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Susanna Kaysen
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Far Afield Paperback – April 19, 1994

by Susanna Kaysen (Author)
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 98 ratings
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A compulsively readable novel of enormous charm swimming in the cuisine and culture of the Faroe Islands from the author of Girl, Interrupted.

Jonathan Brand, a graduate student in anthropology, has decided to do his fieldwork in the remote Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic.  But, despite his Harvard training, he can barely understand, let alone "study," the culture he encounters.  From his struggles with the local cuisine to his affair with the Danish woman the locals want him to marry, Jonathan is both repelled by and drawn into the Faroese way of life. Wry and insightful, Far Afield reveals Susanna Kaysen's gifts of imagination, satire, and compassion.
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  1. Print length
    352 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Vintage
  4. Publication date
    April 19, 1994
  5. Dimensions
    5.2 x 0.78 x 7.97 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0679753761
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0679753766
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Brilliant . . . a novel distinguished for [its] intelligence, psychological insight, and splendid writing." --The Atlantic

"Enthralling . . . at times supernaturally beautiful.  A gritty, intellectual, emotionally complex and astute account of an outsider succumbing to the hidden charms of a remote and peculiar island community." --Cleveland Plain Dealer

"Kaysen softly moves the story forward, chronicling personal change with deft touches of insight and with detail of island life so rich that it seems she had spent a year there herself." --Chicago Sun-Times

"Witty, intelligent. . . . An inspired novel about the human condition and the nature of civilization.  One of the best novels . . . in some time." --Boston Magazine

From the Inside Flap

nd, a graduate student in anthropology, has decided to do his fieldwork in the remote Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic. But, despite his Harvard training, he can barely understand, let alone "study," the culture he encounters. From his struggles with the local cuisine to his affair with the Danish woman the locals want him to marry, Jonathan is both repelled by and drawn into the Faroese way of life. Wry and insightful, Far Afield reveals reveals Susanna Kaysen's gifts of imagination, satire, and compassion.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Vintage; Reprint edition (April 19, 1994)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 352 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0679753761
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0679753766
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.2 x 0.78 x 7.97 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 98 ratings

About the author

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Susanna Kaysen

Susanna Kaysen

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Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
4.1 out of 5
98 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Betty
5.0 out of 5 stars Stranger in a strange land
Reviewed in the United States on October 21, 2018
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I loved this book for what another reviewer saw as a weakness--laxk of plot. It's strength for me was the very dailiness of Jonathan 's sojourn in an alien environment. No.spoiler here's but the aliens kindly take him in, and he does manage to come to terms.with data for.a.thesis, as not sfarce, either. Among the strengths of the tale.is the multiddnsions of the people. We see both good and bad, weird and normal. I xould.have read on and on, and would dearly love to have a way to get my hands on the resulting thesis to get Jonathan's hindsight.on it all.
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William Carrington
4.0 out of 5 stars I loved the setting and while I agree that it would ...
Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2016
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I read this book mostly because it was about the Faroe Islands and only secondarily because it was by the author of Girl, Interrupted. I loved the setting and while I agree that it would not have been as interesting if set in Maine, the fact is that it wasn't set in Maine....it was set in the Faroe's:). A lot of the drama and comedy arise from a city slicker's exposure to countryfolk and how they live with animals, and that's a topic I always find interesting. So this is not the greatest psychological novel ever, nor the most dramatic, but if you want a sensitive, humorous treatment of what it would be like to live in a small Scandinavian Island community for a year, then this is your book.
6 people found this helpful
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curlyonline
5.0 out of 5 stars Don't want to reveal the plot by writing too much but if you liked her later books - read this
Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2015
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Characters well developed. Plot starts a little slow, then grabs you and pulls you in. Don't want to reveal the plot by writing too much but if you liked her later books - read this.
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Anna Karenina
3.0 out of 5 stars Wanted it to be better
Reviewed in the United States on September 6, 2009
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This is a book with lots of virtues--it's well written, very subtly witty, has a great sense of place. Unfortunately, it suffers from lack of plot and a main character who is only moderately interesting.
6 people found this helpful
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Jersey Shore lady
5.0 out of 5 stars Gets you away from home
Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2016
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Re-read this book in anticipation of traveling in the north atlantic countries. Great atmosphere and glimpse into a completely different culture.
Love Susanna Kaysen....wish she would write more.
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saskatoonguy
2.0 out of 5 stars An introduction to life in the Faeroe Islands
Reviewed in the United States on May 10, 2000
This is the sort of book where the exotic locale is the novel's sole strength. Few people have heard of the Faeroe Islands (a Danish possession north of Scotland), but those with an interest might enjoy this fictitious tale of an American anthropologist. The Faeroes are one of Europe's remotest corners, where people still pursue such customs as killing whales, eating sheep eyeballs, and (most shocking) slowly killing the household cat as an appeasement to the gods. The characterizations and the plot are too thin to sustain this novel; if it were set in (for instance) Maine, no one would ever give it a second look. The love-story-subplot is especially disappointing, consisting of the lead character obsessing over an airline clerk who is not equally interested in him, but who appears to be the only available woman in the country -- or at least that's the impression the reader is left with. Nevertheless, for those fascinated by remote Scandinavian locales, this in-depth look at Faroese life might be worth a read.
14 people found this helpful
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Rei-chan
4.0 out of 5 stars Really a novel?
Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2020
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For a novel this book reads more like an anthropological report. What should detract from the story, however, makes up in fascinating slice-of-life detail for a rather unappealing hero. For him alone I would soon have given up on the book, but the islanders’ lifestyle is too interesting, even where if offends modern views.
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lv gc
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2016
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a must
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Top reviews from other countries

Bremerin
3.0 out of 5 stars Three Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 25, 2017
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Slow read.
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schafmann
4.0 out of 5 stars Good read with lots of insights into Faroese culture
Reviewed in Germany on April 15, 2014
Verified Purchase
This book was recommended to me by a Faroese guy, and I gave it a read. Did not regret it - I had been to the Faroe Islands myself a few years before and blurted out at many of the hilarious situations in the book because I had experienced them similarly. The story itself is a bit cliché, but for anyone with an interest in the Faroes this book is time and money well spent.
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