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Klara Walldéen #1
The Swimmer
A deep-cover CIA agent races across Europe to save the daughter he never knew in this electrifying debut thriller -- an international sensation billed as “Homeland meets Stieg Larsson” that heralds the arrival of a new master sure to follow in the footsteps of Stieg Larsson, John Le Carré, and Graham Greene.
In the end, you cannot hide who you are.
Klara Walldéen was raised by her grandparents on a remote archipelago in the Baltic Sea, learning to fish and hunt and sail a boat through a storm. Now, as an EU Parliament aide in Brussels, she is learning how to navigate the treacherous currents of international politics: the lines between friend and enemy, truth and lies.
But Klara has accidentally seen something she shouldn’t have: a laptop containing information so sensitive that someone will kill to keep hidden. Suddenly, she is thrown into a terrifying chase across Europe, with no idea who is hunting her or why.
Meanwhile, in Virginia, an old spy hides from his past. Once, he was a man of action, an operative so dedicated that he abandoned his infant daughter to keep his cover. Now, he is the only man who can save Klara . . . and she is the only woman who can allow him to lay old ghosts to rest.
In the end, you cannot hide who you are.
Klara Walldéen was raised by her grandparents on a remote archipelago in the Baltic Sea, learning to fish and hunt and sail a boat through a storm. Now, as an EU Parliament aide in Brussels, she is learning how to navigate the treacherous currents of international politics: the lines between friend and enemy, truth and lies.
But Klara has accidentally seen something she shouldn’t have: a laptop containing information so sensitive that someone will kill to keep hidden. Suddenly, she is thrown into a terrifying chase across Europe, with no idea who is hunting her or why.
Meanwhile, in Virginia, an old spy hides from his past. Once, he was a man of action, an operative so dedicated that he abandoned his infant daughter to keep his cover. Now, he is the only man who can save Klara . . . and she is the only woman who can allow him to lay old ghosts to rest.
432 pages, Hardcover
First published October 17, 2013
429 people are currently reading
6128 people want to read
About the author
Joakim Zander
14 books200 followersBorn in Stockholm, Joakim Zander has lived in Syria, Israel, and the USA, before settling in Helsinki where he now lives. He studied law at Uppsala and Maastricht Universities, and his award-winning PhD thesis was published by Cambridge University Press. He now works as a lawyer for the European Union.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 826 reviews
July 22, 2017
Sencillamente me ha encantado! Me ha gustado mucho la manera de narrar del autor, el juego entre el pasado y el presente, las diferentes voces de los protagonistas; el que los héroes no lo sean tanto y los no héroes un poco más.
October 27, 2014
When you discover a new author it’s such a thrill, isn't it? I remember, in my twenties, reading Robert Ludlum’s The Matarese Circle, Ken Follett’s Eye of the Needle, Frederick Forsyth’s The Day of the Jackal and being blown away. How did these guys write like this? I was hooked on them and, subsequently, read everything they wrote after that. Somehow over the years I drifted away from spy thrillers. They became cliché, mostly derivative of these master’s genre work.
So when I was handed The Swimmer by Joakim Zander, I wasn’t expecting to become excited about the genre again. But Zander’s book has everything that Ludlum, Follett, and Forsyth's books did. His skill with words, the imminent feeling of suspense, and a layered, intriguing story combine perfectly for an exciting read. What makes it even more amazing is that this is a translation from Zander’s native Swedish.
Klara Waldeen was orphaned as a child and raised by her grandparents in an isolated area of Sweden. As an adult, she now lives in Brussels and works as a political aide.
A million miles away, in another life and another country, an old spy who had prioritized his job over his family now ponders his choices in life; his only solace, swimming. Then, on Christmas Eve, Klara is dragged into a race against time and unseen enemies via an ex-lover Mahmoud Shammosh when he, inadvertently, comes across sensitive information. Thus begins a wild chase across Europe against pursuers who will kill to maintain their secret. Elsewhere, Swedish lobbyist, George Lööw, is assigned a client with a suspicious agenda. He suddenly finds his life threatened and involved in the pursuit against his will.
When the retired spy realizes who Clara is, he, too, becomes embroiled in the chase. Little does Klara know that a man she doesn’t know, but has always wondered about, may be the only person who can save her.
After setting up the characters, this book ramps up and doesn’t let you go. The Swimmer has an unassuming cover, but within that cover is an explosive read that will have any spy-thriller fan rejoicing. This is the perfect thriller.
For more reviews, competitions, news, & free books and giveaways, subscribe to my Wonderful Readers Club: http://eepurl.com/3P-Wz
So when I was handed The Swimmer by Joakim Zander, I wasn’t expecting to become excited about the genre again. But Zander’s book has everything that Ludlum, Follett, and Forsyth's books did. His skill with words, the imminent feeling of suspense, and a layered, intriguing story combine perfectly for an exciting read. What makes it even more amazing is that this is a translation from Zander’s native Swedish.
Klara Waldeen was orphaned as a child and raised by her grandparents in an isolated area of Sweden. As an adult, she now lives in Brussels and works as a political aide.
A million miles away, in another life and another country, an old spy who had prioritized his job over his family now ponders his choices in life; his only solace, swimming. Then, on Christmas Eve, Klara is dragged into a race against time and unseen enemies via an ex-lover Mahmoud Shammosh when he, inadvertently, comes across sensitive information. Thus begins a wild chase across Europe against pursuers who will kill to maintain their secret. Elsewhere, Swedish lobbyist, George Lööw, is assigned a client with a suspicious agenda. He suddenly finds his life threatened and involved in the pursuit against his will.
When the retired spy realizes who Clara is, he, too, becomes embroiled in the chase. Little does Klara know that a man she doesn’t know, but has always wondered about, may be the only person who can save her.
After setting up the characters, this book ramps up and doesn’t let you go. The Swimmer has an unassuming cover, but within that cover is an explosive read that will have any spy-thriller fan rejoicing. This is the perfect thriller.
For more reviews, competitions, news, & free books and giveaways, subscribe to my Wonderful Readers Club: http://eepurl.com/3P-Wz
August 13, 2017
I have long loved spy thrillers, but it seems I have either grown out of the genre or their authors have run out of new ideas. I don’t even log on my Goodreads shelf all those fat Clancy, Ludlam, and DeMille tales that I spent so many days immersed in decades ago. With the Cold War gone, the high quality stories of Le Carre and Deighton are just a distant nostalgic dream. But the buzz on this new book got my appetite whetted, a debut novel by a Swedish lawyer with experience in the Middle East and international affairs with the EU administration in Brussels. I came away with a “B” level of pleasure and hopes of a more compelling and cohesive story from the author in the future.
The story concerns the consequences of fighting the war on terror by outsourcing the effort to private companies.beyond the purview of adequate oversight. Here hints of the evil activities of the company, Digital Solutions, are uncovered by two characters. Klara is a key aide to the Swedish representative to the EU, already enlightened to the torture and black ops employed by such companies by a friend an ex-lover, Mahmoud, who wrote his dissertation on the subject. We get fascinating glimpses of her backstory as the child of a CIA operative who put her up for adoption after his wife died a car bomb in Damascus in the 80s. George is a successful lobbyist to the EU, whose attempts to rise in wealth and power with his firm lead him to compromise his morality. But the illegal designs and tactics of the new client he is assigned to, Digital Solutions, has him desperate for finding a way out without getting killed.
Klara is driven to delve deeper on the information she has inadevertantly come across, drawing upon the resources of well-placed friends and a colorful female hacker. Soon she becomes aware she is a target for extermination before the secret comes out. She must go on the run, eventually ending up hiding out on a remote Swedish island. A shadowy rogue CIA agent and George both get interested in helping her, but they appear to be too late, as assassins are close on her trail.
Despite interesting characters, the plot was too predictable and stereotypical to render adequately high levels of satisfaction. The complexities in the narrative flow between backstories and the current action also took a lot of momentum out the development of suspense. Nice try for a first book. I will certainly keep an eye on the development of this author.
The story concerns the consequences of fighting the war on terror by outsourcing the effort to private companies.beyond the purview of adequate oversight. Here hints of the evil activities of the company, Digital Solutions, are uncovered by two characters. Klara is a key aide to the Swedish representative to the EU, already enlightened to the torture and black ops employed by such companies by a friend an ex-lover, Mahmoud, who wrote his dissertation on the subject. We get fascinating glimpses of her backstory as the child of a CIA operative who put her up for adoption after his wife died a car bomb in Damascus in the 80s. George is a successful lobbyist to the EU, whose attempts to rise in wealth and power with his firm lead him to compromise his morality. But the illegal designs and tactics of the new client he is assigned to, Digital Solutions, has him desperate for finding a way out without getting killed.
Klara is driven to delve deeper on the information she has inadevertantly come across, drawing upon the resources of well-placed friends and a colorful female hacker. Soon she becomes aware she is a target for extermination before the secret comes out. She must go on the run, eventually ending up hiding out on a remote Swedish island. A shadowy rogue CIA agent and George both get interested in helping her, but they appear to be too late, as assassins are close on her trail.
