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Harbor

3.59 of 5 stars 3.59 · rating details · 1,948 ratings · 323 reviews

“John Ajvide Lindqvist is rightly seen as one of the most exciting writers working in the horror genre at the moment – a rival, indeed, to Stephen King.”--TheScotsman.com

From the author of the international and New York Times bestseller Let the Right One In (Let Me In) comes this stunning and terrifying book which begins when a man's six-year-old daughter vanishes.One

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Hardcover, 512 pages

Published October 11th 2011 by Thomas Dunne Books (first published 2008)

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Feb 09, 2011 David rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Like the aftermath of a wave upon a shore, I had to allow this novel to retreat from my immediate perceptions in order to discover what it left behind. The reason for this was that I felt initially underwhelmed, but, like Lindqvists previous novels, I thought I might be provoked by its themes and characters for days afterwards.
The main theme of this novel is the reconstruction of the self after loss so it has some common ground with ‘Handling the Undead’ but because this book is so intimate and...more Like the aftermath of a wave upon a shore, I had to allow this novel to retreat from my immediate perceptions in order to discover what it left behind. The reason for this was that I felt initially underwhelmed, but, like Lindqvists previous novels, I thought I might be provoked by its themes and characters for days afterwards.
The main theme of this novel is the reconstruction of the self after loss so it has some common ground with ‘Handling the Undead’ but because this book is so intimate and obviously personal it sometimes reads like a diary as opposed to a novel.

The main character, Anders, is the father of a 6 year old girl, Maya, who disappeared some years previously.
He is drawn back to his old island home and the place where Maya vanished and begins to believe that she may be trying to communicate with him although his alcoholism and fragile mental state initially leave the reader guessing as to whether or not Anders might be deluding himself and on the verge of a complete breakdown.

As the novel draws in the perspective of other characters we learn that the island has a history of disappearances and that some of the older residents have always been aware of the almost sacrificial nature of the relationship between it and the surrounding sea.
For me, the novel comes most alive when we are reading about the older island residents whose stories and lives are much more interesting than Anders.

The novel moves backwards and forwards in time as we learn about the inhabitants and Anders childhood. The book is clearly a meditation upon death and how we rebuild our life afterwards as someone left behind but also a reflection upon how we are shaped and influenced by those we grow up with and how their successes and failures as human beings stay with us and manifest as fears, insecurities or, hopefully, optimism.

I felt that the supernatural element was the weakest part of this novel; it’s fine to be vague and mysterious but when there is no explanation of any kind it also means that the writer can become detatched from the mechanics of how the novels universe might leave the reader feeling cheated.
Lindqvist chooses to walk away from any objective answers, which is his prerogative, but the consequences of not at least expressing a subjective resolution within the thoughts of the characters after all they go through disappointed me, ultimately.

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Mar 06, 2011 Daniel Parsons rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: headtrips

John Ajvide Lindqvist's third book, after Let The Right One In and Handling The Undead, is also his third masterpiece. An epic sprawling many fascinating characters and spanning several decades on an (fictitious) island in Scandinavia, it tells of a malevolent force that seems to be taking people who disappear without trace and for seemingly no purpose.. to begin with. The scope of ideas here is what truly sets this book, as with Lindqvist's other works, apart from an often unfairly marginalised...more

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Jun 29, 2011 Aaron (Typographical Era) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, john-ajvide-lindqvist

As soon as I began reading John Ajvide Lindqvist’s latest novel I knew that something was a bit off. The writing felt fuller and much more vivid. The descriptions of the island community Domoro where the story takes place were achingly beautiful. It was all so well done that I almost felt as though I were reading a novel in Johan Theorin’s Oland Quartet series and not something written by the author of the wildly successful, but blandly written vampire novel Let The Right One In. About one third...more

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Apr 04, 2013 Neil McCrea rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror, ghost-stories, paranormal, scandinavian

Two things I often hear repeated about Lindqvist are that he's "Sweden's Stephen King" and that although his novels may make for excellent reading they're not scary. Regarding the first claim, I always felt that this was a combination of reviewer laziness and marketing wishful thinking . . . until Harbor. Harbor is very, very much in the style of King. A small town with secrets, a sizable supporting cast from every social strata, a seamless integration of pop culture references, and a strong sen...more Two things I often hear repeated about Lindqvist are that he's "Sweden's Stephen King" and that although his novels may make for excellent reading they're not scary. Regarding the first claim, I always felt that this was a combination of reviewer laziness and marketing wishful thinking . . . until Harbor. Harbor is very, very much in the style of King. A small town with secrets, a sizable supporting cast from every social strata, a seamless integration of pop culture references, and a strong sense of place and local colloquialisms, all of these attributes that I associate strongly with King are present here. Better yet, Lindqvist pulls it off.

