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Scandinavian Detectives


pontalba

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I ran across an interesting article today that speaks to the new wave of Scandinavian detectives that are becoming so popular.

 

After Wallander: a new generation of Scandinavian detectives takes over

Yet well before Mankell and Larsson's crime-solving anti-heroes reached our cinema screens, true aficionados of this Scandinavian genre understood that the family tree was more complex. How closely related, for example, is Miss Smilla, star of the icy world depicted in Peter Hoeg's 1992 Danish hit Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow? And how exactly do the open, light-drenched landscapes of the Swedish film director Ingmar Bergman feed into the bloodline?

 

And then comes the most crucial question of all: is Jo Nesbø's new Norwegian detective Harry Hole, really fit to take up the lonely beat of the Nordic cop, or does Inspector Christian Tell, the hero of Camilla Ceder's new book, make a better candidate?

 

 

Mankell was the first of that genre I ran into, it was recommended by my OH, and I've read 5 or 6 of the Wallander series so far, and have read one or two of Sjöwal and Wahlöö's Martin Beck's series. I accidentally found Nesbo's The Redbreast and immediately searched for more.

 

What is about those Scandinavian detectives? Do we just love morose? :huh:

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What is about those Scandinavian detectives? Do we just love morose? :huh:

 

I don't know, but I know I love them all. I read Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow a few months ago and loved that, too. There's something about the starkness, the bleakness of the landscape that bleeds into the novels. These guys are fast becoming my favourite authors.

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Does Agaton Sax count?

 

:D I'd have to say a definite Yes! How absolutely wonderful.

I'd not heard of Agaton Sax , what a great introduction to a genre.

 

 

Mac, I read Miss Smillia's Sense of Snow back when we had the discussion here too, and have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it, it has stuck with me all this time. I have another of his books in the stack, and look forward to reading it.

 

 

I've read only one of Karin Fossum's books, but for some reason it didn't gel for me. I suppose I'll try another of hers, just to be sure.

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I don't know, but I know I love them all. I read Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow a few months ago and loved that, too. There's something about the starkness, the bleakness of the landscape that bleeds into the novels. These guys are fast becoming my favourite authors.

Ditto, I think the freshness of the settings does add something. To a similar degree, I find that historical whodunnits have the same effect, particularly something like CJ Sansom's Shardlake novels, set in Tudor England.

 

With the Scandinavians, it's not to do with them being morose, I don't think. Perhaps it's because the stories, and the way they're told, feel a bit different from the norm; there's a degree of originality in the way the plots have been presented in the ones I've read so far which has been quite refreshing when compared to their UK/US counterparts.

 

Nesbo's the real star for me, at the moment. The dry wit in the two of his that I have read has really brought the characters alive. But I've enjoyed what I've read of Larsson's work, too, and am on the verge of starting on Mankell's Wallander novels.

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I'm currently reading The Ice Princess by Camilla Lackberg, which I am loving & am waiting for a couple books from Per Petterson from Amazon. I haven't read any of Henning Mankell's books, but I just had a couple arrive today. I'm loving my Scandinavian crime & can't wait to read more!

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Well, my Jo Nesbo, The Snowman arrived yesterday, and despite my having already read the first page of a John Le Carré, I decided to sneak a look at the new Nesbo. Well. That was IT, :cool:

 

My OH has read one by Per Petterson and enjoyed it, so I guess I'll go in that direction too. :)

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I've watched and loved the Wallander series on BBC4 and have just started reading the Mankell novels. I've read about four at the time of going to press and have enjoyed them immensely. Have also started the Stieg Larsson book, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, for my book club. Can't say I'm enjoying it, though.

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I've watched and loved the Wallander series on BBC4 and have just started reading the Mankell novels. I've read about four at the time of going to press and have enjoyed them immensely. Have also started the Stieg Larsson book, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, for my book club. Can't say I'm enjoying it, though.

 

It seems that readers are divided pretty much between loving Larsson, or a very pronounced Ennh! But as I know you've read around here, it does pick up about a hundred pages in.....hopefully for you too. :)

 

The Wallander series is great, I haven't seen any of the TV series, missed it when it was shown here, and now I don't have TV anyhow. I suppose I'll try to get a hold of a DVD through the library or used to see for myself how it compares.

 

 

I finished The Snowman by Jo Nesbo tonight, and man, he can spin a tale, and keep the reader in suspense 'till very near the end. I still have The Redeemer here to read, but I think I have to take an intensity break. :eek::)

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It seems that readers are divided pretty much between loving Larsson, or a very pronounced Ennh! But as I know you've read around here, it does pick up about a hundred pages in.....hopefully for you too. :)

 

The Wallander series is great, I haven't seen any of the TV series, missed it when it was shown here, and now I don't have TV anyhow. I suppose I'll try to get a hold of a DVD through the library or used to see for myself how it compares.

