obstacles and adversities. But a castle can more easily be destroyed than an idea if the idea is deeply rooted in people's consciousness. And this is the true and essential significance of the Danish Revolution and the proof that the most crucial changes can be initiated by an inspiring leader but can only come to fruition via the maturity and consensus of the People.
Ο συγγραφέας στην εναρκτήρια παράγραφο του έργου του αποκαλύπτει τα πάντα για το περιεχόμενο ιστορίας του, συμπεριλαμβανομένου και του τέλους της:
"Ο Johann Friedrich Struensee διορίστηκε ως βασιλικός γιατρός του βασιλιά Χριστιανού (Christian) του 7ου και τέσσερα χρόνια μετά, εκτελέστηκε".
Ενδεχομένως να θεωρούσε πως το αρχικό κοινό του, οι Σουηδοί, γνώριζαν ήδη την υπόθεση που βασίζεται πράγματι σε αληθινά ιστορικά γεγονότα. Ο Per Olov Enquist γεννημένος σε ένα από αυτά τα μικρά Σουηδικά χωριά των οποίων το όνομα δυσκολεύομαι ομολογουμένως να προφέρω, ορφανός από πατέρα, μεγαλωμένος από μια δεσποτική, θρησκόληπτη μητέρα, γράφει χρησιμοποιώντας μια ενδιαφέρουσα τεχνική όπου συνίσταται κυρίως από ένα μείγμα μαρτυρίας (είτε αυτοβιογραφικά, είτε ιστορικά γεγονότα με ενδελεχή μελέτη των πηγών) και αυτοαναφορικότητας, όπου οι εσωτερικοί μονόλογοι, οι επαναλήψεις φράσεων και λέξεων και ο στοχασμός των ιστορούμενων προσώπων έχουν πρωτίστως ως στόχο να εκφράσουν τις προσωπικές του αγωνίες, ενοχές και προβληματισμούς.
Η αμαρτία, η ενοχή που αυτή επιφέρει, η έννοια του σωστού και του λάθους, το τίμημα της ανυπακοής και οι συνέπειες της γνώσης, συνδυάζονται με ποιητικές περιγραφές, μοιάζουν με πίνακες ζωγραφικής, με τις λέξεις να παίζουν τον ρόλο είτε των χρωμάτων είτε τον ρόλο μιας επίπονης και εμμονικής εξομολόγ��σης, ως μέσο ψυχικής και συναισθηματικής εκτόνωσης. Αυτά είναι τα βασικά θέματα της συγγραφικής του παλέτας, με τα οποία δημιουργεί παραλλαγές ενός υβριδικού μυθιστορηματικού είδους, πολύ κλασικό για να θεωρηθεί μοντέρνο και πολύ μοντέρνο για χαρακτηριστεί κλασικό, όπου η αναλογία ποικίλει ανάλογα με τον αν αντλεί το θέμα του από την προσωπική του ζωή ή από τη ζωή των άλλων.
Ο πρίγκιπας Christian γίνεται παρά τη θέλησή του βασιλιάς της Δανίας, διαδέχεται στον θρόνο τον αλκοολικό πατέρα του και προορίζεται να συνεχίσει απρόσκοπτα αυτό που ο συγγραφέας χαρακτηρίζει ως "κενό εξουσίας" όπου ο ανίκανος βασιλιάς λειτουργεί απλώς διεκπεραιωτικά, ως ηθοποιός που απαγγέλει γραμμές που άλλοι έγραψαν για λογαριασμό του, την στιγμή που την αληθινή διακυβέρνηση της χώρας ορίζουν οι αυλικοί του - μεταξύ των οποίων δίνεται η πραγματική μάχη για τη διεκδίκηση και κατοχύρωση της αληθινής εξουσίας. Ένα κακοποιημένο παιδί, ένας ψυχικά ασθενής (εικάζεται πως έπασχε από σχιζοφρένεια) όπου ονειρεύεται πως κάποια μέρα θα αποκαλυφθεί το γεγονός πως είναι απλώς το παιδί ενός χωρικού που μπερδεύτηκε με το πραγματικό βασιλόπουλο κατά τη γέννα:
"Κανένας δεν υποστήριζε την ιδέα πως ένας βασιλιάς δεν πρέπει να εξασκεί την εξουσία του. Όμως όλοι πίστευαν πως ήταν παράφρονας, βαρύτατα αλκοολικός ή χωρίς διάθεση να εργαστεί. Αν δεν ίσχυε τίποτε από αυτά, τότε η θέλησή του έπρεπε τσακιστεί. Έτσι η απάθεια των βασιλέων και η παρακμή τους ήταν άλλοτε κληρονομική κι άλλοτε σκόπιμα καλλιεργημένη. Ο Reverdil (σσ. ο παιδαγωγός του πρίγκιπα) περιγράφει τις μεθόδους που χρησιμοποιούνταν ως "μια συστηματική διαπαιδαγώγηση που στοχεύει στην πρόκληση αδυναμίας και αποβλάκωσης ώστε η διακυβέρνηση να παραμείνει στα χέρια των πραγματικών εξουσιαστών". Σύντομα διαπίστωσε πως η αυλή της Δανίας ήταν διατεθειμένη να θυσιάσει την πνευματική υγεία του νεαρού πρίγκιπα για να πετύχει τα αποτελέσματα που είχαν προϋπάρξει στους προηγούμενους βασιλείς".
Έτσι η μέθοδος διαπαιδαγώγησης του πρίγκιπα περιελάμβανε μαστίγωμα και διάφορες άλλες σωματικές τιμωρίες καθώς και άσκηση ψυχικής και λεκτικής βίας. Ο ίδιος σε όλη τη διάρκεια της ζωής του, έζησε ανάμεσα σε φάσεις απόλυτης κατατονίας που εναλλάσσονταν από βίαια ξεσπάσματα οργής και σε ένα επινοημένο, φανταστικό σύμπαν, το μόνο καταφύγιο που είχε προκειμένου να δραπετεύει από τους εφιάλτες του.
Ωστόσο όλοι όσοι φρόντισαν να καλλιεργήσουν αυτήν την αξιοθρήνητη κατάσταση, όσοι επέλεξαν, για λογαριασμό του νεαρού βασιλιά, μια αγγλίδα πριγκίπισσα (Caroline Mathilde) που θεωρούσαν πως είναι εξίσου απλοϊκή και ανόητη και εκείνοι που διάλεξαν τον Γερμανό γιατρό Struensee με κύριο μέλημα τη διατήρηση των προσχημάτων, απέτυχαν να προβλέψουν τις κατοπινές εξελίξεις.
Ο Struensee δεν είναι ένας τυχαίος άνδρας. Έχει ασπαστεί πλήρως τα ιδεώδη του Διαφωτισμού. Όλη του ζωή περιστρέφεται γύρω από αυτό ακριβώς το φιλοσοφικό δίπολο:
"Αν ο Διαφωτισμός είχε ένα λογικό και σκληρό πρόσωπο, την πίστη στη Λογική και στον Εμπειρισμό της ιατρικής, των μαθηματικών, της φυσικής και της αστρονομίας, ωστόσο είχε επίσης κι ένα απαλό πρόσωπο, είναι ο Διαφωτισμός ως ελευθερία της σκέψης, η ανεκτικότητα, η ελευθερία".
Ο Διαφωτισμός και η δράση του ενάντια στο πιετιστικό περιβάλλον των θρησκόληπτων προτεσταντών, οι ενέργειές του για τη βελτίωση των συνθηκών διαβίωσης των αδύναμων κοινωνικών στρωμάτων, η ελευθερία του Τύπου, η μείωση της κατασπατάλησης των δημοσίων εσόδων και η αναδιάρθρωση του φορολογικού συστήματος, έγιναν πραγματικότητα μέσα στα τέσσερα χρόνια που κατέλαβε την κορυφή της εξουσίας, αθόρυβα και ξαφνικά, χωρίς να προηγηθεί καμία επαναστατική δράση ή βίαιη στρατιωτική παρέμβαση, απλώς επειδή βρέθηκε πολύ κοντά στον Βασιλιά - Παιδί, κέρδισε την εμπιστοσύνη του ή μάλλον την τυφλή υπακοή του, όπως άλλοι είχαν κάνει πριν από αυτόν κι όπως άλλοι θα συνεχίσουν να κάνουν μετά το τέλος του τετραετούς αυτού πραξικοπήματος, που οι Δανοί χαρακτηρίζουν (κι εδώ δεν μπορώ παρά να γελάσω) ως "Δανέζικη Επανάσταση".
"Ποτέ δεν εγκατέλειψε το γραφείο του κι ωστόσο η επανάσταση είχε ήδη ξεκινήσει. Ίσως όλες οι επαναστάσεις να έπρεπε να συμβαίνουν έτσι. Ο στρατός δεν είναι απαραίτητος, ούτε βία, ούτε τρόμος, ούτε απειλές. Απλώς ένας τρελός βασιλιάς με απόλυτη εξουσία και ένα έγγραφο εξουσιοδότησης".
Εκείνη ωστόσο που αφυπνίζεται πρώτη από τις νέες φιλοσοφικές ιδέες, είναι η ίδια η βασίλισσα. Κάτι που θα αφήσει έκπληκτους όλους εκείνους που δεν κατάφεραν να διανοηθούν πως το κλαψιάρικο, τρομαγμένο κοριτσάκι έκρυβε μέσα της μια δυναμική και ανεξάρτητη γυναίκα, ικανή για πολιτικούς ελιγμούς και αποφάσεις, διατεθειμένη να γνωρίσει και να απολαύσει τον έρωτα έξω και πάνω από κάθε πρόσχημα και κοινωνική σύμβαση.
