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3.4 AVERAGE
3.4 AVERAGE
I’m reluctant to be too critical about most books I read because I have a sincere appreciation for the amount of work that goes into writing a novel.
Snowblind, a thriller set in a remote northern coastal village of Iceland, had so much promise. But ultimately it fell flat for me because of the stilted and dumb-it-down writing style of the author, Ragnar Jonasson. I will give him a bit of a pass because this is his first book. But he did not give his readers credit for their intelligence and ends up describing in painfully bland play-by-play terms what is happening in the story—as if we can’t figure it out on our own. This is surprising because he is the English to Icelandic translator of 16 Agatha Christie’s books.
On a redeeming note, I enjoy stories where the place becomes a character in its own right, which is certainly the case here. I’m fond of Iceland and have spent time there in the winter so the foreboding, brooding nature of its weather was familiar to me and something I appreciated.
A rookie cop from Reykjavík comes to town and is mentored by the grizzled veteran. He leaves a girlfriend in the capital city and dallies with a local girl. There’s nothing to do in winter time and nothing ever happens here. Until it does. There were flashbacks to a murder from 20+ years earlier in another country that just didn’t seem to fit with the story. The relationships and back stories of the characters felt stilted and flat. The twist at the end felt more like a slight turn, a let down.
The book was worth finishing—as thrillers often are—but not energetically, which puts this at three stars for me. I found myself plodding through scenes that should have been keeping pace with their potential. There was just too much dead space and time in the book for the thriller it was trying to be.
Snowblind, a thriller set in a remote northern coastal village of Iceland, had so much promise. But ultimately it fell flat for me because of the stilted and dumb-it-down writing style of the author, Ragnar Jonasson. I will give him a bit of a pass because this is his first book. But he did not give his readers credit for their intelligence and ends up describing in painfully bland play-by-play terms what is happening in the story—as if we can’t figure it out on our own. This is surprising because he is the English to Icelandic translator of 16 Agatha Christie’s books.
On a redeeming note, I enjoy stories where the place becomes a character in its own right, which is certainly the case here. I’m fond of Iceland and have spent time there in the winter so the foreboding, brooding nature of its weather was familiar to me and something I appreciated.
A rookie cop from Reykjavík comes to town and is mentored by the grizzled veteran. He leaves a girlfriend in the capital city and dallies with a local girl. There’s nothing to do in winter time and nothing ever happens here. Until it does. There were flashbacks to a murder from 20+ years earlier in another country that just didn’t seem to fit with the story. The relationships and back stories of the characters felt stilted and flat. The twist at the end felt more like a slight turn, a let down.
The book was worth finishing—as thrillers often are—but not energetically, which puts this at three stars for me. I found myself plodding through scenes that should have been keeping pace with their potential. There was just too much dead space and time in the book for the thriller it was trying to be.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I won't say it's my favourite crime thriller I've ever read, but it takes the sort of village drama structure and overlays the crime part on top. Definitely an interesting take, but not one that I particularly enjoyed.
mysterious
slow-paced
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
islandski krimić sporog tempa i sumorne, povremeno klaustrofobične atmosfere. u minijaturnom selu siglufjörðuru dogodio se nesretni slučaj koji miriši na ubojstvo i, naizgled nepovezano, napad nožem na mladu ženu. mladi policajac ari thor (bivši student teologije i nesuđeni svećenik) prihvaća posao u siglufjörðuru pa seli iz reykjavika u tu zabit, na praktički najsjeverniju točku islanda, što mu je prikladno došlo s obzirom da mu je veza sa curom u kritičnoj fazi.
solidan krimić, realne dinamike, nije nabrijan nasiljem ni nerealnim situacijama... više je pripovijedanoga stila, s naglaskom na atmosferi. za moj ukus, mogao je biti mrc jeziviji, kad je već smješten gdje je smješten.
p. s. ako ga misliš čitati, svakako prije izguglaj fotografije siglufjörðura, čisto da dobiješ osjećaj na kakvom terenu se radnja zbiva i da ti pomogne u cjelokupnom doživljaju - to selo doista postoji (ali, naravno, nikakve veze sa stvarnim stanovnicima nema).
solidan krimić, realne dinamike, nije nabrijan nasiljem ni nerealnim situacijama... više je pripovijedanoga stila, s naglaskom na atmosferi. za moj ukus, mogao je biti mrc jeziviji, kad je već smješten gdje je smješten.
p. s. ako ga misliš čitati, svakako prije izguglaj fotografije siglufjörðura, čisto da dobiješ osjećaj na kakvom terenu se radnja zbiva i da ti pomogne u cjelokupnom doživljaju - to selo doista postoji (ali, naravno, nikakve veze sa stvarnim stanovnicima nema).
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Terrific Scandi noir - some action, some secrets, some angst, some love, and of course that particular Icelandic style that is understated yet complex. Looking forward to more of this!
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Simpática. El segundo acto es lento y demasiado enrevesado (quizás porque el autor ha querido abarcar demasiado) pero el tercero está muy bien escrito y el final hace que la novela deje buen sabor de boca.
Tres theatral comme ecriture. Un lieu ferme et quelques personnages et l'intrigue est commence.