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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
Set in a Scandinavian winter in 1717, when the sun sets and won't rise again until spring, this book makes you feel the cold. If you read it in a darkish room, the white of the page will turn into the snow under your feet with night surrounding you. A murder mystery that drags you out onto the mountain: you need to take care not to get frostbite.
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Review originally posted 26 January 2015 on Falling Letters. I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
I came across the term 'Nordic noir' a few days ago. When I googled it, I discovered it's an actual term for Scandinavian mysteries, but I think it's just the phrase I've been looking for to describe books such as [b:Burial Rites|17333319|Burial Rites|Hannah Kent|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1384207446s/17333319.jpg|21943144], [b:The Snow Child|11250053|The Snow Child|Eowyn Ivey|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327098624s/11250053.jpg|16176521] and now, Wolf Winter. Books where winter features as a key character, an atmospheric and sombre (but not necessarily dreary) mood drives the prose, a historical setting strips away modern distractions, and characters' daily struggles for survival have just a kiss of the supernatural about them (if only due dark and romanticized nature of their situations). The setting doesn't necessarily have to be Nordic, but it works especially well. All of these components I love are present in Wolf Winter, Celia Ekbäck's debut novel.
The prose holds many stark moments. I won't give them away! But there were places I had to pause and shut my eyes for a moment, because the impression in my mind was so vivid. I'm wowed by writing that can truly startle you, when all you're doing is reading words on a page. It's such a different experience from watching a movie, and yet a talented writer can draw out just the same emotions. Those specific moments aside, the prose is what you might expect from such a tale - vivid and succinct, atmospheric and bold.
This novel features many great characters. I like the ghosts, and their questionable physicality. I enjoy reading about settlers. Even without winter majesty or supernatural happenings, I would still be happy to read about settlers. I didn't think I would find myself reading another book featuring a priest so soon! In [b:The Enchanted|18090147|The Enchanted|Rene Denfeld|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1373991244s/18090147.jpg|25146823] you have the disgraced priest, in Burial Rites you have the young priest, in Wolf Winter you have both in one. (Maybe I should do a list - "great books featuring non-traditional priests"?). Though I'm not sure how I feel about the priest, I adored Maija! She's a great mother, sincere in her love for her children, She loves her children and this shows through (twice I noted passages I thought particularly sweet) but she doesn't coddle them too closely or have an unbelievable relationship with either daughter. I felt for her as she came to realize she didn't know Frederika like she used. The mother-daughter relationship becomes prominent as the story progresses. Maija is a role-model for me beyond her role as a mother. I found myself admiring some of the decisions she made and the opinions she voiced, and how she remained down to earth, even if she wasn't always correct. I sympathized when she worried about her family. She's not too perfect or too flawed. Maija is the most well-drawn character of the bunch, I think (of course, she is the main character). Some of the settlers could have been expounded on more, considering they're all meant to be suspects in the murder. I would have liked to have gotten to know some of them better.
Two small comments I'm not sure where to stick: It's not so often now that I come across words I'm totally unfamiliar with...so it was with excitement I highlighted the word haulm near the beginning of the story. I like the slow creeping fear that pervades through the settlement as the story progresses, heigtened, of course, by the experience of a brutal winter.
I haven't commented much on the plot yet. There's a lot going on in the story, but I didn't really notice it until afterward. Everything fits snug together - women's place in society, the role/relationship between the church and state, new vs. old religious beliefs, settling in a harsh landscape,, etc. For me, though, the story-line was the weakest aspect of the novel, mainly because of the conclusion. I enjoyed Wolf Winter, but the conclusion didn't meet my expectations.
Wolf Winter is an enjoyable read and a strong debut. I'd recommend it to people who like this kind of story. But, it's not a ground-breaking book I'll be pushing to everyone. And that's okay! One doesn't always need to be reading amazing books. Sometimes you just need a good read and not something that's going to transform your world and turn you obsessive...
The Bottom Line: If you like moody winter stories or historical settler tales (or just need a book to snuggle up with during a blizzard), by all means give this a read. It's a good debut and I already look forward to Ekbäck 'loose sequel'.
