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Young Inspector Erlendur #1
Einvígið
Sumarið 1972 er Reykjavík í uppnámi; heimsmeistaraeinvígið í skák er að hefjast í Laugardalshöll og bærinn fullur af útlendingum. Kalda stríðið er í algleymingi og fulltrúar austurs og vesturs fylgja sínum mönnum, Spassky og Fischer, að taflborðinu. Meðan undirbúningurinn stendur sem hæst fer meinlaus unglingspiltur í bíó og verður fyrir fólskulegri árás. Lögreglan er önnum kafin en Marion Briem, sem stýrir rannsókn málsins, einsetur sér að skilja það einvígi sem þarna er háð með lífið að veði.
317 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2011
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919 people want to read
About the author
Arnaldur Indriðason
54 books3,307 followersArnaldur Indriðason has the rare distinction of having won the Nordic Crime Novel Prize two years running. He is also the winner of the highly respected and world famous CWA Gold Dagger Award for the top crime novel of the year in the English language, Silence of the Grave.
Arnaldur’s novels have sold over 14 million copies worldwide, in 40 languages, and have won numerous well-respected prizes and received rave reviews all over the world.
Arnaldur’s novels have sold over 14 million copies worldwide, in 40 languages, and have won numerous well-respected prizes and received rave reviews all over the world.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 168 reviews
March 25, 2012
It is hard to know what someone, who was not alive yet or did not experience what it was like in Iceland the summer of 1972 at the time of the Fischer-Spassky chess match, thinks of this book. It summons so many memories for some of us. Arnaldur would have been only 12 or so then; I was older and working in the reception of a lovely, tiny summer hotel, Hótel Bifröst, 2-3 hours' drive from Reykjavík. I had also spent a few winters in Reykjavik, going to school, and was very familiar with the scene. This is Arnaldur's evocation of Reykjavik of those times, the ways, places and what it was like to have this unprecedented chess match descend on us there, as were the USA and Russia dueling on this island between their empires.
The title of the book, Einvígið, means The Match, also The Duel) The cover shows a little pawn fallen on the chessboard. It harks to the subject matter (and a sentence) in the book. A teenager is killed in a movie theater just after the "match" starts. The police investigates and it soon becomes evident that there is something foreign about the murder. Yet, as the intrigue spins on, Arnaldur does not let the reader forget the innocent young man.
As this book precedes in time Arnaldur's series with Erlendur and co, we now see someone who is a peripheral character in those books, namely Marion, a retired policeman. Marion is now a young man, but we learn about his childhood too. Here Arnaldur weaves in the history of tuberculoses in Iceland, what it was like to suffer it, how it was treated, because Marion suffered from TB as a boy and was treated, both in Iceland and Denmark. Some things I have never quite known what meant I now understand, such as what my mother meant when she referred to her cousin as having been "höggvin" or "chopped" (Thoracoplasty). One thing I love about Arnaldur is how alien it is to him to simplify or demonize what now is outdated; how he gives credit to the people who did their best for others in the battle with this disease, strange as it might seem now. The story is almost a tribute to that fight.
If we have nothing special to hang on to, time wise, it can be hard to go back to a particular time, here the summer of '72. But it so happened that one afternoon during this time when everything was going crazy in the capital and I was all by myself in the reception of the little summer hotel, in walks Spassky. He was with another Russian. There was a reservation (not in S's name!) and as they registered across the little shelf, there stood Spassky with his shy and observant gaze, while the other, older, Russian took care of the paperwork. There was something sweet about them, they were completely unobtrusive and polite, no demands, no paranoia. They stayed in one of the larger double rooms the whole weekend; barely seen and no one bothered them. Since we had no TV out there I'd only follow the news of the match on the radio and I took to hoping that Spassky would win. It was good to read that also in this novel Spassky's persona is as genial and polite as the impression I got of him. The scene in the restaurant Naust, where Spassky and company have dinner, feels very true. But since Arnaldur was only 12 it is hard to believe he was there, but his father, a journalist and an author, might have and told his son? I recently saw a documentary of the match, books have been written. There is so much attention on Fischer and his antics. But hey, at one, not famous, moment, there I stood face to face with Spassky and I was one of very few people in the world who knew his whereabouts that weekend.
My father sent me this book a couple of weeks before last Christmas. Three days after Christmas he died. The book is signed by Arnaldur, my first author-signed book. But it also has a note from my father, the last he wrote to me. No book will be like this book.
The title of the book, Einvígið, means The Match, also The Duel) The cover shows a little pawn fallen on the chessboard. It harks to the subject matter (and a sentence) in the book. A teenager is killed in a movie theater just after the "match" starts. The police investigates and it soon becomes evident that there is something foreign about the murder. Yet, as the intrigue spins on, Arnaldur does not let the reader forget the innocent young man.
As this book precedes in time Arnaldur's series with Erlendur and co, we now see someone who is a peripheral character in those books, namely Marion, a retired policeman. Marion is now a young man, but we learn about his childhood too. Here Arnaldur weaves in the history of tuberculoses in Iceland, what it was like to suffer it, how it was treated, because Marion suffered from TB as a boy and was treated, both in Iceland and Denmark. Some things I have never quite known what meant I now understand, such as what my mother meant when she referred to her cousin as having been "höggvin" or "chopped" (Thoracoplasty). One thing I love about Arnaldur is how alien it is to him to simplify or demonize what now is outdated; how he gives credit to the people who did their best for others in the battle with this disease, strange as it might seem now. The story is almost a tribute to that fight.