Everyone's mileage is going to vary in regards to fear factor, but Lindqvist is often more concerned with the horror of social breakdowns and fear of the unknown than with the adrenalized horrors of a slasher movie. I found myself more troubled by the largely harmless zombies of Handling the Undead precisely because figuring out what to do with mindless loved ones trying to reenact their old lives is more difficult than making the decision to blow the head off a shambling meat bag that's trying to eat me. The horror in Harbor is similar. Concern over how such sensible people could abide with a secret that puts all of their loved ones at risk is a greater source of worry in the novel than the question of whether an ominous force is going to "get" one character or another.

The Harbor contains a masterful, ever growing sense of dread, cleverly delineated characters, and it mines a vein of horror that most authors never even attempt . . . soooooo . . . why the two stars?

The ending.

(view spoiler)(less)

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Mar 12, 2011 Tanya Watkins rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This new(ish) supernatural horror from John Lindqvist, the Swedish author of the fantastic vampire novel 'Let the Right One In'recently remade into hollywood blockbuster 'Let Me In', took some effort to get through I have to say, and I'm not just referring to the fact it's a pretty hefty novel weighing in at 500 pages long.

The story is set in an isolated island community of Domaro where a family's trip to the lighthouse turns into a nightmare when their 6-year old daughter vanishes from the ice,...more

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Dec 04, 2010 Leanne rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I enjoyed reading Harbour, but I found the storyline to be weaker than his previous books - Let the Right One In and Handling the Undead. I think it lost its way towards the end and left too many unanswered questions.

It had its moments of suspense and a foreboding, yet it is not a horror story. It won't make you fear the sea, but it will make you see it differently. I found the book to be more of a character study, on what can happen to a person when they lose someone close to them - the self de...more

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Feb 17, 2011 Josh rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: horror, own, read_2011

Harbour is not a horror story, rather a supernatural tale of the harbour town of Domaro and surrounding islands in which people disappear seemingly into thin air never to be seen again...at least not seen in an entirely human-light again. The protagonist, Anders, is a father whose daughter has been claimed by the harbour. As he fights to find his daughter the dark past of Domaro resurfaces with its residents once again put to the test in an epic struggle to keep evil at bay. The horror element w...more

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Nov 02, 2011 Melissa rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: didnt-finish

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Apr 23, 2013 Ярослава rated it 3 of 5 stars

It was a tough choice between 3 or 4 stars, and I might yet have to adjust that. After the first 1/3 of the novel or so, I got a strong feeling that I have already read this text before, and it was called It by Stephen King: an influence that Harbour, to a certain extent, acknowledges. The premise is similar: a small town has to offer sacrifices to an evil power in order to prosper; children get involved; etc., etc., do not want to be too spoilery. King is better at portraying teens and pre-teen...more

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Sep 24, 2012 Christine rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Well this was interesting ! I found that there was far more mythology and dream like sequences than in "let the right one in". Strangely the ending was not satisfying, it felt like something was missing. Again the theme of bullying, and in this story its sometimes terrifying consequences later on in life. The idea of fitting in or being a misfit often seems to come up in his writing. Obviously he observes people so well ! there is some really dark horror, and some of it is just overload. I reall...more Well this was interesting ! I found that there was far more mythology and dream like sequences than in "let the right one in". Strangely the ending was not satisfying, it felt like something was missing. Again the theme of bullying, and in this story its sometimes terrifying consequences later on in life. The idea of fitting in or being a misfit often seems to come up in his writing. Obviously he observes people so well ! there is some really dark horror, and some of it is just overload. I really enjoyed the characters though, and the setting. The father is the main character and he is wrestling with grief and loss in a really realistic way, very broken but that only serves to emphasise the love he has for his missing daughter, and also his estranged wife. He is in the process of becoming a dysfunctional alcoholic and desperate to find out answers to how his daughter could disappear from the icy remote island without a trace in such a short time, with no-none else there but him and his wife. Sometimes though when reading it felt like he just expected you to know some things about the island and the landscape. Not being from anywhere near that part of the world perhaps is what made it harder to picture it. Yet in some parts there is really vivid descriptions of the place ! All in all a bit confusing in parts. Still after finishing it I was not really sure about what was happening. Suspense could have been built up more, and to make things more sinister. But really still a fascinating read, I wanted to find out what would happen ! constant twists and turns will have you guessing. There was not enough depth in describing the myth and legends that were coming to life. If he had just spend a bit more time fleshing this out I think it would have been brilliant. Or flashbacks to the past more, linking the current events more clearly with the past. That would have made it longer to read but more satisfying. Yet despite this it all holds together well and he certainly knows his craft. It will keep you turning the pages.(less)

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Jul 20, 2012 Eija rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: luettu-käännös

Tarina alkaa siitä, kun kuusivuotias Maja katoaa mystisesti meren jäällä jälkiä jättämättä.
Kirjan ensimmäinen kolmannes on pitkälti pohjustusta nykyisille tapahtumille. Kirjassa kerrotaan laveasti kylän ja sen asukkaiden menneisyydestä - sekä muinaisesta historiasta että Majan isän, Andersin, nuoruudesta ja hänen sukunsa ja ystäviensä vaiheista. Menneisyydestä kertominen on melkeinpä välttämätöntä, jotta kylän nykyiset tapahtumat tulisi ymmärretyksi.

