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The Return of the Dancing Master
Mankell's Kurt Wallander series is one of the quintessential new European procedurals, pitting a melancholy Swedish detective against a hate-filled contemporary world. Wallander is absent here, but the unremitting horror of modern life continues to take its toll, this time on a different crew of overmatched Swedish cops. A younger version of Wallander, Stefan Lindman faces a host of personal demons, not the least of which is his recent diagnosis of mouth cancer. On leave and unwilling to face up to his illness, he decides to travel to the small village of Sveg, where a retired colleague, Herbert Molin, has been murdered. Helping to investigate the crime, Lindman is shocked to discover that Molin was a lifelong Nazi. Suddenly, Lindman's alternative "therapy" has landed him in the middle of an international ring of neo-Nazis. As always, Mankell tells somber, deeply pessimistic stories about widespread hatred lurking below the multicultural surface, but at the same time, he never fails to find a rich vein of humanity deep within the perpetually furrowed brows of his troubled cops.
402 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 2000
420 people are currently reading
3429 people want to read
About the author
Henning Mankell
262 books3,774 followersHenning Mankell was an internationally known Swedish crime writer, children's author and playwright. He was best known for his literary character Kurt Wallander.
Mankell split his time between Sweden and Mozambique. He was married to Eva Bergman, Swedish director and daughter of Ingmar Bergman.
Mankell split his time between Sweden and Mozambique. He was married to Eva Bergman, Swedish director and daughter of Ingmar Bergman.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 617 reviews
April 3, 2024
I read the last Wallender - ‘The Troubled Man’ a few years ago. Deeply powerful read as it left him ageing into further cognitive decline. My only saving grace being there were still Wallenders I had not yet read and more books by Mankell before he passed away.
This book was another powerful read. Nazi’s, murders, a policeman like Wallender - Lindman. Lindman is 37 but has just received his cancer of the tongue diagnosis. On sick leave he sets out to investigate an old colleague’s murder in a remote cottage in Sweden.
As usual Mankell writes a book you don’t want to put down. Great story line and dialogue as always. Lindman with his troubles would have made a worthy successor to Wallender.
This book was another powerful read. Nazi’s, murders, a policeman like Wallender - Lindman. Lindman is 37 but has just received his cancer of the tongue diagnosis. On sick leave he sets out to investigate an old colleague’s murder in a remote cottage in Sweden.
As usual Mankell writes a book you don’t want to put down. Great story line and dialogue as always. Lindman with his troubles would have made a worthy successor to Wallender.
August 21, 2025
3.5 stars
short review for busy readers
This German language radio play of Mankell's non-Wallander mystery The Return of the Dancing Master was surprisingly good...until the end which was a bit trope-ish and uninspired, just like the title.
in detail
Sweden, like all of northern Europe, has its reforming fascist groups who are attempting to modernise the 100-year old Hitler/Mussolini/Franco ideology. Mankell doesn't do much original with the topic here, which is a shame. It's all the standard of what you'd expect from someone of his political stripes.
Production:
The play and theatrical parts were fine, but the actors whispered and mumbled the interior monologues which made it impossible to understand what they were saying without headphones. That was the only thing that detracted from the generally decent production.
Found this in my local LFL along with a number of other radio plays of Mankell novels. Will slowly be working through them...
short review for busy readers
This German language radio play of Mankell's non-Wallander mystery The Return of the Dancing Master was surprisingly good...until the end which was a bit trope-ish and uninspired, just like the title.
in detail
Sweden, like all of northern Europe, has its reforming fascist groups who are attempting to modernise the 100-year old Hitler/Mussolini/Franco ideology. Mankell doesn't do much original with the topic here, which is a shame. It's all the standard of what you'd expect from someone of his political stripes.
Production:
The play and theatrical parts were fine, but the actors whispered and mumbled the interior monologues which made it impossible to understand what they were saying without headphones. That was the only thing that detracted from the generally decent production.
Found this in my local LFL along with a number of other radio plays of Mankell novels. Will slowly be working through them...
April 28, 2014
Mankell's novel is an indictment of the rise of hate groups in modern Sweden where xenophobic groups like Strong Sweden and other neo-Nazi organizations promote their racial hatred towards others. One can almost feel the cold snow and the isolation of Sweden in this well written novel of murder, suspense and careful police detection.
The Return of the Dancing Master is bleak, yes, but it is fascinating and chilling, with the traditional flawed-hero, and it is refreshingly unformulaic. The plot is not ever predictable and it constantly shifts beneath the reader to create a kind of gutsy suspense and a great pace. A dark, excellent story by a talented writer.
The Return of the Dancing Master is bleak, yes, but it is fascinating and chilling, with the traditional flawed-hero, and it is refreshingly unformulaic. The plot is not ever predictable and it constantly shifts beneath the reader to create a kind of gutsy suspense and a great pace. A dark, excellent story by a talented writer.
August 14, 2021
هنینگ مانکل با این رمان شبه نوآر فوق العادش هوش از سرتان می رباید.با فضاسازی جذاب و داستانی تکان دهنده و تعلیقی که اجازه نفس کشیدن را به خواننده نمیدهد.کمتر رمان پلیسی را به یاد می آرم که جغرافیا تا این حد اثر گذار باشد.
