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3.13 AVERAGE
3.13 AVERAGE
This was a fun read and the League of Pensioners is something i hope to be part of one day, maybe without the crime part though - lol. The only thing for me was it was a bit drawn out and could have maybe finished a bit earlier. I felt that the author was maybe trying to make it more thrilling than it actually needed to be and so for it lost its quirkness a bit. The one thing it did do though was make you think about how society views old people and the way we treat them and for this the book was a good vessel to get that point across. Would i read the next one, not sure, maybe if i didn't have anything else to read it might do, but i don't think i'd seek it out otherwise.
The book is very slow, and I couldn't connect with the characters. It didn't really feel like a "cozy mystery." I tried hard to continue reading, but I was bored with the book.
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This novel is absurd in the worst way possible. I admit the premise sounds like it was promising and a little kooky that it could have been a fun read, but it wasn't. It's not necessarily that there was anything quite wrong with the characters (though they weren't that great) they were worlds above what this plot was trying to be. This novel was boring, it was too long, it relied too much on coincidence and luck to drive the plot, and it made logical leaps and bounds that never would fly in a normal setting. This novel paints the entirety of anyone who is not these old folks to basically be idiots. Clear and concise evidence is put straight in front of the police to figure out who committed these crimes, but because these folks are old they are automatically dismissed as perpetrators. Even old people murder, why can't they also be thieves?
This book is just terrible.
I didn't find an ounce of this to be funny. The author utilized their pieces in the most difficult, round-about ways possible. This would have been funnier if the police were not convinced that the folks committed the heist in the museum and therefore they yet again eluded their need to be in prison. Instead, the entire prison stint is a waste of time. It adds nothing to the plot. It changes nothing. The painting still get back to where they need to be and the "bad guys" they meet in prison are never actually confronted. Basically, they both just decide to leave the folks alone because of, yet again, coincidentally convenient circumstances. It must be so nice to be these old folks.
The same wasted time can be said of the paintings being misplaced and then later thought to not be what they were once they were returned and then almost three chapters later confirmed that they were indeed returned. What was the point here? This was just filler that didn't need to exist. This novel, again, was far too long for what it was.
Even in the end the Police don't believe the old folks and find the evidence in the storm drain. So what is the message here? Old folks can get away with anything? This isn't likely. This isn't clever. This, as I said, is absurd. Don't waste your time on this one. I'm regretting I did.
This book is just terrible.
I didn't find an ounce of this to be funny. The author utilized their pieces in the most difficult, round-about ways possible. This would have been funnier if the police were not convinced that the folks committed the heist in the museum and therefore they yet again eluded their need to be in prison. Instead, the entire prison stint is a waste of time. It adds nothing to the plot. It changes nothing. The painting still get back to where they need to be and the "bad guys" they meet in prison are never actually confronted. Basically, they both just decide to leave the folks alone because of, yet again, coincidentally convenient circumstances. It must be so nice to be these old folks.
The same wasted time can be said of the paintings being misplaced and then later thought to not be what they were once they were returned and then almost three chapters later confirmed that they were indeed returned. What was the point here? This was just filler that didn't need to exist. This novel, again, was far too long for what it was.
Even in the end the Police don't believe the old folks and find the evidence in the storm drain. So what is the message here? Old folks can get away with anything? This isn't likely. This isn't clever. This, as I said, is absurd. Don't waste your time on this one. I'm regretting I did.
lighthearted
fast-paced
Quick read that had potential, but fell flat. I think this novel would have been much better if written in 1st person. Given the topic, that sort of narration would have given us more insight into the character and her wit, making the book more enjoyable and humorous.
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Not my cup of tea!
I was reading this for my book club, otherwise I never would have finished it. It just never captured my interest. I gave it 3 stars because a bit at the end seemed clever to me, else I would have rated it 2.
I was reading this for my book club, otherwise I never would have finished it. It just never captured my interest. I gave it 3 stars because a bit at the end seemed clever to me, else I would have rated it 2.
Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg is a Swedish lady, who decided to use the typical Swedish obsession with crime and investigation and make it absurd and absurdly hilarious. Maybe she got inspired by Jonas Jonasson and his The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared when it comes to the new look at the old people. In her book Kaffe med rån (rån means 1. robbery and 2. waffers) she portrays a group of elderly friends, who ended up in a very poor senior-home. The nurse prohibits them to go out, orders them to go to bed at eight and gives them strange pills after which they feel tired and stupid and the misery doesn't end here! Every month a new measure is announced to save more and more and the elderly are limited to one cup of coffee a day and no dessert ever. They understandably refuse to live their last days like this and decide to rob themselves some serious money to give their life a little bit of extra flavour.
More on my blog http://sonaoclock.blogspot.se/2017/07/kafe-med-ranthe-little-old-lady-who.html
More on my blog http://sonaoclock.blogspot.se/2017/07/kafe-med-ranthe-little-old-lady-who.html
This book has a great premise and fun characters and is about 3x as long as it should be. It would have made a great little novella, but instead it's a full length novel that has so many random tangents it reminds me of my high school essays, padding with nonsense to reach the 5 page limit.
I do think it's possible that much of the humor and jokes are lost in the translation. If I laughed more often, it would have gotten another star at least, but translations are hit or miss with comedies.
If you're thinking about reading this, definitely listen to it instead. The performance helps with the awkward pacing of the writing (again, likely due to translation).
I do think it's possible that much of the humor and jokes are lost in the translation. If I laughed more often, it would have gotten another star at least, but translations are hit or miss with comedies.
If you're thinking about reading this, definitely listen to it instead. The performance helps with the awkward pacing of the writing (again, likely due to translation).