I came across the term 'Nordic noir' a few days ago. When I googled it, I discovered it's an actual term for Scandinavian mysteries, but I think it's just the phrase I've been looking for to describe books such as [b:Burial Rites|17333319|Burial Rites|Hannah Kent|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1384207446s/17333319.jpg|21943144], [b:The Snow Child|11250053|The Snow Child|Eowyn Ivey|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327098624s/11250053.jpg|16176521] and now, Wolf Winter. Books where winter features as a key character, an atmospheric and sombre (but not necessarily dreary) mood drives the prose, a historical setting strips away modern distractions, and characters' daily struggles for survival have just a kiss of the supernatural about them (if only due dark and romanticized nature of their situations). The setting doesn't necessarily have to be Nordic, but it works especially well. All of these components I love are present in Wolf Winter, Celia Ekbäck's debut novel.
The prose holds many stark moments. I won't give them away! But there were places I had to pause and shut my eyes for a moment, because the impression in my mind was so vivid. I'm wowed by writing that can truly startle you, when all you're doing is reading words on a page. It's such a different experience from watching a movie, and yet a talented writer can draw out just the same emotions. Those specific moments aside, the prose is what you might expect from such a tale - vivid and succinct, atmospheric and bold.
This novel features many great characters. I like the ghosts, and their questionable physicality. I enjoy reading about settlers. Even without winter majesty or supernatural happenings, I would still be happy to read about settlers. I didn't think I would find myself reading another book featuring a priest so soon! In [b:The Enchanted|18090147|The Enchanted|Rene Denfeld|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1373991244s/18090147.jpg|25146823] you have the disgraced priest, in Burial Rites you have the young priest, in Wolf Winter you have both in one. (Maybe I should do a list - "great books featuring non-traditional priests"?). Though I'm not sure how I feel about the priest, I adored Maija! She's a great mother, sincere in her love for her children, She loves her children and this shows through (twice I noted passages I thought particularly sweet) but she doesn't coddle them too closely or have an unbelievable relationship with either daughter. I felt for her as she came to realize she didn't know Frederika like she used. The mother-daughter relationship becomes prominent as the story progresses. Maija is a role-model for me beyond her role as a mother. I found myself admiring some of the decisions she made and the opinions she voiced, and how she remained down to earth, even if she wasn't always correct. I sympathized when she worried about her family. She's not too perfect or too flawed. Maija is the most well-drawn character of the bunch, I think (of course, she is the main character). Some of the settlers could have been expounded on more, considering they're all meant to be suspects in the murder. I would have liked to have gotten to know some of them better.
Two small comments I'm not sure where to stick: It's not so often now that I come across words I'm totally unfamiliar with...so it was with excitement I highlighted the word haulm near the beginning of the story. I like the slow creeping fear that pervades through the settlement as the story progresses, heigtened, of course, by the experience of a brutal winter.
I haven't commented much on the plot yet. There's a lot going on in the story, but I didn't really notice it until afterward. Everything fits snug together - women's place in society, the role/relationship between the church and state, new vs. old religious beliefs, settling in a harsh landscape,
Spoiler
handling sexual abuseSpoiler
First, I wanted to know more about Maija and her family's background. There's something like an info dump towards the end of the novel, but that wasn't really what I was hoping for. The conclusion wasn't really for me. I thought it too political. I initially liked the inclusion of nameless politics, but I wasn't expecting it to play such a big role in the storyline. Politics aren't to my taste. The mysteries are solved quickly and wrapped up almost too neeatly. There was a lack of suspense as everything came together. Lastly, I'm not sure about Paavo's role in the story. I didn't know whether to put my comments about him in the character paragraph or in the plot paragraph. I decided here because he felt mostly like a plot device, though when he was present in the novel I thought he had a lot of potential. I was sad to see him depart the story early on. (I feel like there should be a companion novel about what he was doing and why he wasn't writing and what happens when/if he comes back). I suppose he had to leave so Maija could come into her own? But then why have him there in the first place?Wolf Winter is an enjoyable read and a strong debut. I'd recommend it to people who like this kind of story. But, it's not a ground-breaking book I'll be pushing to everyone. And that's okay! One doesn't always need to be reading amazing books. Sometimes you just need a good read and not something that's going to transform your world and turn you obsessive...
