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The Danish Girl Paperback – February 28, 2001

by LOUISA MAY ALCOTT (Author)

4.1 4,186 ratings

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Title: The Danish Girl <>Binding: Paperback <>Author: DavidEbershoff <>Publisher: PenguinBooks

Language

English
Publisher

PenguinBooks
Publication date

February 28, 2001
Dimensions

5.52 x 0.68 x 8 inches
ISBN-10

0140298487
ISBN-13

978-0140298482
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Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B000IOEZ6S
Publisher ‏ : ‎ PenguinBooks (February 28, 2001)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0140298487
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0140298482
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8.8 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.52 x 0.68 x 8 inches

Customer Reviews:
4.1 4,186 ratings

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David Ebershoff

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David Ebershoff's debut novel, The Danish Girl, won the Lambda Literary Award and was named by The New York Times one of the 25 books that has shaped LGBTQ literature in the last two decades. It was adapted into an Oscar-winning film. Ebershoff's most recent novel is the #1 bestseller The 19th Wife, which was made into a television movie that has aired around the globe. His books have been translated into more than twenty-five languages to critical acclaim. Ebershoff has appeared twice on Out Magazine's annual Out 100 list of influential LGBT people. He is Editor in Chief of Hogarth, an imprint of Random House. Originally from California, he lives in New York City.

Customer reviews

4,186 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book interesting, engrossing, and thought-provoking. They praise the writing quality as well-written, descriptive, and picturesque. Readers describe the story as compelling, poignant, and moving. They appreciate the beautiful imagery and heartfelt story. Opinions are mixed on the character development, with some finding them deeply developed and true, while others say they're oversimplified.

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Readability Writing quality Story quality Visual quality Heartfelt story Character development Pacing Difficulty to follow

108 customers mention "Readability"108 positive0 negative

Customers find the book interesting, engrossing, and thought-provoking. They also say it's a terrific, beautiful novel.

"This book is beautifully written and really captures the struggle of LilI trapped in her male body coming to terms with her conflicting desires...." Read more

"...I do recommend this book because it is beautifully written and a story worth knowing." Read more

"I wanted to like this book; the reviews looked great, and I enjoyed The 19th Wife so I know Ebershoff is a talented, intelligent writer...." Read more

"...for those outside this community this story will be compelling, enlightening, and should rip the heart in sympathy from any reader...." Read more

79 customers mention "Writing quality"65 positive14 negative

Customers find the writing quality of the book well-written, gifted, and picturesque. They also appreciate the beautiful, descriptive language.

"This book is beautifully written and really captures the struggle of LilI trapped in her male body coming to terms with her conflicting desires...." Read more

"Reading this book was like reading Wuthering Heights. The writing was superb and as a reader I could appreciate the artistry of the way the author..." Read more

"...and I enjoyed The 19th Wife so I know Ebershoff is a talented, intelligent writer. But I found this one a chore to get through...." Read more

"...The book was a bit of a brick, but the writing was very compelling, so it was an enjoyable read, and an interesting fictional look at man/woman who..." Read more

68 customers mention "Story quality"57 positive11 negative

Customers find the story compelling, tender, and poignant. They say it's a moving love story between Lili and his wife. Readers also appreciate the author's great job of combining fiction with facts. They mention the story is fascinating and believable.

"...between Greta and interchangeably both Einar and Lili is both believable and compassionate, as it becomes clear that Greta needs Lili to exist for..." Read more

"...Even for those outside this community this story will be compelling, enlightening, and should rip the heart in sympathy from any reader...." Read more

"...While Greta is a stunning character and provides enormous insight into the unconditional love necessary to support a partner who decides to..." Read more

"...We can learn from and share from this haunting and beautiful telling of the story the depths of sorrow and the heights of ambition that fill the..." Read more

22 customers mention "Visual quality"19 positive3 negative

Customers find the imagery beautiful, delicate, and vivid. They also describe the writing style as picturesque. Readers mention the characters are alive and realistic.

"...was very compelling, so it was an enjoyable read, and an interesting fictional look at man/woman who was clearly way ahead of her time." Read more

"I truly loved this book and I will attribute that to David Ebershoff's vivid and picturesque writing style...." Read more

"...relationships between the characters and the descriptions of the art work are believable and imaginative...." Read more

"...Davids writing evoked beautiful images of Lili as well as images of Copenhagen, Paris and California, and whilst I had a deep sense of sadness at..." Read more

21 customers mention "Heartfelt story"21 positive0 negative

Customers find the story heartfelt, emotional, and beautifully written. They say it conveys a lot of sympathy for the characters. Readers also mention it's tearful at times.

"...and interchangeably both Einar and Lili is both believable and compassionate, as it becomes clear that Greta needs Lili to exist for the sake of her..." Read more

"...The story is a sad and beautiful story that was well written. The characters however, for me, were so hard to like...." Read more

"...this story will be compelling, enlightening, and should rip the heart in sympathy from any reader...." Read more

"...confronted by each of the characters was thoughtful and demonstrated profound empathy as time and circumstances evolved...." Read more

20 customers mention "Character development"13 positive7 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the character development in the book. Some mention they're deeply developed, while others say they're oversimplified and never feel for them.