Όταν εξακόσιοι Νορβηγοί ναύτες χάνουν την εργασία τους λόγω των οικονομικών περικοπών στα έξοδα των στρατιωτικών εξοπλισμών, στασιάζουν και εμφανίζονται στα θερινά ανάκτορα για να εκτοπίσουν το καθεστώς, είναι η βασίλισσα που θα παρέμβει προκειμένου με μερικές της λέξεις να αποκαταστήσει την τάξη:
"Απολογήθηκε για τις καθυστερήσεις στην καταβολή της μισθοδοσίας τους, εξέφρασε τη λύπη της για την πείνα και τη δίψα ως συνέπεια του μακρινού τους ταξιδιού και τους ενημέρωσε πως είχε ήδη ορίσει να ετοιμαστεί για εκείνους ένα γεύμα με ψητό αγριόχοιρο και μπύρα. Έλπιζε πως θα απολάμβαναν το γεύμα τους και εξέφρασε την επιθυμία της να επισκεφθεί κάποια μέρα την όμορφη Νορβηγία".
Έπειτα από τις διαβεβαιώσεις της βασίλισσας οι εξεγερμένοι στασιαστές διαλύονται ησύχως και ακολουθεί ένα μεγάλο φαγοπότι. Αυτό που στα κατάστιχα της Δανέζικης ιστορίας έχει διασωθεί καταγεγραμμένο ως εξέγερση - στο πλαίσιο της προσωπικής μου εμπειρίας, αναφορικά με τον δικό μας τόπο - θα μπορούσε να χαρακτηριστεί ως μια συνηθισμένη Πέμπτη. Όπου μια επιτροπή προβαίνει σε στάση εργασίας, μέχρι ο αρμόδιος υπουργός να τους μπουκώσει με υποσχέσεις και ίσως και μερικά ψίχουλα.
Ακόμα κι όταν η πραγματική εξέγερση ξεσπάει στην Κοπεγχάγη, όταν τελικά το καθεστώς του Struensee καταλύεται, κι αυτή μοιάζει να γίνεται συντεταγμένα, διαρκεί μια δυο μέρες κι έπειτα όλα επανέρχονται στη αρχική τους τάξη και ομαλότητα. Νομίζω πως δεν θα διαφωνήσει κανένας μαζί μου, αν υποστηρίξω πως αυτοί οι βορειοευρωπαίοι, ούτε μια επανάσταση της προκοπής δεν είναι ικανοί να κάνουν.
Από την αρχή γνωρίζουμε πως η ιστορία δεν έχει καλό τέλος. Μέσα στον παθητικό πεσιμισμό του ωστόσο, ο συγγραφέας, αναγνωρίζει πως εκεί φυτεύτηκε ο σπόρος που στον μέλλον έφερε τους καρπούς του Διαφωτιστικού ιδεώδους. Η αυλή της Δανίας μπορεί να υπήρξε πολύ μικρή για να επηρεάσει και να καθορίσει το διεθνές πολιτικό σκηνικό. Η αγάπη μπορεί να τσακιστεί από τα εμπόδια και τις αντιξοότητες. Όμως ένα κάστρο μπορεί να ξεθεμελιωθεί με μεγαλύτερη ευκολία, από μια ιδέα, όταν αυτή ριζώσει για τα καλά στη συνείδηση των ανθρώπων.
Κι αυτή είναι η πραγματική και ουσιαστική σημασία της Δανέζικης Επανάστασης και η απόδειξη πως οι πιο καίριες αλλαγές μπορεί να ξεκινούν από κάποιον εμπνευσμένο ηγέτη αλλά πραγματώνονται μόνο μέσα από την ωριμότητα και τη συναίνεση ενός λαού.
November 7, 2018
ملك دنماركي وطبيب ألماني وزوجة ملك إنجليزية ...قصة تاريخية يصفها الكاتب السويدي الذي عاش بالدنمارك بتلك الطريقة التي تحدثنا بها القصص عن الفضيلة والرذيلة ..عن ترويض الملوك وإختراق الخصوصيات..هذه القصة الساحرة تفند الحالات الهلاوسية التي عادة ما يتمتع بها شخوص أعلى السلطة وهي مفرطة بتزويدك عن الحالة التي يعنيها الإنفصام لمن يتمتع بقيادة الشعوب..الإرث التاريخي القديم في أروربا فيه الكثير ما يعيننا على قراءة التاريخ كي نتعظ وليتنا نفعل
November 2, 2020
At night he lay awake for a long time, staring up at the darkness, where the avenging God could be found, and mercy, and love, and justice. It was then that he was seized with despair. There was nothing there in the dark, there was nothing, only emptiness, and a great despair.
What kind of life is this, he thought, when justice and vengeance triumph, and I can't see God's love in the darkness, but only despair and emptiness?
What kind of life is this, he thought, when justice and vengeance triumph, and I can't see God's love in the darkness, but only despair and emptiness?
February 18, 2011
NO SPOILERS
On completion: WOW - what a way to learn history! This reads like a horror story or a political crime novel. But NO!, this is history. I applaud Per Olov Enquist's talents. He presents all the facts, all the events of the "Danish Struensee Era", and yet not once do you feel you are reading anything but a political crime novel. And yet.... I don't enjoy political novels or crime novels or horror stories, either - but this I adored!
The imagery is stupendous:
The revolution that Struensee initiated was quickly stopped. It took only a few weeks for everything to revert to the way it was before, or to even earlier times. It was as if his 632 decrees, issued during the two years known as the "Struensee era" were paper swallow, some which landed, while others were still hovering low over the surface of the field and hadn't yet managed to alight on the Danish landscape. (page 310)
The theme focused upon Christian's insanity has the reader continually asking: Is he insane? Yes, he is! No, he can't be, not when he is capable of such reasoning. This is not a criticism of the quthor's description of Christian. It is instead the author's ability to keep us pondering: What is insanity?
The book offers intriguing philosophical insights. The following text concerns a painting of the Swedish King Gustav III by Carl Gustaf Pilo:
Is it the darkness that is light or the luminous that is dark? A choice must be made. The same is true of history; people choose what to see, what is light and what is darkness. (page 304)
This is of course very relevant to the events of the story.
There is superb character portrayal. The writing is very Swedish/Scandinavian. Characters simply cannot reveal themselves to one another. There is always an atmosphere of tension and the prevalent suppression of communication.
Christian, Caroline Mathilde, Struensee. Those three.
They seemed to be observing each other with curiosity and suspicion. The court observed them too. As they observed the court. Everyone seemed to be waiting. (page 137)
I don't like political novels. I don't like horror stories. I usually shy away from Swedish authors since I have read a fair share of them. Thus, I shouldn't like this book, but I really, really did. 5 stars!
Now I simply must get my hands on The Book about Blanche and Marie. This I must read in Swedish, but the Swedish edition is out of print currently.
**************************************
Through page 100: I don't quite see how you can possibly give spoilers for this novel. Right at the beginning the reader is told what will happen. The Danish King Christian VII, born 1749, was found to be crazy. A royal physician was called in to "protect" and care for him. This physician was the German doctor Johann Friedrich Struensee. It was he who along with Christian brought the ideas of the "Enlightenment" to Denmark. Laws were passed supporting these theories. What did the "Enlightenment" stand for? It was an attempt to bring freedom of thought, tolerance and liberty into government. It supported beliefs in reason and empiricism witnin medicine, physics and mathematics. Struensee held his position as the Royal Physician for four years from 1768-1772, after which he was tortured and beheaded. He had an affair with the Queen Caroline Mathilde. This was a convenient excuse for removing him from power! You see, before Christian, the Danish Kings were weak in power and the Danish Court were the ones who in fact held the reins. Christian was very young when he became King. If he wasn't crazy from the start, he certainly had to be brought to this state by those responsible for his uppbringing. I am telling you, the description of how this was brought into effect is hair-raising! I guess what is fiction is the exact words and the personification of the characters..... The author does this so well that you never doubt a smidgeon! The elegance of the author's words is astounding. When revealing the facts he is short and precise. When describing the love affairs you are there too. The prose is wonderful. I guess the translation is too, because I am reading the translated version, by Tiina Nunnally. I will give you a taste by quoting from pages 99-100 when Struensee first meets Christian:
Their first encounter was extremely odd.
The King was staying at the mayor's residence. One evening when he asked for the courier Andreas Hjort, he was informed that the man had been recalled home. No explanation was given. The courier's action was described as inexplicable but might have been prompted by illness in his family.
Christian suffered a recurrence of his peculiar spasms and then began furiously demolishing the room, throwing the chairs and breaking windows. With a oiece of coal taken from the embers in the fireplace he wrote Guldberg's name on the exceedingly beautiful silk tapestries, although deliberately misspelling it. During the tumult the King's hand was injured and started to bleed, so that Struensee's first task on the journey was to bandage the monarch's hand.
The new Royal Physician had been called in.
His first memory of Christian was this: the quite slender boy was sitting on a chair, his hand was bleeding, and he was staring, straight ahead.
After a very long silence Struensee asked kindly:
"Your Majesty, can you explain this sudden...anger? You don't have to, but..."
"No, I don't have to."
After a moment he added.
"They tricked me. She's not anywhere. Even if she is somewhere, that's not where we are going. And if we do, they'll take her away. Perhaps she is dead. It's my fault. I must be punished."
Struensee writes that at the time he didn't understand (though he did later) and that he simply and quietly began bandaging the King's hand.
"Were you born in Altona?" Christian then asked.
Struensee replied:
"In Halle. ButI cam to Altona at an early age."
