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The Hitman's Guide to Housecleaning
With some 66 hits under his belt, Tomislav Bokšić, or Toxic, has a flawless record as hitman for the Croatian mafia in New York. That is, until he kills the wrong guy and is forced to flee the States, leaving behind the life he knows and loves. Suddenly, he finds himself on a plane hurtling toward Reykjavik, Iceland, borrowing the identity of an American televangelist named Father Friendly. With no means of escape from this island devoid of gun shops and contract killing, tragicomic hilarity ensues as he is forced to come to terms with his bloody past and reevaluate his future.
257 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2008
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About the author
Hallgrímur Helgason
35 books266 followersHallgrímur Helgason is an Icelandic author, painter, translator, cartoonist and essayist. He has studied at the School of Visual Arts and Crafts in Reykjavík and the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich.
His most famous works are 101 Reykjavík, which was made into a popular film, and Höfundur Íslands (Iceland's Author), which won the Icelandic Literary Prize in 2001. He was nominated for the prize again in 2005 for the novel Rokland (Stormland), along with the Nordic Council's Literature Prize for 101 Reykjavík and Rokland.
His most famous works are 101 Reykjavík, which was made into a popular film, and Höfundur Íslands (Iceland's Author), which won the Icelandic Literary Prize in 2001. He was nominated for the prize again in 2005 for the novel Rokland (Stormland), along with the Nordic Council's Literature Prize for 101 Reykjavík and Rokland.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 513 reviews
November 7, 2023
Something goes wrong with the latest ‘job’ of a mobster Croat hitman in New York and he needs to get away quickly. At the airport FBI agents almost catch up with him, before he has a stroke of luck meeting a lookalike in the men’s room. He deftly murders the guy, dresses up in his garb, and uses his documents to fly out of New York. The murdered man happens to be a Christian tv evangelist on a trip to visit colleagues in Iceland. So our Croat hitman, disguised as an evangelical preacher, finds himself on an Icelandair flight to Reykjavik and so the story begins…
This is a very clever book that uses the device of looking at your own society (the Icelandic community) through the eyes of an alien (the murderous Croatian hitman). The narrative is often hilarious and the author hardly misses a chance to poke fun at the holier-than-thou Icelandic society by contrasting it with the (apparently) crude and unwholesome Croatian protagonist. However, there are also serious aspects to the story, including the Croat having to confront his troubled Balkan past, but also the pitfalls of an over-sanitised and navel-gazing society such as the Icelandic one. These two themes are masterfully juxtaposed in this refreshing and thoroughly entertaining short novel.
I’m always amazed at the literary prowess of such a tiny (by population) country as Iceland. Hallgrímur Helgason definitely keeps up the tradition. I read this book in English and noticed that no translator is acknowledged. Could it be that the author wrote this book in English himself? It wouldn’t surprise me at all!
This is a very clever book that uses the device of looking at your own society (the Icelandic community) through the eyes of an alien (the murderous Croatian hitman). The narrative is often hilarious and the author hardly misses a chance to poke fun at the holier-than-thou Icelandic society by contrasting it with the (apparently) crude and unwholesome Croatian protagonist. However, there are also serious aspects to the story, including the Croat having to confront his troubled Balkan past, but also the pitfalls of an over-sanitised and navel-gazing society such as the Icelandic one. These two themes are masterfully juxtaposed in this refreshing and thoroughly entertaining short novel.
I’m always amazed at the literary prowess of such a tiny (by population) country as Iceland. Hallgrímur Helgason definitely keeps up the tradition. I read this book in English and noticed that no translator is acknowledged. Could it be that the author wrote this book in English himself? It wouldn’t surprise me at all!
January 12, 2013
Hallgrimur Helgason’s “The Hitman's Guide to Housecleaning” is an outstanding book. It is beautifully written and funny; it has an outlandish yet engrossing plot, and an unexpected depth.