Kirja on tarina merestä ja sen voimista. Merel...more

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Jul 19, 2012 Erik rated it 4 of 5 stars

When I first read “Let the Right One In” I thought it was not just the best vampire novel I have read, but one of the best novels I had read in a long time. Right out of the gate Lindqvist produced a masterpiece. Since then I have read “Handling the Undead” and now his latest translation “Harbour”. And I have found that I have trouble rating both novels, because of the brilliance of the first. I hearken it to Orson Welles, in that Welles burst on the scene with a masterpiece in “Citizen Kane”, a...more When I first read “Let the Right One In” I thought it was not just the best vampire novel I have read, but one of the best novels I had read in a long time. Right out of the gate Lindqvist produced a masterpiece. Since then I have read “Handling the Undead” and now his latest translation “Harbour”. And I have found that I have trouble rating both novels, because of the brilliance of the first. I hearken it to Orson Welles, in that Welles burst on the scene with a masterpiece in “Citizen Kane”, and then everything after inevitably failed to live up to it. Welles made some fantastic movies in their own right in films such as “Touch of Evil”, “The Magnificent Ambersons” and “The Stranger”. But because Kane was so perfect, everything else paled in comparison. [return]Lindqvist is in the same boat, “Let the Right One In” was perfect in every way, and both “Handling the Undead” and “Harbour” are wonderful novels on their own. But trying to forget “Let the Right One In” while reading them is difficult to say the least. “Harbour” is a good solid novel, with some fantastic parts in it. Lindqvist does a great job conveying the coastal Swedish culture, as well as what it is like growing up in a small tourist town. His sense of teenage alienation that never quite goes away is wonderful, and the concept of two ghosts roaming around speaking in Smiths lyrics is fantastic. The plot moves along, and the sense of foreboding is well written. Lindqvist has a real gift for using the supernatural aspects of his work to focus in on basic human emotions and foibles. Both “Harbour” as well as “Handling the Undead” do a great job discussing grief and what we do to not let go. This is very good book and one that I would recommend, but with the caveat that this is not “Let the Right One In”. But comparisons between the two is my failure and not Lindqvist’s fault, it just is a compliment that his masterwork was so good, nothing else will live up to it.
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May 02, 2012 Brandon rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book is set on a creepy little island in a Swedish archipelago. The folks who live there are interesting and well-rendered and a little weird. There is a big secret here, something awful, and the drunk, grieving protagonist has to uncover that secret. But of course, nobody wants him to.

I love so much about this novel. The characters are all fantastic, particularly the elderly magician, Simon. The setting is unique and the author takes time to fully explore it. He tells all manner of stories...more

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Feb 17, 2012 Victoria Caplinger rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Hm; interesting book. I enjoyed it, although it’s rather slow-moving, and I agree with the Goodreads reviewer who says that the supernatural elements are not entirely convincing – they just don’t hang together. Still, the small-town atmosphere, the sense of chilly, cold Sweden, the history of the island fishing village, were all very interesting. Characters decently developed. Nothing was really scary as such, although a couple of creepy moments.

I enjoyed the section about the history of the is...more

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Jan 25, 2012 Robert Beveridge rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: amazon-vine, finished, owned-and-still-own

John Ajvide Lindqvist, Harbor (Thomas Dunne Books, 2008)

Full disclosure: this book was provided to me free of charge by Amazon Vine.

When your first book is one of the best horror novels in dog's years, you set yourself a standard to which, to be blunt, it may be impossible to measure up. Such was the case with John Ajvide Lindqvist and Let the Right One In, which effectively redefined the vampire novel (and, in the process, saved it from woeful Stephenie Meyer wannabes) and was as thrilling for...more John Ajvide Lindqvist, Harbor (Thomas Dunne Books, 2008)

Full disclosure: this book was provided to me free of charge by Amazon Vine.

When your first book is one of the best horror novels in dog's years, you set yourself a standard to which, to be blunt, it may be impossible to measure up. Such was the case with John Ajvide Lindqvist and Let the Right One In, which effectively redefined the vampire novel (and, in the process, saved it from woeful Stephenie Meyer wannabes) and was as thrilling for what it said about the state of horror fiction as for anything between its covers. It is a brave and beautiful book, and as much as I loathe the term “instant classic”, an oxymoron if ever there was, if I were ever to apply it to anything, it would be that novel.

I still haven't read his second, Handling the Undead. I should. I want to. I just haven't got round to it yet, a failing on my part. So I have no idea if it's anywhere near as good as LtROI. So I'm coming into Harbor with incomplete information in that regard. I have to treat it as Lindqvist's second novel, rather than his third, and compare it to one of the best horror novels of the past thirty or forty years. Anything would suffer in comparison, really. And thus I find myself saying what I assumed I would be saying from the moment it hit my doorstep: Harbor can't hold a candle, much less a lighthouse, to Let the Right One In. But that doesn't mean it's not a cracking story.

Plot: Anders and Cecilia were childhood sweethearts who grew up to have what seemed to be the perfect life on Domarö, a small island off the east coast of Sweden. Until, that is, the opening scene of this novel, in which they take their six-year-old daughter, Maja, on a picnic to a lighthouse across the (frozen) channel from their house. They go off and explore the things around the lighthouse that interest them...and Maja disappears without a trace. Fast-forward two years. The two of them left the island, and Cecilia left Anders, who seems still in shock. Desperate to find a way to put the event past him, he returns to Domarö, alone, to see if he can find out what truly happened to his daughter. His grandmother and her boarder, a longtime family friend, are the only people who will get close to Anders, though this being an insular population, everyone knows everyone else—and him, since he and Cecilia grew up on the island. Even the old teen “gang” Anders and Cecilia ran with is still around, causing minor mischief and generally making older residents look at them with a combination of frustration and fondness. But the more Anders digs, and the closer he comes to completely losing his sanity (he knows he's close to the edge when he starts hallucinating Maja), the more he realizes that the townsfolk know a great deal more than they're telling—and that Maja's disappearance might not be a singular event.

It's good stuff, supernatural and thrilling and in some odd way reminiscent of King's Duma Key, albeit much colder, in an entirely different way than LtROI reminded one of 'Salem's Lot (the memories there were all meta, of how King redefined the vampire genre in the same way Lindqvist did thirty-odd years later). But it lacks...something...that LtROI has. I think that “something” has to do with the borders Lindqvist was so insistent on kicking against, and shattering, in the previous novel. This one is far more a traditional ghost story/mystery, and rest assured that if that's what you're looking for, Lindqvist hits all the right notes, throwing in a few fun subplots for good measure and a host of characters that range from the sympathetic (Anders finds a possible romantic interest even while desperately hoping that solving the case will put him back together with Cecilia despite her protestations) to the horrific (a couple of members of Anders' old gang who have become true miscreants). There's nothing at all wrong with the book, in fact... save that it isn't Let the Right One In. Which is making me sound like I recommend it far less highly than I do. It's an excellent novel being held to an unfair standard. ****
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Dec 03, 2011 Sandra Stiles rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult, mystery, thriller, horror

Harbor - John Ajvide Lindqvist
Publisher - Thomas Dunne Books
Pages: 512
Source:
Genre: Adult, Horror, Some Sexual content

My Thoughts:
This was a strange book. It starts with the disappearance of Maja. Then the majority of the book is told not as a flashback but as back-story. I mean we look back at the past with the present interspersed. It is an effective way to tell a story. They have listed this as a horror story but I thought of it more as a mystery or thriller. The book is about a Swedish isla...more

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Oct 28, 2011 Nancy rated it 3 of 5 stars

This one grabbed me immediately and did not let go until the very end of the book. It surprised me at every turn. It thrilled me, horrified me, sickened me, and was executed with expert timing. I was completely mystified as the book introduces the island, the geographical features and the water surrounding it. We meet Simon, an old magician who has lived on the island for decades. He has close relationships with the citizens of the island that translate to family. He also has secrets. Actually,...more

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Oct 11, 2011 Suspense Magazine rated it 3 of 5 stars

Fans of Stephen King's novels where scenes from years ago are replayed in order to make sense of present circumstances will enjoy John Lindqvist's latest effort. This tome is filled with memories of events that, at the time seemed a little strange, but when accumulated throughout the years, paint an eerie picture of a Swedish island and its inhabitants.
Two years after his six year old daughter mysteriously disappeared, Anders has returned to the island of Domaro. Fighting alcoholism and a broke...more

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Sep 05, 2011 Kelly Nasdeo rated it 5 of 5 stars

A real thriller. I disagree with the tag of "horror" genre, I think it will turn some people off from reading this book. Lindqvist has a way of taking a story and drawing you into it immediately. You can smell the smells, feel the textures, hear the sounds, you know the people he writes about as if you've known them forever.

Harbor is about several different people whose lives are intertwined on a small archipelago outside of Stockholm. A little girl vanishes right in front of her parents eyes, a...more A real thriller. I disagree with the tag of "horror" genre, I think it will turn some people off from reading this book. Lindqvist has a way of taking a story and drawing you into it immediately. You can smell the smells, feel the textures, hear the sounds, you know the people he writes about as if you've known them forever.

Harbor is about several different people whose lives are intertwined on a small archipelago outside of Stockholm. A little girl vanishes right in front of her parents eyes, a couple whose love still burns as strong as the day they fell in love still live in separate houses next door to one another, a father keeps a tiny insect wormlike creature called a spiritus (spertus Norse mythology) in a box that requires a daily feeding or the consequences are dire and oddly, people just disappear every so often, without a trace and without rhyme or reason.

Product Description

It was a beautiful winter's day. Anders, his wife and their feisty six-year-old, Maja, set out across the ice of the Swedish archipelago to visit the lighthouse on Gavasten. There was no one around, so they let her go on ahead. And she disappeared, seemingly into thin air, and was never found. Two years later, Anders is a broken alcoholic, his life ruined. He returns to the archipelago, the home of his childhood and his family. But all he finds are Maja's toys and through the haze of memory, loss and alcohol, he realizes that someone - or something - is trying to communicate with him. Soon enough, his return sets in motion a series of horrifying events which exposes a mysterious and troubling relationship between the inhabitants of the remote island and the sea.

From the Inside Flap

They only stopped watching her for a couple of minutes. Which was all it took.

On a clear winter's day, Anders took his wife and feisty six-year-old, Maja, for a walk from his home on the island across the frozen sea to the lighthouse at Gavasten. There was no one for miles around, so they stayed to admire the view while Maja struck out alone.
They never saw her again.

Two years later and Anders' wife has left him, he's an unemployable alcoholic, so he returns to what's left of his family on the island. Moving back to the hut where he'd been staying with Maja that last time, he soon begins to feel a presence in the house. Could Maja be trying to communicate with him? Someone - or something - is leaving him messages and he can feel them getting stronger.

Before long, it's not just a feeling and Anders starts seeing people who've been missing for years. Is it the drink or is he going mad?

About the Author

John Ajvide Lindqvist is a Swedish author, born 1968, grew up in Blackeberg, a suburb to Stockholm. He wanted to become something awful and fantastic. First he became a conjurer and came in second in the Nordic card trick championship, then he was a stand-up comedian for twelve years. John has written TV series as well as stage plays and TV drama. Two of his other novels, Let the Right One In and Handling the Undead have been translated into English and published by Quercus.(less)

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Aug 15, 2011 Bonnie rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. As soon as I got a copy of Harbor in my hands, I immediately dove headfirst into it with an eager desire to be drawn into a very scary story. And at first, it did just that. I was captivated by the unfamiliar terrain and the feeling of sneakily peering into the lives of an insular community. The impossible disappearance of a little girl while vacationing with her parents immediately plunges the story into emotional turmoil, and the eerie happenings that follow when her father moves back to the i...more As soon as I got a copy of Harbor in my hands, I immediately dove headfirst into it with an eager desire to be drawn into a very scary story. And at first, it did just that. I was captivated by the unfamiliar terrain and the feeling of sneakily peering into the lives of an insular community. The impossible disappearance of a little girl while vacationing with her parents immediately plunges the story into emotional turmoil, and the eerie happenings that follow when her father moves back to the island after trying unsuccessfully to drink himself in oblivion, fulfilled all my expectations. A creaking ice cream-man sign quickly became a part of my own nightmares... his ability to fit under any bed, under any door, was effortlessly built into a thing of terror. And the ocean... oh, the ocean. Already an intimidating thing to those of us who only visit it occasionally... but the idea of being at the mercy of an immense and unseeing, unthinking entity is chilling to say the least.

On the whole, I enjoyed the story tremendously. It is very different from any horror novel that I've read, but like a long drink of ice cold water tinged with salt, it was refreshing but not without a little regret. My small disappointments stemmed primarily from the structure of the story. The author interrupted the immediate story every few pages with incidents from the past that highlighted the weird history of the island community and occasional asides and memories of other characters. I felt that the abrupt switching and the new point of view brought me unwillingly out of the depths of the story when I should have been still completely immersed. Horror novels rely on building momentum to keep the reader propelled through to the end of the story, and this constant shifting felt like someone pumping the brakes every few miles. My only other complaint would be that some of the terror of the story was lost with two of the phantoms of the story. These frenemy ghosts are obsessed with a certain cult genre of music, and speak primarily in lyrics. I am myself familiar with the band, but apparently not thoroughly enough to understand all the references. No doubt this may delight many readers, but for me, much like a teenager making a faux-paus in front of their friends showing that they don't know about the new popular band, I found myself wanting to break out the full discography and bone up before I picked up the book again.

Any structural preferences aside, I would thoroughly recommend this novel for horror fans.
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Apr 18, 2012 Jill rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: horror, dark fantasy lovers

Shelves: supernatural-other, dark-fantasy-horror

The Swedes seem to be putting out deliciously clever, mysterious and spooky books lately. We have Larsson and the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo books, and we have Lindqvist with this book and Let the Right One In.