Despite interesting characters, the plot was too predictable and stereotypical to render adequately high levels of satisfaction. The complexities in the narrative flow between backstories and the current action also took a lot of momentum out the development of suspense. Nice try for a first book. I will certainly keep an eye on the development of this author.
July 26, 2016
A penetrating novel, given the fact it’s Zaner’s debut, the impact even more prevalent. Translated from Zander’s native tongue of Swedish absolutely nothing is missed, translation is superb.
The plot is full of suspense and subterfuge. Gripping, will hold your attention throughout as you burn through the pages absorbed by varying characters and riveting narrative, the plot rather intricate. Fast paced, you won’t be able to put the book down.
The characters come to life as each one is masterfully pulled into the narrative. The characters are clearly the building blocks, Klara the apex. Aging CIA agent, political aide, black ops all creating a vibrant cast with vital roles, all intriguing.
Zander describes environs in a rich manner. The reader will feel part of Brussels as well as the isolated Scandinavian island locations. Zander’s simplistic yet strong writing completes the thrilling reading adventure.
A well crafted political suspense/thriller addressing guilt, revenge and redemption. Great ending, highly impressed with Zander, a wonderful indicator of a successful writing career. Looking forward to more from Joakim Zander.
The plot is full of suspense and subterfuge. Gripping, will hold your attention throughout as you burn through the pages absorbed by varying characters and riveting narrative, the plot rather intricate. Fast paced, you won’t be able to put the book down.
The characters come to life as each one is masterfully pulled into the narrative. The characters are clearly the building blocks, Klara the apex. Aging CIA agent, political aide, black ops all creating a vibrant cast with vital roles, all intriguing.
Zander describes environs in a rich manner. The reader will feel part of Brussels as well as the isolated Scandinavian island locations. Zander’s simplistic yet strong writing completes the thrilling reading adventure.
A well crafted political suspense/thriller addressing guilt, revenge and redemption. Great ending, highly impressed with Zander, a wonderful indicator of a successful writing career. Looking forward to more from Joakim Zander.
February 4, 2016
Description: Klara Walldeen, orphaned as a child and brought up by her grandparents on a remote Swedish archipelago, is now a political aide in Brussels. And she has just seen something she shouldn’t: something people will kill to keep hidden.
On the other side of the world, an old spy hides from his past. Once, he was a man of action: so dedicated to the cause that he abandoned his baby daughter to keep his cover. Now the only thing he lives for is swimming in the local pool.
Then, on Christmas eve, Klara is thrown into a terrifying chase through Europe. Only the Swimmer can save her. But time is running out..
Opening: July 1980, Damascus, Syria: Every time I hold you is the last time I hold you. I've known that since the very first time. And when you come back, and I held our child in my sleepless arms, all I could think was, this is the last time.
Ooo Her Zander, who has been pilfering through Woody's Zelig files and laying them down, in your own words of course, right from the get-go...
Fanny and Alexander Episode 1. Even if you cannot understand the language that follows, the opening shots give you the visual of the building that will help you picture page 9.
Prince Phillip Mitchell...... I'm so happy. 1979
Social democrat Eva-Karin in my eyes equates to Mara, a supernatural creature from scandinavian mythology (mostly recognised as female) who torments people by sitting on their chests whilst they sleep causing mardröm - nightmare.
Loved the cover, the setting and the idea of the premise yet nope, this one is not for me. Not my cuppa.
On the other side of the world, an old spy hides from his past. Once, he was a man of action: so dedicated to the cause that he abandoned his baby daughter to keep his cover. Now the only thing he lives for is swimming in the local pool.
Then, on Christmas eve, Klara is thrown into a terrifying chase through Europe. Only the Swimmer can save her. But time is running out..
Opening: July 1980, Damascus, Syria: Every time I hold you is the last time I hold you. I've known that since the very first time. And when you come back, and I held our child in my sleepless arms, all I could think was, this is the last time.
Ooo Her Zander, who has been pilfering through Woody's Zelig files and laying them down, in your own words of course, right from the get-go...The president knows my name. One of my names.
I speak your language better than you do.
Drop me in the jungle, on the steppes, in the lobby of the Savoy Hotel. Give me a minute. I'll become a lizard, a yellowed blade of grass, a pinstriped young banker with hair that's a little too long and a motley but priviledged past.
I change faster. Fit in better."
Fanny and Alexander Episode 1. Even if you cannot understand the language that follows, the opening shots give you the visual of the building that will help you picture page 9.
Prince Phillip Mitchell...... I'm so happy. 1979
Social democrat Eva-Karin in my eyes equates to Mara, a supernatural creature from scandinavian mythology (mostly recognised as female) who torments people by sitting on their chests whilst they sleep causing mardröm - nightmare.
Loved the cover, the setting and the idea of the premise yet nope, this one is not for me. Not my cuppa.
November 8, 2014
This book does not quite live up to its promotional reviews... A part of my disappointment probably lies with the fact that this a spy thriller - which has never been my favorite sub-genre of the mystery/thriller. This one suffers from an overly large cast of characters - Klara, “Moody”, the titular swimmer, Gabriella, George - who all narrate sections of the novel. This results in the same scene being repeated between narrators which really slows down the novel’s overall pacing. And the plot is just slow to begin with! A lot of the book’s storyline feels predictable and there are no genuine surprises found in these pages. None of the characters feel very realistic, and as much as it would be easier to blame the translation, nothing really stands out from that aspect... The political angle may be more popular across the Atlantic than here, and the resolution is also rather unfulfilling. I wish that publishers would stop trying to reel in readers with claims that a book is the next The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo... I have yet to find one that has lived up to that claim!
August 28, 2024
Not bad, but not good enough. The Swimmer's interludes do more harm than any good to the book, as they are static and almost pathetic. For a modern type of book there is too much rudimentary violence, when things can be solved more nicely. Not to mention at least three no-brainers:
- the villains have the chance to kill Mahmoud in Brussels, only to postpone it, with much further damage
- Klara's choice to go to a remote island AND DO NOTHING, instead of hiding in a busy place is much over my mental capacity
- instead of telling her that he is her father, the Swimmer remains silent, takes a punch in the nose from Klara (a disgusting scene...) a bullet from someone and dies.
So, three stars ONLY because of George, the single character I've liked...
- the villains have the chance to kill Mahmoud in Brussels, only to postpone it, with much further damage
- Klara's choice to go to a remote island AND DO NOTHING, instead of hiding in a busy place is much over my mental capacity
- instead of telling her that he is her father, the Swimmer remains silent, takes a punch in the nose from Klara (a disgusting scene...) a bullet from someone and dies.
So, three stars ONLY because of George, the single character I've liked...
March 1, 2015
Another slooooow Continental travelogue with someone shooting or blowing up the cast. This has nothing in common with the tattooed girl.
Skip the first two thirds, and jump to the gunfight on the island. The plot will be made clear in case you missed something during the endless retelling from each characters' point if view.
This book is a short story padded to novel length by using several narrators.
Could be a good movie treatment using about a dozen pages from the last few chapters.
Skip the first two thirds, and jump to the gunfight on the island. The plot will be made clear in case you missed something during the endless retelling from each characters' point if view.
This book is a short story padded to novel length by using several narrators.
Could be a good movie treatment using about a dozen pages from the last few chapters.
March 10, 2015
"The Swimmer" is a burned out veteran CIA field operative still haunted by the death of his wife in a car bomb in 1980 Damascus and his abandonment of his infant daughter Klara. Klara, now working in the Swedish diplomatic service at the EU capitol in Brussels, is drawn by an old friend into a worldwide chase over sensitive documents some unknown group will kill to protect. The very well drawn characters are developed in the first person and how they interact is a complex and challenging jigsaw puzzle that drives this brilliantly executed page turning first novel by Joakim Zander. I highly recommend it and look forward to reading his future thrillers.
January 13, 2020
I really don't enjoy reading thrillers, and this book belongs to that category. I tried it anyway.
The book is certainly fast moving and action packed with some nasty vs naive characters who somehow pull the rabbit out of the hat and survive. Definitely not believable. You get to move around between the '80's and 2013 as well jumping from country to country. There is the CIA improperly assigning interrogation to outsource devils, good and bad guys getting killed, corporate thieves pulling off their own brand of shenanigans and then the modern day David, in the form of a teenage girl, and Goliath - a plus.
Library Loan
The book is certainly fast moving and action packed with some nasty vs naive characters who somehow pull the rabbit out of the hat and survive. Definitely not believable. You get to move around between the '80's and 2013 as well jumping from country to country. There is the CIA improperly assigning interrogation to outsource devils, good and bad guys getting killed, corporate thieves pulling off their own brand of shenanigans and then the modern day David, in the form of a teenage girl, and Goliath - a plus.
