Years ago, who will count them, I read the second in a series of novels about Harry Hole. And I didn’t like it. The novel made me tired and I don’t even remember being surprised by the result of the investigation. Overall, I didn’t like it. After that, I read three more novels (two were not and one was from the Harry Hole series) and they didn’t make an impression, as well. In fact, I liked Macbeth the best – it was a book written during a project where modern writers wrote their own versions of the classic.
In the past years, a number of novels about Harry Hole arrived in our library, and none of them attracted me to read them. This year, with great delay, “The Snowman” arrived and I read it in less than three days. And suddenly I understood Nesbe’s magic, which, as I read somewhere, is reflected in his ability to scare his readers. “The Snowman” is an excellent crime novel, with great descriptions of nature and cities and especially people. The action moves quickly and the killer is deeply hidden in the layers of the story until the very end. Harry Hole is a special story – with a complex personality, as troubled as he is capable. Far from the polished and made-up detectives, we are used to seeing in series. Hole and everything about him is reason enough to read any of these novels.
Snowman as a symbol of winter, children’s laughter and fun turns into an ominous figure that portends death. The whole of Oslo is scared, especially the women who are similar to the existing victims. Winter brings panic.
Read the book – maybe you will change your opinion about Nesbe’s work – it is possible 😉
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