 

 

I finished The Snowman by Jo Nesbo tonight, and man, he can spin a tale, and keep the reader in suspense 'till very near the end. I still have The Redeemer here to read, but I think I have to take an intensity break. :eek::)

 

I have The Snowman on my TBR list and am looking forward to it. I hope you manage to get hold of a DVD of Wallander. I have only seen the Swedish version but I know that people have enjoyed the series that had Kenneth Branagh playing Kurt.

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I have The Snowman on my TBR list and am looking forward to it. I hope you manage to get hold of a DVD of Wallander. I have only seen the Swedish version but I know that people have enjoyed the series that had Kenneth Branagh playing Kurt.

 

I'd like to find the Swedish version really, I've not heard good things about the Branagh version, and I just don't see him as Wallander to tell the truth.

 

We stopped by Books-A-Million yesterday, and went over their sale tables. I don't often find a lot on there, but look anyhow, and it paid off.

The Fourth Man by K.O. Dahl is a new to me author, on the front of the dustcover there is a medallion saying "Winner of Norway's Riverton Prize for Best Crime Novel" . We'll see. I'm keeping it near the top of the stack.

Have any of you heard of him before?

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Pretty hard for me to analyze since I am in the midst of it all, being a Swede. But maybe it's about a slightly different culture that isn't foreign and unrecognizable, but quite similar yet with few differences. Maybe the scandinavian writers have influences from other sources. I really can't say. But I do know one thing: Sjöwall & Wahlöö influenced A LOT in the genre for Swedish crime writers with their Martin Beck series.

Martin Beck has been made into tv-movies since the 1960s and become wildly popular in Scandinavia and also Germany. I would say Sjöwall & Wahlöö made the Scandinavian crime fiction genre what it is today.

 

If you are not a Swede, you could never tell how beloved this character is. Nowadays mostly the movies since the books are quite old. ;) If you have not seen a Martin Beck movie, then you are not a Swede!!!! :wink:

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I'd like to find the Swedish version really, I've not heard good things about the Branagh version, and I just don't see him as Wallander to tell the truth.

 

We stopped by Books-A-Million yesterday, and went over their sale tables. I don't often find a lot on there, but look anyhow, and it paid off.

The Fourth Man by K.O. Dahl is a new to me author, on the front of the dustcover there is a medallion saying "Winner of Norway's Riverton Prize for Best Crime Novel" . We'll see. I'm keeping it near the top of the stack.

Have any of you heard of him before?

 

Both Rolf Lassgård and Krister Henriksson has played Wallander in the swedish versions, Lassgård was the first(of these two at least) and in my opinion the best one.

And I agree with emelee the Beck films and books are a must! Gunvald is priceless ( ;

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I'd like to find the Swedish version really, I've not heard good things about the Branagh version, and I just don't see him as Wallander to tell the truth.

 

We stopped by Books-A-Million yesterday, and went over their sale tables. I don't often find a lot on there, but look anyhow, and it paid off.

The Fourth Man by K.O. Dahl is a new to me author, on the front of the dustcover there is a medallion saying "Winner of Norway's Riverton Prize for Best Crime Novel" . We'll see. I'm keeping it near the top of the stack.

Have any of you heard of him before?

 

I haven't heard of him, pontalba, but will look out for this book in my local library

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I haven't heard of him, pontalba, but will look out for this book in my local library

 

I am about 70 pages into The Fourth Man, couldn't resist starting it right away. It. Is. Verra. Good! :cool:

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  • 3 weeks later...

As reported elsewhere, I've finished and thoroughly enjoyed The Fourth Man by K.O. Dahl. Today whilst in Barnes & Noble I, just for the heck of it, without any real hope of success, looked for and found another by Dahl. The Man in The Window. So, Yays! :D

 

My OH is now reading The Fourth Man, and thinks he has it all figured out....heh. :giggle2:

Edited by pontalba
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I am currently reading a book by Johan Theorin called Echoes of the Dead. It is excellent; anyone else know this author.

 

This is not an author I have heard of, but I'm going to have a look to further my collection of new (to me!) authors. cool.gif

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It is not exactly a detective series (the main character is actually a lawyer) but I would thoroughly recommend the works of Icelandic novelist Yrsa Sigurdadottir. She has written three of them, and the most recent (Ashes to Dust) is in my opinion by far the best, a book that I could definately see being made into a film.

 

The main character is a female lawyer named Thora, and the books are about the various cases that she takes on - all of them very strange but very different, as are the characters. She is a very likeable character with a great sense of humour. The books definately help give an insight into the Icelandic character and way of life, which it itself quite unique. It helps to have some knowledge of Iceland and its folklore before you start to read the books as the folklore and belief in ghosts in particular is an intrinsic part of book one.

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