براحتی جزو لیست کتابهایی که لطفا بخوانید قرار میگیرد.
براحتی جزو لیست کتابهایی که لطفا بخوانید قرار میگیرد.
March 25, 2020
Lindman (the successor to Wallander) book one?: Lindman is coping with a personal cancer scare, when on sick leave he decides to investigate the brutal murder of a colleague, whose corpse is dragged around to make tango steps! A Nazi conspiracy tale with Lindman at the forefront of detection. Setting the bar with Wallander writing another detective series was always going to be a difficult ask. 3 out of 12!
April 28, 2013
The Return of the Dancing Master features a new Henning Mankell detective named Stefan Lindman. Coincidentally, perhaps, a character named Stefan Lindman is Linda Wallander’s odd, unconventional boyfriend in the first BBC4 TV series. He was killed off at the end of the first series. This series stars Krister Henriksson, rather than the Swedish Wallander starring Rolf Larsgaard or the British version starring Kenneth Brannagh .
Published in 2000, it was translated into English in 2003 by Laurie Thompson, and won the 2005 Gumshoe Award for Best European Crime Novel.
While Stefan Lindman, a young, 37-year-old policeman, is on extended sick leave due to cancer of the tongue, he hears about the murder of Herbert Molin, his former colleague, and decides to investigate it himself. Lindman’s inquiry becomes increasingly complex and dangerous as he uncovers the links between Herbert Molin’s death and a global web of neo-Nazi activities.
Herbert Molin, a retired police officer, known to be a recluse, lives alone in a remote cottage. Two things have come to occupy his attention: his enthusiasm for the tango and an mania about “demons” he believes are pursuing him. Early one morning shots shatter Molin’s window- by the time his body is found it is almost unrecognizable. He has been dumped near his house. He’s been tortured; his back has been whipped, his feet flayed. The wounds are full of grit and dirt. There is only one clue – bloody footprints in the pattern of the tango on the living-room floor.
Like all Mankell’s thrillers, the northern European landscape and climate are characters in the novel. Most days, it drizzles, and when it’s not drizzling, it’s lightly snowing. When it’s not lightly snowing, it’s snowing for Sweden.
The central policeman, this time, Lindman, is the focus for Mankell as much as the crime itself. Struggling to face up to his own mortality following his cancer diagnosis, he is curiously freed up to investigate another person’s death. While being driven to solve a murder, he often reflects that it may be his last. The crime forces him to think about his own beliefs and values.
Giuseppe Larson joins Lindman in the investigation by a man, a infrequency character in Mankell novels, a laughing policeman. Larson is a relaxed, happily married local policeman who is more than willing to admit: “I have absolutely no idea what is going on.”
It indeed is a puzzling, intricate case with no witnesses and no obvious motives. Lindman becomes more and more impulsive as he uncovers the links between Molin’s death, World War II, and an underground neo-Nazi network that runs much further and deeper than he had ever imagined. I was unaware of Sweden’s role in World War II; officially, the country was neutral, but it gained monetarily from both sides and Swedes were split in their sentiments toward the Allies and the Axis countries.
Sweden’s part in WWII was very complex and byzantine. During the German invasion of the Soviet Union, Sweden allowed the Wehrmacht to use Swedish railways to transport a German infantry divisions along with their armaments from Norway to Finland. German soldiers traveling on leave between Norway and Germany were allowed passage through Sweden. Sweden sold iron ore to Germany throughout the war. At the same time, Sweden shared military intelligence with the Allies and helped to train soldiers made up of refugees from Denmark and Norway, to be used in the liberation of their home countries. It also allowed the Allies to use Swedish airbases between 1944 and 1945.
In addition, Sweden became a refuge for anti-fascist and Jewish refugees from all over the Scandinavian countries. In 1943, following an order to deport all of Denmark’s Jewish population to concentration camps, nearly all of Denmark’s 8,000 Jews were brought to safety in Sweden. Sweden also became a refuge for Norwegian Jews.
Molin’s murder proves to be as tangled and intricate. As Lindman’s investigation progresses, he realizes he never knew the real Molin. He learns that Molin was a lifelong Nazi sympathizer. The plot involves the secret world of Nazis, both past and present. The unrelenting Lindman turns out to be an clever and resourceful investigator, though those seeking action rather than ratiocination and psychological introspection will be disappointed. Hard-boiled detection is not Mankell’s style. Secrets are slowly and logically unraveled, and thoughtful readers with a taste for the unusual will find Lindman, and the mystery he solves, provocative.
I wish that I could read Swedish. I would like to know what Mankell’s prose technique is actually. In English, the prose can be cold and spare. On my “bucket” list, I will have to include research of the different translators of all the Mankell books I have read to compare their approaches.
Published in 2000, it was translated into English in 2003 by Laurie Thompson, and won the 2005 Gumshoe Award for Best European Crime Novel.
While Stefan Lindman, a young, 37-year-old policeman, is on extended sick leave due to cancer of the tongue, he hears about the murder of Herbert Molin, his former colleague, and decides to investigate it himself. Lindman’s inquiry becomes increasingly complex and dangerous as he uncovers the links between Herbert Molin’s death and a global web of neo-Nazi activities.
Herbert Molin, a retired police officer, known to be a recluse, lives alone in a remote cottage. Two things have come to occupy his attention: his enthusiasm for the tango and an mania about “demons” he believes are pursuing him. Early one morning shots shatter Molin’s window- by the time his body is found it is almost unrecognizable. He has been dumped near his house. He’s been tortured; his back has been whipped, his feet flayed. The wounds are full of grit and dirt. There is only one clue – bloody footprints in the pattern of the tango on the living-room floor.
Like all Mankell’s thrillers, the northern European landscape and climate are characters in the novel. Most days, it drizzles, and when it’s not drizzling, it’s lightly snowing. When it’s not lightly snowing, it’s snowing for Sweden.
The central policeman, this time, Lindman, is the focus for Mankell as much as the crime itself. Struggling to face up to his own mortality following his cancer diagnosis, he is curiously freed up to investigate another person’s death. While being driven to solve a murder, he often reflects that it may be his last. The crime forces him to think about his own beliefs and values.
Giuseppe Larson joins Lindman in the investigation by a man, a infrequency character in Mankell novels, a laughing policeman. Larson is a relaxed, happily married local policeman who is more than willing to admit: “I have absolutely no idea what is going on.”
It indeed is a puzzling, intricate case with no witnesses and no obvious motives. Lindman becomes more and more impulsive as he uncovers the links between Molin’s death, World War II, and an underground neo-Nazi network that runs much further and deeper than he had ever imagined. I was unaware of Sweden’s role in World War II; officially, the country was neutral, but it gained monetarily from both sides and Swedes were split in their sentiments toward the Allies and the Axis countries.
Sweden’s part in WWII was very complex and byzantine. During the German invasion of the Soviet Union, Sweden allowed the Wehrmacht to use Swedish railways to transport a German infantry divisions along with their armaments from Norway to Finland. German soldiers traveling on leave between Norway and Germany were allowed passage through Sweden. Sweden sold iron ore to Germany throughout the war. At the same time, Sweden shared military intelligence with the Allies and helped to train soldiers made up of refugees from Denmark and Norway, to be used in the liberation of their home countries. It also allowed the Allies to use Swedish airbases between 1944 and 1945.
In addition, Sweden became a refuge for anti-fascist and Jewish refugees from all over the Scandinavian countries. In 1943, following an order to deport all of Denmark’s Jewish population to concentration camps, nearly all of Denmark’s 8,000 Jews were brought to safety in Sweden. Sweden also became a refuge for Norwegian Jews.
Molin’s murder proves to be as tangled and intricate. As Lindman’s investigation progresses, he realizes he never knew the real Molin. He learns that Molin was a lifelong Nazi sympathizer. The plot involves the secret world of Nazis, both past and present. The unrelenting Lindman turns out to be an clever and resourceful investigator, though those seeking action rather than ratiocination and psychological introspection will be disappointed. Hard-boiled detection is not Mankell’s style. Secrets are slowly and logically unraveled, and thoughtful readers with a taste for the unusual will find Lindman, and the mystery he solves, provocative.
I wish that I could read Swedish. I would like to know what Mankell’s prose technique is actually. In English, the prose can be cold and spare. On my “bucket” list, I will have to include research of the different translators of all the Mankell books I have read to compare their approaches.
March 18, 2014
I'm veering off from the crowd on this one. 67% of the ratings are for 4 & 5 stars. I don't get it.
The protagonist is a 30 year old detective who is off on sick leave because he has cancer of the tongue, don't you know? If you read the book, he will tell you - every chance he gets. I'm not sure what the intent was behind having such an angst ridden, whiny, self-absorbed character. It didn't add anything to the story. In fact, if it had been left out, there would be no effect to the story except that it would have been a whole lot shorter. It may have actually improved the story.
Things seemed to be slightly off kilter throughout the novel. Police procedure was sloppy and archaic. Even 14 years ago (the time setting of the story), a hotel clerk wouldn't hand over a guest's room key without a search warrant. The whole scene of them trying to get the garage employee to check to see if a certain vehicle was parked there was ludicrous. There was one line that I can't shake.
"It could be blood. But it could be chocolate."
Seriously! We are in trouble if the police can't tell if a stain is blood, chocolate, or something else entirely. It wasn't through any skilled detective work that they solved the crime. They stumbled on the solution. Correction, it was handed to them.
Just about every review that I've read commented on how dark this story was. Dismal, is more like it.
The protagonist is a 30 year old detective who is off on sick leave because he has cancer of the tongue, don't you know? If you read the book, he will tell you - every chance he gets. I'm not sure what the intent was behind having such an angst ridden, whiny, self-absorbed character. It didn't add anything to the story. In fact, if it had been left out, there would be no effect to the story except that it would have been a whole lot shorter. It may have actually improved the story.
Things seemed to be slightly off kilter throughout the novel. Police procedure was sloppy and archaic. Even 14 years ago (the time setting of the story), a hotel clerk wouldn't hand over a guest's room key without a search warrant. The whole scene of them trying to get the garage employee to check to see if a certain vehicle was parked there was ludicrous. There was one line that I can't shake.
"It could be blood. But it could be chocolate."
Seriously! We are in trouble if the police can't tell if a stain is blood, chocolate, or something else entirely. It wasn't through any skilled detective work that they solved the crime. They stumbled on the solution. Correction, it was handed to them.
Just about every review that I've read commented on how dark this story was. Dismal, is more like it.
January 8, 2023
Dès que je lis un des si nombreux romanciers scandinaves que j'adore, quasi toujours envie de les décorer de 5 étoiles. Celui-ci? Aussi! Mais, même si je sais que je vais peiner un peu Mankell, qui attend toujours, en papotant dans un coin du paradis des auteurs avec un autre trop tôt génial disparu, Carlos Ruiz Zafon, mes commentaires et notes avec intérêt angoissé, 4 étoiles...
Bien fichu, évidemment, encore visité de nouveaux coins reculés de cette Suède si multiple au grès d'une enquête menée par le jeune policier Stefan Lindman, qui n'avait rien à faire là-dedans, pas son district et en plus il est en congé-maladie assez long! Mais c'est son ancien collègue qui a été bestialement assassiné et il aimerait comprendre. Un peu bizarre, donc, d'où la petite étoile symbolique en moins!
Un peu lente, cette enquête ânonante, mais nous sommes dans des patelins reculés, ça bouge moins vite qu'à Stockholm. Et on a ainsi bien le temps de comprendre, outre l'intrigue passionnante à étages, une spécificité de l'histoire suédoise, son implication durant 40-45 avec le pouvoir nazi, toujours Mankell en historien fécond, et aussi ce qui est sensé survivre dans ce pays de cette fascination (par une part de la société, souvent jeune, donc vraiment de quoi s'inquiéter) pour le national-socialisme. Situé vers 2000, mais manifestement plus encore d'actualité 20 ans plus tard, aujourd'hui...
Bien fichu, évidemment, encore visité de nouveaux coins reculés de cette Suède si multiple au grès d'une enquête menée par le jeune policier Stefan Lindman, qui n'avait rien à faire là-dedans, pas son district et en plus il est en congé-maladie assez long! Mais c'est son ancien collègue qui a été bestialement assassiné et il aimerait comprendre. Un peu bizarre, donc, d'où la petite étoile symbolique en moins!
Un peu lente, cette enquête ânonante, mais nous sommes dans des patelins reculés, ça bouge moins vite qu'à Stockholm. Et on a ainsi bien le temps de comprendre, outre l'intrigue passionnante à étages, une spécificité de l'histoire suédoise, son implication durant 40-45 avec le pouvoir nazi, toujours Mankell en historien fécond, et aussi ce qui est sensé survivre dans ce pays de cette fascination (par une part de la société, souvent jeune, donc vraiment de quoi s'inquiéter) pour le national-socialisme. Situé vers 2000, mais manifestement plus encore d'actualité 20 ans plus tard, aujourd'hui...
April 15, 2023
Stefan Lindman is een politieman die op ziekteverlof is omdat hij tongkanker heeft. Hij verneemt dat zijn oud-collega Herbert Molin gruwelijk vermoord is in zijn huis in Härjedalen. Stefan wil er meer van weten en reist af naar dit stadje. Onofficieel helpt hij de politie bij het onderzoek.
Al gauw blijkt dat de gepensioneerde vermoorde politieman vroeger een nazi is geweest en zelfs tot zijn dood zijn nationaal socialistische ideeën niet verworpen had.
Stefan vermoedt al gauw dat de moord te maken heeft met dingen die in het verleden van Molin gebeurd zijn. En er vallen nog meer slachtoffers eer de puzzel opgelost raakt.
Ik vond dit een spannende triller, er kwamen steeds nieuwe mensen bij die iets met de zaak te maken hadden, en mogelijk verdacht konden zijn. Maar eerlijk gezegd had ik al een heel stuk voor het einde door wie degene die écht iets met de moord te maken had, wel moest zijn. En ik vond het een leuk moment toen bleek dat ik het bij het rechte eind had!
Goede lectuur.
Al gauw blijkt dat de gepensioneerde vermoorde politieman vroeger een nazi is geweest en zelfs tot zijn dood zijn nationaal socialistische ideeën niet verworpen had.
Stefan vermoedt al gauw dat de moord te maken heeft met dingen die in het verleden van Molin gebeurd zijn. En er vallen nog meer slachtoffers eer de puzzel opgelost raakt.
Ik vond dit een spannende triller, er kwamen steeds nieuwe mensen bij die iets met de zaak te maken hadden, en mogelijk verdacht konden zijn. Maar eerlijk gezegd had ik al een heel stuk voor het einde door wie degene die écht iets met de moord te maken had, wel moest zijn. En ik vond het een leuk moment toen bleek dat ik het bij het rechte eind had!
Goede lectuur.
July 31, 2013
This is the best of the Henning Mankell books. The murder that starts off the book is incomprehensible, but the hanging of Nazi war criminals in the prologue gives us a hint. As usual the Swedish gloom and weather sets the tone and the deep understanding of motivation drives the book.
November 14, 2022
کتاب بسیار جذاب و نفس گیری که با یه ترجمه ی افتضاح به لجن کشیده شده.
یه جمله هایی از کتاب اصلا هیچ معنی نداشت.