The Bottom Line: If you like moody winter stories or historical settler tales (or just need a book to snuggle up with during a blizzard), by all means give this a read. It's a good debut and I already look forward to Ekbäck 'loose sequel'.
Puntuación: 2.5/5 😑 Regular.
Emociones: Confusión, apatía, desánimo.
Recomendado: Si te gusta la ficción histórica, te interesa leer sobre otras culturas, costumbres y creencias, disfrutas de lecturas con un ritmo lento.
¿Leería algo más de la autora? Probablemente no.
Reto del 2018 “Around the year in 52 books”: #6, En otro idioma orginal (ni español ni inglés).
El invierno más largo es la novela debut de Cecilia Ekback y nos relata la historia de una familia finlandesa que se traslada a vivir a un bosque de Suecia en el siglo XVIII. Un día una de las niñas descubre un cadaver, ahí empieza una investigación por parte de la matriarca, Maija. Además de la investigación, la familia y los habitantes de la zona se enfrentan a uno de los inviernos más crudos de su historia, todo unido al miedo y supersticiones de los colonos, quienes estan convencidos que en donde habitan existe una presencia maligna.
La parte relacionada con el asesinato es bien superficial, un crimen sin desarrollo, mediocre y nada original. Tampoco es una novela de personajes, pues sacando a Maija y tal vez a su hija Federika, no se profundiza en ninguno. Como novela de misterio es mediocre y no es tampoco un thriller trepidante, aunque sus protagonistas sí están en constante peligro.
El aspecto que me gustó fue su ambientación y los elementos de realismo mágico. También disfruté la parte de las creencias de los Lapones. Sientes el frío del ambiente, el peligro y el miedo que sienten los personajes.
Pienso que la historia se podría contar en menos páginas, su ritmo es muy lento. Aún estoy confundida y realmente no puedo encasillarla en un solo género literario. Si bien no me encantó, y la parte del misterio me resultó indiferente, disfruté de las supersticiones y el realismo mágico. La novela no me aburrió, pero me desesperó ya que, por momentos, nada ocurría.
No sé si recomendarla. Leer bajo su propio riesgo.
Emociones: Confusión, apatía, desánimo.
Recomendado: Si te gusta la ficción histórica, te interesa leer sobre otras culturas, costumbres y creencias, disfrutas de lecturas con un ritmo lento.
¿Leería algo más de la autora? Probablemente no.
Reto del 2018 “Around the year in 52 books”: #6, En otro idioma orginal (ni español ni inglés).
El invierno más largo es la novela debut de Cecilia Ekback y nos relata la historia de una familia finlandesa que se traslada a vivir a un bosque de Suecia en el siglo XVIII. Un día una de las niñas descubre un cadaver, ahí empieza una investigación por parte de la matriarca, Maija. Además de la investigación, la familia y los habitantes de la zona se enfrentan a uno de los inviernos más crudos de su historia, todo unido al miedo y supersticiones de los colonos, quienes estan convencidos que en donde habitan existe una presencia maligna.
La parte relacionada con el asesinato es bien superficial, un crimen sin desarrollo, mediocre y nada original. Tampoco es una novela de personajes, pues sacando a Maija y tal vez a su hija Federika, no se profundiza en ninguno. Como novela de misterio es mediocre y no es tampoco un thriller trepidante, aunque sus protagonistas sí están en constante peligro.
Spoiler
El cura no era cura, Nils el noble era un pedofilo abusador. Nils y su esposa conspiraban junto con el obispo para derrocar al rey. El sacristan era otro pedofilo que abusó y asesinó a varias niñas, mató al cura anterior, hizo juntilla con Nils para ir abusando de muchachitas y fue asesinado por Nils. Erikson (el muerto Original), era un chantajista, lo mato la esposa de Nils. La familia de Fearless murió en un incendio provocado por Gustav. Fearless lo enterró vivo.El aspecto que me gustó fue su ambientación y los elementos de realismo mágico. También disfruté la parte de las creencias de los Lapones. Sientes el frío del ambiente, el peligro y el miedo que sienten los personajes.
