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linorris_'s review against another edition
3.0
igual es que los suecos hablan todos igual pero nunca he necesitado leer con tanta atención los nombres para saber quién hablaba
docsol22's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
duparker's review against another edition
3.0
a little heady for me. sine odd these stories work so well, and others plod along. for me this one had a hundred pages occur with nothing to drag me in, and then bam some really smart writing. I liked it enough, but am glad out want the first in the series.
tre4w's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
andyj23's review against another edition
3.0
Moje první kniha od Henninga Mankella. Pro mě osobně ze začátku bylo těžké se do knížky začíst, ale poté se to rozjelo. Kurt Wallander byl jako hlavní postava úžasný. Byl jako živá postava. Byl jako jeden z nás. Plný plánů a nadějí. Někdy trochu naivní jindy zase nebojácný detektiv. Nějaké postavy mě překvapili jiné jsem hned prokoukla. Mě osobně se kniha líbila a mám ráda detektivní příběhy ze Švédska. Je zvláštní, že dvě rozdílné vraždy můžou patřit k sobě.
Mankell měl postavy dobře promyšlené a i zápletku a celý děj.
Nejlepší scéna z knihy byla asi jak Wallander hledal v mlze záhadného Číňana. Taky bych chtěla zažít takovou mlhu, ale bez toho aniž by mě někdo chtěl zabít.
Mankell měl postavy dobře promyšlené a i zápletku a celý děj.
Nejlepší scéna z knihy byla asi jak Wallander hledal v mlze záhadného Číňana. Taky bych chtěla zažít takovou mlhu, ale bez toho aniž by mě někdo chtěl zabít.
vorpalblad's review against another edition
4.0
I don't know if it is just a better translation or what, but I really like this book much better than the other Mankell I've read.
dee9401's review against another edition
2.0
Like another recent book, I came to Henning Mankell's Firewall after having seen a film version of it. I can't recall this BBC production on Masterpiece Mystery too clearly, so the book still felt fresh to me. And, I'm sure it was adapted for filming, so the two versions would be somewhat divergent.
Overall, I liked the book. It was a fast read after the first few chapters, which felt a little too heavy on exposition. I was entertained and it was worth my time to read it. I'm glad to add another culture's police procedural to my reading list, having read American, British and Japanese ones in the past. While the genre must have things in common, each example brings something unique to the reader. So, I look forward to more books like this from Sweden and beyond.
On the negative side, I didn't care for some of the storytelling techniques that Mankell used. For example, he would be telling the story, moving forward in time, but then start a chapter as if its being told way in the future, looking back. He tells the reader that the upcoming scene is pivotal and has racked his main character Wallander's psyche for years to come. Then he switches back to the present and tells the story. I think it's a weak attempt at building suspense or grabbing the reader's attention. Then again, perhaps Mankell is trying to stop those readers who skip to the end to find things out and then reads from the beginning or middle. I'm not sure but I didn't like it. As for story, it's not too deep and it gets wrapped up rather quickly and too nicely at the end.
I also wasn't big on the weak development of the characters, especially the "Bad Guys." He paints them in broad stereotypes, e.g. the crafty Asian who has trouble speaking English and can't speak Swedish and techies who have poor to no social skills and interactions. He doesn't really develop his female characters, from Wallander's fellow officer Ann-Britt Höglund, to murderer/victim Sonja Hökberg, and to the various female characters scattered throughout the story.
I should probably read more of Mankell's works to see if this one book was an aberration or his normal style. I'd still recommend it to someone wanting a mystery/police procedural, but it's not in my favorites list.
Overall, I liked the book. It was a fast read after the first few chapters, which felt a little too heavy on exposition. I was entertained and it was worth my time to read it. I'm glad to add another culture's police procedural to my reading list, having read American, British and Japanese ones in the past. While the genre must have things in common, each example brings something unique to the reader. So, I look forward to more books like this from Sweden and beyond.
On the negative side, I didn't care for some of the storytelling techniques that Mankell used. For example, he would be telling the story, moving forward in time, but then start a chapter as if its being told way in the future, looking back. He tells the reader that the upcoming scene is pivotal and has racked his main character Wallander's psyche for years to come. Then he switches back to the present and tells the story. I think it's a weak attempt at building suspense or grabbing the reader's attention. Then again, perhaps Mankell is trying to stop those readers who skip to the end to find things out and then reads from the beginning or middle. I'm not sure but I didn't like it. As for story, it's not too deep and it gets wrapped up rather quickly and too nicely at the end.
I also wasn't big on the weak development of the characters, especially the "Bad Guys." He paints them in broad stereotypes, e.g. the crafty Asian who has trouble speaking English and can't speak Swedish and techies who have poor to no social skills and interactions. He doesn't really develop his female characters, from Wallander's fellow officer Ann-Britt Höglund, to murderer/victim Sonja Hökberg, and to the various female characters scattered throughout the story.
I should probably read more of Mankell's works to see if this one book was an aberration or his normal style. I'd still recommend it to someone wanting a mystery/police procedural, but it's not in my favorites list.
susanbrooks's review against another edition
4.0
Intelligent Swedish murder mystery perfect for my plane ride.
This is my 2nd Mankell mystery, and each one included one part that made me want to shout - No! The protagonist wouldn't do that! Overall gripping.
This is my 2nd Mankell mystery, and each one included one part that made me want to shout - No! The protagonist wouldn't do that! Overall gripping.
soy_sputnik's review against another edition
4.0
Este libro me costó por razones sentimentales hacía Wallander, quiero decir: ya lo quiero. Y me costó porque había cositas que le estaban pasando en el ámbito amoroso, emocional y de amistad que le dolían y pues no sé, sentí feo por él. también siento que de repente se pone muy moralino pero esta historia tiene buenos tintes sobre la sociedad en la que vivimos, como todas las historias de Mankell. Me gustó.