Rather than write a full review here (full review of a book I didn't finish? ha!), I'm just going to copy the article I'm submitting to our local monthly newspaper. As you're reading it, realize that I am the one reader who didn't finish her book. I was one who found the book difficult to read because of the complex subplots and Scandinavian names and words.
Would I recommend? No. Would I not recommend? No. It might be a genre you enjoy. All I know is that it's not for me.
... Book Club proved once again in March that even books that the majority aren’t enthralled with can lead to great discussions. Each member of the group read one (or more) novels by the Norwegian crime writer, Jo Nesbo. Most selected books from his very popular Harry Hole series, although a few read standalone novels.
Jo Nesbo’s personal story is an interesting one. He grew up in a family of readers and storytellers. As a young person, he had dreams of becoming a football star. Those hopes were dashed when he suffered a joint injury. While attending business school, he became a musician on the side. He was determined to keep that as a sideline since he wanted music to be fun and not his job. So he became a financial analyst. Which he liked for a short while. He took a long vacation to Australia, outlined a story on the flight down, got to the hotel totally jet-lagged but got to writing. And his first bestseller, “The Bat,” was written. Nesbo will admit that he’s been incredibly lucky as a writer. It comes easily to him, he’s won many awards, and in the early years had no flops. His books are published in 50 languages and over 33 million copies have been sold throughout the world.
Time conflicts prevented the two women who had recommended Jo Nesbo to the book club from attending the meeting. Wondering what made them like the books and the author so, the club reached out to them. Both enjoy the Scandanavian crime/detective genre. One of them went a step further. “I have always enjoyed the anti-hero, and Harry is it… I like to read about flawed characters who still make a go of life.”
Harry Hole is most definitely a flawed hero. Most members were aggravated by him and didn’t like him. They found that there weren’t really any characters to like. The books are dark, full of violence and gruesome details. A reader needs to be drawn to that type of novel to really appreciate Jo Nesbo. There is so much corruption in most of the novels. It was said that Nesbo tries to steer clear of exposing real corruption, that he’d rather focus on what propels individuals to perform corrupt actions.
Only one person attending the meeting enjoyed the book and planned to read on. The majority felt the book they read was so-so. Several who didn’t really enjoy the book they chose said they might give the author another chance. And some made it through their books but don’t plan to pick up another Nesbo. There was only one person who made it about halfway thru the book and proclaimed that she had no plans to finish reading. Those who read multiple books said they weren’t able to figure out “who dunnit” until the end of the book when the criminals and their secrets are revealed.
Some of what certain folks liked about the book were exactly what others disliked. Each book was full of complex subplots. For a few of the readers, that’s what really made the books enjoyable and made it a quick easy read as page-turners often are. The chapters are short and Nesbo moves quickly from scene to scene. Again, that’s something that some readers really enjoyed and others found confusing. Some mentioned that they found that the complex subplots, combined with Scandinavian names and vocabulary, made hard work of reading the book. One member listened to the audio book and felt it was probably easier to listen to. A handful didn’t enjoy how farfetched parts of the plots were. Others really enjoyed the unbelievable aspects of the novels, making them seem like a true escape from everyday life. Those who read “The Redbreast” felt they learned a lot from the historical aspect of that novel. “The Redbreast” is about Norwegians on both sides of World War II and how each side fared after the conclusion of the war.
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