Library Loan
December 14, 2017
Reto 9-2017 Book Challenge: Un Thriller de Espionaje
4,25
Sé que todo esto está cargadísimo de mentira. Pero la realidad es frágil: sin las mentiras, amenazaría con derrumbarse. Las mentiras son las juntas que mantienen el puente en pie y permiten viajar de una orilla a la otra. No existe la verdad.
4,25
Sé que todo esto está cargadísimo de mentira. Pero la realidad es frágil: sin las mentiras, amenazaría con derrumbarse. Las mentiras son las juntas que mantienen el puente en pie y permiten viajar de una orilla a la otra. No existe la verdad.
November 21, 2015
So I powered thru this book last night since I am sick and needed something to take my mind off of it. This book just wasn't for me. I didn't connect with any of the characters. Don't really have a whole lot to say honestly.
2.5/5 Stars
2.5/5 Stars
July 13, 2017
If you like to lose yourself in stories of clandestine American CIA spies, brilliant Swedish women who work in law firms, thrilling gun battles and car chases, than this novel is for you. Great escape and just plain fun for a summer read on the beach or by the pool.
July 21, 2019
<< Τα πάντα μυρίζουν σαν σκουπίδια. Σκουπίδια, καυσαέριο, σκόρδο και κύμινο. Εγώ, όμως μόνο το παιδί μου μυρίζω >>
Στις πρώτες 7 σελίδες, αυτές της αρχικής εντύπωσης, στη γνωριμία με το συγγραφέα ξετυλίγεται ως την κορύφωση της, μια ‘’γνώριμη’’ σκηνή, από ταινίες και άλλα βιβλία κι όμως δεν με προέτρεψε να μην το διαβάσω. Διότι, ο συγγραφέας, εστιάζει – κάτι που εν συνεχεία φαίνεται και σε πλείστα άλλα σημεία – σε διαφορετικά σημεία. Άλλες τέμνουσες και παράλληλες. Επίσης, οι φιλοσοφικές σπόντες που πετάει με εύσχημο τρόπο, παρουσιάζουν ενδιαφέρον, σα να θυμίζουν αντικαυτηριασμό ( αν μπορούσαμε να κλείσουμε τα μάτια και να το φανταστούμε αντίστροφα, για κάτι που έχεις ζήσει, υπάρχει η δυνατότητα κι εδώ που τα λέμε, είναι ωφελιμότερη απ’ το να ξαναζείς σκηνές ). Άλλες φορές, τις κρύβει και τις φανερώνει.
<< Θα χτίσουν αυτοί οι άχρονοι άντρες μια χώρα στο όνομα του Αλλάχ; Θα τους επιτρέψουμε να απαγορέψουν τη μουσική, το θέατρο, τη λογοτεχνία, ακόμη και τα αρχαία μνημεία; Όπως λένε ότι θέλουν να κάνουν; Προτιμούμε αυτό, από τον άθρησκο κομμουνισμό; Σε ποιανού τα χέρια αφήνουμε τη μοίρα του κόσμου; Οδηγούμε σιωπηλοί μες στα πορτοκαλί φαράγγια, μέσα από χαλίκια και άμμο. Ένας πρώιμος χειμώνας χωρίς χιόνι. Αυτός ο πόλεμος έχει τελειώσει. Η πολιτική είναι το μόνο πράγμα που καθυστερεί τη νίκη του Δβίδ ενάντια στο Γολιάθ. Βουνά εναλλάσσονται με βουνά, χαλίκια με χαλίκια. Προχωρούμε μπροστά, αλλά παραμένουμε στο ίδιο σημείο >>
Όταν ο συγγραφέας αφήνεται να απλωθεί βγάζει από μέσα του σκληρή μαγικότητα. Χάνεται όμως στη συνέχεια και πλατειάζει. Το αντιλαμβάνεται και φιμώνεται, ως την επόμενη φορά που θα αφεθεί. Μαζεύεται σε μικρές, ξερές προτάσεις. Σα νοητές ανάσες καθημερινότητας, αντί για σπείρες. Εύκολο βιβλίο, όχι εύπεπτο. Οι σελίδες κυλούν. Οι χαρακτήρες πείθουν και δηλωτικά, όπως η εργασιομανία κι η απομόνωση των συναισθημάτων περιγράφονται εξαίσια. Ενώ, ένα ιδιαίτερο χαρακτηριστικό, είναι πως τους δήθεν, ο συγγραφέας, τους ‘’σκάβει’’ από μέσα, καθώς τους σφυρηλατεί. Με αποτέλεσμα όταν τελικά μιλούν, να μοιάζουν γελοίοι.
Ακολουθούν δυο σημεία αναπάντεχα κι αναπτερώνει το ηθικό επίσης, σαν ένας συγγραφέας που δίνει στον εαυτό του τη δυνατότητα, να κινηθεί πάνω, κάτω, δεξιά, αριστερά, κυκλικά, έξω απ’ οτιδήποτε συμβατικά φυσιολογικό και όχι με την πρόθεση να έλξει κακούς αναγνώστες κι ηλίθιους ανθρώπους, παραμένει ο αυθορμητισμός που ακυρώνει αυτή την εντύπωση. Άλλωστε, τελικά στο χώρο του βιβλίου, τέτοιες εξελίξεις απουσιάζουν απ’ τους ‘’καλούς’’ συγγραφείς. Το ‘’φυσιολογικό’’ μένει όσο χρειάζεται, όπως και το λευκό διακόπτεται από άλλα χρώματα. Αλλά, το κυρίαρχο σημείο του συγγραφέα, είναι να αντιλαμβάνεσαι τη συναισθηματική διάσταση της Ιστορίας. Είναι αξιέπαινο και ωφέλιμο. Η αντίληψη, όταν συνδυάζει την κατανόηση και τη συμπόνια, διαφέρει από κάθε στείρα διαδικασία που περνάει από πάνω μας και δεν αφήνει τίποτα. Αυτή η δημιουργία εχθρών στα μέτρα μας, που αποτυπώνεται, θυμίζει το ίντερνετ που από εργαλείο, έχει γίνει η δική μας –του καθενός μας – μηχανή πολέμου κι απολαμβάνουμε αναπαυτικά τις κερδοφορίες της, ώσπου βλέπουμε πως κόβουν.
3,5
Στις πρώτες 7 σελίδες, αυτές της αρχικής εντύπωσης, στη γνωριμία με το συγγραφέα ξετυλίγεται ως την κορύφωση της, μια ‘’γνώριμη’’ σκηνή, από ταινίες και άλλα βιβλία κι όμως δεν με προέτρεψε να μην το διαβάσω. Διότι, ο συγγραφέας, εστιάζει – κάτι που εν συνεχεία φαίνεται και σε πλείστα άλλα σημεία – σε διαφορετικά σημεία. Άλλες τέμνουσες και παράλληλες. Επίσης, οι φιλοσοφικές σπόντες που πετάει με εύσχημο τρόπο, παρουσιάζουν ενδιαφέρον, σα να θυμίζουν αντικαυτηριασμό ( αν μπορούσαμε να κλείσουμε τα μάτια και να το φανταστούμε αντίστροφα, για κάτι που έχεις ζήσει, υπάρχει η δυνατότητα κι εδώ που τα λέμε, είναι ωφελιμότερη απ’ το να ξαναζείς σκηνές ). Άλλες φορές, τις κρύβει και τις φανερώνει.
<< Θα χτίσουν αυτοί οι άχρονοι άντρες μια χώρα στο όνομα του Αλλάχ; Θα τους επιτρέψουμε να απαγορέψουν τη μουσική, το θέατρο, τη λογοτεχνία, ακόμη και τα αρχαία μνημεία; Όπως λένε ότι θέλουν να κάνουν; Προτιμούμε αυτό, από τον άθρησκο κομμουνισμό; Σε ποιανού τα χέρια αφήνουμε τη μοίρα του κόσμου; Οδηγούμε σιωπηλοί μες στα πορτοκαλί φαράγγια, μέσα από χαλίκια και άμμο. Ένας πρώιμος χειμώνας χωρίς χιόνι. Αυτός ο πόλεμος έχει τελειώσει. Η πολιτική είναι το μόνο πράγμα που καθυστερεί τη νίκη του Δβίδ ενάντια στο Γολιάθ. Βουνά εναλλάσσονται με βουνά, χαλίκια με χαλίκια. Προχωρούμε μπροστά, αλλά παραμένουμε στο ίδιο σημείο >>
Όταν ο συγγραφέας αφήνεται να απλωθεί βγάζει από μέσα του σκληρή μαγικότητα. Χάνεται όμως στη συνέχεια και πλατειάζει. Το αντιλαμβάνεται και φιμώνεται, ως την επόμενη φορά που θα αφεθεί. Μαζεύεται σε μικρές, ξερές προτάσεις. Σα νοητές ανάσες καθημερινότητας, αντί για σπείρες. Εύκολο βιβλίο, όχι εύπεπτο. Οι σελίδες κυλούν. Οι χαρακτήρες πείθουν και δηλωτικά, όπως η εργασιομανία κι η απομόνωση των συναισθημάτων περιγράφονται εξαίσια. Ενώ, ένα ιδιαίτερο χαρακτηριστικό, είναι πως τους δήθεν, ο συγγραφέας, τους ‘’σκάβει’’ από μέσα, καθώς τους σφυρηλατεί. Με αποτέλεσμα όταν τελικά μιλούν, να μοιάζουν γελοίοι.