حیف واقعا، حیف!
یه جمله هایی از کتاب اصلا هیچ معنی نداشت.
حیف واقعا، حیف!
May 21, 2024
What a tremendous novel! I wish I could remember who had reviewed this and prompted me to make this WTR so I can think him/her. The story is compelling, detailed, and occurs in Sweden which is a c0untry I know little about. Reading this reminded me of the first time I read Gorky Park.
Tremendous characters is a complex web, but not too many characters to keep track of. Well constructed with tension and suspense throughout. I hope I can find others by Mr. Mankell that are equally as good.
Tremendous characters is a complex web, but not too many characters to keep track of. Well constructed with tension and suspense throughout. I hope I can find others by Mr. Mankell that are equally as good.
June 29, 2023
A cop dying of cancer tries the solve the murder of an old man, who seemed to be practicing the tango outside when he died. Of course, it's neo-nazis.
February 9, 2017
Stefan Lindman é mais novo que Kurt Wallander, mas as semelhanças entre os dois policias são imensas. Ambos são pensativos, obstinados e quase obsessivos na perseguição dos seus objetivos e intuição. Acima de tudo, são dois homens cansados do mundo. Enquanto Wallander sofre de diabetes e excesso de peso, é diagnosticado a Lindman, logo no inicio do livro, cancro da língua.
E é durante a baixa por doença, três semanas antes de começar o tratamento ao cancro, que Lindman se envolve numa investigação policial sobre a morte misteriosa de um velho e enigmático policia que foi seu parceiro no inicio da sua carreira.
Estamos na Suécia, está frio e cai neve constantemente. As paisagens são escuras e desertas, mas nem por isso deixam de ser belas.
A par da investigação, Lindman tem de lidar com os seus demónios pessoais. Como sempre, Henning Mankell foca-se tanto nas personagens como no enredo, tornando a história soberba. Lindman está a investigar a morte de um colega, ao mesmo tempo que se confronta com a sua mortalidade e os seus desejos para o futuro.
Para além das tramas surpreendentes e das incertezas que só nos fazem estar mais concentrados, na tentativa de captar o mais ínfimo detalhe, suspeitando de tudo e de todos, "The Return of the Dancing Master" aborda temáticas atuais e pertinentes.
O tema principal é o nazismo, dos segredos do passado e da sua presença na Suécia nos dias que correm. Neste contexto, Mankell aborda os temas da isolação, violência, ressentimento, intolerância, vingança e o facto de o liberalismo só estar presente na superfície do seu país natal. Em contraste, entre as páginas deste thriller, também encontramos o amor, a amizade, o tango e o desejo pela vida e tudo o que ela tem para oferecer.
Mais uma vez, num pequeno livro encontrei um mundo que me acolheu durante uns dias. Fico com as memórias, as reflexões e uma questão que ficou comigo: será verdade que as pessoas são todas realmente boas, sendo as circunstâncias as únicas responsáveis que nelas despertam o mal, proporcionando o seu desenvolvimento e propagação?
E é durante a baixa por doença, três semanas antes de começar o tratamento ao cancro, que Lindman se envolve numa investigação policial sobre a morte misteriosa de um velho e enigmático policia que foi seu parceiro no inicio da sua carreira.
Estamos na Suécia, está frio e cai neve constantemente. As paisagens são escuras e desertas, mas nem por isso deixam de ser belas.
A par da investigação, Lindman tem de lidar com os seus demónios pessoais. Como sempre, Henning Mankell foca-se tanto nas personagens como no enredo, tornando a história soberba. Lindman está a investigar a morte de um colega, ao mesmo tempo que se confronta com a sua mortalidade e os seus desejos para o futuro.
Para além das tramas surpreendentes e das incertezas que só nos fazem estar mais concentrados, na tentativa de captar o mais ínfimo detalhe, suspeitando de tudo e de todos, "The Return of the Dancing Master" aborda temáticas atuais e pertinentes.
O tema principal é o nazismo, dos segredos do passado e da sua presença na Suécia nos dias que correm. Neste contexto, Mankell aborda os temas da isolação, violência, ressentimento, intolerância, vingança e o facto de o liberalismo só estar presente na superfície do seu país natal. Em contraste, entre as páginas deste thriller, também encontramos o amor, a amizade, o tango e o desejo pela vida e tudo o que ela tem para oferecer.
Mais uma vez, num pequeno livro encontrei um mundo que me acolheu durante uns dias. Fico com as memórias, as reflexões e uma questão que ficou comigo: será verdade que as pessoas são todas realmente boas, sendo as circunstâncias as únicas responsáveis que nelas despertam o mal, proporcionando o seu desenvolvimento e propagação?
November 2, 2015
As a big fan of Henning Mankell's Wallander series, I had high hopes for this story on the periphery of Wallander's Sweden, since it is one of Mankell's highest profile non-Wallander books, but while it was okay, I found myself mostly annoyed.
My annoyance was easy to pin down. Mankell is wearing his politics like a big old Groucho Marx nose on this one. It's not that I disagree with his politics. I don't. But there was a complete and utter lack of subtlety in his anti-Nazi, anti-neo-Fascist diatribes, and they reached a point where I felt his message lost power, nearly making some of the Nazis, particularly the one at the heart of the tale, almost sympathetic.
