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deb_dangermouse's review against another edition
4.0
Fairly solid Scandi-noir, well executed. Some of the characterisation is a little clunky but that could've been the innate difficulties of translation. The reading (by David Timson) is what really makes this work for me. It's so good I'm heading to my library to get the second in the series
marisolea's review against another edition
2.0
Poco que decir, para qué nos vamos a engañar... Se lee bien pero engancha poco y te quedas así como con cara de ni fu ni fa. Desde luego, nada que ver con Wallander, por ejemplo.
"La tosca red" cuenta el asesinato de Eva Ringmar a manos, supuestamente, de su marido, Janek Mitter, que no recuerda haberla matado, ya que se encontraba absolutamente borracho la noche de autos. Mitter es juzgado y condenado, pero aparece asesinado en el centro psiquiátrico donde estaba ingresado. Así que se da por hecho que el asesino es otro, que ha sido descubierto por Mitter. El protagonista es un policía llamado Van Veeteren, antipático y que me produce una grima indescriptible en su manía por andar mordisqueando palillos de dientes a todas horas (vamos, como Torrente pero sin la "caspa"). Van Veeteren tiene una especie de sexto sentido cuando de buscar culpables se trata, y desde el principio está poco convencido de la culpabilidad de Mitter. Cuando aparece muerto, empieza a investigar en serio la vida de Eva Ringmar, y va, tirando de los hilos, descubriendo la muerte del hijo de ella varios años atrás, la depresión en la que se sumió, el alcoholismo posterior, y datos de su infancia y adolescencia que le llevan a resolver el misterio de su muerte.
Se deja leer pero no dan ganas de leer nada más del autor. Aunque dicen por ahí que "La mujer del lunar" es bastante mejor.
"La tosca red" cuenta el asesinato de Eva Ringmar a manos, supuestamente, de su marido, Janek Mitter, que no recuerda haberla matado, ya que se encontraba absolutamente borracho la noche de autos. Mitter es juzgado y condenado, pero aparece asesinado en el centro psiquiátrico donde estaba ingresado. Así que se da por hecho que el asesino es otro, que ha sido descubierto por Mitter. El protagonista es un policía llamado Van Veeteren, antipático y que me produce una grima indescriptible en su manía por andar mordisqueando palillos de dientes a todas horas (vamos, como Torrente pero sin la "caspa"). Van Veeteren tiene una especie de sexto sentido cuando de buscar culpables se trata, y desde el principio está poco convencido de la culpabilidad de Mitter. Cuando aparece muerto, empieza a investigar en serio la vida de Eva Ringmar, y va, tirando de los hilos, descubriendo la muerte del hijo de ella varios años atrás, la depresión en la que se sumió, el alcoholismo posterior, y datos de su infancia y adolescencia que le llevan a resolver el misterio de su muerte.
Se deja leer pero no dan ganas de leer nada más del autor. Aunque dicen por ahí que "La mujer del lunar" es bastante mejor.
beth_sandyeggo's review against another edition
1.0
The plot began well, but then just fell off into literary space. The setting was not well described, all the character development was given to the dead victims rather than the detectives working the case, and several times during reading it seemed as if I had skipped several pages and began reading in the middle of a chapter. The continuity of the book, the flow, was stuttered, and several times I almost stopped reading. I'll not read any more of this series.
moonandstars_'s review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
beomgyusforehead's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
stang_gt3's review against another edition
3.0
This was an interesting read, but I found it hard to follow at times. The perspective from which the story was being told flipped often and wasn't always clearly established who's perspective we were now in. I don't know if that was a result of the translation or the writing initially, but it did make it harder to follow.
The mystery itself was good, but wasn't too difficult to figure out. I was starting to enjoy Inspector Van Veeteren by the end, but he's a little like a Hercule Poirot where everyone around him is stupid and he's the only one on it and just will reveal all at the end.
The mystery itself was good, but wasn't too difficult to figure out. I was starting to enjoy Inspector Van Veeteren by the end, but he's a little like a Hercule Poirot where everyone around him is stupid and he's the only one on it and just will reveal all at the end.
marcele's review against another edition
2.0
The case is good, but I didn't like the narration and Van Veeteren very much.
seneca_'s review against another edition
3.0
Couldn't quite follow everything as the style is different to his later books. Ideal Swedish practise!
translator_monkey's review against another edition
4.0
I dine on Scandinavian (excuse me, Nordic) thrillers like a kid in a donut shop. Never know where to turn, which one to stick with, I hope from author to author, and enjoy almost everything I read.
This author and book are no exception. 'Mind's Eye' opens with the murder of a middle aged woman in her own bathroom; the accused, her husband, has no idea of the evening's events, as he had passed out drunk. It looks like a slam-dunk case to everyone except for Chief Inspector Van Veeteren, whose gut tells him there's more to the story. When Van Veeteren's hunch is proven correct, the story really begins.
It would be unfair to compare any of the Nordic authors to my favorite, Jo Nesbo, since they're all so different, but Nesser seems to be a complete counterpoint - very little as far as graphic descriptions of the crimes, it is far more the exploration of the minds of the detectives and the killer. A good introduction to a series I'll happily follow, as soon as I take a look at that cruller right over there...
This author and book are no exception. 'Mind's Eye' opens with the murder of a middle aged woman in her own bathroom; the accused, her husband, has no idea of the evening's events, as he had passed out drunk. It looks like a slam-dunk case to everyone except for Chief Inspector Van Veeteren, whose gut tells him there's more to the story. When Van Veeteren's hunch is proven correct, the story really begins.
It would be unfair to compare any of the Nordic authors to my favorite, Jo Nesbo, since they're all so different, but Nesser seems to be a complete counterpoint - very little as far as graphic descriptions of the crimes, it is far more the exploration of the minds of the detectives and the killer. A good introduction to a series I'll happily follow, as soon as I take a look at that cruller right over there...