"They say," Christian continued, "that in Altona there are nothing but freethinkers and men of the Enlightenment who want to smash society into rubble and ashes."
Struensee merely nodded calmly.
"Smash!!! The existing society!!!"
"Yes, Your Majesty," replied Struensee. That's what they say. Others say ir's a European center of the Enlightenment."
"And what do you say, Doctor Struensee?"
The bandaging was now done. Struensee was on his knees in front of Christian.
"I'm a man of the Enlightenment," he said, "but first and foremost a doctor. If Your Majesty so desires, I will leave my post at once and return to my normal medical practice."
Christian regarded Struensee with a newly sparked interest, not in the least annoyed or disturbed by the man's almost insolent bluntness.
I took the time to give such a lenthy quote because I believe the prose will appeal to some readers and not to others. You determine. I think you also see from this quote that this is a work of fiction for portions cannot be known facts. The author has umade his own suppositions. Tere is no author's note at the end.
On completion: WOW - what a way to learn history! This reads like a horror story or a political crime novel. But NO!, this is history. I applaud Per Olov Enquist's talents. He presents all the facts, all the events of the "Danish Struensee Era", and yet not once do you feel you are reading anything but a political crime novel. And yet.... I don't enjoy political novels or crime novels or horror stories, either - but this I adored!
The imagery is stupendous:
The revolution that Struensee initiated was quickly stopped. It took only a few weeks for everything to revert to the way it was before, or to even earlier times. It was as if his 632 decrees, issued during the two years known as the "Struensee era" were paper swallow, some which landed, while others were still hovering low over the surface of the field and hadn't yet managed to alight on the Danish landscape. (page 310)
The theme focused upon Christian's insanity has the reader continually asking: Is he insane? Yes, he is! No, he can't be, not when he is capable of such reasoning. This is not a criticism of the quthor's description of Christian. It is instead the author's ability to keep us pondering: What is insanity?
The book offers intriguing philosophical insights. The following text concerns a painting of the Swedish King Gustav III by Carl Gustaf Pilo:
Is it the darkness that is light or the luminous that is dark? A choice must be made. The same is true of history; people choose what to see, what is light and what is darkness. (page 304)
This is of course very relevant to the events of the story.
There is superb character portrayal. The writing is very Swedish/Scandinavian. Characters simply cannot reveal themselves to one another. There is always an atmosphere of tension and the prevalent suppression of communication.
Christian, Caroline Mathilde, Struensee. Those three.
They seemed to be observing each other with curiosity and suspicion. The court observed them too. As they observed the court. Everyone seemed to be waiting. (page 137)
I don't like political novels. I don't like horror stories. I usually shy away from Swedish authors since I have read a fair share of them. Thus, I shouldn't like this book, but I really, really did. 5 stars!
Now I simply must get my hands on The Book about Blanche and Marie. This I must read in Swedish, but the Swedish edition is out of print currently.
**************************************
Through page 100: I don't quite see how you can possibly give spoilers for this novel. Right at the beginning the reader is told what will happen. The Danish King Christian VII, born 1749, was found to be crazy. A royal physician was called in to "protect" and care for him. This physician was the German doctor Johann Friedrich Struensee. It was he who along with Christian brought the ideas of the "Enlightenment" to Denmark. Laws were passed supporting these theories. What did the "Enlightenment" stand for? It was an attempt to bring freedom of thought, tolerance and liberty into government. It supported beliefs in reason and empiricism witnin medicine, physics and mathematics. Struensee held his position as the Royal Physician for four years from 1768-1772, after which he was tortured and beheaded. He had an affair with the Queen Caroline Mathilde. This was a convenient excuse for removing him from power! You see, before Christian, the Danish Kings were weak in power and the Danish Court were the ones who in fact held the reins. Christian was very young when he became King. If he wasn't crazy from the start, he certainly had to be brought to this state by those responsible for his uppbringing. I am telling you, the description of how this was brought into effect is hair-raising! I guess what is fiction is the exact words and the personification of the characters..... The author does this so well that you never doubt a smidgeon! The elegance of the author's words is astounding. When revealing the facts he is short and precise. When describing the love affairs you are there too. The prose is wonderful. I guess the translation is too, because I am reading the translated version, by Tiina Nunnally. I will give you a taste by quoting from pages 99-100 when Struensee first meets Christian:
Their first encounter was extremely odd.
The King was staying at the mayor's residence. One evening when he asked for the courier Andreas Hjort, he was informed that the man had been recalled home. No explanation was given. The courier's action was described as inexplicable but might have been prompted by illness in his family.
Christian suffered a recurrence of his peculiar spasms and then began furiously demolishing the room, throwing the chairs and breaking windows. With a oiece of coal taken from the embers in the fireplace he wrote Guldberg's name on the exceedingly beautiful silk tapestries, although deliberately misspelling it. During the tumult the King's hand was injured and started to bleed, so that Struensee's first task on the journey was to bandage the monarch's hand.
The new Royal Physician had been called in.
His first memory of Christian was this: the quite slender boy was sitting on a chair, his hand was bleeding, and he was staring, straight ahead.
After a very long silence Struensee asked kindly:
"Your Majesty, can you explain this sudden...anger? You don't have to, but..."
"No, I don't have to."
After a moment he added.
"They tricked me. She's not anywhere. Even if she is somewhere, that's not where we are going. And if we do, they'll take her away. Perhaps she is dead. It's my fault. I must be punished."
Struensee writes that at the time he didn't understand (though he did later) and that he simply and quietly began bandaging the King's hand.
"Were you born in Altona?" Christian then asked.
Struensee replied:
"In Halle. ButI cam to Altona at an early age."
"They say," Christian continued, "that in Altona there are nothing but freethinkers and men of the Enlightenment who want to smash society into rubble and ashes."
Struensee merely nodded calmly.
"Smash!!! The existing society!!!"
"Yes, Your Majesty," replied Struensee. That's what they say. Others say ir's a European center of the Enlightenment."
"And what do you say, Doctor Struensee?"
The bandaging was now done. Struensee was on his knees in front of Christian.
"I'm a man of the Enlightenment," he said, "but first and foremost a doctor. If Your Majesty so desires, I will leave my post at once and return to my normal medical practice."
Christian regarded Struensee with a newly sparked interest, not in the least annoyed or disturbed by the man's almost insolent bluntness.
I took the time to give such a lenthy quote because I believe the prose will appeal to some readers and not to others. You determine. I think you also see from this quote that this is a work of fiction for portions cannot be known facts. The author has umade his own suppositions. Tere is no author's note at the end.
February 22, 2018
Tutto il marcio di Danimarca.
È uno strano romanzo «Il medico di corte», perché è sì una vicenda romanzata, ma è anche la cronaca di un importante fatto storico realmente avvenuto in Danimarca alla fine del Settecento alla Corte di Cristiano VII, un fatto del quale, ahimè, come spesso mi succede, non sapevo assolutamente nulla.
L'Illuminismo è alla porte, siamo nel 1768 quando tutto ha inizio, e il soffio di quelle idee, la luce di quella torcia che squarcia le tenebre dall'interno, riescono a insinuarsi anche nella mente del giovanissimo re: forse pazzo, forse demente, forse affetto da chissà quale malattia oggi curabile, forse salito al trono troppo giovane, soli diciassette anni, e oppresso dagli intrighi di palazzo, dalle ragioni di Stato, della pietistica politica nazionale e dai suoi servitori ciechi e ottusi, manipolato da tutti, a partire dalla regina madre e da Guldberg, consigliere della stessa e precettore del fratellastro, o forse solo un "Cristiano Amleto", come ebbero a definirlo in Inghilterra, quando gli si impedì di vedere rappresentato "Amleto", per scongiurare il pericolo di una destabilizzante immedesimazione.
È all'arrivo di Johann Friedrich Struensee, medico tedesco di Altona, detto "Il Taciturno", che accetta l'incarico di Medico di Corte per accompagnare il sovrano in un lungo viaggio per l'Europa, che quei refoli di vento, trascurati e considerati non minacciosi, inizieranno a trasformarsi in tempesta, una tempesta che lo porterà in un primissimo scambio di ruoli a diventare Primo Ministro, unico punto di riferimento di Cristiano, ma anche vero sovrano, a promulgare in soli quattro anni una quantità impressionenti di leggi capaci di trasformare la Danimarca nella prima vera nazione 'illuminata' d'Europa.
È una storia politica, dunque, che anticipa di diversi anni la Rivoluzione Francese, ma è anche una storia di amore, un amore travolgente e scandaloso, quello che incrocerà i destini di re Cristiano e Strunsee a quello dell'ancor più giovane regina Caroline Mathilde, la piccola sgualdrina inglese com'era soprannominata a Corte, la storia di tre personaggi che, forse, se non si fossero mai incrociati fra loro nello stesso momento storico, se la sorte non avesse riservato loro uno strano e imprevedibile scambio di ruoli, avrebbero vissuto destini completamente diversi.
È un senso di ineluttabilità, quello che avvolge sin dalle prime pagine di lettura, una freddezza di scrittura che a tratti sembra voler stabilire le distanze, dire al lettore che era già tutto previsto, che ogni segnale era lì già pronto, in bella mostra, per essere interpretato, anche se nessuno avrebbe immaginato mai che quel re inetto e fuori dal mondo, quella regina bambina e straniera, quel medico innocuo e silenzioso, un Rivoluzionario da scrivania, avrebbero potuto cambiare nulla, non solo le loro esistenze, ma perfino le sorti del paese.