The story begins with a seemingly innocent island, which has a core group of residents and then summer people who own or rent cabins. The first events unfold with a family planning a winter picnic out at the lighthouse. From this point things that seem ordinary grow stranger and darker....more The Swedes seem to be putting out deliciously clever, mysterious and spooky books lately. We have Larsson and the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo books, and we have Lindqvist with this book and Let the Right One In.

The story begins with a seemingly innocent island, which has a core group of residents and then summer people who own or rent cabins. The first events unfold with a family planning a winter picnic out at the lighthouse. From this point things that seem ordinary grow stranger and darker.

The author insinuates just a brief hint of magic as one of the main characters was a magician who has come across something that gives him control of the element water. This is the first secret we learn that the island is hiding. There are more enigmatic secrets being kept by the villagers. These ancient secrets haunt the villagers and drive a wedge between those that have lived there for generations and newer residents.

Meanwhile, at the picnic by the lighthouse, the parents turn their backs for a moment and their little girl disappears, literally, her footprints suddenly end in the snow and she is gone. The main story takes place two years later. The couple has separated, the husband is slowly drinking himself to death, and he decides he has nothing left so he must return to the island and get a grip on himself.

Anyway, this story is enjoyable. I really couldn't put it down. I became involved in the lives of the main characters. I was amazed at their secrets.

I don't know if I'd label this a horror novel, or a dark fantasy. It's hard to draw the line. It has some ghostly elements, but not in the traditional sense. It deals with ugly human emotions, esoteric Norse mythology, and a indefinable monster. Because of this, I think readers of both would be attracted to it.

The only thing that kept me from giving it 5 stars is that it petered out a little at the end. I'm not saying the ending was unsatisfying, but I did want to know more about the resolution. The whole book worked up to the climax, and it just ended to quickly for me afterwards.(less)

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Oct 24, 2011 Q. Kelly rated it 3 of 5 stars

I have in front of me on my desk a book titled “Harbor” by John Ajvide Lindqvist. It’s a book translated from Swedish. I finished it last night, and I’ve been mulling since then whether I liked the book.

I have a conclusion now. The answer is no.

Why? Well…(1) If I have to mull over it, that tells me something. (2) I asked myself: “Does this book make me want to buy the author’s other books?” The answer is “No.”

So, no, I reckon I did not like the book, but it has plenty of good things going for it...more I have in front of me on my desk a book titled “Harbor” by John Ajvide Lindqvist. It’s a book translated from Swedish. I finished it last night, and I’ve been mulling since then whether I liked the book.

I have a conclusion now. The answer is no.

Why? Well…(1) If I have to mull over it, that tells me something. (2) I asked myself: “Does this book make me want to buy the author’s other books?” The answer is “No.”

So, no, I reckon I did not like the book, but it has plenty of good things going for it. A review quote on the back equates Lindqvist to Stephen King. I’m not crazy about King, so I might not be the best person to review “Harbor.”

But here goes. Good things first. Lindqvist has a knack for setting. For creepiness. Some of the scenarios in the book are downright delicious. Also, this book depends heavily on back story (which is good and bad). I estimate about 2/3 is written in back story, and 1/3 in present time. Most of the time, this works. When it does not work, though, the story drags. Plus, in the 1/3 “present time” good space was devoted to minor characters and their actions. I didn’t care about them. More dragging. At one point a bit past halfway, I was tempted to call it a day. No more reading. No finishing the book. I forced myself to finish, though, and the book picked up again soon after that.

The story summary purports that this book will be about a girl’s disappearance. It is not. It is about an island, about a town. The girl is only one little piece, so that may be part of why I disliked the book. I entered the book expecting one thing and came out with something different (something I hadn’t wanted to read about).

Bottom line: Lindqvist throws in too much. He has an underlying “monster” (monster for lack of a better word — perhaps villain or boogeyman would be better, but the bad guy is not even a guy. Or anything resembling a person). Halfway through, two ghosts pop up, and we’re introduced to their characters’ back stories. Halfway through! That for me is too late to introduce characters of such import. A lot of other stuff is thrown in, scattered about, and it got to be too much.

Also (and I have this issue with King often), the underlying logic just did not work for me. I was like… “Huh? Okay…”

The ending was very disappointing.

I suppose if you like Stephen King, you’ll like “Harbor” too.(less)

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Apr 21, 2013 eva rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: literally-illiterate

A story about a fathers love for his daughter but, it was written by Lindqvist so it obviously has a weird twist to it. So Anders daughter disappears one lovely afternoon. What comes next is the unraveling of his life plus the town of Domaro. Domaro, a weird fishing town controlled by the sea. Was it creepy? yes. Scary? kinda, but under the right circumstances (like being alone in the house). Was it suspenseful? sure. It had some great points but it left some things to be desired. Questions that...more

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Dec 06, 2011 Paul Pessolano rated it 2 of 5 stars

“Harbor” by John Ajvide Lindqvist, published by Thomas Dunne Books.

Category – Horror

This book takes place on several small islands in Sweden. Anders and Cecilia take their young daughter, Maja, to the uninhabited island of Gavasten for an afternoon of pleasure. The only building on the island is an old lighthouse that is no longer in use.

Maja disappears and neither parent can find any trace of her. Her footprints lead out onto the ice but just disappear. The people of Domaro, the island they liv...more

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May 25, 2012 D.M. rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Lindqvist fans only

Shelves: literature-and-fiction, horror

A disappointment after Let the Right One in and Handling the Undead. Lindqvist, up until now, has been my favourite author of the hour; I have loved his strange difference, his absolute grasp of every nuance to be found in all descriptive prose and how delicately he illuminates his characters. However, in Harbour, I was actually bored by it all. It's like Lindqvist has found he has such an avid readership as they will be now so inclined to hang on his every printed word and love everything he's...more A disappointment after Let the Right One in and Handling the Undead. Lindqvist, up until now, has been my favourite author of the hour; I have loved his strange difference, his absolute grasp of every nuance to be found in all descriptive prose and how delicately he illuminates his characters. However, in Harbour, I was actually bored by it all. It's like Lindqvist has found he has such an avid readership as they will be now so inclined to hang on his every printed word and love everything he's written with such pure, devoted hearts. And so I found this title, unlike the other two, so overdone as to be falsely humble and self-adoring.

This novel could have been shortened by at least 100 pages, even up to 150 and none of what was relevant to a good story would have been missed - indeed I sped-read through the ultra-boring parts. Lindqvist also padded out to his heart's content with introducing new characters that suddenly appear and disappear and elongating the most trite of occurances.

What a pity, for there were elements in this novel that could have redeemed it to be one of those that present as a gift to the reader, rather than exacts a reader's patience. While reading certain tracts of the novel I was reminded of The Talisman by Straub and King, for that novel, like Harbour, was also about one character's sojourn through a great battle through another dimension (in Harbour the sea has a mind of its own). The other story that came to mind was Shirley Jackson's The Lottery and I feel that if Lindqvist had have explored that likened (to Jackon's tale) plot element of his novel more, the more that he could have brought about a more satisfying story in terms of human-nature-meets-horror tale.

Ok, Lindqvist is now no longer my favourite author. The love affair - finished. He has more written, yet to be translated and published into English from the Swedish and, if I fancy persevering I might read another of his titles in the future. He's definitely still worth reading for his other novels, but if you are a new reader to this author, I would advise not choosing Harbour as your first.(less)

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Jun 01, 2012 annik rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sverige, scandi-lit, read-in-russian

Море забирает. И больше не отпускает никогда.

Море омывает Думаре из года в год, а коренное население стремительно редеет.
После темы зомби и ходячих мертвецов Линдквист обратился к воде — и тут я впервые испугалась.
Непонятная, манящая, неподвластная стихия, которая грозит раздавить тебя, стоит нарушить договор. Утопленники, которым не спится на дне моря; призраки-поджигатели. Отравленные колодцы. Одержимые, которые тонут, не снимая обуви. Море дарит — и море отбирает. Вполне справедливо. Оно наме...more

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Feb 06, 2012 Marvin rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: horror

Harbour is a very impressive novel but ultimately failed to hook up to my emotions. It starts out beautifully. A child disappears on the frozen harbor during the winter. The father returns to the island and the harbor after two years. He is divorced and driven to alcohol. It is not really clear why he returns but it soon turns into not only a search for his child but also an investigation into the small community that lives on the island. The author contructs his tale by moving from present to p...more

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Jun 09, 2012 Maharet rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: awesome, horror, gothic, perfect

E' un libro difficile da recensire, questo. Lindqvist ha una scrittura forte, intensa e a volte cruda.
Non nego di aver fatto davvero tanta fatica a digerire alcune scene, proprio per l'estrema intensità.
"Il porto degli spiriti" è una storia che, al suo interno, ne contiene molte altre: quella di Anders e della sua piccola Maja, la figlioletta la cui scomparsa ha distrutto la sua vita, quella di Anna-Greta e Simon e del loro amore lungo mezzo secolo, quella degli scomparsi e dei "cattivi" misteri...more

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Jan 16, 2013 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: sweden, thriller, family, missing-people

Domaro is a quaint island in Sweden, where neighbors know each other's pasts, and fishing the sea is their main livelihood. Time seems to move a little slower here, and the townspeople are quiet and keep to themselves. One day, Anders and his wife Cecilia are on a family outing with their 6-year-old daughter, Maja. It's a winter's day, and they intend to visit a local lighthouse. They set off walking across the ice, only Maja doesn't make it home. Somewhere, at some point, she seems to have vani...more

