My wife recommended I look into Jo Nesbo as an author to read. I started looking at the Amazon reviews of his first volume in a series, The Redbreast: A Novel.
I immediately jumped to the 1 star volumes as I tend to find interesting perspectives in this review section. I especially enjoyed this review from ReadsALot:
Admittedly am in the minority per the reviews but in sync with at least a few others.
This book seems to suffer from an identity crisis. The author periodically references multiple personality disorder. The book is a perfect example: is it to document some history(WWII)? Detective fiction? Or, a romance novel designated for the sub-teen set? It has many elements of all. I'd also assess at least 30 percent as page filler much of which is flashbacks. That went on for every other chapter for way too long. The novel is complete with the trite, "formula" gorgeous heroine who immediately falls "in love" with the detective as he does her.
In total the book is so predictable, it almost wasn't worth reading. Per the interaction between the gorgeous female and our hero, Harry Hole, he states several times that he felt like a teenager. The content and elements of their entire involvement reads exactly like that -- up to and including the end of the book.
This could hardly be called "a suspense thriller" . The "who-done-it" was fairly evident mid-way though the book and became more so with each page. Of course in the concluding pages, Harry arrives just in the nick of time to "save the day". That element of the story required some 30-40 pages to describe in boring,endless detail including (as referenced by another reviewer) pages and pages of the villain's diary notes of still more flashbacks to explain his motives.
I bought the book used and was glad of it. How something like this could win such praises and awards is puzzling unless it's quite dated and has been revised for the English speaking market only recently. That would explain a great deal of it.
This book seems to suffer from an identity crisis. The author periodically references multiple personality disorder. The book is a perfect example: is it to document some history(WWII)? Detective fiction? Or, a romance novel designated for the sub-teen set? It has many elements of all. I'd also assess at least 30 percent as page filler much of which is flashbacks. That went on for every other chapter for way too long. The novel is complete with the trite, "formula" gorgeous heroine who immediately falls "in love" with the detective as he does her.
In total the book is so predictable, it almost wasn't worth reading. Per the interaction between the gorgeous female and our hero, Harry Hole, he states several times that he felt like a teenager. The content and elements of their entire involvement reads exactly like that -- up to and including the end of the book.
This could hardly be called "a suspense thriller" . The "who-done-it" was fairly evident mid-way though the book and became more so with each page. Of course in the concluding pages, Harry arrives just in the nick of time to "save the day". That element of the story required some 30-40 pages to describe in boring,endless detail including (as referenced by another reviewer) pages and pages of the villain's diary notes of still more flashbacks to explain his motives.
I bought the book used and was glad of it. How something like this could win such praises and awards is puzzling unless it's quite dated and has been revised for the English speaking market only recently. That would explain a great deal of it.
Based on this review I decided to move on in my search for "Good books to read". However, the commentary thread linked below this review caught my eye as it is not typical for 8 comments on a review. Below is the entire thread:
I read about half of this book and finally laid it down after a week or so. I am also puzzled by the number of rave reviews it has gotten. The gorgeous heroine was just too much - the idea of a wealthy, beautiful, impeccably dressed woman helping some burned out detective push his stalled rattletrap of a car up a hill is just too much.
Araminta, you underestimate the level of altruism within culturally and racially homogeneous societies.
Araminta says:
Oh please - do enlighten me on "the level of altruism within culturally and racially homogenous societies".
Man, you are a dunce. You do know just because somebody is rich and beautiful or impeccably dressed doesn't mean they aren't able to be good, helpful people. You are out of touch.
Come again? Did you just call me a dunce? Methinks you are the one who is out of touch. You fear a dissenting opinion, which narrows the mind.
No. I haven't ever read the book or heard of the author. I was looking for new authors and I was seeing what people said about him. Your opinion is flat out wrong - dissenting or not. Just because somebody is rich, dressed nice and beautiful doesn't mean they wouldn't do what you said. I had a girl that fit the second two help me drag bags and bags of smelly, drippy garbage bags to the dumpster and she asked me if I needed help - and still helped as I insisted no I didn't. You know nothing of human nature.
Why do want to keep insulting me and why are you so angry about this? I never said well-dressed, elegant, gorgeous rich folks don*t help people. I just did not find it plausible in this book. I know plenty of human nature and your nature is coming through loud and clear. You like to call people names. Enough said.
Yes, Araminta is a bit touchy when criticized but what really caught my eye was her first comment, "the idea of a wealthy, beautiful, impeccably dressed woman helping some burned out detective". Based on my experience I had to agree with this statement.
Which led me to seriously ponder Sussex Pond Pudding's response "Araminta, you underestimate the level of altruism within culturally and racially homogeneous societies.". This led me to consider the level of altruism in the US. and why SPP feels culturally and racially homogeneous societies would have a higher level of altruism.
No comments:
Post a Comment