Mankell lacked the ability to weave his message into the tale, to hold onto his message, to win over the reader while having his characters overtly discuss their concerns. This ability was the hallmark of two of his greatest influences, Maj Sjowall & Per Wahloo, and it certainly felt like their ability to be politically critical while keeping us engaged with the plot and the characters was something Mankell was striving for here. He was striving, but he didn't reach his goal.
It was an interesting enough mystery, but the heavy handed preaching took its toll -- on me at least.
I was pleased, however, to see how Mankell tied this story into the greater Wallander-verse. It was a nice touch. A light touch. Not overdone at all. Too bad he didn't apply that lightness to the whole tale.
My annoyance was easy to pin down. Mankell is wearing his politics like a big old Groucho Marx nose on this one. It's not that I disagree with his politics. I don't. But there was a complete and utter lack of subtlety in his anti-Nazi, anti-neo-Fascist diatribes, and they reached a point where I felt his message lost power, nearly making some of the Nazis, particularly the one at the heart of the tale, almost sympathetic.
Mankell lacked the ability to weave his message into the tale, to hold onto his message, to win over the reader while having his characters overtly discuss their concerns. This ability was the hallmark of two of his greatest influences, Maj Sjowall & Per Wahloo, and it certainly felt like their ability to be politically critical while keeping us engaged with the plot and the characters was something Mankell was striving for here. He was striving, but he didn't reach his goal.
It was an interesting enough mystery, but the heavy handed preaching took its toll -- on me at least.
I was pleased, however, to see how Mankell tied this story into the greater Wallander-verse. It was a nice touch. A light touch. Not overdone at all. Too bad he didn't apply that lightness to the whole tale.
April 13, 2016
"Che noia, che barba, che barba, che noia!"(bis)
Mi sto arrendendo di fronte all'evidenza che Henning Mankell non sia uno scrittore adatto a me.
Con o senza Wallander, non cambia nulla.
Non dico che manchi di inventiva, perché alcuni spunti sono addirittura geniali, come in questo caso i passi di danza sul luogo del delitto.
Purtroppo però questi colpi di genio non vengono sfruttati in modo convincente, né inseriti in un contesto altrettanto originale e trascinante; restano semplici promesse nell'ambito di uno sviluppo della vicenda trito e ritrito, stiracchiato, labirintico e irrimediabilmente noioso.
La stellina in più è ancora una volta un personale tributo alla suggestiva ambientazione nordica, che non manca mai di affascinarmi.
Mi sto arrendendo di fronte all'evidenza che Henning Mankell non sia uno scrittore adatto a me.
Con o senza Wallander, non cambia nulla.
Non dico che manchi di inventiva, perché alcuni spunti sono addirittura geniali, come in questo caso i passi di danza sul luogo del delitto.
Purtroppo però questi colpi di genio non vengono sfruttati in modo convincente, né inseriti in un contesto altrettanto originale e trascinante; restano semplici promesse nell'ambito di uno sviluppo della vicenda trito e ritrito, stiracchiato, labirintico e irrimediabilmente noioso.
La stellina in più è ancora una volta un personale tributo alla suggestiva ambientazione nordica, che non manca mai di affascinarmi.
May 17, 2019
Love this author, but not this book. Flat characters, unconvincing mystery and a detective who, despite his cancer worries was eminently forgettable. I liked the snow and the angst, but I was hoping for something more satisfying.
December 20, 2024
Esta fue mi primera novela de Mankell. La puerta de entrada que me llevó al universo Wallander. Es una interesante mezcla de crimen, historia y política caracterizada por una investigación tensa y una reflexión sobre las ideologías extremas que aún hoy persisten.
El protagonista, Stefan Lindam tiene un profundo sentido del deber, busca justicia y lucha con los recuerdos y la nostalgia de su juventud. A lo largo de la novela mantiene al lector enganchado en una trama que va más allá del simple misterio, explorando la complejidad de la naturaleza humana y los errores del pasado.
El protagonista, Stefan Lindam tiene un profundo sentido del deber, busca justicia y lucha con los recuerdos y la nostalgia de su juventud. A lo largo de la novela mantiene al lector enganchado en una trama que va más allá del simple misterio, explorando la complejidad de la naturaleza humana y los errores del pasado.
February 17, 2020
Read in 2010
August 7, 2009
Having read several of Mankell's Kurt Wallander books, I thought I would try a mystery by him not in that series. My evaluation: fully as great and satisfying as the Wallander books!
THE RETURN OF THE DANCING MASTER contains an added bonus. One of the most unforgetably named detectives in all of crime fiction: Inspector Giuseppe Larsson! I tip my hat to Mankell for creating such a marvelous moniker! Larsson joins such exalted company as Margery Allingham's Magersfontein Lugg, Colin Dexter's Endeavor Morse, Arthur Upfield's Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte, and Arturo Perez Reverte's Bartolo Cagafuego.
Briefly, here's a plot synopsis. Stefan Lindman is a Swedish detective who has just (the book is set in 1999) discovered he has tongue cancer. At the same time, he sees a newspaper article about a retired former colleague found gruesomely slaughtered in his remote cabin in a forest.
