Members with This Book
Most Helpful Reviews
see all reviews
Liked It “Different is about all I am willing to say, which is why I liked it and am looking into some of his other books. Certainly had a bizarre main character.” see full review » see other reviews » |
Didn’t Like It “I gave up on this one; grim psychological drama” see full review » see other reviews » |
Newest Reviews
see all reviews-
“very dark and long uninteresting passages”
Gale Howe wrote this review Tuesday, May 24, 2011. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“I preferred the Mankell Detective novels, as I like the detective. This was a psychological thriller, but you could not like many of the characters in the book. The main character is deranged and evil, and you just hope throughout the book that he will come to a sticky end.”
David G wrote this review Sunday, December 5, 2010. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“I gave up on this one; grim psychological drama ”
Rita B wrote this review Tuesday, October 12, 2010. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“This is a strange story with an obsessive and extremely unpleasant narrator. It becomes evident pretty quickly on that he is deeply disturbed. He lies, he murders, he runs away from home. Ah - but he is running away from the memory of his dead father. It's darkly Scandinavian, and the protagonist lacks the appealing moodiness of Wallendar. I found the narrative odd and desultory. Why did I keep reading it? Mankell's writing, I think, plus the short chapters. It does draw you in, this quirky, moody story of a man's depths. My favorite Mankell book is "The Man from Beijing." ”
Suzanne F wrote this review Wednesday, October 20, 2010. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Recommended by Ed Miliband in The Guardian.”
Ben D wrote this review Wednesday, July 28, 2010. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“Different is about all I am willing to say, which is why I liked it and am looking into some of his other books. Certainly had a bizarre main character. ”
Charles J wrote this review Sunday, July 25, 2010. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“A Swedish naval officer locked into a loveless marriage is sent on a mission on the commencement of the 1st world war to check the navigable passages available to their ships. He falls under the spell of a young widow who ekes out a lonely existence on an otherwise uninhabited island.
Robert B wrote this review Friday, January 29, 2010. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
He becomes besotted with the woman and his jealousy drives him to murders, deception on a grand scale including self-delusion, and finally suicide. Cheerful!
Nevertheless excellent read. ”
“Not a happy tale, but quite compulsive once you get into it. Typical Mankell style.”
David J wrote this review Monday, September 21, 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“I knew this was not a mystery but I did not know what to expect. Deep. Very deep. A man who is uncomfortable in his own skin. Very sure of himself and yet he doesn't really know who he is. His lies take over his life. The time and culture dictate what a man should be and what a woman should be and this story is the result.
Kay C wrote this review Friday, June 12, 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
I really did have to finish the book even know there could only be one way to end it.
”
“I got into reading Henning Mankell's books via the Wallendar series of crime novels. I worked through every book of his in the library but was disappointed with this one. I found the characters hard to sympathise with, which was always a strong point in his crime novels (the detectives at least!) and the art of discovering things with the characters so prevalent in his other novels didn't seem to be present in this one. A readable book, but definitely not the best Mankell around.”
Robert D wrote this review Friday, June 12, 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