Tomislav Boksic, aka Toxic, a Croatian American, is a hitman, a highly successful contract killer. He has flawlessly executed 66 people so far, yet #67 brings trouble, which causes Tomislav to find himself in Iceland. Various adventures in Iceland, including involvement with a fundamentalist Christian sect, constitute the gist of the book.
There are four layers to the novel. On the top there is the writing layer. Mr. HH, an Icelandic writer, famous for his “Reykjavik 101”, wrote this book in English himself, as I understand. He did a better job with the language than 90% of writers who are native speakers of English. He has fun with the language; the book is full of wonderful puns, plays on words, and language jokes. The writing is so hilarious that I was LOL’ing many, many times.
The second layer is the plot. Of course it is absurd, but then it manages to seem more realistic than the tired, formulaic plots of huge majority of thrillers. There is something almost approaching “magical realism” in the novel. Everything makes sense in this plot, given the absurd universe it resides in. There are no cheap “twists and turns” in the plot.
Sociological and cultural observations constitute the next layer. I love the portrayal of Iceland and Icelanders. It is not particularly sympathetic, but I feel I have learned more about the country than from any other Icelandic book I have read (and several movies I have seen). People of some other nations are caricatured too and quite well (I can vouch for this as I represent one of these nations). The whole plot of the Christian sect is fascinating. Yes, it is exaggerated, but to exactly the right extent.
Finally, when one peels away the writing, the humor, the plot, and the observations, there is a deeply human core to the novel. It is about how ethnic hatred, which is one of the most characteristic features of our deeply flawed species, destroys nations and people. It about how this hatred transforms sensible, gentle, and loving people into ruthless killing machines.
(An aside: when I finished reading the book I looked at some reviews on Goodreads. They were, as usual, mostly clever and insightful. However, one of the reviews rendered me speechless. The reviewer was indignant that Tomislav kills a dog. No further comment.)
Four and three quarters stars.
Tomislav Boksic, aka Toxic, a Croatian American, is a hitman, a highly successful contract killer. He has flawlessly executed 66 people so far, yet #67 brings trouble, which causes Tomislav to find himself in Iceland. Various adventures in Iceland, including involvement with a fundamentalist Christian sect, constitute the gist of the book.
There are four layers to the novel. On the top there is the writing layer. Mr. HH, an Icelandic writer, famous for his “Reykjavik 101”, wrote this book in English himself, as I understand. He did a better job with the language than 90% of writers who are native speakers of English. He has fun with the language; the book is full of wonderful puns, plays on words, and language jokes. The writing is so hilarious that I was LOL’ing many, many times.
The second layer is the plot. Of course it is absurd, but then it manages to seem more realistic than the tired, formulaic plots of huge majority of thrillers. There is something almost approaching “magical realism” in the novel. Everything makes sense in this plot, given the absurd universe it resides in. There are no cheap “twists and turns” in the plot.
Sociological and cultural observations constitute the next layer. I love the portrayal of Iceland and Icelanders. It is not particularly sympathetic, but I feel I have learned more about the country than from any other Icelandic book I have read (and several movies I have seen). People of some other nations are caricatured too and quite well (I can vouch for this as I represent one of these nations). The whole plot of the Christian sect is fascinating. Yes, it is exaggerated, but to exactly the right extent.
Finally, when one peels away the writing, the humor, the plot, and the observations, there is a deeply human core to the novel. It is about how ethnic hatred, which is one of the most characteristic features of our deeply flawed species, destroys nations and people. It about how this hatred transforms sensible, gentle, and loving people into ruthless killing machines.
(An aside: when I finished reading the book I looked at some reviews on Goodreads. They were, as usual, mostly clever and insightful. However, one of the reviews rendered me speechless. The reviewer was indignant that Tomislav kills a dog. No further comment.)
Four and three quarters stars.
August 6, 2020
If you enjoy clever word play, something more complex than a pun, and done by someone who is fluent in at least two languages and can play them off one another, this is the book for you! The main character, known as Toxic, speaks Croatian and New York gangster. His attempts at Icelandic (a jaw cracker of a language) are hilarious. The author has obviously heard a lot of us outsiders mangling his mother tongue.
Toxic is a hitman for the Croatian mafia in the Big Apple, until he screws up and must flee the country. But while waiting for his flight to Europe, he recognizes that the authorities must be onto him. In a panic, he hides in the men's room, eventually killing a clergyman and taking his place on a flight to Iceland. His amazement at what he finds there (or doesn't find) is the basis for a lot of the black humour of the novel.
Our narrator can't believe that he's ended up in the land of no guns. How can he possibly stay here? But a few phone calls indicate that going to Europe or back to the States is not recommended. His “host's" daughter, Gunnhildur, becomes enamoured with him. Toxic calls her Gunholder and declares that he finally has a gun to hold, and since she smokes like a chimney, she is his Smoking Gun.
It's hilarious how well Toxic actually gets along with the televangelists who had recruited Father Friendly (whose body was abandoned in the bathroom at JFK). They have their own shady pasts and seem to be involved in exploitative foreign worker schemes. Helgason certainly plays with the idea that these guys are less-than-honest snake oil salesmen.
Be warned, if you dislike books with plenty of swearing and lots of violence, this book is not for you. For me, it was better than a cozy mystery any day.
Cross posted at my blog:
https://wanda-thenextfifty.blogspot.c...
Toxic is a hitman for the Croatian mafia in the Big Apple, until he screws up and must flee the country. But while waiting for his flight to Europe, he recognizes that the authorities must be onto him. In a panic, he hides in the men's room, eventually killing a clergyman and taking his place on a flight to Iceland. His amazement at what he finds there (or doesn't find) is the basis for a lot of the black humour of the novel.
Our narrator can't believe that he's ended up in the land of no guns. How can he possibly stay here? But a few phone calls indicate that going to Europe or back to the States is not recommended. His “host's" daughter, Gunnhildur, becomes enamoured with him. Toxic calls her Gunholder and declares that he finally has a gun to hold, and since she smokes like a chimney, she is his Smoking Gun.
It's hilarious how well Toxic actually gets along with the televangelists who had recruited Father Friendly (whose body was abandoned in the bathroom at JFK). They have their own shady pasts and seem to be involved in exploitative foreign worker schemes. Helgason certainly plays with the idea that these guys are less-than-honest snake oil salesmen.
Be warned, if you dislike books with plenty of swearing and lots of violence, this book is not for you. For me, it was better than a cozy mystery any day.
Cross posted at my blog:
https://wanda-thenextfifty.blogspot.c...
September 5, 2023
تخيل ..قاتل محترف في زي راهب..
بين السلم و الحرب.. بين كرواتيا و أمريكا، نشأ توميسلاف بوكسيك أو "توكسيك"، قاتل محترف بحس فكاهي. و مفرادات و إرشادات و طقوس خاصة ب"توكسيك"
أولًا: "أ.ق.أ: اختبئ قدر الامكان."
ثانيًا: "التصرف الغبي هو افضل تمويه"
ثالثًا: "قيلولة ما بعد القتل."
بعد قيام "توكسيك" بمئات عمليات القتل كقاتل محترف، فشلت آخر عملياته و قرر العودة إلي بلده كرواتيا. و في اخر لحظة فشلت ايضا خطة هروبه، و بسبب حظه العاثر اضطر لارتكاب جريمة اخري في المطار بقتله لراهب و التخفي في ملابسه و الفرار بهويته ليبدأ حياة جديدة كالأب فريندلي. من هنا بدأت حياة توكسيك كالأب فريندلي في رحلة لأيسلندا للظهور في برنامج ديني بالتلفاز.
و مع بدء رحلته لأيسلندا، ظهر حسه الفكاهي و تظاهره بالإيمان و الورع.
-أليس لديك أي أمتعة أيها الأب فريندلي؟
أتوقف لحظة.
"كلا. الكلمة هي متاعي الوحيد."
Spoiler alert ⚠️
بعد الكوميديا و التراجيديا و الهروب من الشرطة و ذكريات الحرب في كرواتيا، مفيش جرائم قتل و الاهم إن "توكسيك" حيتوب علي يد راهب و يبقي مواطن صالح و مكافح🙄 و ده مش ذوقي في الروايات خصوصا انها مخالفة للعنوان و ملخص الرواية.
February 24, 2012
A dark comedy with a slight euro flavor, from an Iceland author's first novel written originally in english. The twisted Tarantino-ish tale of serbo-croatian mafia hitman, and former war criminal, fleeing from New York after a job. He kills and assumes the identity of a look-alike who turns out to be a tele-evangilist heading to Iceland for an appearance. After bumbling through preaching in a string of profanity he tries to flee his past and echoes of ethnic cleansing war and find a future - possibly amongst nordic born-again christians if not the dregs of Icelandic criminal immigrants.
Humorously and sarcastically written with wordplay and quotable critiques on society, jaded cynicism, cultural misunderstandings, and a healthy dose of action amongst the "fish out of water" humor, while he tries to find his humanity again and sort out his past without leaving too many bodies in his wake.
I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys an offbeat world view expressed to laughter. It's "Quentin Taratino meets some Euro comedian master". Give this guy sales so we can see the movie.
Humorously and sarcastically written with wordplay and quotable critiques on society, jaded cynicism, cultural misunderstandings, and a healthy dose of action amongst the "fish out of water" humor, while he tries to find his humanity again and sort out his past without leaving too many bodies in his wake.
I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys an offbeat world view expressed to laughter. It's "Quentin Taratino meets some Euro comedian master". Give this guy sales so we can see the movie.
September 2, 2012
Other reviewers have given excellent summaries of the plot of this book so I'm going to confine my remarks to what I like about it.
The "Stranger in a Strange Land" trope is well established in literature and for that reason needs to be handled deftly or risk losing the reader in its sameness. Combine this with dark, darker, darkest humor and you can have a book that will grab the reader from the beginning or fall flat. Hitman't Guide... grabbed me and I loved it.
One aspect that I enjoyed is the way the author has fun with Iceland. He pokes good-natured fun at the country , its people, and language. I've never been to Iceland but Helgason made me want to visit. Coming from a culture of violence and guns, Toxic is astonished at the low crime rate and the impossibility of arming himself. And Icelandic is a language ideal for mangling and Toxic's attempts to reproduce what he thinks he hears is quite comic.
I admire that the author is willing to make the reader uncomfortable. Toxic is the product of his environment and his role in the Serbo-Croatian War made him what he is in the beginning of the book, a stone-cold, remorseless killer who takes pride in one bullet, one kill and likes a nice post-killing nap. Helgason takes into the was and it isn't pretty and isn't funny. I think some readers might find this too jarring but I liked the way it showed us where Toxic came from. It made me think about the evil that people are capable of. Out of place in this type of book?
Helgason also has Toxic change as the book progresses. I don't want to risk spoilers but Toxic finds himself influenced in ways he never thought possible. Self-doubt creeps in, a sense of disconnect between what he was and where he is now.
Helgason has produced layered story that came together for me. I enjoyed it and wouldn't mind if the author found a way to return to Toxic's world.
The "Stranger in a Strange Land" trope is well established in literature and for that reason needs to be handled deftly or risk losing the reader in its sameness. Combine this with dark, darker, darkest humor and you can have a book that will grab the reader from the beginning or fall flat. Hitman't Guide... grabbed me and I loved it.
One aspect that I enjoyed is the way the author has fun with Iceland. He pokes good-natured fun at the country , its people, and language. I've never been to Iceland but Helgason made me want to visit. Coming from a culture of violence and guns, Toxic is astonished at the low crime rate and the impossibility of arming himself. And Icelandic is a language ideal for mangling and Toxic's attempts to reproduce what he thinks he hears is quite comic.
I admire that the author is willing to make the reader uncomfortable. Toxic is the product of his environment and his role in the Serbo-Croatian War made him what he is in the beginning of the book, a stone-cold, remorseless killer who takes pride in one bullet, one kill and likes a nice post-killing nap. Helgason takes into the was and it isn't pretty and isn't funny. I think some readers might find this too jarring but I liked the way it showed us where Toxic came from. It made me think about the evil that people are capable of. Out of place in this type of book?
Helgason also has Toxic change as the book progresses. I don't want to risk spoilers but Toxic finds himself influenced in ways he never thought possible. Self-doubt creeps in, a sense of disconnect between what he was and where he is now.
Helgason has produced layered story that came together for me. I enjoyed it and wouldn't mind if the author found a way to return to Toxic's world.
January 15, 2014
Duhoviti pogledi jednog ubojice na život u Hrvatskoj, New Yorku i Islandu. Opisi života u Hrvatskoj su mi djelovali toliko realistično da sam tri puta provjeravala je li autor zapravo Hrvat, a Hallgrimur samo pseudonim. Nisam mogla naći njegove poveznice s Lijepom našom te mu skidam kapu ne samo za pametno napisan tekst, već i za istraživanje i opis hrvatskih dogodovština/ljudi/događaja.
Prevoditeljici na hrvatski jezik također svaka čast, jer trebalo se domisliti kako uskladiti ta čudna islandska imena s tekstom.
Prevoditeljici na hrvatski jezik također svaka čast, jer trebalo se domisliti kako uskladiti ta čudna islandska imena s tekstom.
November 19, 2024
"عليك أن تقلعي عن التدخين، قد يقتلك" أقول.
"هل تحدثني عن القتل؟" تقول بابتسامة مهينة.
"نعم، لم لا؟".
"لقد قتلت كاهنًا لتوك. أليس كذلك؟ بالإضافة إلى أنك مطلوب لارتكاب جريمة قتل أخرى".
"أتحسبين أن القاتل لا يهتم بالحياة ؟ لا يهتم بالصحة أو يحافظ على نظافة المنزل؟" أقول بينما أشير إلى الغرفة المرتبة.
تقول: "جميل جدًا".
"القاتل إنسان مثل أي شخص آخر. له حقوقه".
"صحيح. أنا آسفة".
"لا بأس".
"أنت طراز حساس من القتلة إذن؟"
"لا أعرف، أنا فقط أكره عندما يمارس الناس التمييز ضدي، فقط لأنني... أقتل الناس".
"هل تحدثني عن القتل؟" تقول بابتسامة مهينة.
"نعم، لم لا؟".
"لقد قتلت كاهنًا لتوك. أليس كذلك؟ بالإضافة إلى أنك مطلوب لارتكاب جريمة قتل أخرى".
"أتحسبين أن القاتل لا يهتم بالحياة ؟ لا يهتم بالصحة أو يحافظ على نظافة المنزل؟" أقول بينما أشير إلى الغرفة المرتبة.
تقول: "جميل جدًا".
"القاتل إنسان مثل أي شخص آخر. له حقوقه".
"صحيح. أنا آسفة".
"لا بأس".
"أنت طراز حساس من القتلة إذن؟"
"لا أعرف، أنا فقط أكره عندما يمارس الناس التمييز ضدي، فقط لأنني... أقتل الناس".
May 28, 2017
The plot of The Hitman's Guide to Housekeeping is fairly conventional. Tomislav Boksiæ or as he calls himself Toxic is a professional hitman. His last professional kill brings the entire weight of the terrestrial world on his head. His next hit, his first murder (he will explain the distinction) will bring the entire weight of celestial world on his soul. He will find himself a fish out of water in a country (Iceland) with no army, no guns, barely any police where he must confront his own need for redemption. All of this we will know within a few pages of what is a relatively short book.
