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Minnesota Trilogy #2
De døde
Andre bok i den prisvinnende Minnesota-trilogien: «De døde» er en intenst spennende psykologisk jaktthriller.
Den norskættede politimannen Lance Hansen sliter med samvittighetskvaler etter at en ung norsk turist er drept ved bredden av Lake Superior i USA. Lance er overbevist om at en mann er uskyldig dømt, og at broren hans, Andy, er den riktige morderen. Lance prøver å late som ingenting når de to brødrene legger ut på sin årlige hjortejakt. For hvor langt er Andy villig til å gå dersom han skjønner at Lance mistenker ham? Når blir jegeren selv den jagede? Samtidig nærmer en hundre år gammel mordgåte seg sin løsning.
Vidar Sundstøl spinner en nervepirrende vev av historier – om brutale drap, om norske og svenske innvandrere, om medisinmannen Swamper Caribous spøkelse, og ikke minst, vår tids etterkommere av de skandinaviske pionerene. Minnesota-trilogien består av bøkene «Drømmenes land», «De døde» og «Ravnene». Alle de tre bøkene finnes på lydbok.
Den norskættede politimannen Lance Hansen sliter med samvittighetskvaler etter at en ung norsk turist er drept ved bredden av Lake Superior i USA. Lance er overbevist om at en mann er uskyldig dømt, og at broren hans, Andy, er den riktige morderen. Lance prøver å late som ingenting når de to brødrene legger ut på sin årlige hjortejakt. For hvor langt er Andy villig til å gå dersom han skjønner at Lance mistenker ham? Når blir jegeren selv den jagede? Samtidig nærmer en hundre år gammel mordgåte seg sin løsning.
Vidar Sundstøl spinner en nervepirrende vev av historier – om brutale drap, om norske og svenske innvandrere, om medisinmannen Swamper Caribous spøkelse, og ikke minst, vår tids etterkommere av de skandinaviske pionerene. Minnesota-trilogien består av bøkene «Drømmenes land», «De døde» og «Ravnene». Alle de tre bøkene finnes på lydbok.
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First published January 1, 2011
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About the author
Vidar Sundstøl
26 books59 followersNorwegian author, born in 1963. Lives in Telemark, Southern Norway. Married to Shea Sundstøl (California, US).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 136 reviews
September 30, 2014
Only the Dead continues only a few months after the end of the story which occurred in the same author's The Land of Dreams. In many ways this is more a novel of suspense than a mystery, a novel of personal confrontations spaced 100 years apart, confrontations with people and with nature. This is not a book for action-loving readers who will be disappointed, but for those who want a deeper kind of suspense between men and between man and nature, where most of the action is internal, this could be just the book.
Once again, the setting is contemporary Minnesota, among the descendants of Norwegian immigrants of the turn of the 20th century. And the land of the Ojibway people. Lance Hansen continues to be haunted by the murder that happened the prior summer and also questions what it is that his brother hasn't told him. Now the two are on their annual deer hunting trip, in November in the land along Lake Superior.
I've never hunted an animal, never wanted to in fact, but this I find description captivating.
He enjoyed the supremely goal-oriented nature of
hunting. The fact that everything he heard and saw was
important. That each step he took, and the way he moved,
counted. That everything had significance. And yet
almost nothing happened. Maybe he saw a flock of
nuthatches. Maybe he heard a pinecone fall. An entire
day could pass in that fashion. It was almost like
experiencing a great, liberating nothingness. but then
all of a sudden, in the midst of that nothingness, a
deer might be standing there, on alert, its long ears
moving like remote-controlled antennas. Then it all came
down to a few seconds of deliberate action. (loc 480)
In another selection, Sundstol shows his ability to set mood as Lance makes his way through the forest during a storm of freezing rain.
In the closest icicle he could see a hazy reflection
of his surroundings. When he leaned forward, he saw his
face. It was so distorted as to be unrecognizable, but
there was no doubt he was looking at his own reflection
in the ice. He pulled his head back for a moment and
then leaned close again. The movement made his face
change shape, alternately compressed and expanded. It
looked like it was shouting from inside, but without a
voice. (loc 1393)
Anyone considering reading this book definitely should read The Land of Dreams first. Without that, this book would likely become very confusing. This is also a part of a trilogy and I will definitely read that third book.
***one structural caveat***I read this in kindle format so I'm not certain if this issue applies also to the paper copy. The book transitions suddenly, and without indication or explanation, between present and past, past and present. Since events take place in the same physical area this can be disconcerting. So readers must be on their readerly toes at times.
