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The Danish Girl
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The Danish Girl
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The Danish Girl
Audiobook11 hours

The Danish Girl

Written by David Ebershoff

Narrated by Jeff Woodman

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

()

Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

Inspired by the true story of Danish painter Einar Wegener and his California-born wife, this tender portrait of a marriage asks: what do you do when someone you love wants to change? It starts with a question, a simple favor asked of a husband by his wife on an afternoon chilled by the Baltic wind while both are painting in their studio. Her portrait model has cancelled; would he slip into a pair of women's shoes and stockings for a few moments so she can finish the painting on time? "Of course," he answers. "Anything at all." With that one of the most passionate and unusual love stories of the twentieth century begins.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateApr 3, 2012
ISBN9781615730872
Unavailable
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Reviews for The Danish Girl

Rating: 3.7780243946188343 out of 5 stars
4/5

223 ratings26 reviews

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I loved this book. It's beautifully written and filled with precise, artful descriptions of places and people. Loosely based on a true story, it introduces us to Einar Wegener and his wife, Greta, both artists in 1920s Copenhagen. One day, Greta suggests that Einar help her complete a portrait by filling in for her female model. This suggestion opens the door to Einar's repressed past and hidden longings. Einar's transforms into Lili, the woman who has been inside of him all along. Through out this remarkable journey, Greta loves and supports Einar and Lili. While the novel has a lot to say about gender and identity, the most amazing part of it is the love between the two leads. Einar/Lili is a sympathetic character and Greta is even more clearly drawn, a woman of openness, compassion, and unending loyalty and love. The novel moves through Copenhagen, Paris, and Dresden in the 1920s and 30s. The settings are beautifully drawn but it's the portrait of a marriage in flux and the intimacy and trust between two people that makes the book outstanding. Last year, I read Ebershoff's The 19th Wife and I really liked it. The Danish Girl is very different in style and content, shorter and more straightforward, sticking to a conventional narrative structure. Sometimes simplicity is the best and, in my opinion, The Danish Girl is a much stronger novel than The 19th Wife. It's a breathtaking, bittersweet, and lovely novel, and I highly recommend it. Five stars.

