tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15258276.post7723317960004280504..comments2023-11-05T01:05:41.190-07:00Comments on International Noir Fiction: revisiting Jo NesbøGlenn Harperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04869155065647936216noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15258276.post-49359221083173561792008-05-23T15:46:00.000-07:002008-05-23T15:46:00.000-07:00Large thanks to Glenn Harper and all other comment...Large thanks to Glenn Harper and all other commentators here for an absorbing and provocative discussion of the formidably gifted and accomplished Jo Nesbø. I received just today the American version of The Redbreast, a review of which in the New York Times several months ago brought Nesbø to my attention. I read Norwegian, so I skipped the translation and found the original versions and read them in chronological order. I think you all have good reason to be concerned about the loss of that sequence in the English translations. Nesbø builds intense momentum of many kinds, the most important, I think, being the development of Hole's complex character. The movement of the six books through to the last paragraph of Frelseren (The Savior), and I do mean the very last paragraph of the epilogue, is magnificent. Svein Egil Omda, in Stavanger Aftenblad, has said (my translation here), "If he'd written in English, he'd have long since been world-famous [lit. "a world name"}. Absolutely. Nesbø writes rings around someone like John Grisham, for example. -- Looking forward to further conversation with you all about Nesbø. -- By the way, on the great question of whether and how to re-read crime fiction, I've tried it with what for me is one of the great series, Lawrence Block's Matthew Scudder books. One way to talk about how good Block is in that series is that I found each of the books if anything even more spellbinding and moving. One essential question, I think, is whether the writer is powerful, moving, and impressive--even beautiful--at the level of the word, the phrase, the sentence, the paragraph. If the writer is that good, then whatever's in front of one's eyes at the moment carries such power that knowledge of the outcome is simply forgotten. Block's one of the best I've ever seen that way, and the effect is not at all lessened by the wonderful characters, many of whom, especialy Scudder, can seem at a very deep level like treasured friends. -- Again, thanks to all commentators.Rick Simpsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07104005958714731502noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15258276.post-6352848098836930952008-04-09T13:20:00.000-07:002008-04-09T13:20:00.000-07:00I've read the first two Mari Jungstedt books too, ...I've read the first two Mari Jungstedt books too, and I agree about the translation - it is not as assured as Don Bartlett or other Scandinavian translators. Maybe it is significant that the MJ translations are American English, not English English?<BR/><BR/>One excellent translation I read recently is Frode Grytten's The Shadow in the River. The translation brilliantly captures colloquialisms and the mood of the novel.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15258276.post-71047635272681339122008-04-07T13:21:00.000-07:002008-04-07T13:21:00.000-07:00Great post, and I am particularly glad I read it b...Great post, and I am particularly glad I read it because I had no idea that The Devil's Star followed Nemesis chronologically, and I had been wondering when Nesbo would complete the Tom Waaler thread. It has now jumped right up the to do list. <BR/><BR/>These books are genuinely excellent and I'd make again a point I made in my Nemesis review: that the translation is first class. I'm currently reading Unseen by Mari Jungstedt and am enjoying it, but some of the language grates. It's just not quite right and I wonder how much better the book would be if it had been written better in English. <BR/><BR/>But Don Bartlett, who translates for Nesbo and KO Dahl has absolutely nailed the writing in their books.Material Witnesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10885107292048452380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15258276.post-79092234218016983642008-04-05T00:33:00.000-07:002008-04-05T00:33:00.000-07:00Hello. This post is likeable, and your blog is ver...Hello. This post is likeable, and your blog is very interesting, congratulations :-). I will add in my blogroll =). If possible gives a last there on my blog, it is about the <A HREF="http://dvd-e-cd.blogspot.com" REL="nofollow">DVD e CD</A>, I hope you enjoy. The address is http://dvd-e-cd.blogspot.com. A hug.<A HREF="5044743133" REL="nofollow"></A>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15258276.post-68165057447553004792008-03-27T04:07:00.000-07:002008-03-27T04:07:00.000-07:00I too have not read Nemesis yet and am still confu...I too have not read Nemesis yet and am still confused over why the Nesbos have been published in this order.<BR/>But The Devil's Star stood out for me as one of my best reading experiences of 2007. The characters are just incredibly real and I enjoyed the plot twists and turns. Of course anyone over the age of seventy can probably remember the Nazi occupation of Norway and this is why it plays a big part in their crime fiction.<BR/>Harry Hole and Tom Waaler carry on the tradition of Holmes and Moriarty. The flawed but heroic detective chasing a totally amoral ruthless villain who seems to have all the advantages.<BR/>I did enjoy The Redbreast even reading it out of order but I don't think it was quite a good as Devil's Star.Uriah Robinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02046023583067265187noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15258276.post-35520319225818763562008-03-26T14:30:00.000-07:002008-03-26T14:30:00.000-07:00It's eerie to read this post, because although I h...It's eerie to read this post, because although I haven't read Nemesis yet (only just out in HB in the UK), I have recently read Redbreast, and some months ago, Devil's Star. I liked Devil's Star, but not as much as some other readers/reviewers. The aspect I liked best was Harry Hole's character, and least was the murder story. As usual, I gave away my copy of the book (as I only keep those I know I may re-read, and I didn't like DS "that" much).<BR/>However, having read Redbreast, chronologically earlier, I wanted to re-read Devil's Star because I found Harry Hole's life, thoughts, as well as Ellen and Rakel (and their characters) so fascinating. I had forgotten what happened to Tom Wahler in it, so I found myself in the bookshop this afternoon flicking through Redbreast to remind myself.<BR/><BR/>I think that when I do get hold of a copy of Nemsis, I will read all three again, just to sort out the order of events and experience them, and the build-up of inner tension in Harry, in the right order. I agree that he's an amazing character, although in Redbreast, as in Devil's Star, I found the murder plot over-convoluted and unconvincing (all those old men).<BR/><BR/>I haven't yet read Huss, but I like the characters of Rebecka in Asa Larsson, Annika in Lisa Marklund, and Martin Beck, and Ann Lind (though I've only read one Kjell E.) None of them is quite like Harry, though, I agree -- he is more emotionally intuitive.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com