I do recommend this book for its sense of place, building of suspense, character study.
An ecopy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Once again, the setting is contemporary Minnesota, among the descendants of Norwegian immigrants of the turn of the 20th century. And the land of the Ojibway people. Lance Hansen continues to be haunted by the murder that happened the prior summer and also questions what it is that his brother hasn't told him. Now the two are on their annual deer hunting trip, in November in the land along Lake Superior.
I've never hunted an animal, never wanted to in fact, but this I find description captivating.
He enjoyed the supremely goal-oriented nature of
hunting. The fact that everything he heard and saw was
important. That each step he took, and the way he moved,
counted. That everything had significance. And yet
almost nothing happened. Maybe he saw a flock of
nuthatches. Maybe he heard a pinecone fall. An entire
day could pass in that fashion. It was almost like
experiencing a great, liberating nothingness. but then
all of a sudden, in the midst of that nothingness, a
deer might be standing there, on alert, its long ears
moving like remote-controlled antennas. Then it all came
down to a few seconds of deliberate action. (loc 480)
In another selection, Sundstol shows his ability to set mood as Lance makes his way through the forest during a storm of freezing rain.
In the closest icicle he could see a hazy reflection
of his surroundings. When he leaned forward, he saw his
face. It was so distorted as to be unrecognizable, but
there was no doubt he was looking at his own reflection
in the ice. He pulled his head back for a moment and
then leaned close again. The movement made his face
change shape, alternately compressed and expanded. It
looked like it was shouting from inside, but without a
voice. (loc 1393)
Anyone considering reading this book definitely should read The Land of Dreams first. Without that, this book would likely become very confusing. This is also a part of a trilogy and I will definitely read that third book.
***one structural caveat***I read this in kindle format so I'm not certain if this issue applies also to the paper copy. The book transitions suddenly, and without indication or explanation, between present and past, past and present. Since events take place in the same physical area this can be disconcerting. So readers must be on their readerly toes at times.
I do recommend this book for its sense of place, building of suspense, character study.
An ecopy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
February 22, 2015
The second novel in the Minnesota Trilogy had me waiting for the train wreck and wanting the book to end quickly. Instead, it dragged on. Perhaps the author of a psychological thriller would be happy with what I just wrote, but I wasn't.
I enjoyed the first novel in the series, in part because it takes place near my home town. But the second novel felt like only a partial story and a boring, slow-moving one at that. The entire book uses only 5 characters, one of whom doesn't speak (at least in English), and takes place in just 5 settings. I kept waiting for the big reveal that 'nothing is at it seems', but it never came.
I'll probably read the 3rd book in the series when it is translated, just because I want closure and want to see if it will reveal more about the land where I grew up, but I'm not looking forward to reading it any more.
Perhaps it would have been better to combine books 2 & 3.
I enjoyed the first novel in the series, in part because it takes place near my home town. But the second novel felt like only a partial story and a boring, slow-moving one at that. The entire book uses only 5 characters, one of whom doesn't speak (at least in English), and takes place in just 5 settings. I kept waiting for the big reveal that 'nothing is at it seems', but it never came.
I'll probably read the 3rd book in the series when it is translated, just because I want closure and want to see if it will reveal more about the land where I grew up, but I'm not looking forward to reading it any more.
Perhaps it would have been better to combine books 2 & 3.
August 28, 2014
Only the Dead is the second book in author Vidal Sundstol’s Minnesota Trilogy and it continues the story of forest ranger and amateur historian Lance Hansen who had discovered the body of a young Norwegian tourist on the North Shore of Lake Superior. He had begun to suspect his brother, Andy, of the crime but even after the arrest of a man he thought was innocent, Lance couldn’t bring himself to reveal his suspicions.
In this second book, Lance and Andy are on their annual deer hunt but the hunt is marred by suspicion and tension on both sides. As he spends this time alone with his brother, Lance becomes more convinced of Andy’s guilt. On his side, Andy is convinced that it was Lance who broke into his cabin and is lying to him about it. When an ice storm begins and the two are separated, Lance loses his way. He becomes increasingly paranoid as he sees or imagines Andy stalking him. As Lance tries to find his way in the storm, he imagines an eerily similar story about a relative who immigrated to America a century earlier and his possible role in the disappearance of an Ojibway man.