Lindman goes north to find out what happened to his old mentor of sorts.
He discovers a vast number of facts and even more questions about Herbert Molin, the former detective who was butchered, himself, his father, Swedish society in general, his girlfriend and the meaning of life. Some are terrifying, some are uplifting, but they all change his life forever.
All of Mankell's books I have read so far (this is the 4th one)are intensely cinematic and complexly layered at the same time. I don't know if there is a connection, but he is married to Swedish film director Eva Bergman, daughter of the legendary Ingmar Bergman.--Mark
Click here to find this book in our library.
THE RETURN OF THE DANCING MASTER contains an added bonus. One of the most unforgetably named detectives in all of crime fiction: Inspector Giuseppe Larsson! I tip my hat to Mankell for creating such a marvelous moniker! Larsson joins such exalted company as Margery Allingham's Magersfontein Lugg, Colin Dexter's Endeavor Morse, Arthur Upfield's Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte, and Arturo Perez Reverte's Bartolo Cagafuego.
Briefly, here's a plot synopsis. Stefan Lindman is a Swedish detective who has just (the book is set in 1999) discovered he has tongue cancer. At the same time, he sees a newspaper article about a retired former colleague found gruesomely slaughtered in his remote cabin in a forest.
Lindman goes north to find out what happened to his old mentor of sorts.
He discovers a vast number of facts and even more questions about Herbert Molin, the former detective who was butchered, himself, his father, Swedish society in general, his girlfriend and the meaning of life. Some are terrifying, some are uplifting, but they all change his life forever.
All of Mankell's books I have read so far (this is the 4th one)are intensely cinematic and complexly layered at the same time. I don't know if there is a connection, but he is married to Swedish film director Eva Bergman, daughter of the legendary Ingmar Bergman.--Mark
Click here to find this book in our library.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 27, 2017
Ormai, dopo tre letture fatte di Mankell (tra cui, punta di diamante, "Delitto di mezza estate") mi azzardo quasi a definirlo uno di quegli "autori-certezza", uno di quelli coi quali posso andare a colpo sicuro nel trovare una buona lettura thriller. Nel caso di questo romanzo, poi, vado controcorrente rispetto a tanti commenti di utenti che lo definiscono lento e noioso, e dico che a me, in tutta la sua semplicità, è piaciuto davvero tantissimo. La neve, il freddo, un casolare sperduto in un paesino del nord della Svezia, un ex poliziotto ritrovato ucciso al suo interno accanto a una scia di sangue, un giovane poliziotto malinconico e tormentato, un'indagine non facile. Il buio e il silenzio dei paesaggi svedesi, l'inquietudine e il tormento dell'anima, la follia e il dolore del passato, che in fondo tanto passato non è. Basta, stop. Mankell va sempre dritto al punto e lì si ferma, senza perdersi in chiacchere inutili, in descrizioni non funzionali alla trama centrale, in futili e prolissi passaggi, ed è per questo che mi piace così tanto. Anche quando non ci sono azioni e movimenti l'attenzione del protagonista (e, di conseguenza del lettore) resta fissa sul mistero che ha aperto la storia, facendo costantemente provare a lui (e, al lettore) un senso di inquietudine e di attesa che rende la lettura godibile. Per questo motivo non definirei assolutamente i romanzi di Mankell noiosi, anzi. Il mistero è sempre al centro, e quando poi il mistero si accompagna ad una tematica di cattere sociale o storico (come in questo caso) che induce il letture alla riflessione, beh, ci troviamo di fronte a un Signor Thriller. In conclusione bellissimo e da leggere mentre fuori imperversa la neve.
August 24, 2009
The gloomy, depressed, sleep-deprived, death-obsessed detective in this one, Stefan Lindman, is not as charming or interesting as the gloomy, depressed, sleep-deprived Kurt Wallander. Lindman has been given a diagnosis of tongue cancer, but it's in the early stages and his doctor tells him he has a good chance of recovery. Nonetheless, Lindman is absolutely convinced he's going to die and we read about his fears on every other page as he solves two murders on vacation while he waits for his radiation treatments to begin. The plot is moderately interesting, the first murder hideously gruesome, and as with the other Mankells I've read, there's a lot of urinating in the outdoors.
August 9, 2015
All in all.....3 stars.
I liked the premise of the story....it is relevant in our world today because such groups do exist. I also liked the main MC. He wasn't bestowed with a huge personality, but one that was easier to identify with.
There were some stalling points in this. It felt like it was trying to move forward but sometimes it seemed like it was waiting for the light to turn green. There was a lot of chatting about the findings and not the actual 'finding of the clues'. There were many long winded discussions on the whys, hows and whatever (perhaps a little too much so.)
I liked the premise of the story....it is relevant in our world today because such groups do exist. I also liked the main MC. He wasn't bestowed with a huge personality, but one that was easier to identify with.
There were some stalling points in this. It felt like it was trying to move forward but sometimes it seemed like it was waiting for the light to turn green. There was a lot of chatting about the findings and not the actual 'finding of the clues'. There were many long winded discussions on the whys, hows and whatever (perhaps a little too much so.)