If we have nothing special to hang on to, time wise, it can be hard to go back to a particular time, here the summer of '72. But it so happened that one afternoon during this time when everything was going crazy in the capital and I was all by myself in the reception of the little summer hotel, in walks Spassky. He was with another Russian. There was a reservation (not in S's name!) and as they registered across the little shelf, there stood Spassky with his shy and observant gaze, while the other, older, Russian took care of the paperwork. There was something sweet about them, they were completely unobtrusive and polite, no demands, no paranoia. They stayed in one of the larger double rooms the whole weekend; barely seen and no one bothered them. Since we had no TV out there I'd only follow the news of the match on the radio and I took to hoping that Spassky would win. It was good to read that also in this novel Spassky's persona is as genial and polite as the impression I got of him. The scene in the restaurant Naust, where Spassky and company have dinner, feels very true. But since Arnaldur was only 12 it is hard to believe he was there, but his father, a journalist and an author, might have and told his son? I recently saw a documentary of the match, books have been written. There is so much attention on Fischer and his antics. But hey, at one, not famous, moment, there I stood face to face with Spassky and I was one of very few people in the world who knew his whereabouts that weekend.
My father sent me this book a couple of weeks before last Christmas. Three days after Christmas he died. The book is signed by Arnaldur, my first author-signed book. But it also has a note from my father, the last he wrote to me. No book will be like this book.
January 9, 2022
في هذه الرواية والتي بعنوان " الجولة الحاسمة " قُتِل ذاك الشاب البريء الذي كان مولعاً بتسجيل الأفلام التي يشاهدها بالسينما...، إن الشهود وموظفي السيينما قد أدلوا بشهادتهم ولكن لم يتوصل المحقق إلى شيء...
سوى ان اختفاء حقيبة الشاب والتي كانت تحتوي على الأشرطة والمُسجلة يفيد بأنه دليل ضد المجرم وتسمح بالوصول إليه....
على جانب موازٍ هناك مبارة دولية للعبة الشطرنج تقام بايسلندا بين لاعبين دوليين احدهما روسي والآخر أمريكي...هل ثمة علاقة بين جريمة القتل وتلك المبارة ؟...
لا تٌسارع بتصديق الاحتمالات...، فالكاتب يستقطبك لفعل ذلك ولكن سيفاجأك بنهاية مُغايرة لتوقعاتك..حيث هناك قضية سياسية خطيرة تكشف لك أوراقها فيما بعد...
هذا العمل مكتوب بحرفية عالية من الناحية السياسية ولربما لأنها ليست محل اهتمامي شعرت بالملل وافتقدت حماستي المعتادة مع روايات الجريمة...
العالم مليء بالتعقيدات والمصالح والأسرار....والأهم من ذلك كله إنه بائس...غارقٌ في البؤس....
الجميل أن في هذه الرواية وبآخر سطر يظهر شاب قد التحق حديثاً بوحدة الجريمة إنه " أرليندور " الذي سيصبح فيما بعد مُحققاً بارعاً في الكشف عن العديد من الجرائم....
هل كان ممكناً الحيلولة دون ما حدث ؟ لم يكن هناك جواب لا لبس فيه....
سوى ان اختفاء حقيبة الشاب والتي كانت تحتوي على الأشرطة والمُسجلة يفيد بأنه دليل ضد المجرم وتسمح بالوصول إليه....
على جانب موازٍ هناك مبارة دولية للعبة الشطرنج تقام بايسلندا بين لاعبين دوليين احدهما روسي والآخر أمريكي...هل ثمة علاقة بين جريمة القتل وتلك المبارة ؟...
لا تٌسارع بتصديق الاحتمالات...، فالكاتب يستقطبك لفعل ذلك ولكن سيفاجأك بنهاية مُغايرة لتوقعاتك..حيث هناك قضية سياسية خطيرة تكشف لك أوراقها فيما بعد...
هذا العمل مكتوب بحرفية عالية من الناحية السياسية ولربما لأنها ليست محل اهتمامي شعرت بالملل وافتقدت حماستي المعتادة مع روايات الجريمة...
العالم مليء بالتعقيدات والمصالح والأسرار....والأهم من ذلك كله إنه بائس...غارقٌ في البؤس....
الجميل أن في هذه الرواية وبآخر سطر يظهر شاب قد التحق حديثاً بوحدة الجريمة إنه " أرليندور " الذي سيصبح فيما بعد مُحققاً بارعاً في الكشف عن العديد من الجرائم....
هل كان ممكناً الحيلولة دون ما حدث ؟ لم يكن هناك جواب لا لبس فيه....
February 17, 2021
It's 1972 and in Iceland, Boris Spasski and Bobby Fischer are facing off in an international-news making, sensationalised version of the Cold War played out on the chessboard. At the same time, a teenager is stabbed to death in a cinema in downtown Reykjavik. How are these two events related, if they are at all?
Themes: The Fischer/Spasski chess tournament, Cold War espionage, Soviets, tuberculosis, how Icelandic society changed rapidly in the 20th century.
This is my 16th Indri∂ason and 2nd with Marian Briem.
I have contentions with the later.
Briem is a bland, taciturn character who fails to engender (pun intended) sympathy, despite the overly long passages about his struggle with childhood tuberculosis. The cloaking of Briem's physical gender (he's male, says so once in one of the earlier Erlendur novels) could have been something really interesting, comes across as gimicky and forced, however, even though it's pulled off well stylistically speaking.
