Scan barcode
greybeard49's review
4.0
4.5 stars really.
Picked this up as an afterthought.
Discovered a hugely enjoyable book.
So different.
Weird characters you will love and a wonderfully engaging lead.
A real page turner!
So well written.
Very very zany.
Viva Finland!
Picked this up as an afterthought.
Discovered a hugely enjoyable book.
So different.
Weird characters you will love and a wonderfully engaging lead.
A real page turner!
So well written.
Very very zany.
Viva Finland!
carolineomartin's review
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-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? Yes
3.0
I read this for a book club at work, since I work as an actuary. The portrayal of Henri felt so much like a stereotype of what people think an actuary is, it just wasn’t believable at all to me. I found myself struggling to picture the action scenes in my mind. I never really felt like it was incredibly suspenseful or humorous. There were some bits of good writing, and the concept for the story was interesting.
littletaiko's review
4.0
I quite enjoyed this book, it was funny, a little dark, and had a great main character. Henri is an actuary who really tries to live his live by mathematical principles. The way he views life resonated so many times. It also helped that it was set in Helsinki and having just been there I could picture some of the places that were included.
roveronez's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
This book is quite an easy and fun read, albeit not an exceptional one. It is a bit dark, tense, and yet funny at the same time - funny, but not hilarious as we can read in some reviews. The story is all a bit absurd, which is part of the fun, to put a very nerdy mathematician to survive criminal attacks he doesn't even know where they come from to begin with. Not sure I'll read the sequels though. It is said that it will become a movie with Steve Carell for Amazon studios.
booksbybindu's review
5.0
Well, I never thought I was going to turn round and ask my husband ‘Do you know the difference between an adventure park and an amusement park’?! Plus I genuinely wanted to know if he knew. What have you done to me Antti?
What happens when an insurance mathematician inherits an adventure park from his brother? Chaos it what happens, beautiful chaos. Henri has just been fired from his job as he is unable to embrace the new open plan, open forum style of working when he is informed his brother has died. His only dying wish is for Henri to carry on running his park. One that is full of breaking equipment, very weird employees, and oh yeah the massive loans his brother took out with the mafia! What happens is pure comedy! Truly outstanding comedy.
‘The Rabbit Factor’ is easily my book of 2021 so far. It's a deliciously dark but extremely funny book. I picked my copy at Bloody Scotland and I started to read it between panels and I honestly was annoyed I had to put it down to listen to people speak. I was hooked from the first page. It's a vividly real book as you read it, as in all the images are projected into your mind as the prose is beautifully descriptive, sharp, compact and pure. Antti has a compelling writing style which is very unique. Despite how far-fetched the situations Henri finds himself in, they are completely believable. In my mind, Henri being chased through a room full of mirrors by a huge man with excellent knife-throwing skills was utterly plausible.
As you read ‘The Rabbit Factor’ you KNOW you are reading something special. Henri is odd, the type of person you might avoid. His life is dominated by mathematics, where everything has an answer that is pre-determined or solved through pure science. He is rigid in his ways, doesn’t like change but he is then thrust into a world full of people with emotions, desires, a landscape full of problems and an underworld of sneaky so and so’s. Does he flounder or flourish? Well you will need to read it to find out! Henri is a unique character and I can totally see Steve Carrell as Henri. Antti actually did say that he was watching the American Office whilst he was writing the book so it is a perfect casting. I honestly can not wait till I can see the whole concept on-screen.
Although, this book is marketed as a dark comedy, I found it to be a book with a heart, a soul. An opportunity to show that people can evolve, how unexpected circumstances can lead to exciting situations and that the weirdos might even end up being your family.
Truly breathtaking!
What happens when an insurance mathematician inherits an adventure park from his brother? Chaos it what happens, beautiful chaos. Henri has just been fired from his job as he is unable to embrace the new open plan, open forum style of working when he is informed his brother has died. His only dying wish is for Henri to carry on running his park. One that is full of breaking equipment, very weird employees, and oh yeah the massive loans his brother took out with the mafia! What happens is pure comedy! Truly outstanding comedy.
‘The Rabbit Factor’ is easily my book of 2021 so far. It's a deliciously dark but extremely funny book. I picked my copy at Bloody Scotland and I started to read it between panels and I honestly was annoyed I had to put it down to listen to people speak. I was hooked from the first page. It's a vividly real book as you read it, as in all the images are projected into your mind as the prose is beautifully descriptive, sharp, compact and pure. Antti has a compelling writing style which is very unique. Despite how far-fetched the situations Henri finds himself in, they are completely believable. In my mind, Henri being chased through a room full of mirrors by a huge man with excellent knife-throwing skills was utterly plausible.
As you read ‘The Rabbit Factor’ you KNOW you are reading something special. Henri is odd, the type of person you might avoid. His life is dominated by mathematics, where everything has an answer that is pre-determined or solved through pure science. He is rigid in his ways, doesn’t like change but he is then thrust into a world full of people with emotions, desires, a landscape full of problems and an underworld of sneaky so and so’s. Does he flounder or flourish? Well you will need to read it to find out! Henri is a unique character and I can totally see Steve Carrell as Henri. Antti actually did say that he was watching the American Office whilst he was writing the book so it is a perfect casting. I honestly can not wait till I can see the whole concept on-screen.
Although, this book is marketed as a dark comedy, I found it to be a book with a heart, a soul. An opportunity to show that people can evolve, how unexpected circumstances can lead to exciting situations and that the weirdos might even end up being your family.
Truly breathtaking!
elspethm's review
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
A fun Nordic mystery/romance about an actuary who inherits an 'adventure" park and its debts. In attempting to save the park, Henri ends up being chased and harassed by three criminals, gets to know the park's employees and improves the business for the better.
If you've ever been to Helsinki you can smell those delicious cinnamon buns through the pages :)
I enjoyed the random cast of characters in this book and the sweet budding romance between Henri and Laura, one of the employees. I am looking forward to reading more in this series and of Tuomainen's books.
If you've ever been to Helsinki you can smell those delicious cinnamon buns through the pages :)
I enjoyed the random cast of characters in this book and the sweet budding romance between Henri and Laura, one of the employees. I am looking forward to reading more in this series and of Tuomainen's books.
colorfulleo92's review against another edition
4.0
I don't have the best success rate when it comes to Scandinavian thriller/crime novels but this one I end up really enjoying. Sad though that there is no book two available yet, at least not in swedish. Intriguing plot and never a dull moment. I enjoyed Antti Tuomainen writing style and was very intrigued to read more by him(or her, not sure) but sadly no more books for me to binge.