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A review by acejolras
Faceless Killers by Henning Mankell
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I knew going in how popular the Wallander TV adaptations are and was this a let down. I was prepared to keep it at 3* until the rushed ending killed the importance of most of the novel’s investigation. It leaned too far into procedural without tying anything together a little bit more to make it a satisfying literary experience.
I know Wallander isn’t meant to be super likeable, but it was infuriating watching a man make gigantic errors of judgment without punishment because, well, he’s a man. The sexual assault, written off as the fault of his drinking no less, really torpedoed the author for me. All the women in the book are treated in super gross ways - they’re either outright bitches or Wallander likes them because they do something for him.
This also could have been more interesting if it committed to exploring immigration and asylum seeking in Sweden. Instead of presenting it as a complex issue with gray areas, it came off as wishy-washy and rather xenophobic in places.
I know Wallander isn’t meant to be super likeable, but it was infuriating watching a man make gigantic errors of judgment without punishment because, well, he’s a man. The sexual assault, written off as the fault of his drinking no less, really torpedoed the author for me. All the women in the book are treated in super gross ways - they’re either outright bitches or Wallander likes them because they do something for him.
This also could have been more interesting if it committed to exploring immigration and asylum seeking in Sweden. Instead of presenting it as a complex issue with gray areas, it came off as wishy-washy and rather xenophobic in places.