Norwegian Wood, chopping, stacking and drying wood the Scandinavian way – book review

This is one of the most relaxing and enjoyable books I know. Odd, because it is full of men with axes living in freezing temperatures in remote forests, involving strenuous physical labour. All the hard work is for the benefit of the person snug by the fireside, tucked away from the harsh world outside. That’s us. The lucky readers.

There is also something immensely satisfying about a well stacked woodpile and there are some splendid examples here, not just beautifully photographed but described in detail: from the tree selection and felling, the trimming and transporting and various stages that go into this or that style of wood stack. A sun wall, a standing carousel, a drying cage, an open or closed square pile, a standing round, cord stacking, sculpture. It’s a decision I’ve never had to make, being more of a get-the-kids-to-pile-it-against-the-wall type of girl. Not any more. I’m thinking a tall standing round on the driveway and the car can go park on the road.

In Scandinavia you are judged by your wood pile. If you’re selecting a husband, girls, note whether his stack is upright and solid. A low pile man might show shyness or weakness in a man and a tall pile might indicate over ambition and a man prone to collapse. A lot of wood shows foresight, an unusual shape may indicate a free-spirit, logs from big trees shows a big appetite. Beware, girls, of the pedantic pile, or a collapsed pile. Everything just piled on the ground is a clue to run as it clearly indicates ignorance, decadence, laziness, drunkenness. Obviously, no woodpile: no husband.

When you are stacking and the wood needs to dry, leave gaps big enough for mice to run through.

There are chapters here on forest knowledge including legends and witches and how leaves will sprout on deciduous trees felled in the winter (who knew?) and a good discussion on the tools of the firewood trade, ancient and modern. I liked the scathing belittlement of a cheap axe made from scrap iron bought from a bargain basement. As if! We learn how Newton’s second law of motion applies to the selection of your axe. This really is a book for everyone. There’s the art of wood sculpture, selection of stove and stove history, and best of all, at the end, the fire. Burning love.

There is a feeling of warmth but also a feeling of safety I get from reading this book. Life doesn’t really get more basic. A wood pile is primal.

There are a few books that I think belong as staples on every bookshelf. This is one of them.