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3.35 AVERAGE
3.35 AVERAGE
I admire the writing, and the premise is very interesting: the loss of voice and the power of loneliness and mental illness. But it is too far from the genre to be a good read for me. And the ending was too symbolic. Why would this writer, with such gifts, make this dark tale so uninteresting? Ragna is damaged in lots of ways. Her crime is left to 3/4 of the way through to explain. Instead we travel down the road of mania with Ragna, but we are never captivated. Or even sympathetic. I wish I could have felt sympathy.
Sejer is not the mystic here, Ragna is. Disappointed.
Sejer is not the mystic here, Ragna is. Disappointed.
I liked the idea of this book, the ability of a soft spoken woman to express her life, but found it a little flat and slow.
The Whisperer by "Norwegian Queen of Crime" Karin Fossum is a Scandinavian mystery where the crime is only divulged towards the end of the book. This is the thirteenth Inspector Sejer novel but this title reads well as a standalone. The book alternates between Ragna Riegel's daily life and the later interrogation of Ragna by Inspector Sejer about the crime she committed. Ragna, a middle-aged single mother, has a precise life. She lives alone, after her teenage son moved to Berlin. She lives in the home she grew up in, previously with her parents. She works in a store, commutes by bus where she always sits in the same seat and shops for her supper in the same shop every day. One day, she finds a threatening anonymous note in her mailbox, leading her to believe her life is in danger. Over time, more notes appear and Ragna's fear grows. Meanwhile, every other chapter has Inspector Sejer interviewing Ragna. The reader is kept in the dark as to why Ragna is being detained by the police and what crime she committed. This Scandinavian mystery is typically very dark but you will need to find out the hows and whys of this woman's life, no matter what.. Highly recommended. Thank you to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately, Karin Fossum- The Whisperer, proved a little disappointing, although the build up in the beginning recounting the lonely life, and subsequent arrest of the whispering woman of the title for a slowly revealed crime, promised much. I did enjoy the head-to-head interrogation by Fossum regular, Inspector Konrad Sejer of the seemingly mouse-like suspect, Ragna Riegel, but it was all a little too ponderous and drawn out- about 100 pages too drawn out. Shame.
Excellent book. Why you might be interested:
1. It is the most in depth explanation of how a mental illness can effect a person and their perceptions.
2. Not a traditional mystery - you don't even find out the crime until the book is almost completed.
3. Exploration of how a detective interviews subjects.
4. Wonderful writing - it is just a pleasure to read such excellent writing.
5. Setting: Norway
1. It is the most in depth explanation of how a mental illness can effect a person and their perceptions.
2. Not a traditional mystery - you don't even find out the crime until the book is almost completed.
3. Exploration of how a detective interviews subjects.
4. Wonderful writing - it is just a pleasure to read such excellent writing.
5. Setting: Norway
I loved the book the drowned boy. This book however was not my favourite.
I did not DNF this book but was a struggle to get through it.
It was not that twisty or tense.
I read one book from her but I don't know if I will be reading more of her books. I did have high hopes for this book, but then the book fell flat.
I did not DNF this book but was a struggle to get through it.
It was not that twisty or tense.
I read one book from her but I don't know if I will be reading more of her books. I did have high hopes for this book, but then the book fell flat.
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
”En fin bok” er uttrykket jeg tror jeg lander på. Den er for lang i forhold til soffet sitt, og inneholder derfor litt for mye unødig fyllstoff. De fire sidene om badesalt er et godt eksempel! Det er også ganske tidlig tydelig hvor vi skal hen. Men det er noe hypnotisk med den hviskende fortelleren og den kloke intervjueren som gjør at dette treffer allikevel.
Het boek beschrijft het verhoor van Ragna Riegel door Konrad Sejer. Waarom zij opgepakt is, is niet duidelijk. Je weet alleen dat ze iets afschuwelijks gedaan heeft.
Het verhaal van Ragna aan Konrad en haar gedachten daarbij vormen het boek
Vanuit de verhoorkamer neemt Ragna je mee terug in de tijd, naar haar huis, haar werk, haar leven en de mensen die daarin een rol spelen.
De grote vragen voor de lezer zijn wat Ragna gedaan heeft en wie haar de dreigbrieven gestuurd heeft. Verdachten genoeg!
Al lezende bouw je een band op met de verdachte, een verdachte die slechts kan fluisteren.
Ragna, die zichzelf nogal waardeloos vindt, laat een diepe indruk achter.
De Fluisteraar wordt aangemerkt als een literaire thriller, maar zou evengoed het label psychologische thriller kunnen dragen.
De cover past mooi bij de covers van de eerdere delen uit de serie.
http://leesdan.blogspot.nl/2017/03/de-fluisteraar-konrad-sejer-13-karin.html
Het verhaal van Ragna aan Konrad en haar gedachten daarbij vormen het boek
Vanuit de verhoorkamer neemt Ragna je mee terug in de tijd, naar haar huis, haar werk, haar leven en de mensen die daarin een rol spelen.
De grote vragen voor de lezer zijn wat Ragna gedaan heeft en wie haar de dreigbrieven gestuurd heeft. Verdachten genoeg!
Al lezende bouw je een band op met de verdachte, een verdachte die slechts kan fluisteren.
Ragna, die zichzelf nogal waardeloos vindt, laat een diepe indruk achter.
De Fluisteraar wordt aangemerkt als een literaire thriller, maar zou evengoed het label psychologische thriller kunnen dragen.
De cover past mooi bij de covers van de eerdere delen uit de serie.
http://leesdan.blogspot.nl/2017/03/de-fluisteraar-konrad-sejer-13-karin.html
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes