Categories: books
Date: 19 April 2008 19:28:07
This review is another job lot - two this time - as they conveniently have a similar theme.
I have just returned "In Forkbeard's Wake - Coasting around Scandinavia" by Ben Nimmo to the library (just in time to avoid a fine... another 10 minutes and the pennies would have started adding up to boost the library's funds.)
I would not describe this as classic travel writing - there is too much of a hint of immaturity about it - but nevertheless it is an interesting read for anyone interested in sailing or Scandinavia or both. Ben Nimmo read English and Medieval Literature at Cambridge and it certainly came in useful for this book as he quotes a pertinent line or two of an ancient saga at the beginning of each chapter. I gather the translations from ancient to modern are his own. Amongst others, he quotes the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, the Saga of Olaf Tryggvason, the Saga of Harald Fairhair and the Saga of [the intriguingly named] Gunnlang Serpent's Tongue.
He sets off from England one July to discover the lands of these mighty warriors, not with Hagar or Knut, but with three Swedes, two of whom are called Fred. They sail off across the North Sea to discover what was so wonderful about the Danes who after conquering England [you might want to make sure you've got a strong cup of tea to hand at this point] made it part of their empire at the end of the 8th century. Fortunately - or perhaps not, who will ever know? - this state of affairs lasted only for 30 years before the doughty English regained control [or did someone else come barging in... I can't quite remember... that Guillaume chappy caused a bit of a commotion at Hastings... but that was not for another couple of hundred years...].
Anyway, our modern day hero battles with wind and weather, tide and technology singlehandedly and has a jolly old time meeting Danes, Swedes (most of whom seem to be called Fred or Tommy), Norwegians and Germans and getting to grips with the various languages. He can't find "is there somewhere around here I can get my stern-post welded?" in his phrase book but this does not deter the aforesaid locals from offering him the best of their hospitality. His original intention was to return to England before the winter weather set in but he is turned off course, takes a different tack and decides to go with the flow, so to speak, and does not reberth in English waters until eight months later.
Serendipitously, for this post, if for no other reason, I chanced across La Grand Traversée* - Une aventure d'Astérix le Gaulois. This book was lent to me by Marie-France (who has the whole Asterix collection in French - you have been warned...) and after Suite Française was a linguistic walk in the park - particularly as there are lots of pictures!
This adventure sees Astérix and Obélix going on a fishing trip only to find themselves in America. Obélix finds himself betrothed to an Indian maiden and thinks he is doomed until he discovers that the Vikings have landed. I love the way the author makes it clear that the Vikings are speaking their own language by inserting the Danish vowels of ø, å, and æ into the French words.
For example, the Viking leader says: Essåyøns de fåire cønnaissånce. Je våis fåire les présentåtions: møi, Kerøsen l'åventureux.
It is, of course, like all Asterix books, a joyful romp through an adventure with (perhaps) a predictable ending but nonetheless, the colourful and imaginative illustrations and the silliness of the familiar jokes hold one's interest to the final page.
If anyone is popping over to France for their summer hols, I would recommend you buy one or two of these books in the original. Even with a rusty O level/GCSE, I'm sure you'll enjoy them.
*I'm not sure what the title in English is: something like The Great Crossing, I suppose....