Ci sono stati momenti in cui lo stile di Enquist mi ha infastidita, in cui ho pensato che una storia così meritasse una scrittura più viva di quella che sembrava una monotona cronaca degli eventi, altri in cui, invece, i pensieri sotterranei e compressi di tutti i protagonisti sono stati talmente intensi da lasciarmi senza fiato, percorsa da quello stesso brivido di gelo che doveva attraversare i corridoi bui e silenziosi dei palazzi, o i vetri ai quali Caroline Mathilde incollava viso e sguardo per osservare la danza dei fiocchi di neve o dei gabbiani avvolti nei loro sogni, impaurita dal freddo pungente nei labirinti del giardino nel quale Cristiano, rabbioso e tremante in preda agli spasmi, cerca senza trovarla l'uscita, o sopraffatta da quei percorsi del piacere, e della paura, che Strunsee scopre per la prima volta nella vita insieme all'eros e all'amore uniti in una invincibile danza nel superamento dei confini conosciuti, oppure smarrita nel castello di Hirschholm, il favoloso castello che visse quell'unica estate, quando tutto ebbe fine.
È un libro gelido, è vero, sembra quasi di osservare anche noi un paesaggio innevato, uno di quei paesaggi in cui tutto è bianco, dove sembra quasi non esistere profondità, ma è solo osservandolo senza staccare mai lo sguardo, che alla fine, una alla volta, quelle figurine innevate che prima era quasi impossibile scorgere e distinguere le une dalle altre, iniziano a stagliarsi lentamente, ad acquistare tridimensionalità, e vitalità, e passione, fino a diventare persone vere, fatte di carne, ma soprattutto di sangue, e idee, e sappiamo che una scintilla può incendiare una prateria, e che le parole e i pensieri non si lasciano decapitare.
Tutto questo succedeva nel prima, come si era espressa lei.
«Ma cos'era, in realtà, un uomo, se poteva essere sezionato e smembrato e appeso su pali e ruote, e tuttavia in qualche modo continuare a vivere? Cos'era, questo elemento sacro?
"Sacro è ciò che il sacro fa" aveva pensato: l'uomo considerato come la somma delle sue scelte e delle sue azioni. In fin dei conti, fu qualcosa d'altro, e di più importante, che restò del regno di Strunsee. Non la biologia, non solo le azioni, ma un sogno sulle possibilità dell'uomo, ciò che vi è di più sacro e più difficile da catturare, ciò che continuava ad aleggiare nell'aria come l'insistente suono di un flauto del tempo di Strunsee, e che non si lasciò decapitare.»
«"Il mio amico Voltaire è solito dire che a volte, la storia, per puro caso, apre uno spiraglio unico verso il futuro."
"Sì?"
"E allora ci si può infilare dentro."»
E adesso, di corsa a vedere “A Royal Affair“
[Edit: fatto, visto. Quando il film è bello quanto il romanzo, anche un po' di più.]
È uno strano romanzo «Il medico di corte», perché è sì una vicenda romanzata, ma è anche la cronaca di un importante fatto storico realmente avvenuto in Danimarca alla fine del Settecento alla Corte di Cristiano VII, un fatto del quale, ahimè, come spesso mi succede, non sapevo assolutamente nulla.
L'Illuminismo è alla porte, siamo nel 1768 quando tutto ha inizio, e il soffio di quelle idee, la luce di quella torcia che squarcia le tenebre dall'interno, riescono a insinuarsi anche nella mente del giovanissimo re: forse pazzo, forse demente, forse affetto da chissà quale malattia oggi curabile, forse salito al trono troppo giovane, soli diciassette anni, e oppresso dagli intrighi di palazzo, dalle ragioni di Stato, della pietistica politica nazionale e dai suoi servitori ciechi e ottusi, manipolato da tutti, a partire dalla regina madre e da Guldberg, consigliere della stessa e precettore del fratellastro, o forse solo un "Cristiano Amleto", come ebbero a definirlo in Inghilterra, quando gli si impedì di vedere rappresentato "Amleto", per scongiurare il pericolo di una destabilizzante immedesimazione.
È all'arrivo di Johann Friedrich Struensee, medico tedesco di Altona, detto "Il Taciturno", che accetta l'incarico di Medico di Corte per accompagnare il sovrano in un lungo viaggio per l'Europa, che quei refoli di vento, trascurati e considerati non minacciosi, inizieranno a trasformarsi in tempesta, una tempesta che lo porterà in un primissimo scambio di ruoli a diventare Primo Ministro, unico punto di riferimento di Cristiano, ma anche vero sovrano, a promulgare in soli quattro anni una quantità impressionenti di leggi capaci di trasformare la Danimarca nella prima vera nazione 'illuminata' d'Europa.
È una storia politica, dunque, che anticipa di diversi anni la Rivoluzione Francese, ma è anche una storia di amore, un amore travolgente e scandaloso, quello che incrocerà i destini di re Cristiano e Strunsee a quello dell'ancor più giovane regina Caroline Mathilde, la piccola sgualdrina inglese com'era soprannominata a Corte, la storia di tre personaggi che, forse, se non si fossero mai incrociati fra loro nello stesso momento storico, se la sorte non avesse riservato loro uno strano e imprevedibile scambio di ruoli, avrebbero vissuto destini completamente diversi.
È un senso di ineluttabilità, quello che avvolge sin dalle prime pagine di lettura, una freddezza di scrittura che a tratti sembra voler stabilire le distanze, dire al lettore che era già tutto previsto, che ogni segnale era lì già pronto, in bella mostra, per essere interpretato, anche se nessuno avrebbe immaginato mai che quel re inetto e fuori dal mondo, quella regina bambina e straniera, quel medico innocuo e silenzioso, un Rivoluzionario da scrivania, avrebbero potuto cambiare nulla, non solo le loro esistenze, ma perfino le sorti del paese.
Ci sono stati momenti in cui lo stile di Enquist mi ha infastidita, in cui ho pensato che una storia così meritasse una scrittura più viva di quella che sembrava una monotona cronaca degli eventi, altri in cui, invece, i pensieri sotterranei e compressi di tutti i protagonisti sono stati talmente intensi da lasciarmi senza fiato, percorsa da quello stesso brivido di gelo che doveva attraversare i corridoi bui e silenziosi dei palazzi, o i vetri ai quali Caroline Mathilde incollava viso e sguardo per osservare la danza dei fiocchi di neve o dei gabbiani avvolti nei loro sogni, impaurita dal freddo pungente nei labirinti del giardino nel quale Cristiano, rabbioso e tremante in preda agli spasmi, cerca senza trovarla l'uscita, o sopraffatta da quei percorsi del piacere, e della paura, che Strunsee scopre per la prima volta nella vita insieme all'eros e all'amore uniti in una invincibile danza nel superamento dei confini conosciuti, oppure smarrita nel castello di Hirschholm, il favoloso castello che visse quell'unica estate, quando tutto ebbe fine.
È un libro gelido, è vero, sembra quasi di osservare anche noi un paesaggio innevato, uno di quei paesaggi in cui tutto è bianco, dove sembra quasi non esistere profondità, ma è solo osservandolo senza staccare mai lo sguardo, che alla fine, una alla volta, quelle figurine innevate che prima era quasi impossibile scorgere e distinguere le une dalle altre, iniziano a stagliarsi lentamente, ad acquistare tridimensionalità, e vitalità, e passione, fino a diventare persone vere, fatte di carne, ma soprattutto di sangue, e idee, e sappiamo che una scintilla può incendiare una prateria, e che le parole e i pensieri non si lasciano decapitare.
Tutto questo succedeva nel prima, come si era espressa lei.
«Ma cos'era, in realtà, un uomo, se poteva essere sezionato e smembrato e appeso su pali e ruote, e tuttavia in qualche modo continuare a vivere? Cos'era, questo elemento sacro?
"Sacro è ciò che il sacro fa" aveva pensato: l'uomo considerato come la somma delle sue scelte e delle sue azioni. In fin dei conti, fu qualcosa d'altro, e di più importante, che restò del regno di Strunsee. Non la biologia, non solo le azioni, ma un sogno sulle possibilità dell'uomo, ciò che vi è di più sacro e più difficile da catturare, ciò che continuava ad aleggiare nell'aria come l'insistente suono di un flauto del tempo di Strunsee, e che non si lasciò decapitare.»
«"Il mio amico Voltaire è solito dire che a volte, la storia, per puro caso, apre uno spiraglio unico verso il futuro."
"Sì?"
"E allora ci si può infilare dentro."»
E adesso, di corsa a vedere “A Royal Affair“
[Edit: fatto, visto. Quando il film è bello quanto il romanzo, anche un po' di più.]
March 24, 2026
Der Roman behandelt die sogenannte Struensee-Zeit um 1770 in Dänemark. Der König Christian VII galt als sehr schwach und geistig zerrüttet, die Macht ging in Wirklichkeit von Beratern und verschiedenen Personen in seinem Umfeld aus. Der König wurde mit der Engländerin Caroline Mathilde verheiratet – die Ehe war für beide unglücklich. Dann trat Johann Struensee, ein Arzt aus Altona mit aufklärerischen Ideen auf die Bühne. Er gewann Christians Vertrauen, dieser räumte ihm weitgehende Rechte ein und nutzte diese zur Umsetzung aufklärerischer Ideen: Bauernbefreiung, Pressefreiheit, Abschaffung der Folter, Ehebruch galt nicht länger als Verbrechen… Er setzte diese Maßnahmen sehr (zu?) schnell durch und ohne mit anderen Kräften zusammenzuarbeiten. Dass – und dass er eine Affäre mit der Königin unterhielt (mit Duldung des Königs, die aus der Beziehung hervorgehende Tochter wurde von ihm als seine anerkannt) – gab seinen Gegnern die Möglichkeit ihn zu stürzen und hinzurichten.
