We, the Drowned

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We, the Drowned sets sail beyond the narrow channels of the seafaring genre and approaches Tolstoy in its evocation of war’s confusion, its power to stun victors and vanquished alike…A gorgeous, unsparing novel.”— Washington Post Carsten Jensen talks about his epic book We, the Drowned (Vi,de Druknede) in an audio slideshow on The Interview Online (In English). Starting off slowly, Jensen's novel builds momentum and becomes quite thrilling and engaging on many levels ... It may not appeal to a large audience, but it won't disappoint those willing to make the effort." - Library Journal

Seafaring literature often trades on a sense of freedom and daring deeds. After all, the ocean has long been a symbol of the possibility for adventure and a better life, even if it has also been the source of great tragedy. In Danish author Carsten Jensen’s epic novel “We, the Drowned,” these themes are accompanied by a strong sense of the peculiarities of human nature. This first novel by a noted journalist chronicles the lives of the fisherfolk of Marstal, Denmark, from the late 1800s through World War II. Based on historical fact, “We, the Drowned” skillfully recounts large- and small-scale events, including a harrowing voyage in the South Pacific under a mad captain and a detailed account of the cruelties of an abusive teacher whose actions will mold the next generation of sailors. Live In Dublin by Lisa Hannigan and s t a r g a z e is out now on digital platforms, vinyl and CD via PIay It Again Sam. Lisa Hannigan’s spellbinding live album in collaboration with Andre de Ridder’s contemporary-classical s t a r g a z e orchestra is out now via Play It Again Sam. To celebrate, the Irish singer-songwriter is sharing a new video of her and s t a r g a z e playing the emphatic, hauntingly-beautiful ‘ We The Drowned’ at Dublin’s National Concert Hall on the night the LP was recorded. You can watch the video for ‘ We The Drowned’ below. We, the Drowned sets sail beyond the narrow channels of the seafaring genre and approaches Tolstoy in its evocation of war’s confusion, its power to stun victors and vanquished alike . . . A gorgeous, unsparing novel.” — Washington PostJensen bravely elected to narrate We, the Drowned in the first-person plural, and the power of his novel is owed also to this ambiguous but omniscient narrator.The first-person plural is a rarely usednarrative voice (it found success in Jeffrey Eugenides’s The Virgin Suicides and Joshua Ferris’s And Then We Came to the End, and perhaps most famously, in Faulkner’s A Rose for Emily), but never has it had such pointedly haunting effect.Jensen’s narrators alternately, but never definitively, reflect the points-of-view of the townspeople of Marstal: sailors, wives, old curmudgeons, young children.His “we” is rather like the chorus of Greek tragedy—homogeneous and boundless, sometimes judging and always interpreting. The “we” of We, the Drowned is a haunting voice—a whole society, in unison, made manifest. The epic historical TV series will focus on a group of men on the high seas and the women and children who await their return amidst the deepest betrayals and unexpected loves, from the sun-bleached Caribbean to distant Australia, from mystic Shanghai to glittering New York. The following summer, at Berlin’s PEOPLE Festival, s t a r g a z e would end up inviting Lisa to perform a couple of her songs with them on stage and the project spiraled on from there.

Chris Stewart, Commercial Director at Banijay Rights, said: “We’re very pleased to be partnered with MARLOWFILM Productions on this exciting new drama from Mikael Salomon, one of the industry’s most renowned and respected directors. We, The Drowned is the perfect example of a local story with a truly global appeal, focusing on timeless and universal themes of adventure, love, desire, grief and the passage of time, which we know will strike a chord with international audiences.” Currently in late stages of development, the TV project based on Carsten Jensen’s best-selling novel, will be directed by Danish born Hollywood-based Mikael Salomon, episodic director of Steven Spielberg’s Band of Brothers, and multi-awarded cinematographer ( The Abyss). Norway’s experienced writer Jan Trygve Røyneland handles the screen adaptation. Appealingly, none of the three male protagonists are victims of the traditional soldier stereotypes—living only through their military exploits. Their adventures on the South Seas and their efforts in the face of Nazism do not supersede the richness and depth of their characters. Neither Albert nor Knud relish the violence in which they take part, and all three morally and emotionally suffer in the aftermath of their duties. We, the Drowned is, more than anything, a grand mythology of violence—a genrationalsagain more than familial matters. Violence (and victimization) are engrained aspects of masculinity for Marstalers, but not aspects that should betaken lightly or emotionally elided.Jensen’s battles evoke awe and repulsion: the book re-sensitizes us to such horrors. verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{

Wrap Up

It must be said that Jensen’s heavy reliance on sea metaphors grows tiresome—too many compass analogies. And he tends to go overboard (sorry) with his protagonists’ moralizing tendencies. Most gallingly, female characters are few and far between—perhaps he learned a bit too much from his predecessor Melville. It is true that women were not a part of the seafaring life; and as many of his characters proclaim, they are the lighthouses on the beach, beacons to call men home—secondary characters in the lives of men at sea. It might have been peculiar to ascribe to women dominant parts in such a tale—the novel, as a portrait of a world, is hobbled by their absence. But I find the sins of this book very easy to forgive. Of its kind, it is really exemplary. In 2009, he was awarded the Olof Palme Prize. In 2012 he was awarded the Søren Gyldendal Prize. [3] But amid the havoc, when the powder magazines of the ship-of-the-line explode, something extraordinary happens. A Marstaller named Laurids Madsen is shot heavenward by the force of the blast. Just before he drops from the sky and into the water unharmed, he sees Saint Peter—who unceremoniously moons him.

Explore the wondrous sea and the oddities of human nature in this international bestselling, thrilling epic novel of a Danish port town.