Ακολουθούν δυο σημεία αναπάντεχα κι αναπτερώνει το ηθικό επίσης, σαν ένας συγγραφέας που δίνει στον εαυτό του τη δυνατότητα, να κινηθεί πάνω, κάτω, δεξιά, αριστερά, κυκλικά, έξω απ’ οτιδήποτε συμβατικά φυσιολογικό και όχι με την πρόθεση να έλξει κακούς αναγνώστες κι ηλίθιους ανθρώπους, παραμένει ο αυθορμητισμός που ακυρώνει αυτή την εντύπωση. Άλλωστε, τελικά στο χώρο του βιβλίου, τέτοιες εξελίξεις απουσιάζουν απ’ τους ‘’καλούς’’ συγγραφείς. Το ‘’φυσιολογικό’’ μένει όσο χρειάζεται, όπως και το λευκό διακόπτεται από άλλα χρώματα. Αλλά, το κυρίαρχο σημείο του συγγραφέα, είναι να αντιλαμβάνεσαι τη συναισθηματική διάσταση της Ιστορίας. Είναι αξιέπαινο και ωφέλιμο. Η αντίληψη, όταν συνδυάζει την κατανόηση και τη συμπόνια, διαφέρει από κάθε στείρα διαδικασία που περνάει από πάνω μας και δεν αφήνει τίποτα. Αυτή η δημιουργία εχθρών στα μέτρα μας, που αποτυπώνεται, θυμίζει το ίντερνετ που από εργαλείο, έχει γίνει η δική μας –του καθενός μας – μηχανή πολέμου κι απολαμβάνουμε αναπαυτικά τις κερδοφορίες της, ώσπου βλέπουμε πως κόβουν.
3,5
June 29, 2015
“Quando te abraço, é sempre a última vez que o faço. Sei-o desde o primeiro dia. E quando voltaste, e peguei na bebé com os meus braços sonolentos, a única coisa em que conseguia pensar era que se tratava da última vez que o faria.”, um espião americano entrega a sua bebé a um destino incerto, uma traição e um remorso que revela uma incapacidade de se perdoar a si próprio - estamos em Damasco, Síria, no mês de Julho de 1980 – e assim começa “O Nadador”, um thriller de espionagem escrito pelo sueco Joakin Zander (n. 1975) com ritmo e aventura, onde inúmeras histórias se vão agrupando, em cenários deslumbrantes - Suécia, Bélgica, França, Estados Unidos da América, Holanda, Iraque, Curdistão e Afeganistão – num enredo repleto de flashbacks e flashforwards, em que a acção decorre em vários períodos – 1980, 1985, 1988, 1991, 1994, 2002, 2003, 2010, 2013 e 2014.
Joakin Zander constrói a narrativa interligando as histórias individuais de várias personagens – o Nadador, a sueca Klara Walldéen, que trabalha no Parlamento Europeu, o sueco Mahmoud Shammosh, ex-membro da forças especiais do Exército Sueco e agora investigador e escritor do livro “The Privatization of War” e o norte-americano George Lööw, um advogado lobista, funcionário da Merchant & Taylor, maior empresa de relações públicas do Mundo – com ligações emocionais e de afectividade, no passado e no presente, abordando questões morais como o remorso e a expiação, a verdade e a mentira, a culpa e a vingança…
“O Nadador” é o livro de estreia de Joakin Zander, um excelente thriller de espionagem, um autêntico quebra-cabeças, construído, inicialmente, com fragmentos de histórias de espiões e operações clandestinas, que exploram as ramificações de acções secretas, incluindo, agências governamentais de espionagem e empresas privadas, implicadas em terrorismo de Estado, envolvendo inúmeras personagens “inocentes”, num suspense insuportável que nos mantém sempre em sobressalto até ao desfecho final.
”Sei que grande parte disto é mentira. Porém, a realidade é frágil; sem a mentira, ameaça ruir. A mentira é a estrutura que segura a ponte e nos permite passar de uma margem para a outra. A verdade não existe.” (Pág. 42)
”Nunca fazemos aquilo que dizemos. Nunca cumprimos as nossas promessas. Acabamos sempre por sacrificar aqueles que é suposto salvarmos.” (Pág. 163)
Joakin Zander constrói a narrativa interligando as histórias individuais de várias personagens – o Nadador, a sueca Klara Walldéen, que trabalha no Parlamento Europeu, o sueco Mahmoud Shammosh, ex-membro da forças especiais do Exército Sueco e agora investigador e escritor do livro “The Privatization of War” e o norte-americano George Lööw, um advogado lobista, funcionário da Merchant & Taylor, maior empresa de relações públicas do Mundo – com ligações emocionais e de afectividade, no passado e no presente, abordando questões morais como o remorso e a expiação, a verdade e a mentira, a culpa e a vingança…
“O Nadador” é o livro de estreia de Joakin Zander, um excelente thriller de espionagem, um autêntico quebra-cabeças, construído, inicialmente, com fragmentos de histórias de espiões e operações clandestinas, que exploram as ramificações de acções secretas, incluindo, agências governamentais de espionagem e empresas privadas, implicadas em terrorismo de Estado, envolvendo inúmeras personagens “inocentes”, num suspense insuportável que nos mantém sempre em sobressalto até ao desfecho final.
”Sei que grande parte disto é mentira. Porém, a realidade é frágil; sem a mentira, ameaça ruir. A mentira é a estrutura que segura a ponte e nos permite passar de uma margem para a outra. A verdade não existe.” (Pág. 42)
”Nunca fazemos aquilo que dizemos. Nunca cumprimos as nossas promessas. Acabamos sempre por sacrificar aqueles que é suposto salvarmos.” (Pág. 163)
November 30, 2014
A cracking thriller with a strong female lead character.
This is one of the best thrillers that I have read for a while.
Bored with Ludlum and Forsyth then give Zander a try. In The Swimmer Zander delivers a fast paced, believable and compulsively page turning read.
In the main character Klara Walldéen, the author has created a very real person with human weakness, vulnerability but also incredible strength in the face of adversity. The other characters are rich in detail too.
I won't repeat the storyline as other reviewers have done that far better than I, but with the action moving from the office blocks of EU Brussels, to Paris, to Stockholm and finally the wild Stockholm Archipelago the pace doesn't let up at all.
I'm really looking forward to Zander's next work.
August 9, 2015
I am always amazed when an author can come up with a new concept to explore in the mystery/espionage genre. One country that seems to keep producing such authors is Sweden, and alas they have done it again with Joakim Zander. The author has lived in Syria and Israel and earned a law degree in the Netherlands and spent his career as a lawyer for the European Union in Brussels and Helsinki. This background contributed greatly to his first novel, THE SWIMMER that has been greeted with great acclaim. The story line is somewhat different as Zander explores the role of American outsourcing of prisoner interrogations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Zander creates a “Blackwater” type of organization that he calls “Digital Solutions,” which seems to be a dummy company that was kept heavily in the “shadows” to maintain deniability and protect those in charge. The leaders of Digital Solutions become aware that there is evidence of their “enhanced interrogation” techniques, i.e.; torture at the time of the Abu Ghraib fiasco and they will do anything to get control of the evidence. The scenario is believable and Zander has complete control of the political and diplomatic history that is involved. An interesting example is his suggestion through his characters how the first Bush administration treated the Kurds in 1991. The CIA agent leads his Kurdish allies to believe that American help will be forthcoming to protect them for Saddam Hussein’s revenge. As history has shown that protection never was provided and the Bush administration allowed Saddam’s forces to crush the Kurds, probably employing chemical weapons. These types of observations reflect the strong political views that Zander holds that appear throughout the book.
The story centers on a number of interesting characters. As Zander develops them he does so in a very slow methodical fashion particularly the CIA operative who spends a good part of the book in search of his daughter who survived a terrorist explosion in Damascus in 1980. The most important characters are Klara Walldeen, a political aide to a member of the European Union Parliament in Brussels and a former boyfriend, Mahmoud Shammosh, a Ph.D candidate whose dissertation dealt with the privatization of war, who involves her in the scenario where explosive evidence of what Digital Solutions is guilty of exists. Another interesting character out of the Stieg-Larsson mold is “Blitzie,” a skinny teenaged hacker who will present a number of interesting surprises. The reader is taken into the world of the CIA and its outsourced programs and what they are capable of doing if things do not go as planned. The reader is also exposed to the world of lobbyists to the European Parliament and the influence which they possess. One member of a lobby firm, George Loow is also drawn into the tentacles of Digital Solutions and it is through him that Zander triers to create an effective morality play which sometimes is effective. The plot revolves around a number of storylines that shift back and forth from the 1980s and Christmas, 2013. At times this can be confusing as Zander does not integrate his CIA operative in search of his daughter as effectively as he might have.
