Dicte

Dicte

2013 • Crime, Drama
Newly divorced journalist returns to her hometown to restart her life and work through her past.

Why you should read the novel

Reading Elsebeth Egholm’s Dicte Svendsen novels offers a more immersive and nuanced experience than the TV adaptation. The books delve deeper into Dicte’s psyche, exploring her motivations, fears, and growth as both a reporter and an individual. Egholm’s detailed narrative lets you experience the cultural setting of Denmark and the complexities of Dicte’s professional and personal life firsthand. The novels capture the essence of Scandinavian noir, allowing for a slow, atmospheric build-up of suspense and character development. Fans of intricate mysteries and layered storytelling will appreciate the thoughtful pacing, vivid descriptions, and raw emotional insight found in the books. Egholm’s writing style invites readers to explore themes like family trauma, journalistic responsibility, and social justice in much greater detail than a TV hour permits. By reading the Dicte Svendsen series, you’re not only following gripping crime plots but also gaining a deeper understanding of the lead character’s evolution. The books provide context and subplots often left out of the adaptation, offering a richer, more satisfying journey for mystery and drama lovers alike.

Adaptation differences

The TV series Dicte deviates notably from Elsebeth Egholm’s novels in character portrayal and storylines. While the core themes and protagonist remain, the show often streamlines complex plots to fit the episodic format, which results in a faster pace but less nuanced development. Key events and character arcs are sometimes changed or omitted entirely to maintain on-screen drama and fit time constraints. One of the major differences lies in how Dicte’s backstory and personal relationships are fleshed out. The books go into far greater detail about her family trauma and the impact of her past experiences on her career and decisions. The show sometimes simplifies these elements, choosing to highlight present-day suspense over the continuous internal struggles that define her in the novels. Additionally, the supporting characters in the books—such as Dicte’s friends, colleagues, and family—often have more substantial roles, with their own subplots and character growth. In the series, these characters may be amalgamated, altered, or even created anew for dramatic effect or casting practicality. This impacts the overall depth and complexity of the story’s interpersonal dynamics. Lastly, the mysteries in each book usually span larger narrative arcs, allowing the reader to become deeply invested in each case and its emotional fallout. The TV adaptation wraps plots up more quickly, rarely affording the slow-burning tension and psychological exploration that the novels provide. As a result, readers who turn to Egholm’s original works will discover a world richer in detail, backstory, and emotional depth.

Dicte inspired from

The Dicte Svendsen Series
by Elsebeth Egholm