As an investigator: I'm sorry. Erlendur sometimes did highly unnecessary, stupid things in his investigations (the end of "Jar City/Todeshauch" is a joke of detective work) but Briem is miles worse. He's stubborn, self-righteous, and convinced that his investigation and the curious death of a teenager are more important than fragile nuclear-war headed world politics. For me, that shows a dangerous lack of proportion and a provincial understanding of anything beyond his own nose. (Not a great quality for an investigator.)
Structure: A good half of the novel consists of Briem's backstory. As if Arnaldur is artificially puffing out the story with his own character notes. None of it has anything do to with the murder investigation or the chess match and is more or less only of interest as reference for fans.
The mystery: It's just fine, but what is best about the novel is what Arnaldur does best: showing us Iceland and its people. There are much better mystery writers out than than he is. But he's got a knack of showing his countrymen in such a way that they feel palpably real, as does the Iceland they inhabit.
Unfortunately, just like the one-off mysteries with members of Erlendur's team as the investigator, Briem alone just doesn't cut it. (The one where he co-investigates with Erlendur, that worked.)
What Arnaldur really needs is to create a new investigator who has the depth of Erlendur with some modern breadth. Unfortunately, of the last 3 he's tried, only Elínborg comes close to taking up the torch. Shame. 3 stars.
Themes: The Fischer/Spasski chess tournament, Cold War espionage, Soviets, tuberculosis, how Icelandic society changed rapidly in the 20th century.
This is my 16th Indri∂ason and 2nd with Marian Briem.
I have contentions with the later.
Briem is a bland, taciturn character who fails to engender (pun intended) sympathy, despite the overly long passages about his struggle with childhood tuberculosis. The cloaking of Briem's physical gender (he's male, says so once in one of the earlier Erlendur novels) could have been something really interesting, comes across as gimicky and forced, however, even though it's pulled off well stylistically speaking.
As an investigator: I'm sorry. Erlendur sometimes did highly unnecessary, stupid things in his investigations (the end of "Jar City/Todeshauch" is a joke of detective work) but Briem is miles worse. He's stubborn, self-righteous, and convinced that his investigation and the curious death of a teenager are more important than fragile nuclear-war headed world politics. For me, that shows a dangerous lack of proportion and a provincial understanding of anything beyond his own nose. (Not a great quality for an investigator.)
Structure: A good half of the novel consists of Briem's backstory. As if Arnaldur is artificially puffing out the story with his own character notes. None of it has anything do to with the murder investigation or the chess match and is more or less only of interest as reference for fans.
The mystery: It's just fine, but what is best about the novel is what Arnaldur does best: showing us Iceland and its people. There are much better mystery writers out than than he is. But he's got a knack of showing his countrymen in such a way that they feel palpably real, as does the Iceland they inhabit.
Unfortunately, just like the one-off mysteries with members of Erlendur's team as the investigator, Briem alone just doesn't cut it. (The one where he co-investigates with Erlendur, that worked.)
What Arnaldur really needs is to create a new investigator who has the depth of Erlendur with some modern breadth. Unfortunately, of the last 3 he's tried, only Elínborg comes close to taking up the torch. Shame. 3 stars.
February 13, 2024
Ágæt bók, aðeins of pólítísk fyrir minn smekk😮💨 en annars bara flott!
November 20, 2021
Entretenido, una historia de policías a la antigua, sin móviles ni internet, sin cámaras de vigilancia ni ná de ná. Con el trasfondo del campeonato mundial de ajedrez de 1972 y también con los sanatorios para tuberculosos de los años 40 en Islandia y Dinamarca, nos presenta un mundo alejado del nuestro, con la guerra fría como escenario mundial.
El libro nos cuenta el asesinato de un chaval en un cine de Reykiavik y la investigación posterior. Y en la última frase del libro, sorpresa.
El libro nos cuenta el asesinato de un chaval en un cine de Reykiavik y la investigación posterior. Y en la última frase del libro, sorpresa.
January 24, 2022
Avant Erelendur...
Enquête de la comissaire Marion Briem, qui sera par la suite la cheffe de Erlendur. Différent. Davantage un roman d'espionage qu'un véritable policier. Moins aimé que la suite, quand appaîtra Erlendur. Un peu trop mélo. La note amusante (ça ne dévoile rien de l'intrigue un peu confuse): arrivée de Erlendur à la dernière ligne....
Enquête de la comissaire Marion Briem, qui sera par la suite la cheffe de Erlendur. Différent. Davantage un roman d'espionage qu'un véritable policier. Moins aimé que la suite, quand appaîtra Erlendur. Un peu trop mélo. La note amusante (ça ne dévoile rien de l'intrigue un peu confuse): arrivée de Erlendur à la dernière ligne....
July 26, 2023
Très bien. 4⭐️1/2
Je m’attelle à la suite. J’ai le livre mais impossible de le trouver sur Goodreads
Je m’attelle à la suite. J’ai le livre mais impossible de le trouver sur Goodreads
September 27, 2025
C’est le premier thriller que je lis, et si j’étais dubitative au début, je me suis laissée prendre dans l’histoire. L’enquête se passe en Islande en 1972, pendant un match d’échec historique, dans le contexte de la guerre froide.
C’était intéressant de se plonger dans cette période à travers une enquête.
C’était intéressant de se plonger dans cette période à travers une enquête.