No matter what minor flaws may exist in Zander’s debut novel, he more that makes up for it with an engrossing plot that is very contemporary and believable. Zander definitely has an agenda that centers around the morality that the “world on terror” has produced that is evident in the conclusion of the book, but whatever your politics this book is a read that will capture your attention until you reach the final paragraph
The story centers on a number of interesting characters. As Zander develops them he does so in a very slow methodical fashion particularly the CIA operative who spends a good part of the book in search of his daughter who survived a terrorist explosion in Damascus in 1980. The most important characters are Klara Walldeen, a political aide to a member of the European Union Parliament in Brussels and a former boyfriend, Mahmoud Shammosh, a Ph.D candidate whose dissertation dealt with the privatization of war, who involves her in the scenario where explosive evidence of what Digital Solutions is guilty of exists. Another interesting character out of the Stieg-Larsson mold is “Blitzie,” a skinny teenaged hacker who will present a number of interesting surprises. The reader is taken into the world of the CIA and its outsourced programs and what they are capable of doing if things do not go as planned. The reader is also exposed to the world of lobbyists to the European Parliament and the influence which they possess. One member of a lobby firm, George Loow is also drawn into the tentacles of Digital Solutions and it is through him that Zander triers to create an effective morality play which sometimes is effective. The plot revolves around a number of storylines that shift back and forth from the 1980s and Christmas, 2013. At times this can be confusing as Zander does not integrate his CIA operative in search of his daughter as effectively as he might have.
No matter what minor flaws may exist in Zander’s debut novel, he more that makes up for it with an engrossing plot that is very contemporary and believable. Zander definitely has an agenda that centers around the morality that the “world on terror” has produced that is evident in the conclusion of the book, but whatever your politics this book is a read that will capture your attention until you reach the final paragraph
November 6, 2016
No início dos anos 1980, em Damasco, um espião vê-se com a filha bebé nos braços, enquanto a mulher que ama é morta num atentado que lhe era dirigido. Apesar do trauma, este homem – o nadador a que o título do livro alude – continua a sua carreira de espionagem pelo mundo, sempre perseguido pelo que aconteceu em Damasco e pelo que o futuro reservou à filha que decidiu abandonar.
Os capítulos do nadador, narrados na primeira pessoa, vão-se intercalando com capítulos dedicados a outras personagens na atualidade: Klara Walldéen, uma jurista a trabalhar no Parlamento Europeu; George Lööw, um lobista norte-americano que se vê envolvido em negócios secretos de que não consegue escapar; Mahmoud Shammosh, um ex-militar das forças especiais suecas e ex-namorado de Klara, que no início deste livro é contactado por um colega que frequentou com ele o serviço militar e que suspeita que está a ser perseguido.
O enredo vai intercalando os vários pontos de vista, alternando entre passado e presente, numa narrativa que, apesar de inicialmente parecer algo confusa pela miríade de personagens e pelas ligações pouco claras entre elas, acaba por se tornar numa teia complexa e interessante de acontecimentos que, a partir de determinada altura, tornam difícil abandonar o livro, porque então o leitor já está familiarizado com as personagens, o estilo e o ritmo da narrativa.
O Nadador acaba por surpreender uma vez que, sendo uma obra de um escritor sueco e sendo rotulado como policial, esperar-se-ia algo dentro do policial nórdico, que tanto sucesso tem feito pós-Stieg Larrson. Mas a verdade é que estamos mais perante um thriller de espionagem, em que a política e os bastidores ganham papel preponderante no desenrolar da trama. Pessoalmente, tive alguma dificuldade em me ligar emocionalmente às personagens principais; ainda que seja notório o esforço do autor para que ganhassem alguma profundidade, a verdade é que as achei um pouco estereotipadas e, por isso, não funcionaram muito bem comigo.
No final de contas, foi uma leitura agradável e que surpreendeu pela complexidade do enredo. Fiquei com curiosidade suficiente para ler a sequela, O Crente, que saiu recentemente em Portugal.
Os capítulos do nadador, narrados na primeira pessoa, vão-se intercalando com capítulos dedicados a outras personagens na atualidade: Klara Walldéen, uma jurista a trabalhar no Parlamento Europeu; George Lööw, um lobista norte-americano que se vê envolvido em negócios secretos de que não consegue escapar; Mahmoud Shammosh, um ex-militar das forças especiais suecas e ex-namorado de Klara, que no início deste livro é contactado por um colega que frequentou com ele o serviço militar e que suspeita que está a ser perseguido.
O enredo vai intercalando os vários pontos de vista, alternando entre passado e presente, numa narrativa que, apesar de inicialmente parecer algo confusa pela miríade de personagens e pelas ligações pouco claras entre elas, acaba por se tornar numa teia complexa e interessante de acontecimentos que, a partir de determinada altura, tornam difícil abandonar o livro, porque então o leitor já está familiarizado com as personagens, o estilo e o ritmo da narrativa.
O Nadador acaba por surpreender uma vez que, sendo uma obra de um escritor sueco e sendo rotulado como policial, esperar-se-ia algo dentro do policial nórdico, que tanto sucesso tem feito pós-Stieg Larrson. Mas a verdade é que estamos mais perante um thriller de espionagem, em que a política e os bastidores ganham papel preponderante no desenrolar da trama. Pessoalmente, tive alguma dificuldade em me ligar emocionalmente às personagens principais; ainda que seja notório o esforço do autor para que ganhassem alguma profundidade, a verdade é que as achei um pouco estereotipadas e, por isso, não funcionaram muito bem comigo.
No final de contas, foi uma leitura agradável e que surpreendeu pela complexidade do enredo. Fiquei com curiosidade suficiente para ler a sequela, O Crente, que saiu recentemente em Portugal.
November 2, 2018
Este libro comienza a principios de los 80's, en esta etapa o digamos en estos años, el libro esta contado en primera persona, por quien suponemos es un espía de Estados Unidos, pero, la realidad es que no se nos especifica, ni su nombre, ni que hace exactamente, solo sabemos que al querer asesinarlo a él, matan por error a su pareja en un coche bomba, mientras él cuidaba de su bebe.
Sabemos un poco mas adelante que él la abandona en una embajada y regresa a "su vida"
Este libro maneja dos lineas de tiempo, mientras vemos a nuestro "espia" de los años 80 paralelamente nos cuentan la historia en época actual, donde varios personajes se ven implicados en una complicada situación de espionaje.
En algún momento las lineas del tiempo se juntan, básicamente porque nuestro nadador tiene que enfrentarse a su pasado.
Un Thriller lleno de suspenso, que aun y cuando no sabes ni que esta pasando ni porque, no puedes dejar de leer.
El libro tiene muchos personajes, pero la realidad es que es muy fácil identificarlos y aun y cuando en el libro estamos saltando del pasado al presente casi en cada capitulo, no se pierde ni por un segundo el suspenso.
Espionaje, terrorismo, tortura, chantaje, este libro tiene de todo, entretenido, lleno de acción y de suspenso, capítulos cortos que lo hacen fácil de leer, muy recomendable
Sabemos un poco mas adelante que él la abandona en una embajada y regresa a "su vida"
Este libro maneja dos lineas de tiempo, mientras vemos a nuestro "espia" de los años 80 paralelamente nos cuentan la historia en época actual, donde varios personajes se ven implicados en una complicada situación de espionaje.
En algún momento las lineas del tiempo se juntan, básicamente porque nuestro nadador tiene que enfrentarse a su pasado.
Un Thriller lleno de suspenso, que aun y cuando no sabes ni que esta pasando ni porque, no puedes dejar de leer.
El libro tiene muchos personajes, pero la realidad es que es muy fácil identificarlos y aun y cuando en el libro estamos saltando del pasado al presente casi en cada capitulo, no se pierde ni por un segundo el suspenso.
Espionaje, terrorismo, tortura, chantaje, este libro tiene de todo, entretenido, lleno de acción y de suspenso, capítulos cortos que lo hacen fácil de leer, muy recomendable
February 24, 2015
4.5 Stars
'The Swimmer' is a complex and imaginative novel that weaves together several smaller story lines until the big picture of the book is revealed. The situations and happenings are sporadic - taking place in a variety of places across the globe, during time periods both past and present, and changing narrators at almost every turn. The book is actually several different plots - each with it's own setting, main character, and story line. The author purposely shifts between these distinct stories until they meet up with one another and finally intertwine to form the true plot of the novel. Each smaller story was incredibly detailed with intense imagery and detailed descriptions that made it almost impossible not to feel as if you were right there, experiencing everything for yourself. I found myself easily slipping into each part of the book as though it were a natural thing to do - and despite the fact that none of the smaller sections had any indicators of who the narrator was. Sometimes you would get a date or year and a city or country as reference points, which certainly helped keep the events in chronological order for the reader and useful for when the main plot emerges.
