THE 
American-Scandinayian 
Review 
Volume X . May, 1922 Number 5 
The Book Season in Denmark 
By Christian Rimestad 
The past book season has brought us a large number of interesting 
novels. With the exception of Otto Rung, Johannes V. Jensen, and 
Johannes Buchholtz, all our writers, men as well as women, have again 
appeared with new books. The new works by Agnes Henningsen, 
Karin Michaelis, Astrid Kidde, and Thit Jensen give a good idea of 
the achievements of the women writers in Denmark. 
Among the works of our men writers, Andersen-Nexo’s novel 
Ditte, Daughter of Man (Ditte Menneskebarn, Aschehoug) is of 
greatest importance. The fifth volume was finished shortly before 
Christmas, and through its publication Danish literature has been en¬ 
riched by an intensely human and deeply touching work. Andersen- 
Nexo is the poet and the glorifier of the lower classes; true, his novels 
are filled with a purpose, but at the same time he is poet enough to grip 
the reader and hold his interest by means of the casual and uncertain 
forces of life itself. 
As the title reveals, Ditte, Daughter of Man is a work represent¬ 
ing a type. The fate of Ditte is meant to depict that of thousands of 
her sisters, in the same manner as Paludan-Miiller’s famous Adam 
Homo was intended to represent the common human weaknesses and 
limitations. But while Adam Homo was a bitter indictment, Ditte, 
Daughter of Man is a warm defense. 
Andersen-Nexo’s social views have gradually changed and lately 
advanced more and more toward the Left. His previous large work, 
Pelle the Conqueror, written ten years ago, presents views which would 
now be termed Right-Socialistic; to-day his views are communistic. 
Although communism is regarded by the English with very little favor, 
this fact has not prevented Ditte, Daughter of Man from obtaining, 
in the English translation, great success and popularity, such as has 
never before been reached by any Danish novel. 
