Book Review: The Snowman by Jo Nesbø

My first Nesbø book – and what a place to start!

As a Norwegian person who enjoys reading and writes books himself, I should probably be ashamed to admit that this is the first time I’ve read Nesbø. At the same time, I’ve been so aware of him and his works for so long – he’s been so ingrained at the back of my mind – that I feel like I’ve read him before. (I remember feeling the same about Stephen King, who I only started reading a few years ago as well).

As a consequence, Jo Nesbø’s writing is exactly as I imagined. Dark and mysterious. Detailed and meticulous. Full of grit. There’s crime, mystery, drama, violence – everything. Long romantic passages about a love life that’s on the brink, and short, terrifying descriptions that makes you want to hurl. It’s exactly what a Nordic Noir should be (claims the guy who only just started reading them), and it delivers on all fronts.

I regret reading it in English, even though I almost always prefer it. I read this on audiobook, which meant that all the Norwegian names, of people, places and things, became weirdly pronounced and sometimes difficult to grasp. A few phrases and things were also translated and presented in ways that didn’t quite work – especially when you know what it’s meant to say in Norwegian. But of course – the essence is the same – and I got have just chosen not to read it in another language. I know, my fault.

I felt like the pace dropped a little by the mid-point, which made the book feel overly long, though I almost always find books a little bit too long. Maybe it was me, maybe it was the writing, but I lost interest for a moment, I have to admit. Anyway, I was easily pulled back in as we began barrelling toward the end. Nesbø has a way of not only stringing you along, but also making you think you’ve pieced it all together until he finally flips it all around and reveals the real, true ending.

I’m sold – this is crime thrillers at their best – and I’ll definitely be picking up another Nesbø book soon (though, in Norwegian, next time).

So if you’re looking for an introduction into Nordic Noir, and since you know me, you want it to be a Norwegian author, I can highly recommend Jo Nesbø and his Harry Hole series. You won’t be disappointed.

If you on the other hand want to support another Norwegian author, as always, I’d love it if you checked out my books!

Subscribe to my mailing list

Subscribe

By clicking submit, you agree to share your email address with the site owner and Mailchimp to receive marketing, updates, and other emails from the site owner. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.

Processing… Success! You're on the list. Whoops! There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Please reload the page and try again.