Scan barcode
gatesbetch's review
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This book was recommended to me through this website and I'm glad that it did because it very much suited my interests and I don't know if I would've heard about this book by other means.
glitterandtwang's review against another edition
4.0
I did not expect to find myself so drawn in to a story about trolls and shapeshifters, but I was. The book moves along at a rapid clip despite its length, and the end is quite satisfying (but I can't say much more without spoiling it). Definitely worth a read.
chalicotherex's review against another edition
1.0
I have only myself to blame because I picked this up after being intrigued by Karl Ove Knausgaard's review:
I agree with his assessment, by the way, and this 'language of everyday reality we know so well' is engrossing and it makes you feel like the magical elements are or could be real.
It's harder to pinpoint what I didn't like about this book – and I really didn't like it overall.
It turns out trolls are real and so are shapeshifters, elves who can turn into little woodland creatures (squirrels, mice, lemmings, a gerbil, a fox) where they can communicate telepathically and also hypnotize you. It's actually impressive how the author makes you feel a handheld lemming is a dangerous weapon and not at all ridiculous. That's not the problem with the book at all.
It might be that the book takes so much time coming towards the inevitable conflict and what little there is reads like a bad procedural crossed with a bad Y.A. novel.
A fantastic novel in every sense of the word…not only because Spjut has accomplished the masterstroke of writing convincingly about the existence of trolls and other mythical creatures in the Nordic forests, but also because all this unfolds in a language that captures the everyday reality we know so well, with such precision and exquisite style that the words seem to sparkle on the page.
I agree with his assessment, by the way, and this 'language of everyday reality we know so well' is engrossing and it makes you feel like the magical elements are or could be real.
It's harder to pinpoint what I didn't like about this book – and I really didn't like it overall.
It turns out trolls are real and so are shapeshifters, elves who can turn into little woodland creatures (squirrels, mice, lemmings, a gerbil, a fox) where they can communicate telepathically and also hypnotize you. It's actually impressive how the author makes you feel a handheld lemming is a dangerous weapon and not at all ridiculous. That's not the problem with the book at all.
It might be that the book takes so much time coming towards the inevitable conflict and what little there is reads like a bad procedural crossed with a bad Y.A. novel.
megant713's review against another edition
4.0
This was a strange book about trolls. Because this was originally written in Swedish, there may have been some turns of phrases that didn't quite click with me as an American. I also felt like I was missing a lot of contextual/background info to help me feel more immersed in this story.
What I got from this was Swedish trolls....
An interesting read, but I'm not sure I understood everything I should have to enjoy this fully.
What I got from this was Swedish trolls....
An interesting read, but I'm not sure I understood everything I should have to enjoy this fully.
More...