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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
Just to preface this review with some context: A couple of years ago I did a big bunch of Christmas shopping in Waterstones and they had an offer where if you spent over a certain amount you got one of selection of books free. I didn't recognise any of the books in the piles on the counter so I just took one at random, which was The Snowman. Anyone who knows me or has seen my bookshelves on Goodreads or in real life will know that I mainly read fantasy fiction, a smattering of science fiction, and lots of comics - I'm not sure I've ever read any real-world crime fiction before.
The overall plot was very clever, it kept me guessing right till the end and was cleverly intertwined. On the downside I felt some of the reveals towards the last third of the book were a bit too spoon-fed, especially when we learn all about the timeline of the killer and what he did when or why. Harry Hole was a really believable character and I thought he was really well portrayed, if slightly clichéd, as the reformed alcoholic cop who doesn't always obey all the rules but always gets his man.
The early chapters that skipped backwards and forwards in time I found a bit confusing - it was the 1980s, then it was the early 2000s, then it was the 1990s... With specific dates listed on the chapter headings (down to the day of the week!) I felt like I was being told this was really important information that I needed to know whilst I was reading, but that wasn't actually the case. It would have been much more reader-friendly to head the chapters "20 years ago", "present day", "15 years ago" etc. It wouldn't have lost anything you needed from the story and would, in my opinion, have been easier to follow.
One thing that bugged the hell out of me was how much the author crowbarred details about Norway and Oslo into the book all the time. Yes, we need to know the story is set in Oslo as it is important to the back story in many ways (SNOW!) but when the characters are in a certain venue, I don't need to know that it's on such-and-such street, facing so-and-so other building, blah blah blah. Some of the details were important as they emphasised parts of the plot or enriched the scene being set (e.g. someone's swanky apartment with amazing fjord views) but so much of it was completely pointless that I found myself actually rolling my eyes when it kept happening. You're Norwegian and the book is set in Oslo, WE GET IT ALREADY.
I'm sure as the genre goes this was quite a good book, but much though I love several crime drama TV shows of differing tones/styles (CSI, Bones, Dexter, Luther), literary crime fiction just isn't for me.
The overall plot was very clever, it kept me guessing right till the end and was cleverly intertwined. On the downside I felt some of the reveals towards the last third of the book were a bit too spoon-fed, especially when we learn all about the timeline of the killer and what he did when or why. Harry Hole was a really believable character and I thought he was really well portrayed, if slightly clichéd, as the reformed alcoholic cop who doesn't always obey all the rules but always gets his man.
The early chapters that skipped backwards and forwards in time I found a bit confusing - it was the 1980s, then it was the early 2000s, then it was the 1990s... With specific dates listed on the chapter headings (down to the day of the week!) I felt like I was being told this was really important information that I needed to know whilst I was reading, but that wasn't actually the case. It would have been much more reader-friendly to head the chapters "20 years ago", "present day", "15 years ago" etc. It wouldn't have lost anything you needed from the story and would, in my opinion, have been easier to follow.
One thing that bugged the hell out of me was how much the author crowbarred details about Norway and Oslo into the book all the time. Yes, we need to know the story is set in Oslo as it is important to the back story in many ways (SNOW!) but when the characters are in a certain venue, I don't need to know that it's on such-and-such street, facing so-and-so other building, blah blah blah. Some of the details were important as they emphasised parts of the plot or enriched the scene being set (e.g. someone's swanky apartment with amazing fjord views) but so much of it was completely pointless that I found myself actually rolling my eyes when it kept happening. You're Norwegian and the book is set in Oslo, WE GET IT ALREADY.
I'm sure as the genre goes this was quite a good book, but much though I love several crime drama TV shows of differing tones/styles (CSI, Bones, Dexter, Luther), literary crime fiction just isn't for me.
So far so good. More enjoyable than the Henning Mankell I've read (though so far I've only read 'The Dogs of Riga', which felt quite lightweight and superficial to me).
Now finished - excellent book, good characters and an interesting plot.
Now finished - excellent book, good characters and an interesting plot.
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Tremendous. Not often - hardly ever - do I rate 5 stars but this book is exceptional.
The strength of the writing, characterisation and plot twists seduce the reader into a completely original tale and never lets go.
Creepy, pensive and a helluva lot of content make The Snowman a beacon of hope amongst so many rote Scandi-noir or police procedurals
The strength of the writing, characterisation and plot twists seduce the reader into a completely original tale and never lets go.
Creepy, pensive and a helluva lot of content make The Snowman a beacon of hope amongst so many rote Scandi-noir or police procedurals
I'm bearing in mind that I have read it in translation, and therefore lost all the sublties of the original language - and the pronounciation of the names. If I was able to appreciate it in Norwegian, I'd probably give it 4/5 stars.
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:
Yes
A dark, messy, and twist-filled book, this is a great one for mystery lovers. Some of the plot devices felt a bit contrived, and Harry Hole can be a bit of a cliche (he's a hard-drinking, antisocial, cynical, yet brilliant detective; never seen one of those before!), but the story is engrossing and the plot builds momentum beautifully through a breathless conclusion. I found the translation from the Norwegian mildly stilted at times, but the language is still beautifully descriptive, and despite his stock aspects, Hole is a great and complicated main character.
I can see why they wanted to turn this into a movie to compete with things like Dragon Tattoo, etc. It's not as good as those (book or film), but it's a "fun" thriller with a similar feeling. It's unfortunately very misogynistic and overly simplistic in it's portrayal of women and their motivations as characters (and the books general detective work suffers similarly to be honest). I think ideally I would put a 3.5/5 on this, but I'll knock down to a 3 to fit the rating scale on GoodReads.
Interesting read.
On the first day of snow, a child wakes up to find his mother has disappeared during the night. Outside, a snowman has appeared out of nowhere, the calling card of one of the most terrifying serial killers in recent fiction. A letter from the perpetrator draws Detective Hole further and further into the case, and together with his new partner, Katrine Bratt, he hunts the Snowman through twists and turns that become increasingly personal and may drive Hole to the brink of insanity.
Started reading this while backpacking and found it too-o-o frightening to continue. After returning home, I finished the book and it did not seem nearly as frightening.
I had an idea of who the snowman might be several times before the reveal. I found it interesting the way the author introduced the characters to you and built suspense. This was my first Jo Nesbø read. Not sure if I will read more.
On the first day of snow, a child wakes up to find his mother has disappeared during the night. Outside, a snowman has appeared out of nowhere, the calling card of one of the most terrifying serial killers in recent fiction. A letter from the perpetrator draws Detective Hole further and further into the case, and together with his new partner, Katrine Bratt, he hunts the Snowman through twists and turns that become increasingly personal and may drive Hole to the brink of insanity.
Started reading this while backpacking and found it too-o-o frightening to continue. After returning home, I finished the book and it did not seem nearly as frightening.
I had an idea of who the snowman might be several times before the reveal. I found it interesting the way the author introduced the characters to you and built suspense. This was my first Jo Nesbø read. Not sure if I will read more.