Morten Pape
The Plan
★★★★★★
This gorgeous, painful and sensual novel about a writer’s own upbringing in a troubled
residential area, Urbanplanen in Amager, was like a knife to my heart. The Plan is the debut
novel of Morten Pape, and you can almost hear and smell it when he describes his mother,
cigarette in mouth, arguing with his father while his little sister screams. The writing is raw
and honest, and the plot draws us into a world we rarely hear about in literature.
Alt for damerne
★★★★★★
Let me begin by stating that it’s been years since I last read such a well-written novel. The
writing is absolutely fantastic, and the pages turn themselves while the reader simply
becomes Morten Pape. With this novel Pape has kicked down the door to the literary elite …
I was simply bowled over by it – I don’t think I’ve ever read such a strong debut. As
previously noted, it’s a linguistic gem. Moreover, it’s genuinely powerful in terms of depth,
it’s rawly honest, meaningful and incredibly harsh – Meet Morten, who writes like a dream,
has plenty to say and doesn’t whitewash his own role … Not since Jakob Ejersbo have I read
Danish literature of this calibre. I’m down on my knees – I can’t praise him enough, so I’ll
just content myself by saying that this is the novel of the year. A MUST read, guaranteed to
meet with wide popular appeal, and a novel that promises much for future publications.
READ IT!
Bognørden
★★★★★★
Morten Pape’s harsh upbringing in Amager is the backdrop for this year’s fiercest and bestwritten book. It’s nothing less than brilliant.
Berlingske Tidende
★★★★★
'Plan' is a dirty and uncomfortable urgent social realism. A strong debut novel, which just
waiting to be made into a film.
Ekstra Bladet
An ugly, powerful and completely breathtaking debut novel
The Plan is an entertaining book with great contemporary relevance, plunging a knife into a
grim part of Danish society. ... Years can go by between debuts like this, because the novel is
so well constructed and has the irresistible pull of an experienced, practised writer. ...
Pape's descriptions of this world contain some ugly stories, full of tension. But the novel hits
home. ... The Plan is the story of a series of people in a particular part of Copenhagen, and
this highly varied and diverse gallery of characters is depicted in deft strokes with great
human insight – and a lovely, humorous twinkle in the eye. All in all, The Plan is a more than
successful debut. Morten Pape not only has the ability to come up with a story, but the
ability to write it, and his style is captivating.
- Jyske Medier
… it’s certainly a harsh environment, one that makes you shudder and wonder how any but
the most hard-hitting and unscrupulous people could even survive there. But Morten Pape
finds the words both to be there and to break out and follow his own path. Deeply
impressive.
Kristeligt Dagblad
The last twenty years of Danish history, as seen from the Urbanplan ghetto, is the setting for
this novel about modern society and culture. A gripping and harsh story that really gets
under your skin … the tough environment full of destruction, violence, sex and drugs is
extraordinarily convincing, thanks to the authentic and meticulously observed writing. There
are many fine descriptions and observations from the ghetto, and the whole thing is
beautifully set into a larger social framework. … obligatory reading for all rational, thinking
Danes.
Litteratursiden.dk
★★★★★
An ugly, powerful and completely breathtaking debut novel
The Plan is an entertaining book with great contemporary relevance, plunging a knife into a
grim part of Danish society. ... Years can go by between debuts like this, because the novel is
so well constructed and has the irresistible pull of an experienced, practised writer. ...
Pape's descriptions of this world contain some ugly stories, full of tension. But the novel hits
home. ... The Plan is the story of a series of people in a particular part of Copenhagen, and
this highly varied and diverse gallery of characters is depicted in deft strokes with great
human insight – and a lovely, humorous twinkle in the eye. All in all, The Plan is a more than
successful debut. Morten Pape not only has the ability to come up with a story, but the
ability to write it, and his style is captivating.
Jyske Medier