Better a contract with the Devil than the Danes

It sounds like it might be the sequel to Fay Weldon’s ‘The Life and Loves of a She-Devil’, which is probably why I first picked up this book whilst browsing through Cafe Paludan on Fiolstræde.

And my curiosity was further aroused when I noticed that the writer, Stephan Attia, like me, is a fellow refugee of love – an international who moved to Denmark to encounter limited prospects of employment and vulnerability at home. Had somebody written an entire book specifically targeted at my situation?

Granted, the curious narrative style looked daunting: pages and pages of text without paragraphs – a stream of consciousness with nowhere to breathe. I paused, reluctant to read, but then I remembered my own leap of faith – the one I made when I moved to Denmark.

I plunged in … and I didn’t look back. It was nothing like I expected: while it spoke volumes about my situation, it delivered more, much more.

Because while it would have been easier for Attia to approach this subject from a more conventional angle – international settles in Copenhagen, is introduced to six-hour family parties and accidentally trips up and hospitalises ‘Olemor’ dancing around the Christmas tree – he does it allegorically, using the one entity in the history of mankind who should be more than a match for the homogeneity of Denmark: the Devil himself.

But things don’t exactly go his way – does it ever for an international moving here?

In a nutshell, the plot sees the Devil settle in Denmark to live with the tyrannical Catrine (sound familiar, Mrs Smith?), where he is accordingly brainwashed into the Danish way of life. He doesn’t stand a chance! Because while he has been reborn as a Dane, he finds it impossible to be accepted as one.

What follows are a number of hilarious episodes in which the Devil, despite his ability to resurrect the dead and wreak hell and damnation on one and all, fails to make the grade. He even becomes the perfect Dane, and is even called  ‘More Danish than the Danes’, but still he fails – and before you asked, he doesn’t have a red complexion, horns and a trident.

He is left with one option to succeed: reincarnation. But he is tricked into believing that all Danes are born out of the arse, and accordingly emerges from Mrs Jensen’s singing his own Danish birthday song and waving a Dannebrog.

Now accepted, he is faced with a rival for his mother’s affection, Jens Jensen, and the real fun can begin. Meanwhile, he discovers that the Danes are plotting to overthrow God and a Danification of the whole universe. He quickly signs up, but will he find that a contract with the Danes is worse than signing one with the Devil?

Overall, this satirical novel is heartily recommended for anyone who can relate to the difficulties that face internationals who move to Denmark. Be warned though as the humour, which is often facetious and sophomoric, might not be for everyone. On several occasions, I found myself being stared at by a carriage full of Danes for laughing out loud on the train. If only they knew!

‘The adventures of Catrine and the Devil II’ is available for purchase for 85 kroner at www.amazon.com.




  • Enter Christiania: how the Freetown works

    Enter Christiania: how the Freetown works

    We all know Christiania and have been there at least once. But how does the Freetown work? How are decisions made? Can a person move there? Is there rent or bills to pay? British journalist Dave Wood wrote a reportage on Christiania for The Copenhagen Post.

  • The struggles of Asian women in Denmark’s labour market

    The struggles of Asian women in Denmark’s labour market

    Isha Thapa unfolds her research “An Analysis on the Inclusivity and Integration of South Asian Women in High-Skilled Jobs within the Danish Labor Market”. Thapa describes the systemic and social challenges these women face, ranging from barriers in social capital to cultural integration.

  • Parents in Denmark reject social media monitoring 

    Parents in Denmark reject social media monitoring 

    Most parents in Denmark reject using social media parental controls despite knowing about them. A new study questions the effectiveness of these tools in ensuring children’s online safety.

  • Analysis: we need a different education system for international children in Denmark

    Analysis: we need a different education system for international children in Denmark

    Data analyst Kelly Draper Rasmussen highlights that Denmark sees peaks in international migration during early childhood and high school years. However, with only one international education option, many families are forced to leave to secure different opportunities for their children.

  • Danish Refugee Council to lay off up to 2,000 staff

    Danish Refugee Council to lay off up to 2,000 staff

    After the anticipation from The Copenhagen Post, a press release by DRC has confirmed the plan to lay off thousands of employees in response to the recent halt of foreign aid spending by the Trump administration.

  • Ironic campaign to make California Danish is going viral

    Ironic campaign to make California Danish is going viral

    An ironic political campaign launched by a website called Denmarkification is getting tens of thousands of supporters. Among their testimonials are HCH, Viggo Mortensen, Lars Ulrich, and Margrethe III (Yes, you read that right)