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hywar's review against another edition
3.0
Spjut has created an absolutely interesting tale. In 1978, a young boy and his mother take residence in a summer holiday cabin. Shortly after, the child vanishes. The only information the police have is the mother's firm belief that her son was taken by a giant.
25 years later, another boy is taken. This time, the police have a true lead. Susso Myren, who has long been obsessed with the idea of trolls, has a single photo of a mysterious creature that she believes may be linked to the boy's disappearance. Many years ago, Susso's father took a photo of a similar creature riding on the back of a bear, and ever since then she has been determined to discover the truth behind what her father photographed. Susso is convinced that the child was taken by stallos, a form of troll that is capable of shape shifting into a variety of creatures. However, if she wants to find the truth, she'll have to go on the hunt herself. Susso travels throughout Sweden, desperate to find the truth behind two things; what happened to the missing children, and what sort of creature had her father taken a picture of all those years ago?
It's a compelling and interesting read, though unfortunately Spjut has a tendency to get bogged down in heavy-handed details that can make the narrative drag for pages on end. In addition, each chapter switches perspective, which can get confusing at times - especially when the perspective abruptly switches from third person to first person.
25 years later, another boy is taken. This time, the police have a true lead. Susso Myren, who has long been obsessed with the idea of trolls, has a single photo of a mysterious creature that she believes may be linked to the boy's disappearance. Many years ago, Susso's father took a photo of a similar creature riding on the back of a bear, and ever since then she has been determined to discover the truth behind what her father photographed. Susso is convinced that the child was taken by stallos, a form of troll that is capable of shape shifting into a variety of creatures. However, if she wants to find the truth, she'll have to go on the hunt herself. Susso travels throughout Sweden, desperate to find the truth behind two things; what happened to the missing children, and what sort of creature had her father taken a picture of all those years ago?
It's a compelling and interesting read, though unfortunately Spjut has a tendency to get bogged down in heavy-handed details that can make the narrative drag for pages on end. In addition, each chapter switches perspective, which can get confusing at times - especially when the perspective abruptly switches from third person to first person.
lazercatz's review against another edition
3.0
This could have been about 150 pages shorter, but other than that I quite enjoyed it!
pifferdiff's review against another edition
3.0
Tense, atmospheric, and creepy. There are definitely some ends left loose and premises unexplained - I couldn't tell if they were due to stylistic choices or something lost in translation. I wanted the book to feel more definitive in its plotting, but maybe that was also what made it unpredictable? At any rate, it was good for book club discussion (and could make an interesting movie with some editing).
ullsi's review against another edition
2.0
Stallo började bra med en stämningsfull prolog, ett spännande mysterium och mystiska karaktärer som man ville veta mer om. Berättelsen väver in varelser från gammal folktro, och de är precis så fascinerande och obehagliga som jag hade hoppats. Vi får inte veta mycket om dem, men de är med i bokens alla starkaste scener.
Tyvärr tappade handlingen fart efter ett tag och fylldes med sidospår och onödigt många detaljer. Jag tror att bokens nästan 600 sidor lätt hade kunnat skäras ner till 300. Slutet var också lite väl öppet och hastigt för min smak, vilket var tråkigt efter en så lång resa.
2,5.
Tyvärr tappade handlingen fart efter ett tag och fylldes med sidospår och onödigt många detaljer. Jag tror att bokens nästan 600 sidor lätt hade kunnat skäras ner till 300. Slutet var också lite väl öppet och hastigt för min smak, vilket var tråkigt efter en så lång resa.
2,5.
robynryle's review against another edition
4.0
There is an English version of this novel and I believe that's what I read. From this book, I learned what snus is and that apparently Swedish people use it a lot. Really interesting premise. I think there might be a sequel, so I hope it gets translated, as well.
obscuredbyclouds's review against another edition
2.0
This is a very unusual book, which in the end didn't really work for me, but I don't regret reading it. I enjoyed the reduced language and the writing is very Swedish (don't know how to explain that if I you don't know Sweden or the language), and I learned about Sami folklore. The first part of this book is "dark fantasy horror" and then it mostly becomes... crime... very slow crime. A thriller without the thrill. The strange thing is that it seems like the atmosphere was intentional. Everything seems extremely mundane, so that it becomes fascinating again. In the end however, it was just too slow for me & there was too much that felt like it needed to be cut.
vhop's review against another edition
2.0
Kirja alkoi lupaavasti - itse asiassa ensimmäiset 40 sivua tarjosivat tarinan parhaan tunnelman. Ehkä omat odotukseni kirjalta olivat olleet toisenlaiset - luulin tarttuneeni jännittävään, mystiseen ja tietenkin vähän pelottavaan tarinaan - mutta en lämmennyt tälle yhtään. Kirja oli tylsä, liian pitkä ja jahkaileva: joukko ruotsalaisia ajelee ympäri maata nuuska huulessa ja jahtaa jotain epämääräistä. Kertoja vaihtuu omituisesti ja odottamatta kolmannen persoonan ja Gudrunin minä-kerronnan välillä (logiikka ei minulle auennut: miksi Gudrun?), samoin tapahtumat vaihtelevat turhan tiheään peikkoväen ja "normaalin" välillä... Tästä ei kyllä jäänyt mitään käteen...
adarossiwrites's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
jenno's review against another edition
2.0
Vet inte om jag tyckte om den här. För lång, spetig och överallt.
hannas_ink_prints's review against another edition
Boring, slow and story didn't catch me