Klara is a phenomenal female lead for this book. She's strong - not just physically, but mentally and emotionally too. She's very smart, dedicated to her work, loves her family, and is quite determined overall. When she realizes that she's gotten herself into a huge problem - one that will take her all across Europe in an attempt to figure out who is following her and why. I found all of Klara's adventures in each place to be intriguing and even confusing at times. There are a ton of twists and turns throughout the story that you never see coming - which makes this book such a fierce mystery and will have you on the edge of your seat, eagerly reading to see what's going to happen next. I honestly didn't expect all the twists and unexpected plot turns after reading the description of the book, but the fact that it's full of them only made my experience reading it all the more exciting. The writing was profound and uniquely construed - some of the best writing I've come across, in any genre. The plot was fast paced and thrilling, but it wasn't hurried or confusing due to the varying locations, time periods, and characters. Again, I have to mention the amazing attention to every little detail - all five senses are engaged during the entire novel and basically sucked me into the world the author created within the first few lines of the book. I got lost inside of the pages - caught up in the strange and seemingly unrelated incidents, only to have them come together in an explosive way; the lives and details of all the characters; and the shocking twists and turns that lead to a stunning ending. I found myself still thinking about the story days after reading it, trying to recall details from the story that might have given me a hint about what was going to happen. I know for a fact that I'll be re-reading this one soon so I can pick up on all the little details I know I missed the first time around. I definitely recommend this book to fans of mystery, suspense, thrillers, spy novels, and anyone who enjoys stories that happen in multiple places and times. It will definitely keep the reader on their toes and so wrapped up that it's almost impossible to make yourself stop reading. Fair warning on that part!
Disclosure: I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
'The Swimmer' is a complex and imaginative novel that weaves together several smaller story lines until the big picture of the book is revealed. The situations and happenings are sporadic - taking place in a variety of places across the globe, during time periods both past and present, and changing narrators at almost every turn. The book is actually several different plots - each with it's own setting, main character, and story line. The author purposely shifts between these distinct stories until they meet up with one another and finally intertwine to form the true plot of the novel. Each smaller story was incredibly detailed with intense imagery and detailed descriptions that made it almost impossible not to feel as if you were right there, experiencing everything for yourself. I found myself easily slipping into each part of the book as though it were a natural thing to do - and despite the fact that none of the smaller sections had any indicators of who the narrator was. Sometimes you would get a date or year and a city or country as reference points, which certainly helped keep the events in chronological order for the reader and useful for when the main plot emerges.
Klara is a phenomenal female lead for this book. She's strong - not just physically, but mentally and emotionally too. She's very smart, dedicated to her work, loves her family, and is quite determined overall. When she realizes that she's gotten herself into a huge problem - one that will take her all across Europe in an attempt to figure out who is following her and why. I found all of Klara's adventures in each place to be intriguing and even confusing at times. There are a ton of twists and turns throughout the story that you never see coming - which makes this book such a fierce mystery and will have you on the edge of your seat, eagerly reading to see what's going to happen next. I honestly didn't expect all the twists and unexpected plot turns after reading the description of the book, but the fact that it's full of them only made my experience reading it all the more exciting. The writing was profound and uniquely construed - some of the best writing I've come across, in any genre. The plot was fast paced and thrilling, but it wasn't hurried or confusing due to the varying locations, time periods, and characters. Again, I have to mention the amazing attention to every little detail - all five senses are engaged during the entire novel and basically sucked me into the world the author created within the first few lines of the book. I got lost inside of the pages - caught up in the strange and seemingly unrelated incidents, only to have them come together in an explosive way; the lives and details of all the characters; and the shocking twists and turns that lead to a stunning ending. I found myself still thinking about the story days after reading it, trying to recall details from the story that might have given me a hint about what was going to happen. I know for a fact that I'll be re-reading this one soon so I can pick up on all the little details I know I missed the first time around. I definitely recommend this book to fans of mystery, suspense, thrillers, spy novels, and anyone who enjoys stories that happen in multiple places and times. It will definitely keep the reader on their toes and so wrapped up that it's almost impossible to make yourself stop reading. Fair warning on that part!
Disclosure: I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
November 11, 2017
The Swimmer was such a bloody brilliant book. It enthralled me since the beginning, and I just couldn't stop reading it.
It begins with 4 different POVs of people who apparently aren't connected, but they'll converge into a big climax that will make you shiver.
Klara Walldeen has accidentally seen something she shouldn't have, and is thrown into a terrifying chase with no idea who is hunting her or why.
Meanwhile, an old spy hides from his past, and lives tormented by the death of the mother of her daughter, whom he abandoned to keep his cover. Now, he's the only one able to save Klara.
(Okay, the synopsis may sound a bit lame in some parts, but it doesn't do justice to the awesomeness of the book.)
I thought that The Swimmer would be a crappy story about spies, but I was so wrong! There was some mystery over the story in the beginning, but the characters felt real and I cared about them -man, I was with them-, that the alternation of POV on each chapter made everything more interesting and faster.
There was a first part on which we knew more about the characters' stories and backgrounds that was a bit slow, but then things started getting in motion, and since there until the end it was a non-stop race. The writing was really good too, which made the book compelling in the slower part, and impossible to put down in the rest.
In the climax of the book, the different POVs converged into one place, and it was phenomenal! There was action, emotions, and I just wanted to know what would happen next. Even after it, in the last few pages, there were things happening and to find out. Brilliant.
It begins with 4 different POVs of people who apparently aren't connected, but they'll converge into a big climax that will make you shiver.
Klara Walldeen has accidentally seen something she shouldn't have, and is thrown into a terrifying chase with no idea who is hunting her or why.
Meanwhile, an old spy hides from his past, and lives tormented by the death of the mother of her daughter, whom he abandoned to keep his cover. Now, he's the only one able to save Klara.
(Okay, the synopsis may sound a bit lame in some parts, but it doesn't do justice to the awesomeness of the book.)
I thought that The Swimmer would be a crappy story about spies, but I was so wrong! There was some mystery over the story in the beginning, but the characters felt real and I cared about them -man, I was with them-, that the alternation of POV on each chapter made everything more interesting and faster.
There was a first part on which we knew more about the characters' stories and backgrounds that was a bit slow, but then things started getting in motion, and since there until the end it was a non-stop race. The writing was really good too, which made the book compelling in the slower part, and impossible to put down in the rest.
In the climax of the book, the different POVs converged into one place, and it was phenomenal! There was action, emotions, and I just wanted to know what would happen next. Even after it, in the last few pages, there were things happening and to find out. Brilliant.
December 7, 2022
I'm hesitant about rating this book. I enjoyed much of it, but the ending fell flat for me.
The book is marketed as "Klara Walldeen #1", and I think I expected more of Klara. It takes quite a while for her to come into her own, which in itself wasn't a problem for me. There were lots of threads and points of view that intertwined, and Zander did a good job with that.
Then for a while Klara was front and center; I enjoyed watching her think and act her way out of tricky situations. But eventually she fades from the action and her friends and family take over, until at the very end she is completely sidelined.
It's well written and insightful on a variety of political issues. Maybe my expectations were misplaced, but I can't manage to come up with more than 3 stars.
The book is marketed as "Klara Walldeen #1", and I think I expected more of Klara. It takes quite a while for her to come into her own, which in itself wasn't a problem for me. There were lots of threads and points of view that intertwined, and Zander did a good job with that.
Then for a while Klara was front and center; I enjoyed watching her think and act her way out of tricky situations. But eventually she fades from the action and her friends and family take over, until at the very end she is completely sidelined.
It's well written and insightful on a variety of political issues. Maybe my expectations were misplaced, but I can't manage to come up with more than 3 stars.
February 4, 2017
A great spy thriller, lots of chases, plenty of action, interesting characters. Very straightforward in its storyline, it was exactly the type of page-turner I needed to escape. Highly recommend. Give it 25 pages and if you like spy novels, there is a good chance you'll be hooked. Especially if you like Swedish writers (which I do) - very much looking forward to starting the sequel that's just been published in English.
May 12, 2019
Δεν θα σταμάτησει ποτέ να με εκπλήσσει αυτή η τάση μου να βλέπω βιβλία,να μου φαίνονται ενδιαφέροντα και μετά να τα προσπερνώ,αφήνοντάς τα για αργότερα!😂
Ο Κολυμβητής,λοιπόν,είναι ένα πολύ δυνατό κατασκοπικό θρίλερ,πολύ καλογραμμένο,το οποίο θίγει κάποια από τα κακώς κείμενα στον χώρο της "υπόγειας" διεθνούς πολιτικής χωρίς να γίνεται φορτικό και κουραστικό,και χωρίς να υπάρχει ο επιτηδευμένος λόγος που συνήθως ακολουθεί το είδος.