    2 people found this helpful

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was another book that I read due to the movie that is out. I enjoyed it, but wasn't really happy with the ending. It left me unsettled and with lots of questions. I'm very interested in the movie.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Tiptree shortlist 2000. I don't know how this got recommended for Tiptree as, even though it does explore gender, there is no SFF element to it whatsoever. That said it is an excellent read, with rounded, complex characters and a story that drew me in.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Accomplished writing, though I found the detailed descriptions of everything a bit wearing. Fascinating imagining, loosely based on the story of a pioneer of transgender realignment. A husband sensitively supported and encouraged by his wife to discover his/her true identity. But 'Lili' as characterised in the novel was so passive, vague, dreamy and unquestioning that I found it hard to reconcile that such an unfocused individual had the determination to go through such extreme, untested surgeries.The ending was also dreamlike and vague, and so I resorted to Wikipedia to find out what actually happened to the real Danish Girl.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is an amazing story and readers can learn a great deal from it. I made a point of reading it before seeing the film and recommend that others to the same. There was dialogue in an early section of the book and comments by the author at the end if the book that I found particularly interesting: Dialogue between Hans and Lili from Part I: "Don't you think marriage is the one single thing we all should hope for most in life? Doesn't it make you more whole than living all alone?"..."Not always."..."I think it does. Marriage is a like a third person. It creates someone else, more than just the two of you."..."Yes, but not always for the best."...From a conversation with the author at the end of the book:...Marriage fascinates me: how we negotiate its span, how we change within it, how it changes itself, and why some relationships survive themselves and others do not. There isn't a single marriage that couldn't provide enough narrative arc for novel...Put simply, it is the question that we perpetually ask ourselves: what is love?...
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Loved this book. Beautifully written and what a great story. I had no previous knowledge of Einer Wegener and his sex change. Loved the description of the artistic world that this books is set in. This would make a great Book Club choice as there are many topics to linger and discuss. Looking forward to seeing the movie.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The Danish Girl by David Ebershoff is a work of fiction loosely based on the true story of Lili Elbe who began life as the artist Einar Wegenar and his wife, the artist Gerda Wegenar (Greta in the book). Einar was one of the first men to undergo several sex change operations in the 1930's and the book tells the story of Einar's transformation into Lili, the loving support she received from her wife and a number of friends and family members. It deals very sensitively with the realization of her sexuality and her sex change, the impact it had on their marriage.It's touching and poignant in all the right ways and deals honestly with a loving and, ultimately, healthy relationship.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Greta is a woman of a wealthy California background who goes to Denmark to study art and there falls in love with Einar, a man who increasingly considers himself to be female. It is Greta who encourages her then husband to dress in women's clothing as she brings about her own artistic success from the outstanding paintings she does of him in his female persona of Lili.This may sound like a bizarre story, but it's exquisitely written in a way that celebrates the love between Greta and Einar/Lili. As the couple travels between Denmark, France, and Germany, we fear for their relationship and, even more, for Lili's health as she suffers from mysterious bleeding episodes, becomes hauntingly thin, and endures several sex-changing operations. Though this book has a difficult theme, it is handled with tact and aplomb.In the end, I felt that this was a sad story. That individuals who love one another have to change their station in life due to circumstances beyond their control and to endure emotional issues that are directly related to physical issues also beyond their control is distressing. The ending of this story left me with that deep kind of sadness.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I liked this book. I've been curious about the movie for a while now. (still haven't seen it. I am going to soon though.) I related more to Greta than anyone out of the book as I was once in a similar position. The man in my case wasn't my husband but an ex who I had remained good friends with. I remember helping her out with her transition- helping her pick out clothes, waiting in the hospital for her to come out of surgery, etc. I did like the story over all even though I haven't decided if I liked the ending or not. Partially because I know the non-fiction story of Lili Elbe and how that worked out for her. I'd recommend it for a good read.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Absolutely beautiful book. If writing could be called gorgeous that's what I'd say about this - its a gorgeously written book.I had previously read his The 19th Wife, which I liked, but it holds no candle to this one in my opinion.I feel like it was written in whispers, softly- just to draw me closer to Lili and Greta so that I would fall in love with them- and I did.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    From My Blog...Identity, unwavering love, artistic, beautiful, lyrical, transcendental, are a few words that spring to mind as I reflect upon The Danish Girl by David Ebershoff, which is an exquisitely written novel with delicate and beautiful prose. The reader is introduced to Greta and Einar Wegener, both painters yet with differing subjects, Greta paints portraits and Einar paints landscapes, yet each is devoted to supporting the other's works, dreams and desires. In 1925 Greta needed Einar to don a pair of hose and shoes to finish a portrait, since Anna had canceled yet again, and during this session Lili was born. Ebershoff's novel is very loosely based on the first transgender surgery performed in 1931 on artist Einar Wegener who became known as Lili Elbe. Through a series of flashbacks the reader learns more about Greta and Einar prior to their meeting and marriage, delving deeper into Einar's childhood and Greta's previous marriage. The Danish Girl is a deeply touching and emotional look at how far people are willing to go for those they love. The novel is written with exceptional attention to detail allowing the reader to view Copenhagen, Paris, and Dresden through the eyes of two painters. Greta's unconditional love for her husband as well as for Lili shine through as does the understanding and compassion shown in their friends, Anna, Hans, and Greta's brother Carlisle. There is so much to praise in this book, yet I am awed at how well Ebershoff portryed Greta's and Einar's paintings mirroring their lives and how their paintings and style changed as they did. The Danish Girl is a beautifully written narrative of love that transcends all boundaries. I highly recommend this novel to any adult and think it would make a remarkable discussion group choice.