Book Review: Grooks

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I finally came up with a copy of the first Grooks collection this year (and now I’m on the hunt for the third).

A tiny bit of background: Piet Hein was a member of the Danish Resistance in World War II, as well as a mathematician and inventor. And a poet. Grooks started to appear in the newspaper shortly after the Nazi occupation of Denmark in 1940. They’re quick, witty, and frequently have more than one meaning if you look.

The collections, this one included, are short enough to be read in one sitting if you really want to, but more fun to draw out and savour over a few days, although that’s hard.

My favourite from this first volume:

Social Mechanism

When people always

Try to take

The very smallest

Piece of cake

How can it also

Always be

That that’s the one

That’s left for me?

Overall rating: 4 stars. Oddly, I like the next collection better (read it last year), but this has a lot of great work in it. Definitely worth anyone’s time.

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