A review by otterskate
The Book of Hygge: The Danish Art of Contentment, Comfort, and Connection by Louisa Thomsen Brits

3.0

I feel like Hygge in Denmark is either exaggerated or their unions and safety net and 33 hour work week and general cultural homogeneity is what makes this possible. This book is full of lush descriptions of how the Danes decompress and go about a seemingly relaxed way of life as if looking relaxed and being relaxed at all times is life itself. There are many minimalist pictures of hipster things appearing in a middle of nowhere that I'm not sure Denmark actually has.

I do hygge on a regular basis with blankets and candles and tea with shared food and experiences when I can but it's limited in comparison to the way this book makes hygge seem. This book makes it seem like Danes in a constant state of hygge at all times. So, perhaps Denmark is actually liberal hipster utopia I've been looking for. I'm not sure that the stress of 2020 fits in.