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Nov 04, 2011 Mieneke rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror, 2011, mystery

Harbor was an intriguing novel. When I started it, I was a little apprehensive, as I was afraid I would be too scared – remember, I'm a wimp when it comes to reading horror – but while thrilling and frightening, it didn't give me nightmares. Instead its horror started with a creeping feeling of unease, of something off and, slowly, the true threat only becomes fully clear towards the end. I found myself eager to return to its pages each night and read until I had to turn off the light due to my...more Harbor was an intriguing novel. When I started it, I was a little apprehensive, as I was afraid I would be too scared – remember, I'm a wimp when it comes to reading horror – but while thrilling and frightening, it didn't give me nightmares. Instead its horror started with a creeping feeling of unease, of something off and, slowly, the true threat only becomes fully clear towards the end. I found myself eager to return to its pages each night and read until I had to turn off the light due to my eyes falling closed.

One of my favourite elements of this novel were the narrative structure and Lindqvist's prose. The book is set up in a double narration with switching points of view between Anders and his grandfather Simon, with interspersed breaking of the fourth wall by an unknown narrator and short pieces from the point of view of other Domarö inhabitants. I love these kinds of twined narratives, as they provide not just a way for the author to give us more information about what's going – as the saying goes: two heads always know more than one – but they also provide opportunities for miscommunication or non-communication between characters, where the reader knows more than the protagonists. Coincidentally, it can also lead to a frustrated outcry of "Why don't they just talk to each other?", but Lindqvist never falls in that trap. Yes, there is non-communication, but he allows Simon to decisively put an end to that. Lindqvist's prose, through the translation of Marlaine Delargy, is clean and clear; no purple prose here, though his descriptions of the stark and isolated landscapes and the small island community are lovely, if at times chilling.

I loved the character of Anders and I found the way Lindqvist describes his dealing with the loss of his daughter fascinating. The idea of losing one of my children – I'm already counting B2 as such, even if she isn't born yet – or my husband is my biggest nightmare and I thought Lindqvist dealt with both the madness of grief and the reshaping of memories beautifully. Anyone can picture what grief can drive someone too, whether drinking, like Anders, drugs, depression or self-harm. But I found Anders' reshaping his memories of Maja far more poignant, especially his inability to realise that he's done so until he's confronted about it by his grandparents. I think it's also something a lot of people don't realise—both that this is a natural reaction and that they've probably done the same with some of their own memories. All of this combined makes it hard to figure out whether what Anders thinks he's experiencing is true or whether they are delusions he's suffering due to too much alcohol consumption or grief.

The other main narrator is Anders' sort of grandfather. He's been together with Anders' grandmother Anna-Greta for fifty years, though they never got married and is as much a grandfather as Anders has ever known. Despite having lived on Domarö for over half a century and being partnered with the unofficial leader of the island, Simon is still an outsider in many ways, as he finds out when he discovers the island's secret. But Simon is also more than just an old, retired stage magician, he has real magic, though what kind and how he came by it, is something best left for the reader to discover themselves. I really liked Simon, he is kind, strong and tenacious and I loved his relationship with Anna-Greta.

Domarö and the sea are characters in and of themselves and are maybe the most frightening things in the book. Water can be the most destructive force on earth. It is everywhere and can penetrate everywhere. Water is patient and we humans cannot live without it. The Dutch have learnt to live with the fear of the encroaching water, to literally dam it out and in some ways to harness its amazing power, but we also know that water cannot be tamed and must always be respected. The inhabitants of Domarö respect and fear the sea in the same way, but in their need to placate the sea, they takes desperate and gruesome measures.

Harbor is a stunning story, which made for compelling reading. If you are looking for an intelligent, spooky and mostly non-gory horror tale, this third offering by Lindqvist is just the ticket. I know this first taste of his writing has left me curious for more. I have already read Niall's review of Lindqvist's latest book Little Star and that sounds as good or even better as Harbor and I look forward to checking that out in the future.

This book was sent to me for review by the publisher.(less)

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About John Ajvide Lindqvist

John Ajvide Lindqvist (Johan Ajvide Lindqvist) is a Swedish author who grew up in Blackeberg, the setting for Let the Right One In. Wanting to become something awful and fantastic, he first became a conjurer, and then was a stand-up comedian for twelve years. He has also written for Swedish television.

Let the Right One In was a bestseller in Sweden and was named Best Novel in Translation 2005 in N...more

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Quotes from Harbor

“This wasn't the way he had expected his life to be. It worked, but that was about all. Happiness had got lost somewhere along the way.” — 8 people liked it

“Who can really say how decisions are made, how emotions change, how ideas arise? We talk about inspiration; about a bolt of lightnng from a clear sky, but perhaps everything is just as simple and just as infinitely complex as the processes that make a particular leaf fall at a particularmoment. That point has been reached, that's all. It has to happen, and it does happen.” — 7 people liked it

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