Die Geschichte ist sehr gut recherchiert, selbst die vielen Nebenfiguren lassen sich leicht nachschlagen. Sogar die „Stiefel-Catherine“, die Prostituierte, bei der der König zeitweise Trost fand, ist enthalten. Die Geschichte ist stark aus der Perspektive Struensees erzählt, der sich zunächst sträubt, seine Macht politisch zu nutzen. Als er es dann doch tut, macht er sich selbst ehemalige Freunde zum Feind. Er benutzt den König nicht nur, er mag ihn auch und hat das Bedürfnis diesen zu beschützen. Christian VII scheint hier tatsächlich verrückt, mit unwillkürlichen Anfällen, in denen er Dinge zerstört, mangelnder Konzentrationsfähigkeit, sich lieber in kindlichen Spielen verlierend. Einmal verleiht er seinem Hund ein wichtiges Amt. Ganz offensichtlich ist er nicht nur krank, sondern auch Opfer einer grausamen Erziehung und der Manipulation durch sein Umfeld. Und – ein spannendes Motiv – immer wieder erfährt der Leser, dass der König sich als Schauspieler empfindet, der diese Rolle spiele und nicht aus ihr ausbrechen kann. Brillieren kann er nur, wenn er tatsächlich auf einer Theaterbühne stehen darf.
Enquist beschreibt das reale Drama sehr eindringlich, der Roman hat mir interessante Einblicke für meinen Kopenhagenbesuch geliefert. Literarisch auf jeden Fall anspruchsvoller als Der König und der Uhrmacher, der eine andere Perspektive auf diese Geschichte einnimmt.
Die Geschichte ist sehr gut recherchiert, selbst die vielen Nebenfiguren lassen sich leicht nachschlagen. Sogar die „Stiefel-Catherine“, die Prostituierte, bei der der König zeitweise Trost fand, ist enthalten. Die Geschichte ist stark aus der Perspektive Struensees erzählt, der sich zunächst sträubt, seine Macht politisch zu nutzen. Als er es dann doch tut, macht er sich selbst ehemalige Freunde zum Feind. Er benutzt den König nicht nur, er mag ihn auch und hat das Bedürfnis diesen zu beschützen. Christian VII scheint hier tatsächlich verrückt, mit unwillkürlichen Anfällen, in denen er Dinge zerstört, mangelnder Konzentrationsfähigkeit, sich lieber in kindlichen Spielen verlierend. Einmal verleiht er seinem Hund ein wichtiges Amt. Ganz offensichtlich ist er nicht nur krank, sondern auch Opfer einer grausamen Erziehung und der Manipulation durch sein Umfeld. Und – ein spannendes Motiv – immer wieder erfährt der Leser, dass der König sich als Schauspieler empfindet, der diese Rolle spiele und nicht aus ihr ausbrechen kann. Brillieren kann er nur, wenn er tatsächlich auf einer Theaterbühne stehen darf.
Enquist beschreibt das reale Drama sehr eindringlich, der Roman hat mir interessante Einblicke für meinen Kopenhagenbesuch geliefert. Literarisch auf jeden Fall anspruchsvoller als Der König und der Uhrmacher, der eine andere Perspektive auf diese Geschichte einnimmt.
September 5, 2016
Granda malha de livro. Um belo romance histórico passado na corte de Christian VII da Dinamarca, um Rei demasiado jovem e imaturo e pelos vistos maluco misturado com intrigas palacianas, sexo, adultério, traições e mortes. Gostei mesmo. Lê-se muito bem e a escrita é elegante, isso nota-se bastante nas partes picantes que sem serem muito eufemisticas também não caem no brejeiro. Maravilha de livro.
July 23, 2016
ما هو السبيل الأنجع للتغيير:
من رأس الهرم نزولاً الى القاعدة؟ ام العكس؟
التغيير دفعةً واحدة؟ أم التغيير المرحلي؟
ماذا لو كانت هناك مسافة شاسعة تفصل بين النخبة المثقفة والمجتمع؟ وماذا لو سنحت الفرصة للنخبة لتسلم زمام السلطة وواتهم الفرصة للتغيير قبل إعداد القاعدة الشعبية؟ ماذا عن آليات التغيير وأثرها في القبول الشعبي لها؟
أسئلة جوهرية تثيرها هذه الرواية التي تتناول فترة تاريخية مهمة في تاريخ أوروبا في بدايات بزوغ عصر التنوير. أعجبتني الرواية في طرحها وسلاسة السرد فيها، وترجمتها العربية أيضاً خرجت بشكل رائع.
من رأس الهرم نزولاً الى القاعدة؟ ام العكس؟
التغيير دفعةً واحدة؟ أم التغيير المرحلي؟
ماذا لو كانت هناك مسافة شاسعة تفصل بين النخبة المثقفة والمجتمع؟ وماذا لو سنحت الفرصة للنخبة لتسلم زمام السلطة وواتهم الفرصة للتغيير قبل إعداد القاعدة الشعبية؟ ماذا عن آليات التغيير وأثرها في القبول الشعبي لها؟
أسئلة جوهرية تثيرها هذه الرواية التي تتناول فترة تاريخية مهمة في تاريخ أوروبا في بدايات بزوغ عصر التنوير. أعجبتني الرواية في طرحها وسلاسة السرد فيها، وترجمتها العربية أيضاً خرجت بشكل رائع.
July 21, 2018
4.5 stars
Absolutely brilliant, this one was such a page-turner! I need to read all the books on Danish history now, please and thank you.
Absolutely brilliant, this one was such a page-turner! I need to read all the books on Danish history now, please and thank you.
April 27, 2015
E’ ancorata a una logica medievale la società danese del millesettecento, dove vige ancora la servitù della gleba; è rigida e monolitica la corte reale danese al cui apice si trova il sovrano Cristiano VII, prescelto da Dio, un povero ragazzo perso nella follia in cui trova rifugio dall’inadeguatezza a governare che sente. Nelle tenebre dell’arretratezza arriva inaspettatamente la luce dell’Illuminismo, portata dal medico tedesco Johann Friedrich Struensee che, in 4 anni, dal 1768 al 1772, dal suo studio realizza la rivoluzione illuminista danese, “con calma e in silenzio, senza uccidere, senza imprigionare, senza costringere, senza esiliare, senza essersi lasciato corrompere o aver ricompensato i suoi amici o essersi procurato vantaggi personali, o aver desiderato quel potere per oscure ragioni egoistiche”.
Tuttavia la luce del progresso e della civiltà che, per prima in Europa, anticipando la Rivoluzione Francese, si accende in questo piccolo Stato, non ha la forza di illuminare le tenebre, e diviene una fiaccola che emana una nera oscurità, da annientare.
“E’ quell’oscurità che è luce, o quello splendore che è oscurità?”
Enquist racconta, con stile semplice e incisivo, questo breve periodo storico che sempre sarà ricordato come “il tempo di Struensee”, in un romanzo costruito unendo ad una precisa ricostruzione storica una narrazione vivida ed intensa.
Tuttavia la luce del progresso e della civiltà che, per prima in Europa, anticipando la Rivoluzione Francese, si accende in questo piccolo Stato, non ha la forza di illuminare le tenebre, e diviene una fiaccola che emana una nera oscurità, da annientare.
“E’ quell’oscurità che è luce, o quello splendore che è oscurità?”
Enquist racconta, con stile semplice e incisivo, questo breve periodo storico che sempre sarà ricordato come “il tempo di Struensee”, in un romanzo costruito unendo ad una precisa ricostruzione storica una narrazione vivida ed intensa.
March 6, 2014
Full-time: this is very much the News of the World/Sunday Sport way of recounting history; it could have been thumped together by a conglomerate of Hugh Hefner/a road drill/Samuel Beckett and David Bowker. How I wish this period could be given the Antonia Fraser touch.
Anyway, I finished and went on to research so it deserves a 2* for that alone.
---------------
Halfway point - The writing is clumsy, flair-less and bordering on the inept; the characters are made modern and there are repeat paragraph themes and howlers. The history of this time is tragic and you can get most of the facts from other more erudite sources.
Johann Friedrich Struensee was appointed Royal Physician to King Christian VII on April 5, 1768, and four years later he was executed.
Translated from the Swedish by Tiina Nunnally and she must have the patience of a saint to deal with this.
Anyway, I finished and went on to research so it deserves a 2* for that alone.
---------------
Halfway point - The writing is clumsy, flair-less and bordering on the inept; the characters are made modern and there are repeat paragraph themes and howlers. The history of this time is tragic and you can get most of the facts from other more erudite sources.
Johann Friedrich Struensee was appointed Royal Physician to King Christian VII on April 5, 1768, and four years later he was executed.
Translated from the Swedish by Tiina Nunnally and she must have the patience of a saint to deal with this.
February 4, 2019
This is a richly atmospheric work of historical fiction, filled with political intrigue, historical personages and events, shadowed by darkness and a visible sorrow clear in every one of its pages. It is as if the individual psyche of each of the protagonists were driving the book, giving it texture, complexions, and glimpses into the mind of those involved in this high drama. It is an angst-filled, almost surreal, display of lives were to come together and leave a mark on the world, making for a story that to this day has the power to captivate the reader.
July 4, 2016
رواية : زيارة طبيب صاحب الجلالة
المؤلف : بير أولوف إينكويست
المترجم : سوسن كردوش
الناشر : دار المنى
" فنون العشق الأيروسي "
الصراع بين الطهارة والرذيلة
صورة الغلاف هي رمز الثورة الدنماركية ، تلك اليد الناعمه وعلاقتها بالرغبة والعذاب ..
تحكي عن جزئية من التاريخ الدنماركي حيث لم تتجاوز الأربع سنين ولقبت " بفترة سترونزي "هذا ما اشتهرت به في القرن السادس عشر أي ما بين ١٧٦٨ - ١٧٧٢ في عهد الملك كريستيان السابع والذي وصف " بالجنون " وله قصة عجيبه هي التي أوصلته للجنون .
وفي تلك الفترة قامت ثورة تنويريه واصبحت الدنمارك أول دوله في أوروبا للعصر التنويري وكانت اول انطلاقة رسميه عبر السلطه من خلال سن قانون حرية التعبير في الصحافه وما تبعتها من اصلاحات وطنيه ، وكان اهمها تحرير الرق ولكنه لم يطبق في تلك الفترة وطبق بعدها .
والشخصيات الرئيسية هم :-
- الملك كريستيان السابع
- الملكه كارولين ( انجليزية الاصل )
- الطبيب سترونزي
- غولدبيرغ ( عدو التنوير )
- ريفيرديل اليهودي
حدثت الثورة التنويرية بعدما اراد الملك عمل جولة على اوروبا في ذلك الوقت تعرف على طبيب الماني اسمه سترونزي ويلقب ( الرجل الصامت ) ليشاركه في الجولة الاوروبية ومن هنا بدأت القصة حتى اصبح وزير دولة مفوض و صاحب السلطه المطلقه في البلاد ، وفكرته بناء مملكة تسير وفق العقل والمنطق وقام في تلك المرحله بسن تشريعات وقوانين بلغت ٦٣٣ مرسوما و قانونا كلها في خدمة الشعب ( حرية الفكر - التسامح - العدل - وغيرها ) وكان همه الوحيد أن يصدر قانونا يلغي الرق لكن الاقدار سبقت صدور القرار وذلك عن طريق خيانة الملكه الام الارمله وغولدبيرغ حيث اتهم بأنه اراد قتل الملك وسجن على اثرها وحكم عليه بالأعدام في التاسعة من صبيحة ٢٨ ابريل ١٧٧٢ ..
كل شخصيه لها قصة غريبه ومشوقه لا يسمح المجال بذكرها ..
بعض المقتطفات اعجبتني :
- التاريخ أحياناً ، يفتح بالصدفة .. كوة فريدة تكون نافذة للمستقبل - فولتير
- رجل فكر وديون مقابل رجل تنوير ومبادئ - غولدبيرغ
- دولة القانون لا تصنع وحدها أخلاق الأمم - سترونزي
- لطالما اعتقدت بأن البساطة البحته فب الخطط المعقدة هي السر في نجاحها - غولدبيرغ
- دع البراءة لي والعظمة لغيري - كارولين
- أحب الحديث عن التمهل في تحقيق الفضيلة ، عن الثورة الحذرة ، عن الانسحاب البطيء ، وعن الفجر والغسق في مسألة التنوير - ريفيرديل
هذه الرواية التاريخه المذهلة بأيجاز وبترجمة احترافية ، ولكن فيها تفاصيل كثيرة ومشوقه وتسلسل عجيب يجبرك بعدم التوقف ، مذهله وجذابه ..
04/07/2016
December 4, 2018
Die Themenstellung ist ausgesprochen interessant. Der junge dänische König ist - wie man wohl heute sagen würde - leicht autistisch veranlagt. Wie ist das mit dem Gottesgnadentum zu vereinbaren? Wie wird so jemand zum König erzogen? Wie geht eine Regierung mit ihm um? Seine junge Frau muss sich einsam mit ihm und einem ihr fremden Hof herumschlagen, ohne dass sie auf ihre Rolle ernsthaft vorbereitet worden ist. Ein Leibarzt betritt die Szene und wird bei eigenem Widerstreben immer mehr zum Vertrauten des Königs, Reformator und Geliebten der Königin. Können solche Reformen Bestand haben? Wie geht er mit dem moralischen Dilemma um? Wie mit den Intrigen des Hofes?
Leider kann sich Enquist nicht so richtig entscheiden, wo er seinen Schwerpunkt setzen möchte und verliert sich stattdessen oft lieber in Sex- und Folterszenen, die weder besonder überzeugend geschrieben sind, noch die Handlung vorantreiben. Betrachtet man daneben eta die Henri IV Roman-Biographien von Heinrich Mann, so versagt Enquist auf ganzer Linie. Allein der wirklich interessante Stoff, der zum weiterlesen einlädt, macht das Buch trotzdem sehr lesenswert.
Leider kann sich Enquist nicht so richtig entscheiden, wo er seinen Schwerpunkt setzen möchte und verliert sich stattdessen oft lieber in Sex- und Folterszenen, die weder besonder überzeugend geschrieben sind, noch die Handlung vorantreiben. Betrachtet man daneben eta die Henri IV Roman-Biographien von Heinrich Mann, so versagt Enquist auf ganzer Linie. Allein der wirklich interessante Stoff, der zum weiterlesen einlädt, macht das Buch trotzdem sehr lesenswert.
August 11, 2018
Zweieinhalb Sterne für einen durchaus ambitionierten Versuch den positiv besetzten Liebenden und ihren menschenfreundlichen Motiven, aber auch dem Skandalon gerecht zu werden. Ein Kinder fickender Weltbeglücker wäre das heutige Pendant zum Verhalten des Paares, das uns ganz natürlich vorkommt.
Enquist gelingen immer wieder großartige Dreiseiter, aber das Verhältnis Lesespaß - bewundernswerte Momente literarische Handwerkskunst war doch sehr unausgeglichen. 20% fand ich wirklich gelungen, etwa den ehrlichen Versuch den Gegnern Struensees und ihrer komplexen Gefühls- bzw. Motivlage gerecht zu werden. Die erste Liebesszene in Rousseaus Hütte oder auch die Schilderung des Schlosses Hirschholm, in dem Struensee, die Königin und ihr enger Umkreis einen idyllischen Sommer erleben. Auch der strategische Fehler des blindwütigen Reformers und seiner Muse wurde mitleidslos aufgzeigt, eine Arroganz der Macht und der guten Werke, die sich nur auf die Verbündete im Bett verließ. Abgesehen von den intimen Momenten blieb Struensee eher unterbelichtet. Auch sonst steckte zwischen den Lichtblicken viel lieblose Prosa. Das Psychogramm der Königin, die nur zum gedeckt werden nach Dänemark verheiratet wurde, obwohl sie so viele Talente zum Regieren hatte, dürfte seinerzeit viele Leserinnen angesprochen haben. Die Innenwelten des als Kind zum Vakuum auf dem Thron gebrochenen Königs bilden einen weiteren streckenweise rührenden Handlungsstrang, doch leider kommt der Roman an sich nicht so recht in Schwung.
Ich kann das Bedürfnis anderer Autoren den Stoff packender zu gestalten durchaus nachvollziehen, das Buch von Rita Hausen, das ich im Vergleich dazu gelesen habe, ist in Sachen der Persönlichkeit Struensees wesentlich ausführlicher, aber auch parteiischer zugunsten des Reformers.
Empfehlen würde ich im Moment weder Enquist noch Hausen, der Film mit Mats Mikkelsen und Alicia Vikander ist wohl der beste Einstieg ins Thema.
Enquist gelingen immer wieder großartige Dreiseiter, aber das Verhältnis Lesespaß - bewundernswerte Momente literarische Handwerkskunst war doch sehr unausgeglichen. 20% fand ich wirklich gelungen, etwa den ehrlichen Versuch den Gegnern Struensees und ihrer komplexen Gefühls- bzw. Motivlage gerecht zu werden. Die erste Liebesszene in Rousseaus Hütte oder auch die Schilderung des Schlosses Hirschholm, in dem Struensee, die Königin und ihr enger Umkreis einen idyllischen Sommer erleben. Auch der strategische Fehler des blindwütigen Reformers und seiner Muse wurde mitleidslos aufgzeigt, eine Arroganz der Macht und der guten Werke, die sich nur auf die Verbündete im Bett verließ. Abgesehen von den intimen Momenten blieb Struensee eher unterbelichtet. Auch sonst steckte zwischen den Lichtblicken viel lieblose Prosa. Das Psychogramm der Königin, die nur zum gedeckt werden nach Dänemark verheiratet wurde, obwohl sie so viele Talente zum Regieren hatte, dürfte seinerzeit viele Leserinnen angesprochen haben. Die Innenwelten des als Kind zum Vakuum auf dem Thron gebrochenen Königs bilden einen weiteren streckenweise rührenden Handlungsstrang, doch leider kommt der Roman an sich nicht so recht in Schwung.
Ich kann das Bedürfnis anderer Autoren den Stoff packender zu gestalten durchaus nachvollziehen, das Buch von Rita Hausen, das ich im Vergleich dazu gelesen habe, ist in Sachen der Persönlichkeit Struensees wesentlich ausführlicher, aber auch parteiischer zugunsten des Reformers.
Empfehlen würde ich im Moment weder Enquist noch Hausen, der Film mit Mats Mikkelsen und Alicia Vikander ist wohl der beste Einstieg ins Thema.
April 26, 2015
E’ stato difficile appassionarsi. Il racconto parte dalla fine, tutto è già chiaro, i destini hanno avuto il loro esito. La storia è storia, sembra lasciare poco spazio alla passione.
