OK, Helen Russell’s The Year of Living Danishly is the last one about Denmark for a while.

Since I’ve read a few books about Denmark, I had some expectations going in. The topics were pretty clear cut: happiness ratings, equality on many fronts, openness, social cohesion, modesty, Janteloven, Nordic cuisine, hit TV shows, welfare state, high taxes, ambiguous relationship with religion, unease about immigrants, crazy language etc. Everything was there in some form or another, but there is a distinguishing characteristic.

You can set fire to the Danish flag but a tardy hoist is criminal

Helen Russell: The Year of Living Danishly: Uncovering the Secrets of the World’s Happiest Country

The Year of Living Danishly is structured as a story with many factographic detours along the way. Russell describes her move from the frenzy of London to rural Jutland. She embodies the image of a modern person being dragged through life by deadlines and notifications, never having time for anything, failing to reach and even have personal dreams, and starting to see health problems. Her husband seems to be much more relaxed but not happy either and when he’s presented with an opportunity to work for lEgO in Billund he accepts; they pack up their lives and move for a year.

‘What?’ Lego Man is ironing in just his boxer shorts and socks next door while simultaneously eating a bowl of cereal and trying not to slop chocolate chip-infused milk onto a clean white shirt.

Helen Russell: The Year of Living Danishly: Uncovering the Secrets of the World’s Happiest Country

The author takes this year as an opportunity to research the consistently high scores of Danes in happiness polls and uses this is an excuse to learn about Denmark. She talks to all sorts of people from different walks of life but mostly to researches. She has a tendency to quote one study per five pages, which becomes a bit tiring especially considering that most of the studies mentioned come from social sciences and should be taken with a grain of salt. These factual passages are mixed with personal stories and anecdotes of their attempts to fit in.

Four strapping Vikings unload 132 boxes from a shipping container before taking their shoes off and laying down rugs to protect the wooden flooring as they unpack our belongings, passing judgement on them as they go. Of a vase, ‘I like this. The other ones, not so much’ and of a painting, cryptically: ‘Was this expensive?’ ‘No.’ ‘Good.’

Helen Russell: The Year of Living Danishly: Uncovering the Secrets of the World’s Happiest Country

One has to wonder how much are the stories embellished and reordered to fit the chronological structure. Personally, I had a little problem with over-emphasized naivety, but it was balanced by Russell’s witty writing. I accumulated dozens of highlights, some factual tid bits but mostly just funny passages.

Among the books about Denmark, Year of Living Danishly is in the better half. It’s not a “reference manual” with nicely labeled chapters, but it conveys the same information in a story based form in a very entertaining style and even a character development arc (though slightly strained).

There is even a talk which summarizes the book, it uses some of the same jokes but they land better in written form.