The Man Who Smiled (Vintage Crime/Black Lizard)
by Henning Mankell
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 322)
Read in April, 2008
It took a while for Wallander to grow on me but I am now a big fan and this is my favourite book so far. I like the observations of group dynamics between Wallander and his fellow detectives. I enjoy reading about Wallander's struggles to cope with evil and try to find a balance in his life.
I quote:
Winter is almost upon us, he thought. Snow and storms and chaos. And I am a police officer again. Life tosses us hither and thither. Is there anything we can truly decide for ourselves?
H...more
I quote:
Winter is almost upon us, he thought. Snow and storms and chaos. And I am a police officer again. Life tosses us hither and thither. Is there anything we can truly decide for ourselves?
H...more
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Read in April, 2008
This was my first book by Henning Mankell. Though I thought the story was just average, I liked the character of Kurt Wallander very much, and will look for other books in the series.
Why I wasn't wild about the story - the whole 'quasi-omnipotent bad guy in his lair of iniquity having innocent people bumped off by his evil henchmen, while masquerading as a philanthropist' bit didn't quite work for me. Too much of a walking cliche - little more than a clumsy posterchild for the corrupting pow...more
Why I wasn't wild about the story - the whole 'quasi-omnipotent bad guy in his lair of iniquity having innocent people bumped off by his evil henchmen, while masquerading as a philanthropist' bit didn't quite work for me. Too much of a walking cliche - little more than a clumsy posterchild for the corrupting pow...more
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Read in February, 2008
I love Kurt Wallander, the cynical & filled with existential angst detective. And this is so European. It's nice to remember that a fictional killer can have some real hangups about taking someone else's life. I can't remember the last time that was played out on US tv. Wallander spins a great tale, although I could do without the comments on how crime is becoming worse in Sweden. While he links this to the demise of social-democracy, he still insinuates that it is also because people are in...more
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Read in November, 2007
It's hard to pull off a mystery when the author tells you who the "donee" is up front. This book didn't do too bad. Here's a pessimistic and jaded detective looking to retire but they pull him back in... or rather, he pulls himself back in. Cerebral in nature. You wait to see where he goes. Amazgingly some of the far-fetches stuff (throwing stones at helicopter blades to simulate gunfire) seemed to work... either that or I was tired when I read it. Put Kurt Wallander and Jack Spratt to...more
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Read in April, 2008
this came highly recommended, so my expectations were pretty high. it was a bit slow, but readable, with a payoff (that was somewhat far-fetched, imho) coming in the final 20-30 pages. i'm curious to read some of the more highly-rated books in the series, but i'm not sure i would recommend reading this one as an intro to the series.
k.
k.
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Read in February, 2006
Finished it in a few days. And I rationed myself with two chapters a day until last night when I finished the last 8 chapters. The mentor student relationship that Wallander starts with Ann Britt is one of the highlights of this novel. The whole evil financier who doesn't have a conscience got old by the end of the book. But Wallander got his man in the end. The mystery plot was more predictable in this one.
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Read in January, 2008
Sometimes like a cracker between tastes of wine to cleanse the palate, a good predictable murder mystery accomplishes the same thing. So between a somewhat depressing book about living in a strange culture in a strange land and my next book written in 1920's Soviet Russia (bound to be a bummer) I can always count on Henning Mankell's Detective Kurt Wallender to solve a gruesome murder with aplomb.
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Read in May, 2008
My currently favorite detective takes on an almost untouchable world of modern international crime and shows us its grisly possibilities, before he shows that even they can't get away with that. A wonderful suspenseful story, perhaps Henning Mankell's best to date. And Kurt Wallander is more than ever my favorite detective on the beat. 5 stars!
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Not the best Wallander story, in my opinion. The plot took way too long to unfold and the conclusion is somewhat anticlimatic. It's too bad we were given clues on who the bad guy was at the very beginning but the police didn't come anywhere near him until way at the end. Everything in the middle was very frustrating, I thought.
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Read in April, 2008
This Kurt Wallender mystery deals with the business world and a villain whose only interest is business. Mankell has done an excellent job of using the business environment as a basis for the commission of unspeakable crimes as well as more straightforward ones. The feeling of an evil atmosphere runs through the entire story.
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Read in March, 2008
As a crime novel, I can't say I was particularly impressed with this book. It was interesting enough, but hardly a nail-biter. The main reason I gave this book 4 stars is the fact that in its German translation, the vocabulary is quite limited and it therefore makes a great language learning tool. Bravo, Mr. Mankell.
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Read in August, 2008
This was my first Henning Mankell novel. It's not much of a mystery--the killer (who's more a "type" than a character) is known from early on. What impressed me was the character of Kurt Wallander and Mankell's writing. I'll certainly read more in the series.
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Read in March, 2008
Well, it's clear I'm now addicted to Henning Mankell. It's very exciting to know that I have at least five more to go before I've exhausted his Kurt Wallender series. He also has two novels.
Henning - I wish you a long and productive life (for my sake)!
Henning - I wish you a long and productive life (for my sake)!
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Read in July, 2007
Henning Mankell is Swedish so I have to wait impatiently for his books to be translated. His books are mysteries with the typical hard luck, hard drinking, solitary detective, but they're also smart, well-written, and perfect summer reads.
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I really like the Kurt Wallander series, but this one is not as good as some of the others. I'm glad I read it because the books refer to one another, but if you're just starting the series perhaps choosing a later one would be best.
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Read in June, 2008
I'm so loving this series and am now a firm fan of Henning Mankell. I felt this was his best to date combining solid police procedural work with a nail-biting, fast-paced conclusion.
Wonderful stuff. I couldn't put down.
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Read in July, 2007
recommends it for:
Fans of mysteries, detective fiction, pulp fiction
In my opionion, one of the best in the Kurt Wallander series. The plot, as usual, is a stretch, but Wallander is such an interesting character and his interactions with other people have a ring of truth to them.
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Read in October, 2006
This is the last of the Kurt Wallander novels to be translated into English, mainly because of lobbying by English speaking fans, and I think I understand why: it's weaker than the others, though still enjoyable.
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if anyone likes mysteries, this is my favorite writer. This Swedish guy is the best and supposedly one of the best-selling authors in Europe. Great for a summer read.
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Read in November, 2007
How can sweden be getting so bad? is the question that Wallander continues to ask. There is one man who represents what people can and will do for money. Disgusting!
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