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What was your introduction to Nordic Noir?
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Introductory AuthorsSteig Larsson
Karin Fossum
Henning Mankell
My intro was through Stieg Larsson - I picked up The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series during an audiobook sale (narrated by the fabulous Simon Vance - who is still a favorite to this day) and I was hooked. Then came James Thompson
Karin Fossum! Still love her writing!
Dee wrote: "So I was thinking about this question, after reading several of the posts in the Introdution thread and then the geek in me came out (no comments from the peanut galley and that means you, Naomi!!)..."Ummmm, yeah...that is what brought out the geek in you!!!lol
I was knocked out by Henning Mankel's "The Man from Bejing" and followed it with the Kurt Wallendar series and his exceptional stand alone books. It was a rewarding experience for me to expand my mystery borders, so to speak, to the Southern coast of Sweden.
I saw the movie version of Jar City at a film festival, then a few years later when I decided I wanted to read more mysteries I gave it a try (I was disappointed with the translation).After that (all on recommendation):
Faceless Killers by Henning Mankell
Smilla's Sense of Snow by Peter Hoeg
Echoes from the Dead by Johan Theorin
Mankell and Theorin really sold it for me.
Indriason- Jar City and Peter Hoeg Smilia's Sense of SnowAnd I have never looked back. I agree with Mankell and Theorin too.
Hard to remember, but I think it was Indriason's Silence of the Grave, then Faceless Killers I like them all, Reading The Water's Edge by Karin Fossum. So many that these authors are the first books I consider when I want something to read, Terrible isn't it. I should broaden.
Mine must have been Maj Sjöwall & Per Wahlöö's Beck series, or Matti Yrjänä Joensuu's Harjunpää series, or something along those lines and times. My reading taste was horribly "age inappropriate", in the sense that after I got bored with Nancy Drews and Hardy Boys, I devoured all the Agatha Christies and similar (Van de Wetering, Rendell etc). I had finished all the Agatha Christies of my local library before I was 13, and at that point I needed more action and scare, so Clive Barker and a bunch of other stuff...(Note: I did try to read *ONE* book once that was actually a novel for teenage girls voluntarily when I was perhaps 13. I gave up on page 9 and went back to murders on the adult section).
Hm.. those might have overdosed me a bit. I don't currently like any of the Harjunpää, Beck, Miss Marple or other classic and not so action packed books. Life is too short for boring books, so I skip all the cozies, and try something of the category of "mystery" only when it's not likely to bore me to death.
Getting majorly *back* to reading a bunch of *modern* Nordic crime probably started with Stieg Larsson. Then Snow Angels and Harry Hole series didn't exactly help with getting out of the Nordic genre... since then of course I've found a bunch of other cool authors, Fossum, Tursten, Söderberg etc. And trying to find more modern crime and thrillers from around the world in the same time...
I think my first Scandi books w/ a crime element were Smilla's Sense of Snow and Blackwater in the 90s and then The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Jar City
Finding Sjöwall & Wahlöö books on my mum's bookshelves when I was about 14, back in the mid-70s, an dreading them on the bus to school. That must have been not long after they were first translated into English. It was years before I found anything that hit the spot in anything like the same way.
we found Sjowall & Wahloo's Martin Beck mysteries years ago. After a trip to scandinavia and reading the Girl with the Dragon Tatoo, became hungry Nordic fan. Looking forward to the group for ideas. Thanks...
First was Arnaldur Indridason, then the Steig Larsson trilogy, then I read the first Wallander (didn't care for it), then the wonderful Jim Thompson books, then Jo Nesbo.
The Martin Beck books when they came out in the 1970's. Still have a few of those paperbacks. I read Smilla's Sense of Snow, but didn't care for it. I've been reading the current crop of best sellers--Mankell, Larson and Nesbo--and sprinkling in Nesser and Arne Dahl when they are translated.I enjoy trying out new authors and NN has me introduced to several of these, and even if I don't rate them all that highly, I appreciate the suggestions and look forward to more.
The Stieg Larsson novels opened the door for me although I had read Smilla's Sense of Snow some years before. I was also delighted with the films that came from these novels.By the time I finished viewing Borgen, I was totally hooked. So it is a combination of novels, film, and TV that have helped to shape my interest. In addition, I enjoy NN because the characters are based in other cultures and NN is a way for me to absorb some of this experience.
Is it the weather? I grew up in Montana, USA, and weather is a big part of life there. I can relate to that aspect of characters' lives.
First was Smilla's....years ago. Then Stieg Larson trilogy which I found OK. Then two years ago while on a cruise in Greece a fellow traveler gave me Henning Mankell's the Fifth woman....and boy was I hooked! Now read all the NN I can get my hands on. Every summer I visit relatives in Winnipeg, Canada and go to the Whodunit Mystery Book store and come back to Minnesota with a box full. Many tend to be published in Canada before the US. Of course...there is always Amazon for those I can't find elsewhere.
I should have added that my current favorites are James Thompson and Karen Fossum.
Iceland Indriason and Yrsa and have never looked back.
Borrowing Sjöwall & Wahlöö from my Mum's bookshelves sometime around the mid-70s.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series....then on to more obscure authors.
For me it was Henning Mankell and then Indriason and then Theorin. Loved all their books. However, starting to tire a little of the hero being a "damaged" person e.g. drinks and smokes too much, overweight, destructive and difficult relationships with loved ones. A change is the hero Birkel in Ingolfsson's Daybreak. He exercises, watches his diet, slim, alert, quick and polite. I want to read more about him. Maybe the former I can identify with, the latter I aspire to.
The Millennium series by Stieg Larsson. Listened to them narrated by Simon Vance (awesome!). Love them so much plan to read them someday. This group is where I heard about so many others and I've read & loved James Thompson. Also really enjoy Arnaldur Indridason's series. Still working on both of them & hope to read many others in this genre. Watched all of the Wallander series on PBS so want to read those and Jo Nesbo next.
I'm retiring ... tomorrow is my last day of full-time employment, so looking forward to more time for reading. :-)
belated Congrats on the REtirement Martha - hopefully this finds you enjoying plenty of reading time ;)
Indriason was the first. I read "Jar City" and have never looked back
The introduction to Nordic literature started a lot earlier than I first thought!- Tove Jansson (as a child), then, later on
- Peter Hoeg
- Jens Christian Grondahl
- The Millennium series - Stieg Larsson
and then it just continued, Hakon Nesser, Jo Nesbo, Yrsa Sigurdardottir, Linn Ullman and Per Olav Enquist ......quite a lot there and all good!
The girl with the dragon tattoo for me & then fairly lapped up the rest of the Millennium series.Then i went thro my Icelandic phase with Arnaldur Indridason before exploring other authors
My introduction was the Henning Mankell "Wallander" series, but I loved the Stieg Larssen books. I am now going through the "original" NN author series- the Per Wahloo and Maj Sjowall Inspector Beck books from the 1960's that was the inspiration for Wallander.
After Indriason headed to one of my very favorite books "Semilla Sense of Snow" by Hoeg. Then Mankell hit me with "Dogs of Riga" and "Italian Shoes" and many more.Fossum captured me with 5 of her books. Then on to Stieg Larssen"books
Changed my name to Yrsa for awhile and who remembers the wonderful book about Estonia ( heavy duty) and must read that book again.
The list goes on.
I forgot about Smilla's Sense of Snow! I read that ages ago, can't remember now if that predates my intro to Mankell or not!
1. Steig Larsson - Girl With the Dragon Tattoo Series2. Arnaldur Indridason - Jar City
3. Karin Fossum - Don't Look Back
I've been addicted ever since, nothing compares. I'm sturng out like a junkie :)
Blackkit10 wrote: "1. Steig Larsson - Girl With the Dragon Tattoo Series2. Arnaldur Indridason - Jar City
3. Karin Fossum - Don't Look Back
I've been addicted ever since, nothing compares. I'm sturng out like a j..."
yes I know that feeling, have jus discovered Jussi Adler-Olsen & will be following the Q Dep't series avidly methinks.
Andy wrote: "Blackkit10 wrote: "1. Steig Larsson - Girl With the Dragon Tattoo Series2. Arnaldur Indridason - Jar City
3. Karin Fossum - Don't Look Back
I've been addicted ever since, nothing compares. I'm ..."
LOL, funny you should mention that because I believe I'm about to do the same, ha. Though I haven't read anything of hers yet, I have been looking for certain. I have this sickness of needing to read every author in order, so I will be following right behind you.
Come on guys there's some pretty good Tartan Noir out there as well :-) Stuart MacBride, Val Macdermid, Christopher Brookmyre........ :-)
My first reads were Henning Mankell, although I didn't really enjoy them.
Dalia wrote: "Come on guys there's some pretty good Tartan Noir out there as well :-) Stuart MacBride, Val Macdermid, Christopher Brookmyre........ :-)"Ha ha ha, Ok I will give you that. I've read every Val Macdermid Tony Hill Series, love, love, love them. I already have the newest on to be read list.
Andy wrote: "Blackkit10 wrote: "1. Steig Larsson - Girl With the Dragon Tattoo Series2. Arnaldur Indridason - Jar City
3. Karin Fossum - Don't Look Back
I've been addicted ever since, nothing compares. I'm ..."
LOL, funny you should mention that because I believe I'm about to do the same, ha. Though I haven't read anything of hers yet, I have been looking for certain. I have this sickness of needing to read every author in order, so I will be following right behind you.
I probably read Smilla's Sense of Snow way before any Mankell but I didn't know there was such a thing as Nordic Noir then even though Per Wahloo andMaj Sjowall started it in the 1950's. I am still working my way through the Martin Beck series :-)
I wish I had coined it :-) Am currently reading Gordon Ferris'
doesn't get much more noir!!
"Tartan Noir" – I'm thinking of starting on some Scottish crime fiction. I know it's "off topic" in this thread, but has anyone got any recommended authors to start with? As a guide, my favourite Scandinavian novels are by Nesbø and Mankell.
Stuart MacBride's Logan Macrae got better with every book in the series but Ian Rankin is probably the most famous of the Scottish crime writers. Val Mcdermid is widely uneven, but I really like her Karen Pirie novel based in Fife. The Crow Road by Iain Banks though more literary is at its heart a murder mystery.....
Bruce - feel to start a new thread on tartan noir if u want
My first was Steig Larsson series - i read the review for the first of the trilogy in the morning paper and just HAD to get it. I had just finished a long phase of reading and re - reading classics like Jane Austen and Henry James...now I am still reading almost nothing but Nordic Noir.Actually, after I finished the Larsson books I became addicted to Mankell- first the Man from Beijing and then the Wallander series and most of his stand alones.
Steig Larsson, Arne Dahl, Yrsa Sigurðardóttir and I have to say I was (still I am) very impressed.
Nordic Noir
Books mentioned in this topic
The Hanging Shed (other topics)Smilla's Sense of Snow (other topics)
Blackwater (other topics)
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (other topics)
Jar City (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Jussi Adler-Olsen (other topics)Maj Sjöwall (other topics)
Matti Yrjänä Joensuu (other topics)
What was your introduction to NN? (author/series)
i'm going to track results for the heck of it