"...Ultimately even though this is a fascinating story and character study, it was flourished with a heavy hand and I found myself putting the book down..." Read more

"...The character of Lily has very little depth and essentially no character arc...." Read more

"...The author crafted several beautiful relationships between the characters and the descriptions of the art work are believable and imaginative...." Read more

"...The best thing about this novel is the character development, not just with the main character's journey to discovering her true identity, but with..." Read more

19 customers mention "Pacing"11 positive8 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the pacing of the book. Some find it hypnotic, deeply moving, and engaging. Others say it's good but slow at times.

"...An excellent book of rare feeling that poses lingering questions about identity." Read more

"...does match the dreamlike quality of his beautiful writing, but slows down the pacing of the story incredibly...." Read more

"Deeply moving and beautifully written, "The Danish Girl" allows readers to fully immerse themselves in the lives of the characters,..." Read more

"...Disturbing and moving." Read more

10 customers mention "Difficulty to follow"3 positive7 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the book. Some mention it shows how gradual the change is and explores transitions and possibilities very well. Others say it's difficult to follow, immerse themselves in, and relate to.

"...But I found this one a chore to get through. Here's why:I just didn't buy the characters...." Read more

"...The characters are really well developed but difficult to relate to and even to love...." Read more

"...If u are clueless to transgender people, this shows how gradual the change is. Nothing about sex or vivid details...." Read more

"...For me, it makes the book very difficult to immerse myself in and I really wanted to immerse in this loving story." Read more

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E O'C

The Danish Girl

Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2016

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This book is beautifully written and really captures the struggle of LilI trapped in her male body coming to terms with her conflicting desires. The relationship between Greta and interchangeably both Einar and Lili is both believable and compassionate, as it becomes clear that Greta needs Lili to exist for the sake of her craft and success, just as much as Einar does for the sake of his sanity and ultimately, his survival as 'her'. Their extraordinary bond and co-dependancy prevails throughout the story, despite the changing circumstances of their relationship, in fact as Lili becomes more woman , it seems Greta becomes more conflicted about her own feminine identity and desires. It is almost like a reversal of roles surreptitiously occurs. This book brings to light longstanding issues regarding the human struggle with a gender identity crisis in a sensitive and human way, long before the topic was widely-known or regarded publicly. It is a carefully crafted and thought-provoking story and we'll worth the read.

One person found this helpful

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M. L. Wilkinson

This is a difficult review to write. I loved the book but disliked the characters.

Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2019

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Reading this book was like reading Wuthering Heights. The writing was superb and as a reader I could appreciate the artistry of the way the author put the words together. However, I very much dislike the two main characters. Their personalities grated on me while their story intrigued me. The story is a sad and beautiful story that was well written. The characters however, for me, were so hard to like. I wanted to cheer for Lili and her transition from Einar but in the end I just saw a childish addict. I wanted to like Gerda and applaud her for her love and support of Einar and Lili, instead I found her to be self absorbed and controlling. I do recommend this book because it is beautifully written and a story worth knowing.

4 people found this helpful

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Kindle Customer

Hard work for the reader

Reviewed in the United States on July 23, 2016

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I wanted to like this book; the reviews looked great, and I enjoyed The 19th Wife so I know Ebershoff is a talented, intelligent writer. But I found this one a chore to get through. Here's why:

I just didn't buy the characters. Surely the first person to undergo gender reassignment surgery would be someone who was brave, strong-willed, and probably a colourful personality. Lili struck me as the sort of person who simply accepts whatever life brings, without resistance; childlike and timid. Greta, as a physically striking and very wealthy American, also seemed like a square peg in a round hole. She swings back and forth between being hesitant to even speak to her husband, and playing the role of controlling mother to him. I struggled to get a sense of who she really was. I don't know what the original people (who inspired this novel) were like, but I imagine them to be bolder, louder, and so much more colourful than the subtle shades-of-grey Lili and Greta are drawn with.

I'm not sure where the reader sits with this novel. The writing style is to create small details with the reader linking them together to see the bigger picture. But sometimes we sit close to the characters; and sometimes they are subjects that we're studying. For example, there's an unspoken suggestion about where the doctor is taking his donor organs, and it's shocking; sending the reader's mind reeling. But the characters are completely aloof from it, which has the effect of pushing the reader back from the story.

And finally, there was no humour in this novel - never a light moment, or little black humour to inspire a grim smile. No moment when the reader could share a smile with any of the characters, or with the author. Personally, I found that made the characters and their story difficult to access.

I hope that’s a fair and helpful review. I read a number of reviews before I bought the book, and they were all glowing in their praise so obviously there are a lot of readers out there who will love this story. But it didn’t suit me at all, and it was a relief to reach the final page.

27 people found this helpful

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Anne Onnmus

I can't wait for the new movie to be released! !!

Reviewed in the United States on October 31, 2015

Verified Purchase

The writer pulls you in from the very first paragraph. For those of the same experience as Lili it screams with sympathetic vibrations. ..after all, we have been/are going through these very same experiences.