Είναι η πνιγηρή ιστορία ενός κατασκόπου που χρειάστηκε να εγκαταλείψει την κόρη του μωρό και που, 30 χρόνια μετά,είναι ο μόνος που μπορεί να τη σωσει.Χωρίς να θέλω να συγκρίνω τα ασύγκριτα και τηρουμένων των αναλογιών,έχω να ευχαριστηθώ κατασκοπικό μυθιστόρημα,από την τελευταία φορά που διάβασα Λε Καρρέ.5⭐
Ο Κολυμβητής,λοιπόν,είναι ένα πολύ δυνατό κατασκοπικό θρίλερ,πολύ καλογραμμένο,το οποίο θίγει κάποια από τα κακώς κείμενα στον χώρο της "υπόγειας" διεθνούς πολιτικής χωρίς να γίνεται φορτικό και κουραστικό,και χωρίς να υπάρχει ο επιτηδευμένος λόγος που συνήθως ακολουθεί το είδος.
Είναι η πνιγηρή ιστορία ενός κατασκόπου που χρειάστηκε να εγκαταλείψει την κόρη του μωρό και που, 30 χρόνια μετά,είναι ο μόνος που μπορεί να τη σωσει.Χωρίς να θέλω να συγκρίνω τα ασύγκριτα και τηρουμένων των αναλογιών,έχω να ευχαριστηθώ κατασκοπικό μυθιστόρημα,από την τελευταία φορά που διάβασα Λε Καρρέ.5⭐
January 18, 2015
Dizem que a literatura nórdica não é muito apreciada em Portugal, mas da minha parte tenho de contrariar esta opinião - pelo menos no que toca a policiais e a thrillers nórdicos. Existe sempre uma aura bastante intensa, um tanto cinzenta, talvez a condizer com o próprio clima desses países. No caso de O Nadador, obra de estreia de Joakim Zander, advogado da União Europeia, a curiosidade veio não só por essa característica que normalmente os autores nórdicos conferem às suas obras, como também a espécie de promessa de ser mais do que isso, envolvendo intrigas políticas e quem sabe alguma dose de realidade no que toca ao terrorismo. E o mais engraçado, sem graça nenhuma, é que iniciei esta leitura dois dias antes do ataque em Paris. Coincidências, hein?
Com um início mais lento, mas um ritmo crescente, a leitura acabou por tomar contornos vertiginosos fazendo com que em certas alturas fosse impossível pousar o livro. A grande razão acaba por ser a oscilação de narrativas, saltando pelas perspectivas das personagens-chave, deixando sempre um rasto de alguma ansiedade para o que vem a seguir. Enquanto por um lado temos uma narrativa linear no tempo presente, por outro lado vamos tendo vislumbres do "Nadador", desde a explosão que provocou a morte da mulher que amava, e que o obrigou a entregar a filha, até convergir com o presente.
Sendo uma estreia do autor no que toca a romances, só posso elogiar a audácia e a coragem em arriscar logo com temas tão fortes. A narrativa está muito bem explorada, o enredo é forte, as personagens são muito humanas e faz-nos pensar que talvez existam situações reais não tão diferentes das que são descritas. É um livro que acaba por se tornar bastante diferente de outros que já li precisamente por parecer tão real nas descrições das redes terroristas, como é que o governo americano, e a própria Europa, pode ter tido mão nisso, as comunidades lobistas, a forma sagaz de como os advogados lidam com certas polémicas e, ainda, como é que um passado com envolvimento em equipas de tortura pode afectar de forma irreversível a vida de um agente.
Para além de toda esta teia engenhosa, Joakim Zander teve a capacidade de ser bem sucedido no que toca às emoções exploradas, inserindo até um pouco de romantismo. O que acabou por me surpreender, neste campo, foi a forma como incluiu a homossexualidade na estrutura da obra. Mais uma dose de realismo que nem por isso destoou da restante estrutura e fluidez da história. Não sendo frequente ler obras sobre espionagem, consigo recomendar, sem problema algum, este livro a quem queira dar oportunidade a uma trama deste género. Volto a reforçar o enredo interessante, as personagens fortes e intensas e um ritmo que a seu tempo nos faz suster a respiração. Gostei.
Com um início mais lento, mas um ritmo crescente, a leitura acabou por tomar contornos vertiginosos fazendo com que em certas alturas fosse impossível pousar o livro. A grande razão acaba por ser a oscilação de narrativas, saltando pelas perspectivas das personagens-chave, deixando sempre um rasto de alguma ansiedade para o que vem a seguir. Enquanto por um lado temos uma narrativa linear no tempo presente, por outro lado vamos tendo vislumbres do "Nadador", desde a explosão que provocou a morte da mulher que amava, e que o obrigou a entregar a filha, até convergir com o presente.
Sendo uma estreia do autor no que toca a romances, só posso elogiar a audácia e a coragem em arriscar logo com temas tão fortes. A narrativa está muito bem explorada, o enredo é forte, as personagens são muito humanas e faz-nos pensar que talvez existam situações reais não tão diferentes das que são descritas. É um livro que acaba por se tornar bastante diferente de outros que já li precisamente por parecer tão real nas descrições das redes terroristas, como é que o governo americano, e a própria Europa, pode ter tido mão nisso, as comunidades lobistas, a forma sagaz de como os advogados lidam com certas polémicas e, ainda, como é que um passado com envolvimento em equipas de tortura pode afectar de forma irreversível a vida de um agente.
Para além de toda esta teia engenhosa, Joakim Zander teve a capacidade de ser bem sucedido no que toca às emoções exploradas, inserindo até um pouco de romantismo. O que acabou por me surpreender, neste campo, foi a forma como incluiu a homossexualidade na estrutura da obra. Mais uma dose de realismo que nem por isso destoou da restante estrutura e fluidez da história. Não sendo frequente ler obras sobre espionagem, consigo recomendar, sem problema algum, este livro a quem queira dar oportunidade a uma trama deste género. Volto a reforçar o enredo interessante, as personagens fortes e intensas e um ritmo que a seu tempo nos faz suster a respiração. Gostei.
July 19, 2014
The Swimmer – A Stunning Debut Thriller
The publisher Head of Zeus has hit the jackpot with their new voices series of books promoting new writers and in particular with The Swimmer. Joakim Zander has written an exceptional thriller that ticks all the boxes that crosses Europe and builds to a crescendo. Zander unlike other Scandinavian writers has not written a noir thriller but one in the traditions of Frederick Forsyth.
Klara Walldéen had been orphaned as a baby when her mother was killed in a car bombing and she had been brought up and cared for by her Grandparents on a remote Swedish archipelago. After university in Sweden and London she is now making her name as an assistant in the European Parliament to a leading Swedish left-wing Member of Parliament. Life is good and everything is going well with her boyfriend what on earth could go wrong?
Her life turns upside down when she is contacted by an ex-boyfriend who is in Brussels for a conference. He has been contacted by a former colleague about some top secret information on the war on terror. His former colleague is murdered while talking to him and he goes on the run holding the much needed information. He makes contact with Klara who helps him to escape to Paris while he suddenly becomes a wanted man and is being chased hard. While on the run he is murdered also and Klara has to run to survive. She has no idea who wants her dead or what information she is carrying.
George Lööw is a Swedish lobbyist based in Brussels on his way up at his firm and a very big contract drops in his lap. They need him to translate some Swedish into English for a shadowy company called Digital Solutions. Little does George know that this big contract is going to take him to places he would rather forget and if he manages to survive he will not be able to tell the tale as nobody would ever believe him?
Somewhere within Langley Virginia there is a Swimmer who is watching events unfold in Europe who has an interest in Klara Walldéen. He convinces his boss that he needs to go to Europe and put right something that he has done in his past and make sure that Klara does not become collateral damage in the process.
This is one of the best thrillers that I have read in a while, The Swimmer is beautifully written vivid in its imagery and the hope that drives the tension of the thriller. This really is a good verses evil thriller, and something in the present world situation is quite a believable thriller. There is such a fantastic ruthlessness in this thriller that we are told is to protect democracy. For a debut novel this is a fast paced, believable and compelling thriller.
The Swimmer has everything the reader wants from a thriller, and it has everything in it to be a best seller.
The publisher Head of Zeus has hit the jackpot with their new voices series of books promoting new writers and in particular with The Swimmer. Joakim Zander has written an exceptional thriller that ticks all the boxes that crosses Europe and builds to a crescendo. Zander unlike other Scandinavian writers has not written a noir thriller but one in the traditions of Frederick Forsyth.
Klara Walldéen had been orphaned as a baby when her mother was killed in a car bombing and she had been brought up and cared for by her Grandparents on a remote Swedish archipelago. After university in Sweden and London she is now making her name as an assistant in the European Parliament to a leading Swedish left-wing Member of Parliament. Life is good and everything is going well with her boyfriend what on earth could go wrong?
Her life turns upside down when she is contacted by an ex-boyfriend who is in Brussels for a conference. He has been contacted by a former colleague about some top secret information on the war on terror. His former colleague is murdered while talking to him and he goes on the run holding the much needed information. He makes contact with Klara who helps him to escape to Paris while he suddenly becomes a wanted man and is being chased hard. While on the run he is murdered also and Klara has to run to survive. She has no idea who wants her dead or what information she is carrying.