February 6, 2020
Three and a half stars, rounded down.
It’s 1972. Reykjavik is getting ready for the game of the century. Boris Spasskij vs. Bobby Fisher.
This is so much more than just a game of chess. It’s an image of the ongoing cold war. East vs. West. Communism vs. Capitalism. Reykjavik is full of foreigners following the drama.
The sexless Marion Briem, the soon to be mentor of Erlendur, is the protagonist of this story. He/she ends up with a case where a 17 yo boy is murdered while watching a movie. Is the killing somehow connected to the game of the century?
I’m so fascinated by Arnaldur’s ability to deliberately hide Marions sex. It’s kind of refreshing. This sexless aproach is possible in Scandinavian languages (and I guess also English). You just exchange he or she into Marion’s name.
But is it at all possible in other languages, like French and Spanish, where you have to change the form of the belonging adjectives? And what sex (or should I say gender?) is he/she then assigned?
Had to check the description of the French edition. Seems like Marion is a man there. So disappointed.
However, the book was OK.
Edit: My French is even worse than I feared. Marion is a woman in the French edition. Happier now.
It’s 1972. Reykjavik is getting ready for the game of the century. Boris Spasskij vs. Bobby Fisher.
This is so much more than just a game of chess. It’s an image of the ongoing cold war. East vs. West. Communism vs. Capitalism. Reykjavik is full of foreigners following the drama.
The sexless Marion Briem, the soon to be mentor of Erlendur, is the protagonist of this story. He/she ends up with a case where a 17 yo boy is murdered while watching a movie. Is the killing somehow connected to the game of the century?
I’m so fascinated by Arnaldur’s ability to deliberately hide Marions sex. It’s kind of refreshing. This sexless aproach is possible in Scandinavian languages (and I guess also English). You just exchange he or she into Marion’s name.
But is it at all possible in other languages, like French and Spanish, where you have to change the form of the belonging adjectives? And what sex (or should I say gender?) is he/she then assigned?
Had to check the description of the French edition. Seems like Marion is a man there. So disappointed.
However, the book was OK.
Edit: My French is even worse than I feared. Marion is a woman in the French edition. Happier now.
December 3, 2024
البطل هنا هو "ماريون بريم" 😍 من قرأ سلسلة المحقق إرلندور فسيعرف من هو ماريون بريم- و الذي كان في أواخر عمره في السلسلة السابقة.
إنه لأمر ممتع أن نعيش مع ماريون في سنوات عمره المبكرة، و أن نتعرف عليه بشكل أعمق، ماريون المحقق و الإنسان.
بالنسبة للغز كعادة أرنالدور أندريداسون، يخلط الجريمة بقضية إجتماعية أو إنسانية أو سياسية إلخ، مما يجعل الرواية أكثر متعة.
أعجبتني كذلك ظهور إرلندور في اخر الرواية، معلناً بذلك عن بدا��ة تواجده في هذه السلسلة، و بداية مغامراته مع ماريون بريم التي أتوق لخوضها معهما.
أرنالدور أندريداسون... شكراً!🌸
11 أكتوبر 2022
إنه لأمر ممتع أن نعيش مع ماريون في سنوات عمره المبكرة، و أن نتعرف عليه بشكل أعمق، ماريون المحقق و الإنسان.
بالنسبة للغز كعادة أرنالدور أندريداسون، يخلط الجريمة بقضية إجتماعية أو إنسانية أو سياسية إلخ، مما يجعل الرواية أكثر متعة.
أعجبتني كذلك ظهور إرلندور في اخر الرواية، معلناً بذلك عن بدا��ة تواجده في هذه السلسلة، و بداية مغامراته مع ماريون بريم التي أتوق لخوضها معهما.
أرنالدور أندريداسون... شكراً!🌸
11 أكتوبر 2022
February 1, 2017
Av någon okänd anledning så har jag haft ett långt uppehåll i den här serien. Det beror definitivt inte på att böckerna är dåliga, för det är de inte. Jag uppskattar verkligen det lugna och lite dystra. Arnaldurs böcker kommer för alltid att ha en speciell plats i mitt hjärta, eftersom de alltid får mig att tänka tillbaka på resan till Island. Läs mer på min blogg
July 29, 2023
مش وحشة.. بس مش المستوى المشوق اللي اتعودت عليه مع أرنالدور.. غالبا دي من رواياته الأولى..
February 26, 2024
It's hard to call it "Young Erlendur" when young Erlendur appears only in the final scene of the book. But, to be honest, Marion Brem is a much more interesting character than he ever was. Less drama with her - but it isn't to say that there is none. In fact, her drama and the flashbacks about her childhood are the worst part of the book as they are completely irrelevant to her plot or character arc.
The plot itself is quite good, but it quickly becomes obvious what is it about and it gets annoying watching the characters run in circles. That said the ending is really good, with a nice twist that, in retrospect, makes perfect sense.
Also, I really wonder if the eponymous chess duel was such a big deal back then.
The plot itself is quite good, but it quickly becomes obvious what is it about and it gets annoying watching the characters run in circles. That said the ending is really good, with a nice twist that, in retrospect, makes perfect sense.
Also, I really wonder if the eponymous chess duel was such a big deal back then.
October 4, 2023
ekki nægilega spennandi, samt frábært sögusvið!
August 22, 2021
3.5 stars
Fun enough thriller though at times it failed to hold my attention. I read it as a prequel to the Erlendur series but as I understand I should have read the Erlendur series first. I think that way I would’ve been more interested in Marion’s background story (plus, the last sentence would’ve made more sense lol).
