Simon Edens

I read this book about 5 or 6 years ago but decided to read it again, only this time on a short holiday in Copenhagen. It’s very good indeed. It’s absolutely packed with detail on the city. I adored that, I even made a point of visiting some of the locations mentioned in the book. It could easily take the place of a guide book. I also loved the cultural digressions (Kerrigan’s reflections) on Danish life and culture. It’s a character driven novel, so the plot takes second place and I tried to like Kerrigan, but couldn’t. He’s a self-centred, self-confessed sexist and I was often irritated by his use of words like butt, trotter, and pearly whites. But, in many sections of the novel, the author’s writing style is superb (it varies, like Joyce - it pays homage to and echoes Ulysses) and the insights he puts into his protagonist’s voice or mind made me stop and marvel at the writer’s craft. I really enjoyed reading Kerrigan in Copenhagen in Copenhagen, was glad I read it for the second time, and will definitely read it again on a future trip!