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Der Kriegstourist
Vom Autor des internationalen Bestsellers »Wintermänner«.
Kann man im Krieg nur Zuschauer sein? Ein ebenso fesselnder wie verstörender Roman über den verhängnisvollen Drang, wieder und wieder in aktuelle Krisenherde zu reisen.
Längst empfindet Niels für seinen Lehrerjob und seine Familie nichts als Langeweile. Da ist das Angebot seines alten Freundes Michael, der inzwischen als Kriegsfotograf arbeitet, zu verlockend: Niels kann ihn ins krisengeschüttelte Beirut begleiten. Angst und Abenteuer werden von nun an wie zu einer Sucht: Gemeinsam mit Michael reist er in weitere Kriegsgebiete – in den Libanon, nach Mali, in die Ukraine. Und überall treffen sie auf Gleichgesinnte, die ebenso fasziniert sind von der gefährlichen Mischung aus Gefahr, Gewalt und Adrenalin.
Nach einer riskanten Flucht in der Ukraine glaubt Niels, endlich genug zu haben. Er will zu Hause bleiben, auch wenn ihm die eigene Familie fremd geworden ist. Aber nach einiger Zeit verspürt er wieder die verhängnisvolle Abenterlust. Er packt seine Sachen und fasst einen folgenschweren Entschluss.
- GenresEbooksContemporary
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 10, 2018
2 people are currently reading
21 people want to read
About the author
Jesper Bugge Kold
48 books105 followersBorn in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1972, Winter Men is Jesper Bugge Kold's first novel. It was published in Denmark in August 2014, and the same year it was nominated to the prestigious Debutant's Prize at BogForum.
Jesper Bugge Kold grew up in Copenhagen and has a bachelor's degree from the Library School and a master's degree from the University of Information Technology. Later, working as a sports journalist on several Danish TV-channels, he was editor on the national coverage of NFL. In 2009 he and his family moved to the countryside where he found time to start writing.
Based on an enormous amount of research, Jesper Bugge Kold has been in contact with former concentration camps, historians, and museums during the writing of Winter Men.
Quick facts:
-He started working on Winter Men in October 2010
-He lives in the island of Funen with his wife and two children
-He used to play guitar in the band Biff Baxter Band with whom he released two CDs
-He laughs but mostly cries with the soccer team Aston Villa
-His favorite authors are Jorge Luis Borges, John Steinbeck, Carlos Ruiz Zafon, Richard Ford and Jonathan Safran Foer among others
-His new novel is published in Denmark april 2016 and takes place in the German Democratic Republic
Jesper Bugge Kold grew up in Copenhagen and has a bachelor's degree from the Library School and a master's degree from the University of Information Technology. Later, working as a sports journalist on several Danish TV-channels, he was editor on the national coverage of NFL. In 2009 he and his family moved to the countryside where he found time to start writing.
Based on an enormous amount of research, Jesper Bugge Kold has been in contact with former concentration camps, historians, and museums during the writing of Winter Men.
Quick facts:
-He started working on Winter Men in October 2010
-He lives in the island of Funen with his wife and two children
-He used to play guitar in the band Biff Baxter Band with whom he released two CDs
-He laughs but mostly cries with the soccer team Aston Villa
-His favorite authors are Jorge Luis Borges, John Steinbeck, Carlos Ruiz Zafon, Richard Ford and Jonathan Safran Foer among others
-His new novel is published in Denmark april 2016 and takes place in the German Democratic Republic
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 12, 2018
Niels has just about had enough. Everything from his students, to their irate parents, a meticulously planned out daily life, a wife who would much rather curl up with a romance novel, and a teenage son who only needs him as a personal chauffeur, annoys him. His daughter would also contribute her fair share, had she not moved out. Luckily her wimpy tattooed boyfriend makes up for that.
A coincidental glimpse of his old buddy's war-zone photos awakens all sorts of nostalgia within our protagonist. It doesn't take the two men much to rekindle their old friendship, and they're off on all new adrenaline-pumping trips to refugee camps and war zones. Who knew how exhilarating a little bit of danger would prove to be? And by little, I mean several near-death experiences, of course.