Fun enough thriller though at times it failed to hold my attention. I read it as a prequel to the Erlendur series but as I understand I should have read the Erlendur series first. I think that way I would’ve been more interested in Marion’s background story (plus, the last sentence would’ve made more sense lol).
February 22, 2015
Ho acquistato un po' per caso questo libro mesi fa nelle offerte estemporanee di Amazon, attirata dallo svolgimento nel corso dell'Incontro del Secolo: non sono una grande appassionata di scacchi, non ho decisamente la pazienza per questo gioco, ma mi interessava sapere di più di questo torneo che ha giocato un ruolo quanto meno simbolico (ma non solo) nella guerra fredda e che ha ispirato almeno parzialmente il musical Chess (l'americano è sputato Fischer), che io adoro. Ma ad affascinarmi è stata l'ambientazione islandese in sé alla fine: la partita rimane in secondo piano e vista con gli occhi dei padroni di casa che si trovarono improvvisamente punto d'interesse del mondo per questa sfida, ma che svelano anche un po' del loro paese. Devo ammettere che non so molto dell'Islanda, per lo più fatti legati all'espansione vichinga o alla cronaca recente, tra il mega-vulcano e gli avvenimenti politici degli ultimi anni. MI ha fatto piacere perciò allargare un po' le mie conoscenze su questo paese. Fa sicuramente impressione l'ansia che tutti ancora vivono per la tubercolosi negli anni '70 - tutti quelli che non l'hanno vissuta sulla propria pelle e la temono ancora, mentre chi c'è passato sembra non volerne più parlare – quando io ne ho sicuramente una percezione legata a tempi molto più lontani.
Il giallo in sé è intrigante e mi è piaciuto, si dipana lentamente un intrigo molto più ampio di quanto non si potesse pensare all'inizio. Anche la conclusione è inaspettata, come le decisioni di certi personaggi. Una buona partita di scacchi, resa più intrigante dal non svelamento di Marion: non avevo mai incontrato un autore che non vuole rivelare il sesso di uno dei suoi personaggi principali e gioca così tanto sull'ambiguità; anche se verso la fine i pronomi giocano a indicare che sia un uomo, decisione da cui la traduttrice si è discostata, essendo stato deciso dalla redazione... ma nel mio immaginario era così tanto una donna che ho pensato a un errore di stumpa o di distrazione. Probabilmente io non ho gustato a pieno questo romanzo come retroscena di una serie molto più lunga che io non conosco, cosa che si intuisce dalla familiarità con cui viene presentato il nuovo collega del/della protagonista di questo romanzo... Anche se può essere uno spunto per approfondire questo autore.
Certo uno degli acquisti impulsivi migliori di quest'anno, finora.
Il giallo in sé è intrigante e mi è piaciuto, si dipana lentamente un intrigo molto più ampio di quanto non si potesse pensare all'inizio. Anche la conclusione è inaspettata, come le decisioni di certi personaggi. Una buona partita di scacchi, resa più intrigante dal non svelamento di Marion: non avevo mai incontrato un autore che non vuole rivelare il sesso di uno dei suoi personaggi principali e gioca così tanto sull'ambiguità; anche se verso la fine i pronomi giocano a indicare che sia un uomo, decisione da cui la traduttrice si è discostata, essendo stato deciso dalla redazione... ma nel mio immaginario era così tanto una donna che ho pensato a un errore di stumpa o di distrazione. Probabilmente io non ho gustato a pieno questo romanzo come retroscena di una serie molto più lunga che io non conosco, cosa che si intuisce dalla familiarità con cui viene presentato il nuovo collega del/della protagonista di questo romanzo... Anche se può essere uno spunto per approfondire questo autore.
Certo uno degli acquisti impulsivi migliori di quest'anno, finora.
April 27, 2020
In de zomer van 1972 keek de hele wereld naar IJsland. In Reykjavik zouden de Rus Boris Spassky en de Amerikaan Bobby Fischer gaan strijden om het wereldkampioenschap schaken. Al meer dan 25 jaar was een schaker uit de Sovjet-Unie wereldkampioen, maar nu kon daar verandering in komen, door een Amerikaan nota bene. Van tevoren stond al vast dat dit een historisch toernooi zou worden; een moment in de geschiedenis waar iedereen bij wilde zijn.
Tegen deze achtergrond plaatst Arnaldur Indridason zijn nieuwste detective. Lees de rest van mijn bespreking hier
Tegen deze achtergrond plaatst Arnaldur Indridason zijn nieuwste detective. Lees de rest van mijn bespreking hier
January 23, 2018
Een 'klein' verhaal: een jongen die de dood vindt in een bioscoopzaal.
Een 'grote' context: een belangrijke schaakwedstrijd tijdens de koude oorlog.
Een bijzondere setting: Reykjavik. Boeiende personages.
Goed geschreven en introduceert op het allerlaatst Erlendur, waar we nog veel over zullen horen.
Een 'grote' context: een belangrijke schaakwedstrijd tijdens de koude oorlog.
Een bijzondere setting: Reykjavik. Boeiende personages.
Goed geschreven en introduceert op het allerlaatst Erlendur, waar we nog veel over zullen horen.
June 6, 2013
Weer een goede Indridason.
Speelt in de periode van de schaaktweekamp op IJsland. Hoofdpersoon is Marion Bloem, de oud-inspecteur in alle Erlendur boeken.
