I have not read this book by R. Birn, but I'm a norwegian and what the guy who wrote his rewiev is a little bit wrong, first of all. Aksel Sandemose was only born and raised in Denmark, he moved til Norway quite young and lived there for about five years before he wrote the law of Jante. And it is based not on his own expirence, but what he saw in Norway. He must therefore be concidered a Norwegian author.

Thank's

Aksel Sandemose is surely a Norwegian writer, as he always wrote in Norwegian, but as he himself states in one of the later editions of "A refugee crosses his tracks" he based the book on his own upbringing in the small town Nykobing in Denmark.

Ultimately there is nothing Danish, Norwegian or Scandinavian about it - it is just what can happen to everyone growing up in a small town surrounded by a lot of small minds. And the feeling of wanting to pay back those who made your childhood a nightmare doesn't need a lot of analysis.

But Aksel Sandemose's "A refugee crosses his tracks" definately makes you think about it twice before you judge other people just from their appearance... I can recommend that book to everyone interested in expanding her or his mind.

The "Correction" review is completely wrong. The laws of Jante were based on Askels life in the town of Nykobing in the isle of Mors in Denmark. They have a book burning of his there every year. The citizens of Nykobing still hate the man. I know, I have been there. I have done a lot of research in Askel Sandemose, he is a relative of mine.

The Laws of Jante were published in his book entitled A Fugitive Crosses His Tracks. In it he lists people by their real names and addresses of where they lived in Nykobing. The Laws of Jante relate to his feelings of being stiffled in this community. Please, read the book, then make a review.