Monday 11 April 2011

Oslo Boyo

jonesbo snowman

 

I’ve just finished ‘The Snowman’ by Jo Nesbo. Except Bob will keep calling him “Jones Bo” in a Welsh accent. So I found myself hearing voices from the valleys as I was reading!

The cover, as you can see, declares Nesbo “the next Stiegg Larsson” [see here] I don’t know about that – but I have to say I do not feel inclined to read any more books by JN.

The plot , set in Oslo, involves a serial killer, his calling card [a snowman] and the policeman solving the case. The copper is called “Harry Hole” – but with no knowledge of Norwegian, I do not know how to pronounce Hole. Is it hole as in ‘a hollowed out place’ or holy, or holly, or ho-lay to rhyme with the Spanish olé? [or possibly even something Welsh-sounding like hwyl]

Anyway, I really didn’t enjoy the book

  • the descriptions of violence were extremely graphic [I thought Larsson’s were gory!]
  • the sex scenes involved selfishness and misery, rather than love-making
  • the children seemed more perceptive than the adults
  • there were too many plot twists and possible suspects
  • being of a sensitive nature, all the snow and ice descriptions actually left me cold and shivery!

Bob said he felt that the book reminded him of Scandinavian Flat-Pack furniture – all the bits and pieces laid out ready to be assembled. I just couldn't find the allen key!

ikea key

Having now read “Miss Smilla’s feeling for snow” [Denmark] and “The girl with the Dragon Tattoo” etc. [Sweden] and this one [Norway] plus watching Wallander on TV, I’ve concluded that all Scandinavian thrillers are really miserable!

Maybe the ice gets into their souls…

Perhaps I should stick to reading this instead…

briggs snowman

…and enjoy the blue-and-yellow cheerfulness of IKEA.

shop

7 comments:

  1. Ah! the lovely snowman by RB . classic--cottonreel

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  2. Hi Angela, I have not read any of Stiegg Larssons books but Tony and I have just spent 10 weeks watching 'The Killing' on BBC4 every Saturday night for 10 weeks, there were two episodes every Saturday and once we started watching we stuck it out to the end. The first 5 episodes were good and then it just went on and on and on and everything was dark and dismal, this could have been finished in 6 episodes but rambled on for twenty surely they can't all be that miserable and it ended very badly where everyone ended up really really unhappy, Give me a bit of Nora Roberts smaltz at least it makes me smile.
    Jill

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  3. The Snowman sounds preferable to your latest book. I think there have been some 'hangers on' to the SL books, which although gory were well written.There's enough misery in life without adding to it!

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  4. If you want to read some Scottish detectivery for a change, try Aline Templeton - the DI Marjory Fleming ones are set in Galloway. Or for something much lighter try M C Beaton, the Hamish MacBeth series is set in the Highlands.

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  5. I will not read anything graphic or gory;there is already too much of it in real life.
    Jane x

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  6. With you all the way- found Millenium Trilogy as exploitative of women in its graphic description as the society it purported to uncover. Briggs the winner in this strawberry patch!!

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  7. I shall check out DI Fleming - not heard of that one
    Thanks for the comments and suggestions!

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