Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by marko68
The Man on the Balcony by Maj Sjöwall
5.0
“Martin Beck was only in the room by chance. He had just come in and put down his case inside the door...”
The Man on the Balcony is the third in the absolute classic Scandi Noir Martin Beck series written by the dynamic Swedish duo, Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö. Set in 1967, it epitomises a Swedish society increasingly under the influence of sex, drugs and crime, and an overworked and increasingly disempowered police force. The book is as much a work of fiction as it is a non fiction commentary of Swedish society in rampant decay. Sjöwall and Wahlöö did not shy away from this social commentary, blatantly evident as Beck’s colleague, Kollberg contemplates ...
“Drug-taking among young people was caused by a catastrophic philosophy which had been provoked by the prevailing system. Consequently society should be duty-bound to produce an effective counter-argument. One that was not based on smugness and more police officers”.
This is as poignant in 2022 as it was in 1967.
The Man on the Balcony follows the horrific story of a serial child murderer, one who rapes and kills young girls in secluded areas of public parks. The only credible witnesses who can offer any help to a police force grappling with this crime is a ‘mugger’, wanted for a series of bashing and stealing from his victims and a three year old boy. Beck and his colleagues, exhausted and embattled, piece a number of events together, that along with a dose of chance and guesswork ultimately see the crime solved.
Sjöwall and Wahlöö emphasise the humanity of the police force, prone to fatigue and burnout. “Without a word they drove northwards through the city, Aware of their powerlessness and of their ambivalent attitude to the society they were there to protect”. Beck and Kollberg.. human and authentic. Messy. Real.
I love this series so much.. savouring each book to make this last for as long as I can. 5 stars for sure.
The Man on the Balcony is the third in the absolute classic Scandi Noir Martin Beck series written by the dynamic Swedish duo, Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö. Set in 1967, it epitomises a Swedish society increasingly under the influence of sex, drugs and crime, and an overworked and increasingly disempowered police force. The book is as much a work of fiction as it is a non fiction commentary of Swedish society in rampant decay. Sjöwall and Wahlöö did not shy away from this social commentary, blatantly evident as Beck’s colleague, Kollberg contemplates ...
“Drug-taking among young people was caused by a catastrophic philosophy which had been provoked by the prevailing system. Consequently society should be duty-bound to produce an effective counter-argument. One that was not based on smugness and more police officers”.
This is as poignant in 2022 as it was in 1967.
The Man on the Balcony follows the horrific story of a serial child murderer, one who rapes and kills young girls in secluded areas of public parks. The only credible witnesses who can offer any help to a police force grappling with this crime is a ‘mugger’, wanted for a series of bashing and stealing from his victims and a three year old boy. Beck and his colleagues, exhausted and embattled, piece a number of events together, that along with a dose of chance and guesswork ultimately see the crime solved.
Sjöwall and Wahlöö emphasise the humanity of the police force, prone to fatigue and burnout. “Without a word they drove northwards through the city, Aware of their powerlessness and of their ambivalent attitude to the society they were there to protect”. Beck and Kollberg.. human and authentic. Messy. Real.
I love this series so much.. savouring each book to make this last for as long as I can. 5 stars for sure.