Winter's Tales is a collection of stories set mostly in Denmark. The stories are embroidered with vast descriptions of Denmark's landscape and its beauty. The majority of the stories have elements similar to those of fairy tales and universal themes such as love, dreams, and circle of life.
The introductory tale "The Young Man with the Carnation" follows a writer's path to regaining faith and realizing his meaning in life. The story "Shadow's Acre" is based on Danish folklore and it is a story of persistence and dignity of a woman that wants to save her son.
Probably the most fairy tale alike story, "The Sailor-boy's Tale" follows a young sailor who experiences rewards of his good deeds. "Pearls" is a story of a woman questioning her love and marriage and finally realizing the meaning and circle of life, while "Alkmene" is about a woman who refuses to be loved and prevents herself from loving.
"The Fish" is a story based on historic events concerning King Erik of Denmark and "Peter and Rosa" is a story about two dreamers who meet a tragic end.
The writer not only delves into surface themes and portrayal of the time with its social and political elements, but also pays a lot of attention to the building of complex characters with their psychological struggles, fears, and flaws which results in an accessible, but also thought-provoking read.