George Lööw is a Swedish lobbyist based in Brussels on his way up at his firm and a very big contract drops in his lap. They need him to translate some Swedish into English for a shadowy company called Digital Solutions. Little does George know that this big contract is going to take him to places he would rather forget and if he manages to survive he will not be able to tell the tale as nobody would ever believe him?
Somewhere within Langley Virginia there is a Swimmer who is watching events unfold in Europe who has an interest in Klara Walldéen. He convinces his boss that he needs to go to Europe and put right something that he has done in his past and make sure that Klara does not become collateral damage in the process.
This is one of the best thrillers that I have read in a while, The Swimmer is beautifully written vivid in its imagery and the hope that drives the tension of the thriller. This really is a good verses evil thriller, and something in the present world situation is quite a believable thriller. There is such a fantastic ruthlessness in this thriller that we are told is to protect democracy. For a debut novel this is a fast paced, believable and compelling thriller.
The Swimmer has everything the reader wants from a thriller, and it has everything in it to be a best seller.
October 17, 2014
#JoakimZander #DeZwemmer
Joakim Zander, geboren in Zweden, Stockholm (1975). Een vruchtbare plek voor auteurs, Scandinavië.
Het lijkt wel of ze de auteurs hier zo uit de vijver vissen, het één na het andere boek komt hier vandaan.
Onlangs verscheen het debuut De Zwemmer van deze Zweedse auteur. Een man met al een hele loopbaan achter zich,
hij studeerde rechten en promoveerde in Maastricht. Met zijn proefschrift won hij de Rabobank-prijs.
Hij heeft gewerkt voor het Europees Parlement in Brussel en is nu in Helsinki EU-advocaat, waar hij ook woont.
Dit debuut is inmiddels aan meer dan 26 landen verkocht.
Wie is De Zwemmer? Wat speelt zich af in Brussel? Op een dag krijgt de Zweedse Klara die werkzaam is in Brussel,
via een vriend te horen over de martelingen van krijgsgevangen in Amerika. Vanaf dat moment zijn ze hun leven
niet meer zeker. Wie heeft het op hen voorzien en welk vuil machtsspelletje wordt hier uitgevochten over de
ruggen van onschuldige mensen?
Dat de auteur kennis van zaken heeft is goed te merken, hij overtuigd met deze pakkende thriller van Internationale
kwaliteit! Het boek speelt zich af in december 2013 en voert ons af en toe ook terug naar de jaren '80 en '90. Dit via
diverse plekken op aarde, van Amsterdam, Zweden en Syrië tot aan de Verenigde Staten.
Zander lijkt een geboren talent en heeft met de Zwemmer een ontzettend spannende en verrassende thriller geschreven.
Geen dertien in een dozijn verhaal. En het is al helemaal niet voor te stellen dat dit een debuut is.
De auteur kan zich meten met grootheden als Robert Ludlum of Michael Robotham.
Zander heeft een ontzettend mooie schrijfstijl. Sommige hoofdstukken zijn zo prachtig geschreven dat het leest als een roman.
Maar het overgrote deel leest als een fantastische en spannende thriller die de adrenaline door je lichaam doet pompen.
Ook de karakters zijn overtuigend en IJzersterk, je kunt je helemaal inleven in Klara, George en Mahmoud en wat hen allemaal
overkomt in deze keiharde maatschappij.
Je ziet het allemaal als een film aan je voorbijgaan en het kan dan ook niet anders dat dit boek verfilmd gaat worden
als je het mij vraagt. Volgens de uitgever is het een mix van Borgen en Homeland, ik zou hier nog een snufje Jason Bourne aan toe willen voegen.
Een boek dat je oppakt, bezig houdt en niet meer loslaat totdat het uit is. Een verhaal dat nergens ontspoord, maar naar
mijn idee volledig klopt. Een absolute must-read. Ik ben heel benieuwd wat deze auteur met zo'n droomdebuut ons nog
meer te bieden heeft!
★★★★★
Joakim Zander, geboren in Zweden, Stockholm (1975). Een vruchtbare plek voor auteurs, Scandinavië.
Het lijkt wel of ze de auteurs hier zo uit de vijver vissen, het één na het andere boek komt hier vandaan.
Onlangs verscheen het debuut De Zwemmer van deze Zweedse auteur. Een man met al een hele loopbaan achter zich,
hij studeerde rechten en promoveerde in Maastricht. Met zijn proefschrift won hij de Rabobank-prijs.
Hij heeft gewerkt voor het Europees Parlement in Brussel en is nu in Helsinki EU-advocaat, waar hij ook woont.
Dit debuut is inmiddels aan meer dan 26 landen verkocht.
Wie is De Zwemmer? Wat speelt zich af in Brussel? Op een dag krijgt de Zweedse Klara die werkzaam is in Brussel,
via een vriend te horen over de martelingen van krijgsgevangen in Amerika. Vanaf dat moment zijn ze hun leven
niet meer zeker. Wie heeft het op hen voorzien en welk vuil machtsspelletje wordt hier uitgevochten over de
ruggen van onschuldige mensen?
Dat de auteur kennis van zaken heeft is goed te merken, hij overtuigd met deze pakkende thriller van Internationale
kwaliteit! Het boek speelt zich af in december 2013 en voert ons af en toe ook terug naar de jaren '80 en '90. Dit via
diverse plekken op aarde, van Amsterdam, Zweden en Syrië tot aan de Verenigde Staten.
Zander lijkt een geboren talent en heeft met de Zwemmer een ontzettend spannende en verrassende thriller geschreven.
Geen dertien in een dozijn verhaal. En het is al helemaal niet voor te stellen dat dit een debuut is.
De auteur kan zich meten met grootheden als Robert Ludlum of Michael Robotham.
Zander heeft een ontzettend mooie schrijfstijl. Sommige hoofdstukken zijn zo prachtig geschreven dat het leest als een roman.
Maar het overgrote deel leest als een fantastische en spannende thriller die de adrenaline door je lichaam doet pompen.
Ook de karakters zijn overtuigend en IJzersterk, je kunt je helemaal inleven in Klara, George en Mahmoud en wat hen allemaal
overkomt in deze keiharde maatschappij.
Je ziet het allemaal als een film aan je voorbijgaan en het kan dan ook niet anders dat dit boek verfilmd gaat worden
als je het mij vraagt. Volgens de uitgever is het een mix van Borgen en Homeland, ik zou hier nog een snufje Jason Bourne aan toe willen voegen.
Een boek dat je oppakt, bezig houdt en niet meer loslaat totdat het uit is. Een verhaal dat nergens ontspoord, maar naar
mijn idee volledig klopt. Een absolute must-read. Ik ben heel benieuwd wat deze auteur met zo'n droomdebuut ons nog
meer te bieden heeft!
★★★★★
June 18, 2016
The Swimmer is an international spy thriller. People are frightened of the shadows following who may be out to kill them.
Forget the hype as I found this book to be quite ordinary. The plot was average and the entertainment value was poor. Joakim told his tale from many perspectives and his many characters had their own shallow roles to play. There was no central character to indentify with and this whole tale was a bit of a soap opera.
The story flitted about going backwards and forwards in time plus numerous changes of location and country. This splattering of time, location and characters made this book difficult to get into. It is an easy book to put down and as this shallow story develops you can guess how things are going to work out.
Comparisons can be made with The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and other Swedish thrillers but I found The Swimmer to be a big let down. I found everything to be second rate, the plot, the characters, the social message and the quality of storytelling. Nothing was quirky or memorable. The whole book was such a POOR read that I can only vote it 2 stars.
Forget the hype as I found this book to be quite ordinary. The plot was average and the entertainment value was poor. Joakim told his tale from many perspectives and his many characters had their own shallow roles to play. There was no central character to indentify with and this whole tale was a bit of a soap opera.
The story flitted about going backwards and forwards in time plus numerous changes of location and country. This splattering of time, location and characters made this book difficult to get into. It is an easy book to put down and as this shallow story develops you can guess how things are going to work out.
Comparisons can be made with The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and other Swedish thrillers but I found The Swimmer to be a big let down. I found everything to be second rate, the plot, the characters, the social message and the quality of storytelling. Nothing was quirky or memorable. The whole book was such a POOR read that I can only vote it 2 stars.
April 19, 2017
Uma aventura literária, em apenas duas noites. Uma história, que apetece ler, mas ao mesmo tempo e com a separação de capítulos, acabamos por ter de prestar muita atenção para não nos perdermos. O mundo obscuro da espionagem e contraespionagem, matem-nos reféns da leitura. Personagens bem construídos e uma história que nos acaba por agarrar sem ser brilhante.
June 9, 2015
I hate giving low ratings, but I was really expecting more from this "thriller".
I really wished I'd had a paperback because I would've thrown it across the room in frustration. Instead, I just said WTF and was pissed off the rest of the night.
I really wished I'd had a paperback because I would've thrown it across the room in frustration. Instead, I just said WTF and was pissed off the rest of the night.
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