Sandstol is a master at creating mood with his use of language and description. Despite this being the same story, these two books have completely different feels to them. The first book seemed wider in scope and lighter in tone despite the murder. Sundstol devoted much of the first book to descriptions of the role the area played in the early fur trade, of the small towns, and details about the early Scandinavian immigrants to the area as well as giving a much broader outline of the earlier mystery. Somehow, all of this gave a strong dreamlike quality to the first book. Even the title was less dark, reminiscent of the song, Land of Dreams which was part of a Discover America campaign and, in many ways, this first book was as much an ode to the beauty and history of the area as it was a mystery.
Only the Dead, on the other hand, is much darker. All of the action is confined to a small and isolated area of dense forest and within a shorter time span. There is no sense of history or civilization. This reduction in space and time gives the tale a strong claustrophobic feel. Even the character of Lance seems much darker in this second part. There is a greater sense of tension and immediacy to the conflict between him and Andy than there was even about the murder in the first book. The ice storm and Lance’s disorientation makes it even more chilling as does the similar and eery tale of his ancestor’s own search for the American Dream.
The juxtaposition of tone between Land of Dreams and Only the Dead outlines the more nightmarish qualities of this second book. Where the first book is slower, more objective, more real, the story here has taken a much darker almost mystical turn. In some ways, it seems more active even though much of the action is only in Lance’s imaginings. Where the first deals with events in a more objective way, the murder, the investigation and the actual history of the area, this deals much more with Lance’s own interpretation of events including the murder a century earlier coloured by his fears and suspicions.
Where the first book was, despite all of the history and description of the area, at heart, a straightforward police procedural, Only the Dead is a straightup psychological thriller But despite their differences, the two books are tied together by their intelligence, by the beauty of the language and descriptions, and by their exploration of death and the complex nature of families, what binds them together and what tears them apart.
In this second book, Lance and Andy are on their annual deer hunt but the hunt is marred by suspicion and tension on both sides. As he spends this time alone with his brother, Lance becomes more convinced of Andy’s guilt. On his side, Andy is convinced that it was Lance who broke into his cabin and is lying to him about it. When an ice storm begins and the two are separated, Lance loses his way. He becomes increasingly paranoid as he sees or imagines Andy stalking him. As Lance tries to find his way in the storm, he imagines an eerily similar story about a relative who immigrated to America a century earlier and his possible role in the disappearance of an Ojibway man.
Sandstol is a master at creating mood with his use of language and description. Despite this being the same story, these two books have completely different feels to them. The first book seemed wider in scope and lighter in tone despite the murder. Sundstol devoted much of the first book to descriptions of the role the area played in the early fur trade, of the small towns, and details about the early Scandinavian immigrants to the area as well as giving a much broader outline of the earlier mystery. Somehow, all of this gave a strong dreamlike quality to the first book. Even the title was less dark, reminiscent of the song, Land of Dreams which was part of a Discover America campaign and, in many ways, this first book was as much an ode to the beauty and history of the area as it was a mystery.
Only the Dead, on the other hand, is much darker. All of the action is confined to a small and isolated area of dense forest and within a shorter time span. There is no sense of history or civilization. This reduction in space and time gives the tale a strong claustrophobic feel. Even the character of Lance seems much darker in this second part. There is a greater sense of tension and immediacy to the conflict between him and Andy than there was even about the murder in the first book. The ice storm and Lance’s disorientation makes it even more chilling as does the similar and eery tale of his ancestor’s own search for the American Dream.
The juxtaposition of tone between Land of Dreams and Only the Dead outlines the more nightmarish qualities of this second book. Where the first book is slower, more objective, more real, the story here has taken a much darker almost mystical turn. In some ways, it seems more active even though much of the action is only in Lance’s imaginings. Where the first deals with events in a more objective way, the murder, the investigation and the actual history of the area, this deals much more with Lance’s own interpretation of events including the murder a century earlier coloured by his fears and suspicions.
Where the first book was, despite all of the history and description of the area, at heart, a straightforward police procedural, Only the Dead is a straightup psychological thriller But despite their differences, the two books are tied together by their intelligence, by the beauty of the language and descriptions, and by their exploration of death and the complex nature of families, what binds them together and what tears them apart.