Shatilla refugee camp, near Beirut
I wasn't expecting a novel about war to be so readable, let alone addictive. Even though the subject matter made me all sorts of reluctant to continue, once I did pick the book up, it was very hard to put it down again. About the only time I had any doubts about the story, was during its boring introductory sequence. 50 pages skillfully describing a mind-numbingly dull upper middle class existence is still dead boring. Yes, I realize that this was the entire point of the exposition.
The best and worst part of it all, was the utterly relatable aspect of Niels' life. I am not a high school teacher, nor do I despise my job, but I definitely look forward to my holidays abroad, where sunburns tend to be the most dangerous things I experience. Not to say that I'll be hopping on the first flight to the nearest war zone. The occasional alcohol drinking, refusal to have unprotected sex, or leave a spouse with whom I no longer have anything in common, however... that I can get behind.
War in Benghazi
I don't know if war zone tourism is a thing or not, but author Jesper Bugge Kold definitely presents it as a believable alternative to the more traditional drugs, sex and rock'n roll.
Score: 4.8/5 stars
Politics is so far from being my cup of tea... that I've been watching/reading about it as possessed, during the last few years. It's a medical mystery, I tell ya! You should have me studied at MIT.
My heart says 5 stars, while my mind is insisting that this train-wreck of a story cannot possibly deserve more than 4. But when you have a book so completely out of your comfort zone still drag you along for the ride, even if kicking and screaming, you have no choice but to listen to your heart.
======================
ARC provided by NetGalleyDE and Amazon Publishing Deutschland in exchange for an honest and fair review.
A coincidental glimpse of his old buddy's war-zone photos awakens all sorts of nostalgia within our protagonist. It doesn't take the two men much to rekindle their old friendship, and they're off on all new adrenaline-pumping trips to refugee camps and war zones. Who knew how exhilarating a little bit of danger would prove to be? And by little, I mean several near-death experiences, of course.
Shatilla refugee camp, near Beirut
I wasn't expecting a novel about war to be so readable, let alone addictive. Even though the subject matter made me all sorts of reluctant to continue, once I did pick the book up, it was very hard to put it down again. About the only time I had any doubts about the story, was during its boring introductory sequence. 50 pages skillfully describing a mind-numbingly dull upper middle class existence is still dead boring. Yes, I realize that this was the entire point of the exposition.
The best and worst part of it all, was the utterly relatable aspect of Niels' life. I am not a high school teacher, nor do I despise my job, but I definitely look forward to my holidays abroad, where sunburns tend to be the most dangerous things I experience. Not to say that I'll be hopping on the first flight to the nearest war zone. The occasional alcohol drinking, refusal to have unprotected sex, or leave a spouse with whom I no longer have anything in common, however... that I can get behind.
War in Benghazi
I don't know if war zone tourism is a thing or not, but author Jesper Bugge Kold definitely presents it as a believable alternative to the more traditional drugs, sex and rock'n roll.
Score: 4.8/5 stars
Politics is so far from being my cup of tea... that I've been watching/reading about it as possessed, during the last few years. It's a medical mystery, I tell ya! You should have me studied at MIT.
My heart says 5 stars, while my mind is insisting that this train-wreck of a story cannot possibly deserve more than 4. But when you have a book so completely out of your comfort zone still drag you along for the ride, even if kicking and screaming, you have no choice but to listen to your heart.
======================
ARC provided by NetGalleyDE and Amazon Publishing Deutschland in exchange for an honest and fair review.
March 4, 2018
Utrolig skarp og velskreven roman, meget læse og lytteværdig.
June 7, 2022
Rigtig, rigtig god bog!
Jeg fandt den både æstetisk, poetisk, humoristisk, trist og enormt velskrevet.
Og... Nok egentligt med al for megen genkendelighed fra mit eget liv og omgangskreds, hvor kontrasterne mellem det nære, gode og hyggelige støder ind i både forventninger, forhåbninger, muligheder og så den store verden hvor alt det vi tager som selvfølgeligheder i så stort et omfang at vi glemmer at sætte pris på det, slet slet ikke er en selvfølge.