On this fairly Well worn premise, Icelandic born Hallgrimur Helgason will build a slick, dark, driving narrative. Dark is probably the most important word here. To say the humor in this book is black is to say the far side of the moon is not recommended for the growth of sunflowers. Just as "Toxic" had to assume different identities to survive we will watch him detail his many past lives even as he strips them off on his way to redemption. This may sound like a spoiler, but the details and the unexpected turns are well paced to keep your attention.
As I said dark humor is too light of the term. At some point what some might consider macabre becomes horrific. The genesis of Toxic will take you to some of the worst of the recent Balkans war and consist of perhaps too many casual discussions of imposed death. The intent may be to push your incredulity over the top but some will be turned off by the casual narration of mayhem.
Given all of this how can I recommend this book? Hallgrimur Helgason is a good writer. His use of language, his pacing of major events, and his refusal to keep his straightforward plot fully predictable makes this a good read. (Possible spoiler alert) Reading this in the Kindle edition means that you will find the abrupt ending that much more surprising. In hard copy you would realize you were running out of pages. In the Kindle edition you simply run out of text. The implication of this statement is that the author succeeds in writing a story that will leave you wanting at least a little bit more. In defense of the author's morbid recounting of certain events, I remind you that the Baltic war unfolded in front of the West with most of the world doing too little and that too late to mitigate the soul crushing effects of this fratricidal war. That being said, if the only thing in this book that offends you is the generous use of the so-called F bomb and the casual sex you may want to use this book to question your value system.
I suppose The Hitman's Guide to Housekeeping, is generally considered a crime drama. I suggest it should leave you thinking. The quality of the writing will keep you reading.
On this fairly Well worn premise, Icelandic born Hallgrimur Helgason will build a slick, dark, driving narrative. Dark is probably the most important word here. To say the humor in this book is black is to say the far side of the moon is not recommended for the growth of sunflowers. Just as "Toxic" had to assume different identities to survive we will watch him detail his many past lives even as he strips them off on his way to redemption. This may sound like a spoiler, but the details and the unexpected turns are well paced to keep your attention.
As I said dark humor is too light of the term. At some point what some might consider macabre becomes horrific. The genesis of Toxic will take you to some of the worst of the recent Balkans war and consist of perhaps too many casual discussions of imposed death. The intent may be to push your incredulity over the top but some will be turned off by the casual narration of mayhem.
Given all of this how can I recommend this book? Hallgrimur Helgason is a good writer. His use of language, his pacing of major events, and his refusal to keep his straightforward plot fully predictable makes this a good read. (Possible spoiler alert) Reading this in the Kindle edition means that you will find the abrupt ending that much more surprising. In hard copy you would realize you were running out of pages. In the Kindle edition you simply run out of text. The implication of this statement is that the author succeeds in writing a story that will leave you wanting at least a little bit more. In defense of the author's morbid recounting of certain events, I remind you that the Baltic war unfolded in front of the West with most of the world doing too little and that too late to mitigate the soul crushing effects of this fratricidal war. That being said, if the only thing in this book that offends you is the generous use of the so-called F bomb and the casual sex you may want to use this book to question your value system.
I suppose The Hitman's Guide to Housekeeping, is generally considered a crime drama. I suggest it should leave you thinking. The quality of the writing will keep you reading.
May 10, 2012
The witless naif who wanders around a foreign environment and calls it as he sees it, unintentionally bringing the oppositional truth to light, is a literary trope that has been around since the beginning of story-telling. Just consider Adam's initial exclamation when he first encounters Eve: “Flesh of my flesh!” surely rates as the most original and mythical naif “boner” of all time.
It's hard to improve on that, but the literary impulse is relentless, giving readers a rich heritage of unforgettable naif progeny, including Don Quixote, Prince Myshkin and Howard The Duck. And now we have Hallgrimur Helgason's Turn-of-the-Millennium naif: Tomislav Boksic, AKA “Toxic,” a hit man for the Croatian mafia who finds himself on the lam, posing as an American televangelist in contemporary Iceland — very much "trapped in a world he did not make."