November 2, 2016
When I first started reading the 2nd book in this trilogy I was wondering if they'd ever move on from the hunting trip. Nope. Once I realized that I just let the story unfold as is, without expectation of moving into any other storylines beyond the brothers, Lance & Andy. If you're into mysteries, this is not it. This book seemed to focus more on self-reflection and revelation and delve deeper into ancestral history and survival and how it shapes who we are. It takes more of a philosophical path. I can see themes in this book being discussed in a classroom or book club.
You don't necessarily need to read the first book in the trilogy to follow along. The author does a decent job of catching you up to speed on what occurred in the first book. Sometimes too much repetition if you've read the first one. And for goodness sake, don't these people eat something other than chicken salad sandwiches and drink coffee?
What's annoying at first since it appears without introduction, proper set up, or any explanation why it's there but then you find yourself looking forward to its continuation is the story of Thormod and Swamper Caribou. One can find parallels between the two storylines of them and the Hansen brothers. The mystery of Swamper Caribou is resolved in this book. However, the mystery of the Hansen brothers remains.
You don't necessarily need to read the first book in the trilogy to follow along. The author does a decent job of catching you up to speed on what occurred in the first book. Sometimes too much repetition if you've read the first one. And for goodness sake, don't these people eat something other than chicken salad sandwiches and drink coffee?
What's annoying at first since it appears without introduction, proper set up, or any explanation why it's there but then you find yourself looking forward to its continuation is the story of Thormod and Swamper Caribou. One can find parallels between the two storylines of them and the Hansen brothers. The mystery of Swamper Caribou is resolved in this book. However, the mystery of the Hansen brothers remains.
April 21, 2019
The second book in the Minnesota trilogy. Still no answer to the mystery but I loved this book. It could be because I love First People culture and lore. I wish the library was open today so I could pick up The Ravens and finish this story.
July 30, 2014
This was a very bad book, very confusing I'm still not sure what I just read here.
There's a couple of diffrent stories mixed into this, first there is Lance and his brother Andy who are on a hunting trip for pretty much the whole book which is kinda boring. Lance is sure his brother murdered someone a couple months back and their hunting trip is in the same area where the body was found. After a while the story changes to something that happened like 100 years before from what I understood, now this is very confusing at first because there is no indication that it's on a diffrent story, one second Lance is in the woods hunting and looking for his brother then it seems like he's crossing the lake and falls on ice and loses his lips, huh? But no it's a totally diffrent story bout some guy comming into America, now there is something in the book about a man named Swamp Caribou, I'm not sure if that second story is about him or about the guy that killed Swamp Caribou, it was not clear.
I have no idea how the two stories connect other than the story about Swamp Caribou was about one of their ancestors. There's also that story told by Lance's ex-father in law at the beginning of the book about Swamp Caribou' knife which according the the book description should be an important facor in the book but I don't see how it's has anything to do with anything.
If you're getting this book thinking it is a good murder mystery, don't waist your time.
There's a couple of diffrent stories mixed into this, first there is Lance and his brother Andy who are on a hunting trip for pretty much the whole book which is kinda boring. Lance is sure his brother murdered someone a couple months back and their hunting trip is in the same area where the body was found. After a while the story changes to something that happened like 100 years before from what I understood, now this is very confusing at first because there is no indication that it's on a diffrent story, one second Lance is in the woods hunting and looking for his brother then it seems like he's crossing the lake and falls on ice and loses his lips, huh? But no it's a totally diffrent story bout some guy comming into America, now there is something in the book about a man named Swamp Caribou, I'm not sure if that second story is about him or about the guy that killed Swamp Caribou, it was not clear.
I have no idea how the two stories connect other than the story about Swamp Caribou was about one of their ancestors. There's also that story told by Lance's ex-father in law at the beginning of the book about Swamp Caribou' knife which according the the book description should be an important facor in the book but I don't see how it's has anything to do with anything.
If you're getting this book thinking it is a good murder mystery, don't waist your time.
December 3, 2015
Wow! I always thought that deer hunting sounded kind of boring. Lance Hanson, Forest Service law enforcement officer and amateur historian, discovered a gruesomely murdered Norwegian tourist in the first book of this trilogy, "The Land of Dreams." He's a middle-aged, divorced father who is more engaged with unraveling the history of his ancestors and the other settlers of the North Shore of Lake Superior than with his contemporaries. Plus, he has not dreamed in over seven years. Is he experiencing mental deterioration? Depression? Mid-life crisis? Or is he just the stereotypical Scandi-Minnesotan strong but silent man? Spurred by a colleague's question about previous homicides in Cook County, Lance becomes obsessed with discovering what happened to a Native American named Swamper Caribou who disappeared around the time that his own family arrived in the area. Plus, Lance suspects that his brother Andy knows something about the suspicious death of the tourist. Now both brothers are armed with memories and firearms while stalking deer on the trails near the murder site in November's cruel and unpredictable weather. Oddly thrilling reading with a mystery still unresolved.
June 25, 2014
I believe this author has a great story to tell. I believe the story is lost in the translation. There are very strong elements in this story to be certain. Where it goes wrong is the flow and editing of the tale. There are characters with no point, story lines that are picked up in the middle, and no conclusion to this tale. This story reads like we go there late and left early.
The telling is full of description and feeling. The cold described seeps into your bones while you read.
The characters feel out of place, and the mix of themes just doesn't work. There are phrases that are repeated verbatim in successive paragraphs, signs of editing miscues.
I can't recommend this story as it sits, I just wish it had a translation and editing team that felt the story as much as the author did.
The telling is full of description and feeling. The cold described seeps into your bones while you read.
The characters feel out of place, and the mix of themes just doesn't work. There are phrases that are repeated verbatim in successive paragraphs, signs of editing miscues.
I can't recommend this story as it sits, I just wish it had a translation and editing team that felt the story as much as the author did.
April 17, 2024
This was a weird one, but I know it’s important for the story as a whole. It was like watching two individuals from different times descend into madness. It makes me wonder about whether Lance is related to both Thormod and Swamper or being haunted by one or both. This was a crazy one but the setting seemed so perfect and added really well to the tone of the book. I’m reading this trilogy as though it’s one book because that seems important with these. It doesn’t feel like they are stand alones at all. They very much need the others.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 27, 2017
Eh. It was surprisingly boring, given the premise and characters. Tedious. Drawn out. Half the book is the main character complaining about being cold. Perhaps I'll re-read it someday and like it, but doubt it. No resolution to the story, really. You'll have to read the third book in this trilogy.
September 24, 2019
Volume two of the trilogy repeats nearly everything included in volume one, and makes very little headway with the story.
October 27, 2023
Really enjoyed this series. Great sense of place; the north shore of Lake Superior.
August 12, 2018
This novel is located in and around Lake Superior. It is about 2 brothers, the murder of a native American, Swamper Caribou. It is about the death of a tourist in the same location many years after the first murder. It is about the beauty and quiet of deer hunters in their quest for a big buck, and their falling out.
July 17, 2017
I loved the first book. The second one, less so. It IS suspenseful, well-written, I suppose, and resolves at least one question from the first book. About halfway through I started wishing this had been a longish short story rather than a short book. I felt like I was trudging through the icy woods, hoping to get to the end but walking in circles, wondering if there was a future for the characters and me.
The fact that I loved the first book so much probably makes me judge this one more harshly. It wasn't equivalent in length, characters, and plot, and wasn't meant to be. I can imagine the two books together as a television series, maybe 6 or 7 episodes. The first book would be five episodes, this one would be one to two at most and serve as the cliffhanger end of the season. Then, a break and cue the next and final book of the trilogy, which I hope will be worth it. If the next installment revealed that this book had been mostly a dream, as happens sometimes with series, I wouldn't be that upset.
A few odd details: Contrary to the book, people in Duluth DO go swimming in Lake Superior, even if the water is only warm enough for a few days each summer. (A lucky combination of wind and warm weather that pushes the warm surface water to shore?) The details of deer hunting seem off to me, possibly artistic license. I'll ask a hunting neighbor. The protagonist's fondness for Dove candies, Old Dutch potato chips, and local beer is endearing. Question: Would Mesabi Red still be Lance's favorite beer now that we have Bent Paddle and Castle Danger? I think he might switch to Bent Paddle's Black Ale.
The fact that I loved the first book so much probably makes me judge this one more harshly. It wasn't equivalent in length, characters, and plot, and wasn't meant to be. I can imagine the two books together as a television series, maybe 6 or 7 episodes. The first book would be five episodes, this one would be one to two at most and serve as the cliffhanger end of the season. Then, a break and cue the next and final book of the trilogy, which I hope will be worth it. If the next installment revealed that this book had been mostly a dream, as happens sometimes with series, I wouldn't be that upset.
A few odd details: Contrary to the book, people in Duluth DO go swimming in Lake Superior, even if the water is only warm enough for a few days each summer. (A lucky combination of wind and warm weather that pushes the warm surface water to shore?) The details of deer hunting seem off to me, possibly artistic license. I'll ask a hunting neighbor. The protagonist's fondness for Dove candies, Old Dutch potato chips, and local beer is endearing. Question: Would Mesabi Red still be Lance's favorite beer now that we have Bent Paddle and Castle Danger? I think he might switch to Bent Paddle's Black Ale.
May 7, 2018
It's been maybe 2-3 years since I've read the previous one, so I don't remember what it was about and if it was even decently good or not, but I remember being pissed about it leaving things unfinished.
Now, this one... well, same thing: leaves you with an annoying cliffhanger. But worse, I didn't even see the point of this book. About 2/3 of it is just Lance and his brother hunting and being pissed at each other. And then there's the part of the guy and the Indian guy... that I didn't understand what it had to do with anything. Neither of these two sub-stories were even remotely interesting anyway.
I honestly only went through to the end because the book is quite short and I want to read the last of the trilogy to get the conclusion about the murder from book one, but I couldn't get myself to take the next one without finishing this one so... yeah, I just kinda rushed through this to be done with it.
Let's hope the next one is better (although by the time I pick it up, it might be another couple more years).
Now, this one... well, same thing: leaves you with an annoying cliffhanger. But worse, I didn't even see the point of this book. About 2/3 of it is just Lance and his brother hunting and being pissed at each other. And then there's the part of the guy and the Indian guy... that I didn't understand what it had to do with anything. Neither of these two sub-stories were even remotely interesting anyway.
I honestly only went through to the end because the book is quite short and I want to read the last of the trilogy to get the conclusion about the murder from book one, but I couldn't get myself to take the next one without finishing this one so... yeah, I just kinda rushed through this to be done with it.
Let's hope the next one is better (although by the time I pick it up, it might be another couple more years).
July 20, 2016
Meget stille modigt mellemspil. Meget anderledes end første bog. Nærmest en parentes mellem de to bøger. Atypisk krimi ser spinder videre på forbrydelsen fra første bog. Jeg er meget spændt på bog 3.
October 27, 2014
The story is going downhill. The two brothers are like the Norwegian and the Indian. Will Lance come out ok. Won't know until the third book.
November 28, 2017
I read all three books in the trilogy and this was my least favorite. Enjoyed the other two, especially since I am a Minnesotan.
November 5, 2017
Lance Hansen, een Amerikaanse politieagent die samen met zijn broer van jagen houdt, onderzoekt de moord van de vermiste toerist uit Noorwegen. Hij duikt in de geschiedenis en vindt daar duistere familieverhalen.
In ‘de doden’ wordt verteld hoe Lance Hanson een moord probeert op te lossen van een vermoorde toerist. Lance gaat opzoek naar de echte moordenaar en komt er snel achter dat zijn broer er iets mee te maken had. Lance was een politieagent en had zijn broer een vals alibi gegeven op de dag van de moord. Nu probeert Lance te onderzoeken wat er echt was gebeurd, maar de echte moordenaar heeft door dat Lance hem verdenkt. Hoe ver is de echte moordenaar bereid te gaan als hij beseft dat Lance hem verdenkt?
‘De doden’ is een trilogie. Dit boek was het tweede deel. Ik vond het boek niet zo goed. Als je de achterkant van het boek leest, verwacht je veel spanning maar in het boek was er veel minder spanning. Ik vond het verhaal niet volledig duidelijk. Het ging een groot deel over jagen wat niet vermeld was op de achterflap. Er was wel een zeer spannend einde. Ik zou zelf het derde deel niet lezen. De natuur werd in dit boek een beetje te veel beschreven.
Kortom is dit boek niet zo goed als je er veel spanning in verwacht.
In ‘de doden’ wordt verteld hoe Lance Hanson een moord probeert op te lossen van een vermoorde toerist. Lance gaat opzoek naar de echte moordenaar en komt er snel achter dat zijn broer er iets mee te maken had. Lance was een politieagent en had zijn broer een vals alibi gegeven op de dag van de moord. Nu probeert Lance te onderzoeken wat er echt was gebeurd, maar de echte moordenaar heeft door dat Lance hem verdenkt. Hoe ver is de echte moordenaar bereid te gaan als hij beseft dat Lance hem verdenkt?
‘De doden’ is een trilogie. Dit boek was het tweede deel. Ik vond het boek niet zo goed. Als je de achterkant van het boek leest, verwacht je veel spanning maar in het boek was er veel minder spanning. Ik vond het verhaal niet volledig duidelijk. Het ging een groot deel over jagen wat niet vermeld was op de achterflap. Er was wel een zeer spannend einde. Ik zou zelf het derde deel niet lezen. De natuur werd in dit boek een beetje te veel beschreven.
Kortom is dit boek niet zo goed als je er veel spanning in verwacht.
January 12, 2020
The second in the Minnesota trilogy Only the Dead is completely unlike the first novel. It is more of a novella in length which is suitable for the style.
This second book is mostly an artistically remarkable stream of consciousness hunt scene in the Minnesota forest between the two current day brothers, Lance and Andy, and a second stream of consciousness of their ancestor who arrived by ship from Norway and decides to walk the last leg of the journey to his uncle's cabin in remote North Shore, Minnesota. At night. In winter.
The incident of the disappearance of Swamper Caribou, an Ojibwe medicine man is revealed.
Brothers Lance and Andy begin to hunt each other.
Only the dead do not dream
Much of this reads like a dream state with a lot of suspense and dark spirit world undertones. Lance, the main character, however, does not dream since a pivotal dream 7 years prior that he does not understand.
Sundstøl increasingly highlights the importance of dreams in Ojibwe traditional culture, making it one of the central themes. This second book is the spiritual underpinning of what is transpiring behind the ordinary day to day world.
Lance, having learned his great-grandmother was Métis (French and Ojibwe mixed culture from the fur trade) but passed for white in his family circle, feels his Ojibwe blood speaking to him.
Much of this section of the trilogy feels like that state when dreams merge with waking experience and we begin to have trouble distinguishing one from the other.
This second book is mostly an artistically remarkable stream of consciousness hunt scene in the Minnesota forest between the two current day brothers, Lance and Andy, and a second stream of consciousness of their ancestor who arrived by ship from Norway and decides to walk the last leg of the journey to his uncle's cabin in remote North Shore, Minnesota. At night. In winter.
The incident of the disappearance of Swamper Caribou, an Ojibwe medicine man is revealed.
Brothers Lance and Andy begin to hunt each other.
Only the dead do not dream
Much of this reads like a dream state with a lot of suspense and dark spirit world undertones. Lance, the main character, however, does not dream since a pivotal dream 7 years prior that he does not understand.
Sundstøl increasingly highlights the importance of dreams in Ojibwe traditional culture, making it one of the central themes. This second book is the spiritual underpinning of what is transpiring behind the ordinary day to day world.
Lance, having learned his great-grandmother was Métis (French and Ojibwe mixed culture from the fur trade) but passed for white in his family circle, feels his Ojibwe blood speaking to him.
Much of this section of the trilogy feels like that state when dreams merge with waking experience and we begin to have trouble distinguishing one from the other.
January 9, 2018
I preface this review with the fact I did not read the first book in the trilogy, I picked it up in the library and didn't realize until later that it was the second book in the series. I didn't feel lost when I started reading this book and of course, maybe I don't even know how much I am missing but there is enough information on the dust cover and things in the book that you feel you get the gist of what is going on. The descriptions of being semi-alone, not sure if you are the hunted or the hunter in a cold forest are extremely atmospheric and well done. There is psychological tension throughout the book as Lance Hansen wrestles with what he knows or thinks he knows about his brother's involvement in a murder months earlier as they hunt together in the woods. However, overall I don't think this book advances the story line much at all. There are only so real developments at the very end of the book. For that reason I was somewhat disappointed in the story.
February 6, 2019
I felt like this could have been part of the previous book; it's really almost a novella. But the mood is darker and there's a sense of the forest closing in. The annual deer hunt between two brother's continues, but as it gets darker and colder, they both develop suspicions about each other. Lance drifts into a back story about their ancestors, and an explanation for the death of a medicine man that's long been questioned.
There isn't a conclusion at the end of the book; there isn't much dialogue here even. But it's very tightly written, and the setting basically becomes a central character in the book. The history of the area is given to us, so there's not a ton of action. When you're finished with the book, you're kind of unsettled, anxious and want to know how the hunt ends.
This is the 2nd in a trilogy, and I really don't think it stands alone well. You'll get a lot more out of this entire book having read the first book beforehand.
There isn't a conclusion at the end of the book; there isn't much dialogue here even. But it's very tightly written, and the setting basically becomes a central character in the book. The history of the area is given to us, so there's not a ton of action. When you're finished with the book, you're kind of unsettled, anxious and want to know how the hunt ends.
This is the 2nd in a trilogy, and I really don't think it stands alone well. You'll get a lot more out of this entire book having read the first book beforehand.
February 15, 2020
This is the bridge novel in Vidar Sundstol's Minnesota Trilogy. It is only 156 pages long and six chapters. It tells two stories that take place around Baraga's Cross near Tofte, MN where the Norwegian tourist was killed in the first book. The story in this book tells of the story from 1892 of Lance Hansen's Norwegian ancestor, Thormod, arrival in the area and the disappearance of an Ojibwe head man. The other story is between Lance and his brother, Andy, who he suspects has something to do with the murder of the Norwegian tourist. They go on their annual hunting trip around Baraga's Cross, but with the enmity between the two brothers, it adds a lot of suspense, but as a bridge novel, there is no full resolution.
August 24, 2017
3.75 It's been a while since I read the first in this trilogy, but I really enjoyed reading this one. It was a bit different, more of a character study. I love the way the author describes the cold and the ice and the trees and nature. Very visual. The character of Lance seems simple but he is very interesting. Not much happens, but reading about the ancestor who came over from Norway a long time ago corresponds nicely to Lance's persona in the present and the issues with his brother Andy. Nice to have some Native American aspects interspersed here. On to the last title in the trilogy.
March 13, 2018
I didn't enjoy this book as much as its predecessor. There was very little plot advancement, and a lot of descriptive passages describing an almost hallucinatory "dream" of the protagonist, all while very little was happening in "real life" for the character. There is also a parallel, dream-like story featuring an ancestor of the protagonist which sheds some light on a plot thread from the first volume. I am approaching the final book of the trilogy with some apprehension as I hope it's more like the first book than the second.
September 13, 2018
A decent second volume to the fantastic first volume of Vidar Sundstol's Minnesota Trilogy. The entire novel occurs during a two day long deer hunting trip that Lance and Andy Hansen go on every year.
We discover the reality of what Lance's ancestor did on his fateful journey to Tofte, which comes to light through poetic interludes interspersed amongst the action of the Hansen brother's deer hunt.
This novel haunting and crucial for the story, but many will find it slow-paced and a step down from the first volume, The Land of Dreams.
We discover the reality of what Lance's ancestor did on his fateful journey to Tofte, which comes to light through poetic interludes interspersed amongst the action of the Hansen brother's deer hunt.
This novel haunting and crucial for the story, but many will find it slow-paced and a step down from the first volume, The Land of Dreams.
April 28, 2019
Drømmenes land, De døde og Ravnene er fantastisk flotte bøker. De er veldig stillestående. Tilsammen utgjør de en meget tykk bok, men det skjer ikke så veldig mye i dem. En leser mange naturbeskrivelser og karakterbeskrivelser, men først og fremst Lances tanker. Og han funderinger rundt både det gamle og det nye mordet. Til slutt må han handle. Men hva velger han å gjøre?
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August 19, 2019
so this is more a novella than a novel and it would seem as though I'm in the minority but I thought it was pretty good. it basically follows two narratives...1 taking place during a day in the present and the other taking place during a night in the past. it was a quick read and it doesnt really answer anything from the 1st book...and truthfully it does a lot to make you question whether you actually like the main character from the 1st book or not. I'm also not gonna lie by saying I wish the Norwegian detective from book 1 was still around.
February 13, 2020
finished this morning of the 13th of february 2020 good read three stars i liked it...though not as much as the first of this trilogy...difficult to like the characters as in the case of the leading protagonist he has a flaw that seems irredeemable...and in the case of the secondary protagonist, he has a flaw that seems...fashionable...contrived. spoiler to say what. but still a suspenseful read we're in the grip of winter here so the settings did not warm me...kindle, library loaner, have the 3rd in the series opened and ready to go.
April 13, 2021
I found this book to be disappointing compared to the first one. It felt long though it was relatively short, it was slow, and extremely repetitive. The switch back and forth from past to present while interesting for us to discover what had happened in the past I felt not as interesting as it would have been to uncover along w the protagonist. After reading another review, I do feel that part of the slowness and repetitive nature of this book was perhaps an attempt to be symbolic of the experience of hunting, paying attention and noticing ever detail of sound, sight, imagery and the repetitive of the landscape deep within a forest without much actually happening until you may or may not come across a deer.
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