E’ necessaria pazienza con questo libro. E’ necessario mantenere alta l’attenzione anche alle sottili e apparentemente trascurabili trame di palazzo, ai piccoli eventi, agli incidenti di scarso rilievo. Perché alla fine arriva, potente, la passione. La storia d’amore proibita ma mai torbida, la crescita di una Regina che da bambina diventa donna politica, la tremenda conclusione che attende gli amanti. E poi il destino ineluttabile di un Re che nella pazzia crede di riuscire a salvare il suo amico, e l’uomo di potere che dopo aver vinto viene colto dal dubbio di fronte ad una reazione inaspettata del popolo che crede di saper abilmente manovrare.
Enquist è delicato, per nulla enfatico, lascia parlare la sua storia, non usa tinte forti. La passione emerge dalla magistrale costruzione del romanzo, paragrafo dopo paragrafo, immergendo il lettore nel giusto contesto e accompagnandolo ad appassionarsi alle sorti di ognuno dei personaggi, nessuno escluso. La politica, che tanta parte sembra avere all’inizio del libro, si svela quasi un pretesto, per narrare storie senza tempo: la paura di avere paura, la volontà di prendere in mano e decidere della propria vita, i condizionamenti che valgono per i Re e le Regine di ieri come per ognuno di noi oggi, la capacità di convivere con i propri errori senza esserne schiacciati. Temi immensi, trattati con intelligenza e pietà, senza perdere mai il legame con la verità storica. Da leggere e (credo) rileggere.
September 17, 2017
I really enjoyed this book, which was translated from Swedish to English by Tiina Nunnally. I must admit that I bought this book because I love the Danish film A Royal Affair which follows the same period in history and the romance between Struensee and Queen Caroline Mathilde. The fact that I was imagining the characters as actors I love (Mads Mikkelsen and Alicia Vikander) definitely played a part in how much I enjoyed the book.
This book was written in a really interesting way. I'm not sure how much of that is due to it being translated to English, but I enjoyed it. It's written almost as if the writing is telling the story to the reader, but we also get POV's of different historical figures throughout. The author refers to letters and writings by these historical figures, which for a little while at the start almost made me think I was reading a non-fiction book. The book is split into chapters, as are most books, but then each chapter is split into numbered sections which I really liked.
I wont say anything about the plot, as it follows history, though I'm not sure how accurately. I really enjoyed that we got a few POV's, as it gives a broader picture than the film. I felt like sex was mentioned a little too much, it just seemed like he added it randomly at times, but I suppose it did fit the story.
I am really glad I read this book, despite me putting it down for a few months as I wasn't in a historical mood. Watching the film and reading this book really made me realise how little I know about Scandinavian history so I look forward to reading and learning more in the future!
This book was written in a really interesting way. I'm not sure how much of that is due to it being translated to English, but I enjoyed it. It's written almost as if the writing is telling the story to the reader, but we also get POV's of different historical figures throughout. The author refers to letters and writings by these historical figures, which for a little while at the start almost made me think I was reading a non-fiction book. The book is split into chapters, as are most books, but then each chapter is split into numbered sections which I really liked.
I wont say anything about the plot, as it follows history, though I'm not sure how accurately. I really enjoyed that we got a few POV's, as it gives a broader picture than the film. I felt like sex was mentioned a little too much, it just seemed like he added it randomly at times, but I suppose it did fit the story.
I am really glad I read this book, despite me putting it down for a few months as I wasn't in a historical mood. Watching the film and reading this book really made me realise how little I know about Scandinavian history so I look forward to reading and learning more in the future!
July 11, 2024
A fascinating glimpse into a strange episode in Danish history. There is a movie about on the same period (not based on this book), and recently watching this movie I remembered reading this book.
It is always interesting to speculate in any form of government who actually wields the power.
It is always interesting to speculate in any form of government who actually wields the power.
June 6, 2016
تتحدث هذه الرواية عن يوهان فريدريخ سترونزي أحد رجال التنوير في اوروبا، والذي كان طبيبًا لملك الدنمارك -المختل عقليًا- كرستيان السابع، وفترته المعروفة ب فترة سترونزي ، والتي قادت لاحقًا إلى الثورة الدنماركية. أحببت طريقة سرد الوقائع وتلك الفترة بهذه الطريقة الروائية.. ممتازة!
March 12, 2016
لا بأس بها أحسب إنني كنتُ أتأمل في المزيد
غير أنني عرفت عن مرحلة من مراحل السلطة في الدانمارك
وعن دور فلاسفة التنوير في زيادة جنون هذا الملك المجنون أصلا
September 2, 2018
Per Olov Enquist heeft het onmogelijke gedaan : Julie Mestdagh - met pleziér - een historische roman doen lezen. Nooit gedacht. Ik kocht het boek destijds enkel omdat ik wist dat het verplichte lectuur was in het 6e jaar Zweeds. Dat 6e jaar is er nooit van gekomen omdat we na het 5e jaar naar Zweden verhuisden. Maar het boek stond nu eenmaal in de kast. En mijn ex-klasgenootjes vertelden in uiteenlopende geuren en kleuren over "livläkarens besök", dus ja.... 12 dagen geleden nam ik het boek dan toch ter hand. Met een zeer kritisch oog en een zeer sceptische instelling.
Ik wou maar één ding : dat ik dit boek eerder had gelezen. Een pareltje. Het boek vertelt het verhaal van de geesteszieke koning Christian van Denemarken die verplicht wordt te trouwen met een Britse schone, beiden te jong om goed te zijn. Om Christian te behoeden van al wat niet mag, kan, geweten mag worden en zo meer, wordt uit een Duitse arts Struensee aangesteld, die de konings lijfarts zal zijn. En dat is het begin van een intrigerende driehoeksverhouding, machtspelletjes aan het hof en een reeks handelingen die tot de Deense revolutie zullen leiden, en dat allemaal tijdens de verlichting. Een hele reeks historische figuren passeren de revue, iets wat mij matig boeit; maar Enquist brengt het verhaal op zo een manier dat je met open mond de ene pagina achter de andere verslindt, nieuwsgierig naar de volgende "lepe zet" of "romantische wending". Het verhaal domineert, de geschiedenis is aanwezig, doch wordt de lezer niet droog door de strot geduwd. Briljant. Ik voelde me zowaar af en toe geneigd iets op te zoeken op google. Dat is het punt waarop ik héél ongerust werd...
Een uniek boek, ook omwille van de opbouw. Reeds vanaf het eerste hoofdstuk is het duidelijk hoe het de hoofdpersonages zal vergaan, geen verrassingen daar. Maar de vraag is welke gebeurtenissen daartoe leiden. Afwisselend wordt vanuit het perspectief van de verschillende personages verteld, wat een interessante inkijk geeft in de machtsspelletjes die worden gespeeld. Wat voor mij niet had gehoeven was de heel uitgebreide introductie van de personages die zorgde voor een trage start in het boek alsook de zeer uitgesproken bijna pornografische sexscènes die, hoewel vaak net heel gepast waren, soms ook gewoon niet bijdroegen tot die passage in het verhaal.
Maar ik herhaal : een auteur die me doet vergeten dat ik een historische roman lees, een boek dat over - o help - geschiedenis gaat, en het me met plezier doet lezen, verdient alle eer!
Ik wou maar één ding : dat ik dit boek eerder had gelezen. Een pareltje. Het boek vertelt het verhaal van de geesteszieke koning Christian van Denemarken die verplicht wordt te trouwen met een Britse schone, beiden te jong om goed te zijn. Om Christian te behoeden van al wat niet mag, kan, geweten mag worden en zo meer, wordt uit een Duitse arts Struensee aangesteld, die de konings lijfarts zal zijn. En dat is het begin van een intrigerende driehoeksverhouding, machtspelletjes aan het hof en een reeks handelingen die tot de Deense revolutie zullen leiden, en dat allemaal tijdens de verlichting. Een hele reeks historische figuren passeren de revue, iets wat mij matig boeit; maar Enquist brengt het verhaal op zo een manier dat je met open mond de ene pagina achter de andere verslindt, nieuwsgierig naar de volgende "lepe zet" of "romantische wending". Het verhaal domineert, de geschiedenis is aanwezig, doch wordt de lezer niet droog door de strot geduwd. Briljant. Ik voelde me zowaar af en toe geneigd iets op te zoeken op google. Dat is het punt waarop ik héél ongerust werd...
Een uniek boek, ook omwille van de opbouw. Reeds vanaf het eerste hoofdstuk is het duidelijk hoe het de hoofdpersonages zal vergaan, geen verrassingen daar. Maar de vraag is welke gebeurtenissen daartoe leiden. Afwisselend wordt vanuit het perspectief van de verschillende personages verteld, wat een interessante inkijk geeft in de machtsspelletjes die worden gespeeld. Wat voor mij niet had gehoeven was de heel uitgebreide introductie van de personages die zorgde voor een trage start in het boek alsook de zeer uitgesproken bijna pornografische sexscènes die, hoewel vaak net heel gepast waren, soms ook gewoon niet bijdroegen tot die passage in het verhaal.
Maar ik herhaal : een auteur die me doet vergeten dat ik een historische roman lees, een boek dat over - o help - geschiedenis gaat, en het me met plezier doet lezen, verdient alle eer!
February 8, 2011
What sets this book apart from most literature I've read (recently) is the unique, poetic writing style. Enquist tells a very gripping story, but crafts it in a very elegant, almost musical way. He repeats certain key phrases over and over, (sometimes varying them slightly), which creates an almost hypnotic rhythm to the prose. It is almost like a musical symphony, where certain motifs are repeated or varied to create emphasis. Some of his descriptions are full of long, almost stream-of-consciousness sentences, which flow fast and build up a warm current of passionate emotion. (E.g. the erotic love scene between the Doctor and the Queen). Other sections are the opposite - short, clipped, half-formed sentences, which create a coldness, which is just right for describing certain chilling scenes.