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The Short of It:A non-traditional love story that will stay with you long after you put it down.The Rest of It:I absolutely loved this novel. The novel itself was inspired by the marriage of Einar and Gerda Wegener, both artists living in Copenhagen in 1925. As Einar realizes that he is indeed a woman, seemingly trapped in a man's body, he becomes Lili and the three of them live together as a family of sorts. At first, he dresses as Lili in the privacy of the apartment that he shares with Greta but as the weeks pass and with the support of Greta, he begins to allow Lili to take short shopping trips. After several outings, Lili is introduced as Einar's sister and even attends a few social gatherings. As her confidence grows, Greta sees less and less of Einar and she realizes that soon her husband may not exist at all.Ebershoff paints Einar as a very delicate creature. Here is an example:"Einar pressed the side of his face into the pillow. He fell asleep again. There he was, Greta's huband. With his fine skin, and his small head with the temples that dented softly, almost like a baby's. With his nose flaring with breath. With his smell of turpentine and talc. With the skin around his eyes, red and nearly on fire. "The love that Greta has for her husband is what encourages her to support his transformation. As afraid as she is of losing Einar, she feels that his happiness means more to her than their marriage. Once she accepts this, she begins to seek medical advice which results in Einar's permanent gender modification. The first of its kind.There are some very tender moments and some very difficult decisions made. Lili is surrounded by supportive friends as she completes the transformation but where does this leave Greta? Greta misses Einar yet she loves Lili and realizes that at some point, she must let Lili live her own life.I'm telling you, this story just broke my heart but in a wonderful, "ball up your hankie and shed a tear" kind of way. This is my book club's pick for this month (selected by me) and the meeting is tomorrow so I have to wait a day to hear what they thought of it but I am hoping that they enjoyed it as much as I did.The other item that I want to mention is that The Danish Girl is being made into a movie and will star Nicole Kidman as Einar/Lili and Charlize Theron as Greta. How's that for casting?David Ebershoff also wrote The 19th Wife, which I know a lot of you have read. The Danish Girl was his first novel.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Based on the true story of a Danish painter, this is a very well-written novel about the remarkable relationship between a transgender artist and his American spouse in Europe during the 1920's.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Excellent novel, based on the true story of one of the first transgender surgeries ever. This husband & wife were way ahead of their time in terms of communication, understanding, and acceptance.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This book is a fictitious account of the lives of Einar Wegener and his wife, Greta; dealing with the realisation of his sexuality, his sex change, and the new separate lives they lead. It's touching and poignant in all the right ways and deals honestly with a strained but loving and, ultimately, healthy relationship.Well worth a read if you're into themes of identity and love. Very nice, indeed.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This book made me feel overwhelmed with emotion. Truly an amazing story, especially considering it's true. Enjoyed it very much!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Its nice :)
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Though slow and very detailed at times I still loved this beautiful story of self discovery, understanding and support.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A beautifully written story of the first transgender patient, exploring the emtional journey of not only the patient but also their wife. Also includes author's notes, and book club questions.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Fantastic view of the interior life of a marriage and how unconditional love can lead to unregretable loss when one spouse discovers his or her identity.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    After seeing the movie ads on tv I was curious about what the book was . I find the book very entertaining read, but the finish left me a little confused. I guess I don't why she was really left alone , to die? Is what I the outcome. If not someone please enlighten me, still I enjoyed it.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I wavered on my rating for this one--I may yet change it to a 4. Such a unique story, such interesting characters. For the most part I found it really well written, although it occasionally dragged and was periodically repetitive.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I loved this book. I didn't know anything about Einar Wegener and his wife Greta. While this is a fictionalized version of a true story, it's just incredible. Einar was one of the first transgender people and had the surgeries in the very early 1930s. Can you even imagine having this kind of surgery in the 30s? This is the remarkable story of Lili Elbe being literally born out of the body and soul of Einar Wegener with the love and support of his wife. They are both artists which just adds so much to the story. I know that I will be spending a lot of time on Google learning more about these incredible people. Highly recommended.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Will add later this week.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The Danish Girl by David Ebershoff is a fictionalized account of Einar Wegener's transformation into Lili Eiber. When the model for his wife's current painting fails to show, Einar agrees to don the costume and pose in her place. And then he begins to realize he's more comfortable being a woman. Soon he is spending most of his time as Lili Eiber.The book is set in Finland and in Pasadena, in flashback. Einar's wife was raised in Pasadena, California. I enjoyed seeing the city at the turn of the last century, through the early 1920s, through her memories. Her emersion in the California school of art (plein air painting of sweeping landscapes in bold colors) played against Einar's small, subdued landscapes that he had fallen out of habit of painting. Through their artwork, then, their relationship and personalities are introduced and explored.I read The Danish Girl in the same weeks as Parrotfish — a YA novel about a female to male transgender teen. The striking difference between the two is the level of support Lili receives from her wife and their friends. How much support the actual Lili received, I don't know. As a story of support in a potentially difficult stage of life — it's a lovely novel.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Danish artist Einer Wegener and his artist wife, Greta, live a simple life in Copenhagen in the 1920′s. Einer paints landscapes while Greta paints portraits. Greta is almost through with a portrait, but the subject had to cancel her sitting, so Greta asks Einer to wear the shoes, hose and dress that she has been wearing. Einer discovers that he enjoys it and finds himself dressing as “Lili” more and more often. Greta even encourages it at first.When Einer is dressed as Lili, he’s completely transformed and it seems that Lili is beginning to take over his life, and it’s even beginning to affect Einer’s health. Greta, and her twin brother Carlisle, seek a solution by speaking to every doctor they can think of. Greta thinks she’s found the answer, and encourages Einer to seek help.The Danish Girl by David Ebershoff is loosely based on the story of Einer Wegener, a Danish artist who lived from 1882 to 1931. I was a little confused at the beginning of the book when Lili was referred to as she (since Lili is actually a man dressed as a woman at that point), until I realized that Einer actually felt like a she when he was dressed as Lili.I don’t want to give too much away, but the story of Einer Wegner is fascinating. I had no idea that there were people as open to the ideas presented in this book during the early part of the 20th century.Deep down inside, this book is a love story and I was caught up in it, but would have liked to have known more of the characters emotions. At times, I felt they were too distant for me to really get involved in their story. I admired Greta for her love, support and devotion of her husband, even when he was Lili. I also felt for Lili, because I know it must have been difficult and exhausting to feel the way she did.I enjoyed The Danish Girl even though I found it a little plodding at times. I had to know what was going to happen to Einer, though, and have found myself googling him ever since I read the book.