Erg mooi is daarom ook de laatste zin van het boek (als je alle Erlendur-boeken gelezen hebt)...
Speelt in de periode van de schaaktweekamp op IJsland. Hoofdpersoon is Marion Bloem, de oud-inspecteur in alle Erlendur boeken.
Erg mooi is daarom ook de laatste zin van het boek (als je alle Erlendur-boeken gelezen hebt)...
April 23, 2014
Intéressant, pour qui a déjà lu tous les livres de l'auteur et connaît bien Erlendur et Marion Briem... Sinon, intrigue convenue, prenante, sans être sensationnelle non plus.
June 18, 2017
3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
December 1, 2023
الجولة الحاسمة ل أرنالدور أندريداسون
راغنار شاب في السابعة عشر من عمره، يحب الذهاب إلى السينما في مدينته، حتى كان:
❞موظفو صالة السينما لطفاء معه ولطالما ساعدوه بجمع ملصقات الأفلام والممثلين ❝
كان راغنار يقوم بتسجيل الأفلام كاملة بمسجلة كانت هدية عيد ميلاده، وفي يوم وبعد انتهاء فيلم الخامسة في سينما هافناربيو، وجده الحارس جالسًا في القاعة فطلب منه الخروج قبل بدء العرض الذي يليه، ولكنه وجده مقتولا..
في هذه الأنحاء كانت تعد في ريكيافيك بطولة عالم في الشطرنج بين لاعب سوفيتي وأمريكي أو كما قيل:
"مباراة بين الشرق والغرب. بين الدول الحرة والديمقراطية والدول الديكتاتورية".
يتولى المحقق ماريون وزميله ألبرت التحقيق فورًا في الجريمة ليكتشفا أن جميع الحضور كانوا من الذكور باستثناء أنثى واحدة وأن القتيل كان دائم حضور عرض الخامسة لأنه أكثر هدوءًا، كما أنه كان دومًا يحمل حقيبة ظهر، والتي اكتشف أنها سرقت من القتيل..
قال والد راغنار أنه غريب بعض الشئ:
"كان مولعا بالسينما. يشاهد كل الأفلام التي تعرض ويجمع كل ما يتعلق بها. في بعض الأحيان كان يذهب لمشاهدة الفيلم عينه مرتين".
وقالت عنه والدته أنه بلا أصدقاء وأنه سقط على رأسه في الرابعة من عمره فتسبب ذلك في ضرر في المخ..
هناك مكالمات تأتي لماريون يتوسل فيها صاحبها أمرًا ما ولكن ماريون يغلق الهاتف.. ويتضح لنا فيما بعد أنه والده
ويأتينا صوت الراوي بحكاية ماريون منذ حمل أمه به، ثم انتزاعه منها وموتها، ثم إصابته بالسل وذهابه إلى مصحة للشفاء وذكرياته فيها..
تتواصل التحقيقات ليتوصل ماريون لشريط مسجل في مكتب راغنار لصوت شخص يهدده بسبب تسجيله للأفلام، كما أنه لا يصل للمرأة التي كانت في قاعة السينما ولكن سكيرًا دخل للقاعة أخبره ببعض المعلومات، كما أن وجود الكثير من الأجانب بسبب مباراة الشطرنج يزيد من احتمال أن يكون مرتكب الجريمة أجنبي..
حرب باردة بين أمريكا وروسيا ومخططات وجرائم، كل هذا أدى لقتل شاب برئ وتمكن المحقق وزميله من اكتشاف الكثير من الخبايا كي يصلا في النهاية لحل لغز الجريمة ولكن للسياسة رأي آخر..
للمترجم:
كيف يمكن لفيدار وبرييت ان يكونا في في ثلاثينيات القرن العشرين في روسيا ويعمل فيدار في القرن الواحد والعشرين في وزارة الكهرباء كما ان برييت تخطت الستين من عمرها؟
#نو_ها
راغنار شاب في السابعة عشر من عمره، يحب الذهاب إلى السينما في مدينته، حتى كان:
❞موظفو صالة السينما لطفاء معه ولطالما ساعدوه بجمع ملصقات الأفلام والممثلين ❝
كان راغنار يقوم بتسجيل الأفلام كاملة بمسجلة كانت هدية عيد ميلاده، وفي يوم وبعد انتهاء فيلم الخامسة في سينما هافناربيو، وجده الحارس جالسًا في القاعة فطلب منه الخروج قبل بدء العرض الذي يليه، ولكنه وجده مقتولا..
في هذه الأنحاء كانت تعد في ريكيافيك بطولة عالم في الشطرنج بين لاعب سوفيتي وأمريكي أو كما قيل:
"مباراة بين الشرق والغرب. بين الدول الحرة والديمقراطية والدول الديكتاتورية".
يتولى المحقق ماريون وزميله ألبرت التحقيق فورًا في الجريمة ليكتشفا أن جميع الحضور كانوا من الذكور باستثناء أنثى واحدة وأن القتيل كان دائم حضور عرض الخامسة لأنه أكثر هدوءًا، كما أنه كان دومًا يحمل حقيبة ظهر، والتي اكتشف أنها سرقت من القتيل..
قال والد راغنار أنه غريب بعض الشئ:
"كان مولعا بالسينما. يشاهد كل الأفلام التي تعرض ويجمع كل ما يتعلق بها. في بعض الأحيان كان يذهب لمشاهدة الفيلم عينه مرتين".