Bogen handler om Niels som er lige dele fyldt med tristesse, kedsomhed, fastlåsthed, melankoli og generel opgivenhed, tungsind og spleen. Hans liv er på den ene side godt, fyldt med meningsgivende arbejde, venner, børn og hustru, som elsker ham men på den anden side alligevel er det ikke rigtigt godt og OK. Han er låst i hverdag, ensomhed, manglende horisont og ingen fremdrift selvom han måske nok burde være glad og tilfreds.
Bogen portrætterer en art livsambivalens hvor noget skal ske og det skal helst ske, så man kan mærke det - og det sker for Niels! Men han har ingen at dele det med udover hans gode ven, som vist for længst er gået "all-in" i alt det man alligevel ikke kan kommunikere med andre andet end via en tatovering, så han gentager, forøger indsatsen og mærker forandring i livet, men også fremmedgørelse fra hans eget liv.
Bogen er velskrevet, fængeden og interessant og bærer tydeligt præg af et enorm stykke researcharbejde. Jeg synes at bogen er en tankevækkende og troværdig beskrivelse af et helt almindeligt menneske i eksistentiel krise og (vildt nok) et billede af en art "turisme" som rent faktisk foregår i virkelighedens verden. Det sidste anede jeg ikke, men fandt blandt andet denne her: https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/webfeature/...
Bogen er en klar anbefaling, hvis man på én gang vil blive både lidt klogere, få lidt at tænke over, se lidt indad og lade sig underholde og overmande at godt gedigent og velfungerende forfatterarbejde!
Jeg fandt den både æstetisk, poetisk, humoristisk, trist og enormt velskrevet.
Og... Nok egentligt med al for megen genkendelighed fra mit eget liv og omgangskreds, hvor kontrasterne mellem det nære, gode og hyggelige støder ind i både forventninger, forhåbninger, muligheder og så den store verden hvor alt det vi tager som selvfølgeligheder i så stort et omfang at vi glemmer at sætte pris på det, slet slet ikke er en selvfølge.
Bogen handler om Niels som er lige dele fyldt med tristesse, kedsomhed, fastlåsthed, melankoli og generel opgivenhed, tungsind og spleen. Hans liv er på den ene side godt, fyldt med meningsgivende arbejde, venner, børn og hustru, som elsker ham men på den anden side alligevel er det ikke rigtigt godt og OK. Han er låst i hverdag, ensomhed, manglende horisont og ingen fremdrift selvom han måske nok burde være glad og tilfreds.
Bogen portrætterer en art livsambivalens hvor noget skal ske og det skal helst ske, så man kan mærke det - og det sker for Niels! Men han har ingen at dele det med udover hans gode ven, som vist for længst er gået "all-in" i alt det man alligevel ikke kan kommunikere med andre andet end via en tatovering, så han gentager, forøger indsatsen og mærker forandring i livet, men også fremmedgørelse fra hans eget liv.
Bogen er velskrevet, fængeden og interessant og bærer tydeligt præg af et enorm stykke researcharbejde. Jeg synes at bogen er en tankevækkende og troværdig beskrivelse af et helt almindeligt menneske i eksistentiel krise og (vildt nok) et billede af en art "turisme" som rent faktisk foregår i virkelighedens verden. Det sidste anede jeg ikke, men fandt blandt andet denne her: https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/webfeature/...
Bogen er en klar anbefaling, hvis man på én gang vil blive både lidt klogere, få lidt at tænke over, se lidt indad og lade sig underholde og overmande at godt gedigent og velfungerende forfatterarbejde!
November 15, 2019
Igen en rigtig velskrevet og god bog fra Jesper Bugge Kolds hånd. Grunden til at den “kun” får tre stjerner er, at jeg har læst meget nonfiktion om krigen i Syrien, Libyen m.m., derfor blev det en smule kedeligt for mig. Jeg kan kun anbefale at læse Jesper Bugge Kolds bøger og glæder mig allerede til den næste.
April 13, 2018
Lidt tynd handling og ret forudsigelig, men særdeles velskrevet.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews