The Royal Physician's Visit: A Novel (original 1999; edition 2002)

I started reading this one summer several years ago, but got stuck somewhere about two thirds in, and abandoned it. Feeling I should really try to read in Swedish more often, before I forget everything I know, I picked it up again and went back to the beginning. My Danish history of the 18th century isn't really up to scratch, and having finished this novel, I think I'd rather like to read a non-fiction treatment of the period.

The focus in the Livläkarens besök is in the four or five year period in late 1760s and early 1770s when Christian, the young king of Denmark, is looked after by a German doctor with ambitions to put enlightenment philosophies into practice and who ends up with the power to do just that as well as falling for Christian's English wife. The book follows several characters, mainly ones who are or have in a position of influence over Christian, and I think I'd have preferred if it had mainly focused on just one, but on the whole, it was OK. ( )

Reading historical novels like this one, I find myself wondering why I don’t delve into this genre more often. Enqvist’s book is well-researched, opens up a part of my regional history I had no idea of - and reads like a thriller.

In Denmark in the middle of the 18th century, the nobility is holding the power. A string of weak kings, more interested in drinking and sleeping around than ruling, have in practice left the reins to the people around them. Strong powers of course wishes things remain this way. Therefor focus on the upbringing of the young Christian is on breaking him down. It’s quite horrid the brutal and contradictory treatment he goes through, and by the time he as a teenager inherits the throne he is psychotic and paranoid, broken and scared.

A Royal Physician is hired, with the specific task of looking after the king. The German Struensee is reluctant at first, but soon realizes the potential in this spot. Struensee is very involved in the Enlightenment movement, and after winning the king’s trust and channeling it through him, he quietly and methodically starts a Danish Revolution from his desk. He is changing things radically – cutting down funds for the army, giving legal rights to bastard children, reducing taxes, intorcucing freedom of speech. And he strikes up a strange friendship with the troubled young king, who is all too thankful to have someone else doing the ruling.

The other two major players in this novel are the young queen Caroline Mathilde, youngest sister to the mad king George of England, who is thrown into this retarded little backwater country and given a husband who is insane – but who realizes she is both capable and eager to exercise power. She becomes Struensee’s strongest ally, and his lover. And finally Guldberg, an upstart at the court, from common background like Struensee, but one who is working his influence on the other side of things. The reaction that is bound to come towards the ungodly conduct of the dirty English harlot and her German lover. The future, when everything is to be set right again.

Enqvist has a tone telling this mind-boggling story of philosophy, madness, idealism and power that invokes absolute confidence. There's no doubt this book is very well researched. But even when he must be guessing, he is utterly believable in his low-key matter of fact style, which still lends itself to a kind of poetry. The characters are wonderfully drawn in frailty and complexity. And the plot itself is often nail-biting and chilling suspense, even if the inevitable, tragic outcome is clear from the get-go.

A warning that there are some disturbing elements here –including cruelty to children. But if that doesn’t deter you, this is a read I’ll heartily recommend to anyone interested in historical fiction. ( )

The book covers a lot of historical fact written as history, then slipping seamlessly into the narrative. The author often uses a style of short sentences and repetition, perhaps echoing the dislocating turmoil of the time the book is set. The story was new to me, and presented from the point of view of the royal physician and his good intentions and lack of control (whereas the general view is of him as an adulterer and power politician). A fascinating and engrossing read, 8/10. ( )

Historisk roman om Christian den 7. Caroline Mathilde og Struensee. Spændende og medrivende historie. ( )

I decided that this book is not for me. While it is very well written, and the plot was very interesting, I could not abide the horror of how King Christian was treated by all those with the power to help him. I'm sure that in the hands of someone less sensitive to this issue that this is a very worthy book.