Blogging Anniversary - 10 years

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A while ago I checked when I did my first blog post, in order to celebrate with an anniversary post. Well, that day came and went without any reaction from me. Better late than never, so here a reminder of my very first blog post from 24 October 2012.  The book was New Finnish Grammar  by Diego Marani. Marani is an Italian novelist, translator and newspaper columnist. While working as a translator for the European Union he invented a language ‘Europanto’ which is a mixture of languages and based on the common practice of word-borrowing usage of many EU languages. It was a suitable book to start with, being a book about letters, languages and memories. With a beautiful prose, the novel went directly to my heart.  "One night at Trieste in September 1943 a seriously wounded soldier is found on the quay. The doctor, of a newly arrived German hospital ship, Pietri Friari gives the unconscious soldier medical assistance. His new patient has no documents or anything that can ide...
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Älskade Pooona (Calling Out For You) by Karin Fossum

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Another wonderful story by Karin Fossum. This is the 5th book about detective inspector Konrad Sejer, but can be read independently. 

I love Fossum's writing and story telling, and this is a very touching story about a middle aged, rather lonely, man. 

"Gunder Jomann thinks his life has been made complete when he returns from a trip to India a married man. But on the day his bride arrives in Norway she vanishes. Then the town is shocked by the news of an Indian woman found bludgeoned to death in a nearby meadow.

Inspector Sejer and his colleague Skarre head the murder inquiry, planting seeds of suspicion in a community which has always believed itself to be peaceful and safe."

As one can imagine finding the dead woman is a big event in a small town where nothing much usually happens. Fossum  creates a set of ordinary people who reacts in different way to violent actions. Her characters are so well defined that you really think you know the people. You probably do, because they are so normal. At least until something happens. 

Gunder Jomann is a character that you just have to love. He lives his own, rather isolated life. The only person he sees is his sister Marie and the two of them are very close. He is good at his work, and does not make too much noice in the community. His happiness after finding a wife is wonderfully described, as well as the preparations he is making to welcome his bride. When disaster hits, in more ways than one, you cannot help but feel so sorry for him. I think I feel with him so much, because, in all the misery, he contains his integrity.

There is also the story of Sejer and Skarre, the detectives. Work mixed with private issues. And then there is Linda, the witness. Did she really see something, or she just want to make herself interesting to Skarre?

It is a wonderfully, sad story, and I think it is Fossum's signum. She takes us into her characters and they are so well built up and makes for such interesting reading. Not only to solve a murder mystery, but to get to know a set of characters, their good and bad sides. You keep guessing until the very end who the murder is. And then you wonder; did they catch the right person? 


Comments

  1. Jeanie2 September 2021 at 21:50

    I really like Fossum's books. I'll look forward to this one.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lisbeth 9 September 2021 at 15:56

      It was really good. Can you imagine when one cries over a thriller. Her writing is so spot on, and you recognise her characters out of life.

      Delete

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