وقالت عنه والدته أنه بلا أصدقاء وأنه سقط على رأسه في الرابعة من عمره فتسبب ذلك في ضرر في المخ..
هناك مكالمات تأتي لماريون يتوسل فيها صاحبها أمرًا ما ولكن ماريون يغلق الهاتف.. ويتضح لنا فيما بعد أنه والده
ويأتينا صوت الراوي بحكاية ماريون منذ حمل أمه به، ثم انتزاعه منها وموتها، ثم إصابته بالسل وذهابه إلى مصحة للشفاء وذكرياته فيها..
تتواصل التحقيقات ليتوصل ماريون لشريط مسجل في مكتب راغنار لصوت شخص يهدده بسبب تسجيله للأفلام، كما أنه لا يصل للمرأة التي كانت في قاعة السينما ولكن سكيرًا دخل للقاعة أخبره ببعض المعلومات، كما أن وجود الكثير من الأجانب بسبب مباراة الشطرنج يزيد من احتمال أن يكون مرتكب الجريمة أجنبي..
حرب باردة بين أمريكا وروسيا ومخططات وجرائم، كل هذا أدى لقتل شاب برئ وتمكن المحقق وزميله من اكتشاف الكثير من الخبايا كي يصلا في النهاية لحل لغز الجريمة ولكن للسياسة رأي آخر..
للمترجم:
كيف يمكن لفيدار وبرييت ان يكونا في في ثلاثينيات القرن العشرين في روسيا ويعمل فيدار في القرن الواحد والعشرين في وزارة الكهرباء كما ان برييت تخطت الستين من عمرها؟
#نو_ها
April 25, 2024
Ziet u het staan hierboven? "Young Inspector Erlendur"? Nou vergeet het maar. De inmiddels geliefde inspecteur speelt geen rol in dit boek en komt er op de laatste paar regels na ook helemaal niet in voor. Ik vind dat de auteur de lezer daarmee wel op een verkeerd been zet. Juist na het spannende vorige deel, waarin het verhaal van de getroubleerde Erlendur eindelijk duidelijk wordt ben je benieuwd hoe het nu met hem gaat. Maar daar heeft de auteur geen zin in gehad en hij springt rustig tientallen jaren terug in de tijd, tot vóór Erlendur inspecteur was.
Niet lezen dus? Nou dat ook niet weer. Centraal in dit boek staat inspecteur Marion Briem. Die overigens een paar delen geleden in aanwezigheid van Erlendur stierf. Volgt u het nog een beetje? Maar Marion Briem blijkt gelukkig ook zeer getroubleerd. Dat levert een boeiende hoofdpersoon op, die vervolgens verzeild raakt in een moord die gepleegd wordt in de perifierie van het historische schaaktoernooi tussen Fischer en Spassky (Amerika tegen de Sovjetunie in de hoogtijdagen van de Koude Oorlog) dat in 1972 in IJsland werd gehouden. En dat doet de auteur dan wel weer heel erg leuk: fictie en feiten lopen in deze crimi door elkaar en worden aaneengeregen tot een goed verhaal. Maar dat neemt niet weg dat ik me wat bekocht voel dat we Erlendur niet te zien krijgen. Nota bene heeft hij slechts in één van de laatste vier boeken een rol van betekenis gespeeld. Het is alsof je naar een concert gaat en dat ondanks mooie muziek de hoofdartiest alleen op het eind even meezingt...
Niet lezen dus? Nou dat ook niet weer. Centraal in dit boek staat inspecteur Marion Briem. Die overigens een paar delen geleden in aanwezigheid van Erlendur stierf. Volgt u het nog een beetje? Maar Marion Briem blijkt gelukkig ook zeer getroubleerd. Dat levert een boeiende hoofdpersoon op, die vervolgens verzeild raakt in een moord die gepleegd wordt in de perifierie van het historische schaaktoernooi tussen Fischer en Spassky (Amerika tegen de Sovjetunie in de hoogtijdagen van de Koude Oorlog) dat in 1972 in IJsland werd gehouden. En dat doet de auteur dan wel weer heel erg leuk: fictie en feiten lopen in deze crimi door elkaar en worden aaneengeregen tot een goed verhaal. Maar dat neemt niet weg dat ik me wat bekocht voel dat we Erlendur niet te zien krijgen. Nota bene heeft hij slechts in één van de laatste vier boeken een rol van betekenis gespeeld. Het is alsof je naar een concert gaat en dat ondanks mooie muziek de hoofdartiest alleen op het eind even meezingt...
February 7, 2021
Le point d'accroche de ce Duel était pourtant prometteur : prequel des enquêtes d'Erlendur avec en protagoniste principal son mentor, Marion Briem, pris dans un échiquier complexe mêlant meurtre en salle obscure et tensions géopolitiques sur fond de guerre froide et de rencontre d'échecs au sommet. Malheureusement, Le Duel pèche par la platitude de ses personnages, notamment de Marion Briem dont la personnalité est lisse et se laisse emporter par les preuves qui viennent à lui, sans flair ou instinct policier. Son semblant de romance que l'on a envie de croire comme profonde et éternelle fond comme neige au soleil dans un chapitre de seulement quelques pages. Les dialogues sont par ailleurs téléphonés, remplis de bienséance et de politesse superflue entre enquêteurs d'une part et personnages suspicieux de l'autre. Un vrai manque de réalisme peut-être due à la pauvre qualité de la traduction qui, en plus de ses dialogues sans réalisme et panache, laisse passer des coquilles et oublis de mots. Enfin, le name dropping de noms de rues et de quartiers de Reykjavik, glissés sans contexte et description, fait perdre en immersion et ne place jamais vraiment le lecteur aux côtés des enquêteurs. Je recommande aux aficionados des enquêtes d'Erlendur, sinon optez directement pour Les Nuits de Reykjavik (le premier tome des enquêtes du même nom) ou pour les aventures d'Ari Thór à Siglufjörður signées Ragnar Jonasson.