Even for those outside this community this story will be compelling, enlightening, and should rip the heart in sympathy from any reader.

I believe that this book should be required reading for any course in Womens Studies, Psychology, Social Work, Criminal Justice, ....any field where policies are to be made that would impact the Transgender person.

The Powers that be in control of the Veterans Administration quickly comes to mind. They provide breast implants to XX chromosome Veterans who have had a mastectomy or massive weight loss.... stating that this "cosmetic procedure" --"enhances their self-image, and may increase their longevity"... but for XY women....Transgender Veterans, the same gift is denied... even though the same " Self image" is the case....and as for " longevity"? They have a 50% attempted suicide rate.

This book could generate a great deal of understanding, leading to policy change.

3 people found this helpful

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Camp Runamok

An Impressive Book

Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2016

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The story is based on a real person Lili Elbe, formerly Einer Wegener, an apparently well known painter in his time. But it really should have been called The California Girl, since I felt it was mostly about his wife, Gerda. The book is all about redefining what love is, outside of a traditional relationship. Gerda, like the rest of the cast in the book, is actually entirely fictional (his real wife was name Gerta and was I believe Danish). This is a case of using a real person and their writings as inspiration for a completely fictional work. It's an interesting concept, and it works well. The book was a bit of a brick, but the writing was very compelling, so it was an enjoyable read, and an interesting fictional look at man/woman who was clearly way ahead of her time.

One person found this helpful

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Daisy

You will be happy to get lost in this one-of-a-kind story. .

Reviewed in Canada on September 7, 2019

Verified Purchase

I like that this arrived on time in mint condition. I wanted this book to learn about the first Known Transgender male to female person after watching the movie, The Danish Girl.

swisssusie

A quirky story

Reviewed in Germany on September 9, 2019

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I found this to be an interesting story of relationships I can't imagine. The setting is well described too.

leonie

A book of acceptance

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 5, 2016

Verified Purchase

The Danish Girl has been acclaimed since it was made into a film starring Eddie Redmayne last year. I managed to grab a copy for the bargain price of 99p on a kindle daily deal and I'm really glad I chose to read it.

Now I'll be honest, I have very little knowledge of the ins and outs of LGBTIQ rights, choices, lifestyles etc. I have friends who fit into those categories if you'd like to call them that, but that's exactly why I don't make it my business to know too much. I think that by categorising we can sometimes stop looking at people as ordinary folk. We start labelling them and putting them into bundles and categories and ticking boxes and that's where it all starts falling apart. So while I wholeheartedly support the LGBTIQ community what I'm trying to say is that this is the first time I have read something in depth about a transgender person.

This story is first of all beautifully written. There is something in the way that it is written prettily and delicately that personifies the story itself as Lili. The subject is dealt with in a manner which is accepting and honest, that looks at the feelings of all the people who are involved in Lili's transformation not just herself but Einar's wife, the couple's friends and all the people who have loved Lili before and after she became a woman. It taught me a lot about transgender feelings about identifying as someone else and how terrifying this can be for that person who is still unsure who they are. It also taught me about hermaphroditism and what that actually means. I think we've all had a view in our heads of what it is and this book shows me that this view was in fact incorrect.

It was an interesting perspective from the 1930s when acceptance was not like it is now (even though it could still be better) and the authors view of the minutiae of day to day life and the oddity of Einar appearing one day and waking up as Lili the next kept it a page turner despite the story being a slow build up.

I can't say I enjoyed The Danish Girl as much as i developed as a person FROM this book. That my understanding and own personal acceptance were broadened as I rooted for Lili and yet rooted for Greta as well in a world which must have been terribly confusing for her to understand. The Danish Girl is all about acceptance and learning that no matter the challenges you can fight for your right to be who you feel you truly are inside. I'll be giving the film a watch soon see if it lives up!!
[...]

Linda

bellissimo

Reviewed in Italy on August 21, 2016

Verified Purchase

Ho acquistato questo libro subito dopo aver visto lo struggente film con Eddie Redmayne. Il libro è un po' diverso dal film e ho preferito leggerlo in lingua originale in quanto studentessa di lingue straniere. Struggente come il film, si riescono a percepire tutti i turbamenti e le lotte interne dei protagonisti. Consigliato!!

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Meggha

Each one offering different solutins to the situation is so brilliantly written. Greta / Gerda is my favourite character ...

Reviewed in India on February 12, 2016

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The Danish Girl, set in the 1920s and 30s is based on the true story of Einer and Gerda, a lovely couple I got introduced to through Ebershoff's book.

Sexual identity is a complex subject with delicate questions to be probed. Ebershoff's has written on this with such a remarkable feel, keeping the detail of the period atmosphere - the 1920s-30s. He has covered various perspectives from the self (Einar/Lily), immediate family, friends and medical men. Each one offering different solutins to the situation is so brilliantly written. Greta / Gerda is my favourite character in the story. An epitome of love, care and fidelity in marriage.

This book to me is a poetic and intense rendition. I give it a 5 star and recommend it highly

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