Toxic navigates this bizarre world in a manner common to oafish thugs everywhere: improvising a constant stream of imbecilic lies, while exuding equal parts menace and brute sexual charm. All the while he observes and processes and alters the environment he's in, developing a perspective that becomes uncomfortably familiar. Here he follows his new lover into a furniture store, after hours:
We make our way through the office and out into the store. In back there are three king size beds on display, all made in India by twelve-year-old carpenter whiz-kids. We've tried them all, but the one behind the Kama Sutra room divider is the safest. It can't be seen from the screaming bright window out front. So after all, we manage to find a semi-dark corner in the bright and shining land. And by making the Hindu handiwork squeak, I can honor the memory of my lost [read: “murdered”] love. Still the bed holds up to all our freaky gymnastics. Those Indian kids really know their craft.
The real gymnastics are Toxic's moral equivocations, involving a body-count that begins with, but is not limited to, the 66 hits he carried out on American soil. But of course taking the life of another is just the one extreme of the moral spectrum. There's also this business of benefiting from household items made by children in other countries . . . .
Is Toxic — are we — even capable of acquiring moral perspective in this environment? Astute readers know there is a more pressing concern on Toxic's horizon, thanks to the botched hit-job that began the novel: will he live long enough for any of this to matter?
It's hard to improve on that, but the literary impulse is relentless, giving readers a rich heritage of unforgettable naif progeny, including Don Quixote, Prince Myshkin and Howard The Duck. And now we have Hallgrimur Helgason's Turn-of-the-Millennium naif: Tomislav Boksic, AKA “Toxic,” a hit man for the Croatian mafia who finds himself on the lam, posing as an American televangelist in contemporary Iceland — very much "trapped in a world he did not make."
Toxic navigates this bizarre world in a manner common to oafish thugs everywhere: improvising a constant stream of imbecilic lies, while exuding equal parts menace and brute sexual charm. All the while he observes and processes and alters the environment he's in, developing a perspective that becomes uncomfortably familiar. Here he follows his new lover into a furniture store, after hours:
We make our way through the office and out into the store. In back there are three king size beds on display, all made in India by twelve-year-old carpenter whiz-kids. We've tried them all, but the one behind the Kama Sutra room divider is the safest. It can't be seen from the screaming bright window out front. So after all, we manage to find a semi-dark corner in the bright and shining land. And by making the Hindu handiwork squeak, I can honor the memory of my lost [read: “murdered”] love. Still the bed holds up to all our freaky gymnastics. Those Indian kids really know their craft.
The real gymnastics are Toxic's moral equivocations, involving a body-count that begins with, but is not limited to, the 66 hits he carried out on American soil. But of course taking the life of another is just the one extreme of the moral spectrum. There's also this business of benefiting from household items made by children in other countries . . . .
Is Toxic — are we — even capable of acquiring moral perspective in this environment? Astute readers know there is a more pressing concern on Toxic's horizon, thanks to the botched hit-job that began the novel: will he live long enough for any of this to matter?
March 28, 2012
I was really enjoying this novel. It was told from the point-of-view of an interesting lead character, had a dark sense of humor, and some really cool moments -- of violence, of contemplative and humorous narration, and of fish-out-of-water interactions with the local Icelanders -- but all that was washed away by one of the worst endings to any novel I have read in recent memory. First, , and then . What an unbelievably awful way to end what would have been an interesting novel otherwise.
December 30, 2022
Pretty funny, Toxic could easily be the conscientious hitman next-door!
3,5/5⭐
3,5/5⭐
June 17, 2022
Ešte lepšie ako pri prvom čítaní
January 10, 2020
I gave up on the audiobook of this a bit less than half way through and actually asked for (and received) a refund for my audiobook credit.