September 23, 2024
In piena guerra fredda, si svolge in Islanda la finale del campionato mondiale di scacchi tra l'americano Bobby Fischer e il russo Boris Vasil'evič Spasskij: tutta Reykjavík è in fibrillazione e i campioni sono seguiti dappertutto come delle vere celebrità.
Ma un terribile omicidio accade in contemporanea allo svolgimento della sfida scacchistica: un ragazzino viene rinvenuto cadavere, accoltellato nel buio di un piccolo cinema.
Marion Briem con caparbietà ricerca il colpevole, nonostante i tanti depistaggi a causa degli intrighi politici che si celano dietro la finale degli anni '70.
Interessante anche lo stralcio storico relativo alla diffusione della tubercolosi in Islanda e Danimarca, con tecniche ritenute all'avanguardia a quei tempi (lo pneumotorace) e oggi superate.
Non tragga in inganno la dicitura "Young Erlendur": di lui non v'è traccia, se non nell'ultima pagina, quando si presenta nell'ufficio di Briem per prendere servizio.
Ma un terribile omicidio accade in contemporanea allo svolgimento della sfida scacchistica: un ragazzino viene rinvenuto cadavere, accoltellato nel buio di un piccolo cinema.
Marion Briem con caparbietà ricerca il colpevole, nonostante i tanti depistaggi a causa degli intrighi politici che si celano dietro la finale degli anni '70.
Interessante anche lo stralcio storico relativo alla diffusione della tubercolosi in Islanda e Danimarca, con tecniche ritenute all'avanguardia a quei tempi (lo pneumotorace) e oggi superate.
Non tragga in inganno la dicitura "Young Erlendur": di lui non v'è traccia, se non nell'ultima pagina, quando si presenta nell'ufficio di Briem per prendere servizio.
December 24, 2018
A spin -off from the main Erlendur series, this book focuses on Marion Briem in the early 70's.
A teenager is murdered in a movie theater while the eyes of the world are focused on Iceland where a chess competition opposes the USA and Russia.
Indridason mixes 3 threads here: the investigation on the murder, the chess competition and its Cold War stakes and Marion's personal history, more importantly her youth when she suffered from tuberculosis-apparently an endemic disease in Iceland in the first half of last century.
Indridason writes an interesting plot, going from a crime to a spy novel without forgetting to develop the main character. Marion's childhood speaks volumes to explain the hard-ass attitude she showed in the previous books-which you don't need to read.
As always with Indridason the pace is slow-going, the atmosphere full of an intangible sadness and the style is without frills but somehow it gets to you and you end up feeling for characters not so genial to start with.
The last page is a classical but nice wink to the fans of the main series.
A teenager is murdered in a movie theater while the eyes of the world are focused on Iceland where a chess competition opposes the USA and Russia.
Indridason mixes 3 threads here: the investigation on the murder, the chess competition and its Cold War stakes and Marion's personal history, more importantly her youth when she suffered from tuberculosis-apparently an endemic disease in Iceland in the first half of last century.
Indridason writes an interesting plot, going from a crime to a spy novel without forgetting to develop the main character. Marion's childhood speaks volumes to explain the hard-ass attitude she showed in the previous books-which you don't need to read.
As always with Indridason the pace is slow-going, the atmosphere full of an intangible sadness and the style is without frills but somehow it gets to you and you end up feeling for characters not so genial to start with.
The last page is a classical but nice wink to the fans of the main series.
June 9, 2025
In dit verhaal opereert Marion Briem quasi alleen. De geliefde Erlendur verschijnt enkel helemaal op het einde en zijn voorganger, Albert, is nogal een flauw en ook niet echt sympathiek personage. Het verhaal is wel erg goed vind ik, en zeker ook de setting. De moordzaak speelt zich namelijk af tijdens het beruchte schaaktoernooi van Fischer en Spassky in 1972 (Reykjavik). De stad wemelt van de Russen en Amerikanen ("buitenlanders", worden ze een beetje smalend genoemd!). Een roman vol spionage, koude oorlog, ... Het is best spannend en het einde is alweer heel verrassend. Maar graag terug met onze Erlendur volgende keer!
July 17, 2021
Pro: Nice cold war-era depiction of Iceland, barely out of the shadow of WWII and colonialism's poverty, thrown into conflicts much bigger than both the population in general or the protagonists in particular understand.
Con: Half-spoken characterisations that may depend on not having read previous/later books in the series but just feel coy on their own. A mystery that in the end doesn't really grab.
Con: Half-spoken characterisations that may depend on not having read previous/later books in the series but just feel coy on their own. A mystery that in the end doesn't really grab.
August 5, 2018
Et moi qui aime bien Indridason d'habitude.
Me suis ennuyée jusqu'à la page 150...la vie est trop courte1
Me suis ennuyée jusqu'à la page 150...la vie est trop courte1
December 28, 2020
Bra röst = Pale Olofsson
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