Customer Reviews

Dina's Book Pb

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Herbjorg Wassmo succeeds in captivating the imagination of the reader with a powerful narrative set in a mystical Norway of the early 1800's. Young, tender Dina is irrevocably traumatised when she indirectly causes the death of her mother. Sent away by a father who cannot bear the sight of her, she becomes a wolfcub - untamed and unloved and constantly tortured by the spirit of her suffering mother. She matures into beautiful, willful young woman, reckless in her ways and relationships. Jacob, a wealthy older landower falls under her strange spell, and she is convinced to marry him by a father who is relieved to be rid of his wild child. Jacob is killed mysteriously, after which Dina is tortured by yet another ghost. She gains power and influence on his estate, but cannot rid herself of the immenent presence of the dark shadows of those she loved. Dina seeks refuge in her cello and solidarity, which only seem to disturb her more. The arrival of a Russian traveller plays havoc with her emotions and she is compelled to posess him. But this Russian will not be captured... This old-wordly novel pulls one into a restless Norway - as with Dina, the moments of serenity are shortlived. You are shocked and moved by her, feeling the intensity of her emotions and the unrelenting force of nature. This is a tale that has become part of me, a special volume on my bookshelf that may be revisited again and again. Bravo and encore!

Wow! This book is like ... probably the best I've ever read, and believe me when I say that I read A LOT!

Dina is a child of destiny who becomes a woman of pride.
Now she must use the power within her, and the forces around her to change the past and escape her fate.

Because her past is something she is reminded of every single day... Her mother. When Dina was about six years old, she managed to cause an accident which killed her mother. And after this, Dina sees her mother following her through her live, always appearing whenever Dina makes a decision or a new turn.

The book is about who Dina is, and how she meets the world when she gets married to her father's best friend.

You should also see the movie "I Am Dina" (2002), which is based on this book. Starring the wonderful, norwegian actress Maria Bonnevie as Dina. Also together with Gérard Depardieu. The cast is just simply brilliant, an the movie has it all: drama, humour, suspense, love, betrayel...

I've seen the film twice already, and I feel like I can totally relate to Dina. In an interview, Maria Bonnevie said that all women would feel they have a little Dina inside. And I couldn't agree more!

"I am Dina. This is my story".

Herbjørg Wassmo is a Norwegian writer writing about Norwegian people. Her characters are always strong and Dina is no exeption. This book is one of the best I have ever read...

Herbjørg Wassmo has a fantastic, colorful language, and as soon as you are drawn into this small North Norway community of the 1900th century you will stay there through the book and still for a long time after the book is finished. The book is not at all an easy beach read, but you should give yourself the opportunity to read the book. It will change you as a person.

Britt Arnhild Lindland

As a teenager the self-willed Dina is married off to the much older merchant Jacob Gronelv of Reisnes. As a child she was responsible for the death of her mother and she carries this burden with her. After the, again unnatural, death of her husband she reigns over trading post Reisnes. She does not behave like a women, but she is still respected and accepted by the others. She is not capable of real love until the mysterious Russian Leo arrives, but this love also ends tragically.

The book Dina give a beautiful description of the the rough life in northern Norway during the 19th century. It also gives an magnificent impression of a strong woman who cannot or does not want to adapt. A book that is difficult to put down once one has started reading.

Dina's story begins with the untimely and tragic death of her wealthy and much older husband. Set in Norway in the mid-nineteenth century, Dina's life is from an early age, fraught with tragedy. Her mother is killed in a freak accident when Dina is five, and in his grief her father sends her off to live with another family. Dina returns wild, unruly, and most unlike the women of her day. She is married off at sixteen to a friend of her father's, a wealthy land owner named Jacob. Her life as the new mistress of the estate is tempetuous to say the least. No one really seems to understand Dina, and few are able to get close to her. After her husband's death, Dina realizes she is pregnant, and so adds the duty of mother to the responsibilities of running the businesses of the estate.

Dina's trials and tribulations make for very interesting reading. Dina however is not an easy character to sympathize with. So while I ultimately enjoyed this well written novel, I never warmed to Dina(quite the opposite in fact). She may not be a particularly likeable character, but she is a memorable one.
4.5 stars.

This book is a bit of an anomaly. It tells the story of an eccentric, complex and confrontational woman, but the story telling itself is non-confrontational. Instead of a single plotline/plot twist, this book is characterized by many smaller plot twists that combine to create a continual thought provoking and entertaining reading experience. In an indirect way this book addresses the question of "Nature vs. Nurture." I often found myself wondering if the author used Dina's character as a creative, and often humorous means of depicting schizophrenia. However, at other times I was drawn to the overal family and community dynamic that seemed to impress itself on all the characters collectively.
I have never traveled to Norway before and admittedly I am not very familiar with Norwegian culture. Wassmo does a beautiful job at providing the reader with a glimpse into this rather "isolated" country and the nuances of its village life.
This book is a wonderful and diverse addition to anyone's reading repetoire!

A very fetching book, that is if you're into Northern European stories. If you get depressed by the thought of long winters... don't start upon it. But if you do like the atmosphere (and i do) it's very, very good. Dina is a very strong woman who grows up in the northern part of Norway around 1900. She is involved in an accident in which her mother dies and this has a very profound effect on the rest of her life, and that of her son and granddaughter. The life's of both (son and granddaughter) are told in the sequels 'Benjamin's book' and 'Karna's book' (i'm not sure about the titels since i read them in Dutch).

Wild Northern Norway. More to the North of this Most Northern Country than most of Norwegians live. Herbjørg Wassmø creates the atmosphere that you allow yourself to get involved to the maximum extent. Snip: (...)

I ordered Dina's Book. It was delivered in a timely fashion. I started to read it and noticed I have to read the book backwards. Over 100 pages have to be read backwards. The pages aren't in order. The review of the book did not mention that the book was printed improperly. If I didn't know better I would have thought this was a joke.

G. Adler