Pienso que la historia se podría contar en menos páginas, su ritmo es muy lento. Aún estoy confundida y realmente no puedo encasillarla en un solo género literario. Si bien no me encantó, y la parte del misterio me resultó indiferente, disfruté de las supersticiones y el realismo mágico. La novela no me aburrió, pero me desesperó ya que, por momentos, nada ocurría.
No sé si recomendarla. Leer bajo su propio riesgo.
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was good but very weird! Outside of my genre for sure. I didn't realize it would be so mystical, so I didn't love that part, but I thought the descriptions of the land and the way of life for the settlers during this time period were amazing. Made up for the weirdness in parts! I wish the ending would have wrapped things up better for me, but still an interesting book.
CW: Murder, Suicide, and Child Sexual Abuse.
This work highlights how secrets can evolve into Murder. The work starts with a family coming to the Swedish Lapland from Finland for a fresh start. Once they arrive however they begin to realize that the mountain and their neighbors contain many secrets and that there is a history of Murder and disappearances. A mother and her daughter both search for answers. One seeks to use the magic that she has, the other seeks to repress the magic and find answers through investigation. I recommend this eerie and engaging work that highlights the complexities of humans, and the choices we make when confronted with fear.
This work highlights how secrets can evolve into Murder. The work starts with a family coming to the Swedish Lapland from Finland for a fresh start. Once they arrive however they begin to realize that the mountain and their neighbors contain many secrets and that there is a history of Murder and disappearances. A mother and her daughter both search for answers. One seeks to use the magic that she has, the other seeks to repress the magic and find answers through investigation. I recommend this eerie and engaging work that highlights the complexities of humans, and the choices we make when confronted with fear.
More 3.8 instead of four stars. Give this book time. That is the number one thing I'd recommend. It starts slowly, and takes a bit of time to get into. It makes sense to me why the author set it up this way because obviously the setting, atmosphere, and characters needed to be set up. But once winter rolls in, the book takes off.
To me, this novel had the mood/atmosphere of Winters Bone starring Jennifer Lawrence, and the creepiness of the VVitch starring Anya Taylor Joy. There were parts of the novel that genuinely creeped me out.
The language delivers the horrors and mysteries to you very matter of factly. There are no embellishments, it just is. The stark reality of the harsh environment and the stringency of the time (1717) is quite evident in Eckback's writing style. There is virtually no humor in the book, and nothing to alleviate the harshness of the characters lives. All the characters are flawed (as human beings are), which I quite enjoyed.
At first I would have given this book three stars if I hadn't kept reading past the autumn chapters. I'm definitely glad I finished the book.
I rated this book four stars instead of five because the book takes no time in getting right to the murder of Eriksson, but then takes another 100 pages or so to get going again. Also, I honestly didn't feel like I was in 1717, I had to keep reminding myself that it wasn't modern day. I'm sure others will disagree with me on this, but I didn't quite get the historical feel that I would have expected. And finally, I would have loved for something more to happen between Maija and Olaus, but to each their own.
For a first novel, Cecelia Eckbäck has definitely written a solid, creepy book, perfect for the colder months. If you enjoy the mystery genre I would recommend this.
To me, this novel had the mood/atmosphere of Winters Bone starring Jennifer Lawrence, and the creepiness of the VVitch starring Anya Taylor Joy. There were parts of the novel that genuinely creeped me out.
The language delivers the horrors and mysteries to you very matter of factly. There are no embellishments, it just is. The stark reality of the harsh environment and the stringency of the time (1717) is quite evident in Eckback's writing style. There is virtually no humor in the book, and nothing to alleviate the harshness of the characters lives. All the characters are flawed (as human beings are), which I quite enjoyed.
At first I would have given this book three stars if I hadn't kept reading past the autumn chapters. I'm definitely glad I finished the book.
I rated this book four stars instead of five because the book takes no time in getting right to the murder of Eriksson, but then takes another 100 pages or so to get going again. Also, I honestly didn't feel like I was in 1717, I had to keep reminding myself that it wasn't modern day. I'm sure others will disagree with me on this, but I didn't quite get the historical feel that I would have expected. And finally, I would have loved for something more to happen between Maija and Olaus, but to each their own.
For a first novel, Cecelia Eckbäck has definitely written a solid, creepy book, perfect for the colder months. If you enjoy the mystery genre I would recommend this.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No