Thursday, January 13, 2011

THE SNOWMAN - Jo Nesbo


After the success of "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" and its sequels, you just knew some lazy agent would troll Scandinavia in an attempt to uncover the next Stieg Larsson.

Some lazy agent did and some lazy publisher has then punted on Jo Nesbo and his novel "The Snowman". Christ, this is dreadful, I am still giving myself uppercuts because I persevered and finished it.

The author is a musician, songwriter and an economist!!!!!!!!!!! and unfortunately he writes cliched crap crime novels. The cop is alcoholic with authority issues (aren't they all?), there is constant referall to songs and lyrics,(Rankin did it much better years ago). He has of course the estranged girlfriend who secretly wants him back and on and on and on and on.

The plot has holes the size of third world debt and to make things even worse it goes on for 550 ludicrous pages.

It is also translated and the translation just clunks - even though I admire anyone who is multi lingual the translator does this no favours at all, and it needs every bit of assistance that is out there.

I am aware Scandinavia is very socialist in its governance so the only conclusion I can draw is that authors are paid by the word, anyway, they obviously don't seem bother with little things like editors.

Save your money.

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