Another unique feature is the structure of the story, i.e, the introduction, at the very beginning, of the final outcome! E.g., We find out right away that the main hero, Doctor Johan Struensee, is going to meet his tragic demise and be executed by the end of the story!! Contrary to logical expectations of this spoiling the story, it actually enhances it. Enquist masterfully builds up the suspense and irony, by making us "fall in love" with this character and sympathize deeply with him and his circumstances, thereby greatly infusing the story with heavy tragedy and irony. Even though we know that he is going to be executed, we don't know exactly why, or how he will be betrayed, or by whom - it still remains a gripping mystery until the end.
Another main reason I enjoyed this book was the portrayal of the character of the "mad" King - Christian VII. Everything about his mental illness suggests Autism (to me). His brilliant mind, his extreme sensitivities, his confusion and inability to understand social cues and rules, his rocking, muttering, wild gesturing, his child-like simple enjoyment of "playing" silly games (e.g throwing objects out of his window for fun!), his paranoia about being tortured or killed, his delusions about reality and fantasy, his idea that his life is just a "play" and if he only knew his "lines" he would know what to say. This is a very poignant character, tenderly portrayed.
I'm not going to go into the political aspects of this story here - but suffice it to say, this book also offers a unique and fascinating perspective of European history that I had not known anything about - e.g. the beginnings of the Enlightenment and Humanism, and how it slowly emerged and progressed out of the darkness of cruel, Medieval, Monarchic dictatorships.
Enquist's writing is so good at conveying deep emotions, especially despair, anger, cruelty and claustrophobia, that I often found it almost too disturbing to read in places! But, despite having to fight through some rather nauseating scenes, it was worth it for the sheer enjoyment of the writing and the story.
Another unique feature is the structure of the story, i.e, the introduction, at the very beginning, of the final outcome! E.g., We find out right away that the main hero, Doctor Johan Struensee, is going to meet his tragic demise and be executed by the end of the story!! Contrary to logical expectations of this spoiling the story, it actually enhances it. Enquist masterfully builds up the suspense and irony, by making us "fall in love" with this character and sympathize deeply with him and his circumstances, thereby greatly infusing the story with heavy tragedy and irony. Even though we know that he is going to be executed, we don't know exactly why, or how he will be betrayed, or by whom - it still remains a gripping mystery until the end.
Another main reason I enjoyed this book was the portrayal of the character of the "mad" King - Christian VII. Everything about his mental illness suggests Autism (to me). His brilliant mind, his extreme sensitivities, his confusion and inability to understand social cues and rules, his rocking, muttering, wild gesturing, his child-like simple enjoyment of "playing" silly games (e.g throwing objects out of his window for fun!), his paranoia about being tortured or killed, his delusions about reality and fantasy, his idea that his life is just a "play" and if he only knew his "lines" he would know what to say. This is a very poignant character, tenderly portrayed.
I'm not going to go into the political aspects of this story here - but suffice it to say, this book also offers a unique and fascinating perspective of European history that I had not known anything about - e.g. the beginnings of the Enlightenment and Humanism, and how it slowly emerged and progressed out of the darkness of cruel, Medieval, Monarchic dictatorships.
Enquist's writing is so good at conveying deep emotions, especially despair, anger, cruelty and claustrophobia, that I often found it almost too disturbing to read in places! But, despite having to fight through some rather nauseating scenes, it was worth it for the sheer enjoyment of the writing and the story.
April 25, 2017
This is a Swedish book about Danish history, translated into English. It's based on a true story -- a really really interesting true story. Which is why it's such a shame that it's such a bizarre snooze of a book.
I'm not sure if the problem is the book itself (in any language), if it's because it's a translation, or if there are ways of writing in Swedish literature that simply don't match up with traditional English speaking literature. But the use of words is bizarre and gives you the feeling of going nowhere (or perhaps in circles), intense punctuation is used, and the format of the book is strange -- it's broken into sections, which is broken into chapters, which is broken into...some smaller piece that is also numbered.
As for the language issues, here's an example:
"They seemed to be waiting.
After her encounter with Struensee in the park, the Queen felt a peculiar rage; she had clearly identified it as rage.
She did not feel calm. It was rage."
OK IT WAS RAGE.
And example 2 (for the punctuation issue):
" 'I ought to work to make this cursed Denmark respectable, work on the rights of the peasants, which I'm not doing, work on cutting the royal household by at least half. At least!!! But I'm not doing that either. Work on changing the laws so that mothers of illegitimate children are no longer punished, ARE NO LONGER PUNISHED!!! I'm not doing that. Working on abolishing the hypocritical penalties for adultery; I'm not doing that either, my Highly Esteemed Queen. There is such an inconceivable number of things that I'm not! -- not!!! -- working on, that I ought to do, but cannot. I could go on and on with other examples of what I'm not!!! working on, I could--' "
WTF, what's with the millions of exclamation points?
Finally, it has some of the creepiest, least sexy descriptions of sex I've ever encountered in my life. I'm not a big romance novel reader, and I actually appreciate more realistic depictions and descriptions of sex in literature and film, but this book used the word "membrane" a grotesque amount of times and had the two characters having the most bizarre pillow talk I've ever encountered in my life.
Ultimately, just not worth it.
I'm not sure if the problem is the book itself (in any language), if it's because it's a translation, or if there are ways of writing in Swedish literature that simply don't match up with traditional English speaking literature. But the use of words is bizarre and gives you the feeling of going nowhere (or perhaps in circles), intense punctuation is used, and the format of the book is strange -- it's broken into sections, which is broken into chapters, which is broken into...some smaller piece that is also numbered.
As for the language issues, here's an example:
"They seemed to be waiting.
After her encounter with Struensee in the park, the Queen felt a peculiar rage; she had clearly identified it as rage.
She did not feel calm. It was rage."
OK IT WAS RAGE.
And example 2 (for the punctuation issue):
" 'I ought to work to make this cursed Denmark respectable, work on the rights of the peasants, which I'm not doing, work on cutting the royal household by at least half. At least!!! But I'm not doing that either. Work on changing the laws so that mothers of illegitimate children are no longer punished, ARE NO LONGER PUNISHED!!! I'm not doing that. Working on abolishing the hypocritical penalties for adultery; I'm not doing that either, my Highly Esteemed Queen. There is such an inconceivable number of things that I'm not! -- not!!! -- working on, that I ought to do, but cannot. I could go on and on with other examples of what I'm not!!! working on, I could--' "
WTF, what's with the millions of exclamation points?
Finally, it has some of the creepiest, least sexy descriptions of sex I've ever encountered in my life. I'm not a big romance novel reader, and I actually appreciate more realistic depictions and descriptions of sex in literature and film, but this book used the word "membrane" a grotesque amount of times and had the two characters having the most bizarre pillow talk I've ever encountered in my life.
Ultimately, just not worth it.
February 17, 2019
Read this if you like: historical fiction, madness, enlightenment, court drama and intrigue, "God's chosen ones", Danish Royal Family, struggles for power, political power vacuums
This book has one of the most beautifully sensual passage I've ever read. I don't think I've read history presented like this one and I like it; I like how it's written. My love for scheming royals only intensified after reading this book.
It amazes me sometimes how men in history seems surprised that women can fool and outthink them.
2019 Popsugar Reading Challenge #24— A book set in Scandinavia
This book has one of the most beautifully sensual passage I've ever read. I don't think I've read history presented like this one and I like it; I like how it's written. My love for scheming royals only intensified after reading this book.
"I'm thinking," he said, "that before, I thought I was in control. Now I no longer believe that. Where did it go?"
She didn't reply.
"Monsieur Voltaire, with whom I have also corresponded," he began, "Monsieur Voltaire thought that I could be the spark. That would light the prairie fire. Where did it go?"
"You've lit it in me," she said. "In me. And now we will burn together. Come."
"Do you know," he told her, "do you know that you are strong? And sometimes I'm afraid of you."
It amazes me sometimes how men in history seems surprised that women can fool and outthink them.
2019 Popsugar Reading Challenge #24— A book set in Scandinavia
June 17, 2011
Although the topic was interesting and I enjoyed the historical nuggets into the unfamiliar story of the Danish Royal house the writing style of Per Olov Enquist just did not speak to me. I suppose my taste is for a much more straight forward and much less flowery, poetic type book. There were often passages where text was repeated and just restated in a different manner, which frustrated me to no end. By the time I reached the final 80 pages I was ready to throw in the towel due to sheer frustration. I dragged myself through the final 80 pages over a week because every time I picked up the book again I could only get through 2 pages.
I will not say that Enquist's writing style is bad or unreadable it just did not work for this particular reader. Had the story of King Christian been written by someone else I may have found it more readable. In the end, I am glad to have learned about this topic but it was not a book that I found myself drawn to.
I will not say that Enquist's writing style is bad or unreadable it just did not work for this particular reader. Had the story of King Christian been written by someone else I may have found it more readable. In the end, I am glad to have learned about this topic but it was not a book that I found myself drawn to.
April 14, 2023
منذ زمنٍ بعيد ، اطلقوا عليه لقب الرجل الصموت لأنه أصغى ، أما الآن فها هو يدرك أن للصمت معنى آخر ، فالصمت وحشٌ عدائي.
وهكذا انتهت زيارة طبيب صاحب الجلالة إلى ابد الآبدين
وهكذا انتهت زيارة طبيب صاحب الجلالة إلى ابد الآبدين
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