This Should Be Written in the Present Tense
Published on 6. November 2014
Book
Hardback
192 pages
978-1-84655-805-4 (ISBN)
Description
A beautifully intimate novel from award-winning Danish novelist, Helle Helle
This should be written in the present tense. But it isn't.
Dorte should be at uni in Copenhagen. But she's not.
She should probably put some curtains up in her new place.
And maybe stop sleeping with her neighbour's boyfriend.
Perhaps things don't always work out the way they should.
This should be written in the present tense. But it isn't.
Dorte should be at uni in Copenhagen. But she's not.
She should probably put some curtains up in her new place.
And maybe stop sleeping with her neighbour's boyfriend.
Perhaps things don't always work out the way they should.
Reviews / Votes
Helle Helle's simple, to-the-point prose cuts to the quick...it's refreshing to find such an intimate book that leaves something for the reader to writer in their own mind...This Should be Written in the Present Tense is a contemporary classic in the making -- Emma Nicklin * Stylist * Helle has enchanting gifts as a storyteller... This Should Be Written in the Present Tense possesses an immediacy that tenderly and consistently compels. * New York Times Book Review * A book with all the bigness hidden away -- John Self * Guardian * This Should Be Written in the Present Tense may sound like just another bildungsroman, but it's surprisingly devoid of ego, and deeply thoughtful * Paris Review * Compelling * Emerald Street * There is so much in this book, so much hinted at and alluded to. So much going on off-screen. [...] One of the literary finds of the year * Bookmunch * A beautiful evocation of the reckless naivete of the early years of adulthood. [Helle Helle's] pared back style gives the novel a haunting quality, exquisitely reflecting the detachment and doubts of the protagonist's life. [...] This is a highly recommended introduction to the work of a talented new name on the European literary scene * Book Trust * Helle Helle is a star in her native Denmark but hasn't been translated into English until now - on this evidence she's worth the wait -- Anthony Cummins * Metro *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Vintage Publishing
Illustrations
No
Dimensions
Height: 136 mm
Width: 205 mm
Thickness: 22 mm
Weight
312 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-84655-805-4 (9781846558054)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Helle Helle
This Should Be Written in the Present Tense
E-Book
12/2014
1st Edition
Vintage Digital
€8.99
Available for download
Persons
*Nominated for the Nordic Council Literature Prize 2015*
'Why does one always read Helle Helle's books about the seemingly humdrum lives of lonely, sleepless women in the back of beyond with the kind of obsession normally reserved for well-turned thrillers?' Politiken
Helle Helle is arguably Denmark's foremost contemporary novelist and its most popular. She has been awarded many prizes, including the Danish Critics' Prize, the Danish Academy's Beatrice Prize, and the P.O. Enquist Award. She was recently given the Lifetime Award of the Danish Arts Council.
Her work has been translated into thirteen languages. This is her first novel to be translated into English.
Martin Aitken is the acclaimed translator of numerous novels from Danish, including works by Peter Hoeg, Jussi Adler-Olsen and Pia Juul, and his translations of short stories and poetry have appeared in many literary journals and magazines. In 2012 he was awarded the American-Scandinavian Foundation's Nadia Christensen Translation Prize.
'Why does one always read Helle Helle's books about the seemingly humdrum lives of lonely, sleepless women in the back of beyond with the kind of obsession normally reserved for well-turned thrillers?' Politiken
Helle Helle is arguably Denmark's foremost contemporary novelist and its most popular. She has been awarded many prizes, including the Danish Critics' Prize, the Danish Academy's Beatrice Prize, and the P.O. Enquist Award. She was recently given the Lifetime Award of the Danish Arts Council.
Her work has been translated into thirteen languages. This is her first novel to be translated into English.
Martin Aitken is the acclaimed translator of numerous novels from Danish, including works by Peter Hoeg, Jussi Adler-Olsen and Pia Juul, and his translations of short stories and poetry have appeared in many literary journals and magazines. In 2012 he was awarded the American-Scandinavian Foundation's Nadia Christensen Translation Prize.