March 22, 2018
I bought this book mainly because Henning Mankell was mentioned along with Steig Larsson as master thriller writers hailing from Scandinavian countries in a literary supplement or a magazine. Guess I chose the wrong book. It is a present-day murder mystery with WW-ll Nazi movement providing the backdrop. I found it to be mostly boring with a not-so-convincing plot with a lot of not-so-likely twists happening. But it wasn't totally bad. But at 500+ pages, I think your time is better spent on some other book.
December 1, 2018
Es un tremendo libro. Mankell es un seco. Adoro y aprecio mucho ese ritmo pausado pero muy cautivante para ir planteando el conflicto y el caso. No hay nada obvio (aspecto muy relevante en un libro policial) y la ambigüedad de lo que pasa nos interpela mucho.
Por otro lado, ese protagonista está muy bien. Lleno de contradicciones y enfermo, agrega una buena dosis de tormento. Le cuesta todo y eso es buenísimo porque es creíble.
En fin, gran novela. Siempre extrañaré a Wallander, pero todavía queda mucho Mankell.
Por otro lado, ese protagonista está muy bien. Lleno de contradicciones y enfermo, agrega una buena dosis de tormento. Le cuesta todo y eso es buenísimo porque es creíble.
En fin, gran novela. Siempre extrañaré a Wallander, pero todavía queda mucho Mankell.
May 2, 2021
داستان با وجود ژانر جنایی، هیجان کمی داشت و به آرومی طی میشد. و بیشتر به مسئله خشونت و نژاد پرستی در سوئد و نازیسم که در بین مردم سوئد پنهان شده بود پرداخته بود که از این نظر جالب بود.
ولی متاسفانه ترجمه ضعیفی داشت.
ولی متاسفانه ترجمه ضعیفی داشت.
February 19, 2024
کتاب معمایی جنایی که از زمان آلمان هيتلری و فجایع اون زمان شروع میشه و سطح نژاد پرستی در کشور سوئد نشانه رفته . من در سطر های کتاب سرما و هوای گرفته ی سوئد رو حس کردم و از معما ها فراز و نشیب داستان لذت بردم
December 4, 2013
No Kurt Wallander in this one but it’s still another outstanding thriller from Henning Mankell. It’s a gripping story of revenge and a search for past as well as contemporary Nazis. Unputdownable!
March 6, 2025
Mankell is a master of exposing the political upheavals in Sweden and other parts of Europe. Secret Nazis seem to be everywhere. Finding them revealed many years of hidden secrets. I’m sure he’s turning in his grave over the war in Ukraine.
One comment - both of the main characters names started with an L - hard to keep straight at times.
Also, Stephen please dump Elena. She is a needy, whiny albatross around your neck.
If she phoned you one more time I was going to strangle her.
One comment - both of the main characters names started with an L - hard to keep straight at times.
Also, Stephen please dump Elena. She is a needy, whiny albatross around your neck.
If she phoned you one more time I was going to strangle her.
December 9, 2019
Me considero un fan de Henning Mankell, pero tengo que darle una mala nota en este libro. Un libro que me terminé a la mala, sin ganas de seguir leyendo, completamente desencantado con la historia.
El Retorno del profesor de baile narra la historia de la investigación del asesinato de un policial sueco que vivía retirado del mundo y que resulta ser un activo integrante de la comunidad nazi sueca. Una ideología que todo el mundo pensaba extinta, pero que sobrevive en la oscuridad con mucha fuerza. El protagonista, un policía muy sueco que conoció y trabajó con la víctima, tiene un par de días libres por licencia médica (padece de un cáncer) se ve implicado en la investigación de manera fortuita hasta que ya no puede salir de ella.
El libro parte bien, con una historia muy bien contada, con muchos (muchísimos) detalles, como es el estilo de Mankell. Pero pierde ritmo al poco andar y se enrreda en nudos completamente innecesarios en mi opinión.
Entiendo que es la novela con que Mankell aprovecha de introducir a Stefan Lindman, su "segundo Wallander", pero eso no la hace mejor. La escritura y el estilo siguen siendo impecables, pero la historia y el desarrollo de los personajes (sobretodo esto último) fallan soberanamente.
En resumen, no me gustó ni la recomiendo.
El Retorno del profesor de baile narra la historia de la investigación del asesinato de un policial sueco que vivía retirado del mundo y que resulta ser un activo integrante de la comunidad nazi sueca. Una ideología que todo el mundo pensaba extinta, pero que sobrevive en la oscuridad con mucha fuerza. El protagonista, un policía muy sueco que conoció y trabajó con la víctima, tiene un par de días libres por licencia médica (padece de un cáncer) se ve implicado en la investigación de manera fortuita hasta que ya no puede salir de ella.
El libro parte bien, con una historia muy bien contada, con muchos (muchísimos) detalles, como es el estilo de Mankell. Pero pierde ritmo al poco andar y se enrreda en nudos completamente innecesarios en mi opinión.
Entiendo que es la novela con que Mankell aprovecha de introducir a Stefan Lindman, su "segundo Wallander", pero eso no la hace mejor. La escritura y el estilo siguen siendo impecables, pero la historia y el desarrollo de los personajes (sobretodo esto último) fallan soberanamente.
En resumen, no me gustó ni la recomiendo.
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