It was honestly unbearable. The main character is just such a thoroughly awful human being, and the whole story is seen through his eyes, so you can't get away from his constant thoughts and opinions. You get to hear him call women sluts for having sex with him while having sex with them, hear his annoyance at the fact that so many women are driving cars (as opposed to having their men drive for them) and that those women have the additional audacity to drive SUVs (which are supposed to be only for men), get his evaluation of how many days it would take of being stranded in a group together before he started fantasizing about literally every single woman he encounters in any context in the book, get to hear him magnanimously talk about how forward-thinking he is because he once let a gay man give him a handjob after he'd gone without sex for half a year while also cracking jokes with homophobic preachers about making altar boys who were "too feminine" put out candles with their mouths, his constant stereotypical thoughts about people of various nationalities, etc., etc.
I'm sure that there are those who will say that I missed the point because he was supposed to be a charicature of a certain type of guy. I didn't miss that point. I just didn't see the point of spending hours listening to that type of guy blather on about the world. There's a reason I didn't join a fraternity. (Well, other than that the University that I went to banned them.)
I hung on as long as I did only because I thought the book was almost over, and because I'd paid an audiobook credit for it and didn't have any idea what to get instead. However, whether he redeems himself in the end or not, I no longer care, and when I discovered I wasn't even at the half-way point, I had to bail.
I recommend this to literally nobody.
It was honestly unbearable. The main character is just such a thoroughly awful human being, and the whole story is seen through his eyes, so you can't get away from his constant thoughts and opinions. You get to hear him call women sluts for having sex with him while having sex with them, hear his annoyance at the fact that so many women are driving cars (as opposed to having their men drive for them) and that those women have the additional audacity to drive SUVs (which are supposed to be only for men), get his evaluation of how many days it would take of being stranded in a group together before he started fantasizing about literally every single woman he encounters in any context in the book, get to hear him magnanimously talk about how forward-thinking he is because he once let a gay man give him a handjob after he'd gone without sex for half a year while also cracking jokes with homophobic preachers about making altar boys who were "too feminine" put out candles with their mouths, his constant stereotypical thoughts about people of various nationalities, etc., etc.
I'm sure that there are those who will say that I missed the point because he was supposed to be a charicature of a certain type of guy. I didn't miss that point. I just didn't see the point of spending hours listening to that type of guy blather on about the world. There's a reason I didn't join a fraternity. (Well, other than that the University that I went to banned them.)
I hung on as long as I did only because I thought the book was almost over, and because I'd paid an audiobook credit for it and didn't have any idea what to get instead. However, whether he redeems himself in the end or not, I no longer care, and when I discovered I wasn't even at the half-way point, I had to bail.
I recommend this to literally nobody.
March 13, 2013
What do I say about this book? Well, I love the author's flare for language and especially American slang. I find it interesting that he has only this one book in English for I think he commands the language better than even some American authors I have read recently. I confess that I giggled at his recounting of war as I recognized that this is how someone looks back on tragic events - they try to make light of them so that people don't get wrapped up in how dark it all really was at the time. I found amusing that the housekeeping really *was* housekeeping - as in picking up dirty laundry off the floor. He does give advice, but the advice is wrapped up in the story of how he obtained the knowledge. So, many times the life lesson might be lost if not carefully annotated. I have found lists online that readers have put together of these life lessons (as a hitman), and those are helpful to read before you read the book for they only serve to highlight the lesson in the anecdotes without giving anything away in advance.
Something else about this book is that it is stream of conscientiousness. You would think that to be a hitman that would be very rigid and by the numbers, but he is a think constantly type of guy.
Side note, reminded me of GTA - Liberty City in places.
I was enjoying this book until I got to the very last revelation. It was a bit out of place with the pacing of the rest of the story telling. I could see the foreshadowing of it, but it still felt tacked onto the end. It was like the author knew this is where he wanted to go, but I felt betrayed as reader that he kept this information from me for so long only to spring it on my like that.
I was going to give this author 4.5 stars, but I tried to figure out how much of a shiny gold star I should scratch off for that surprise ending. In the end, I give him 4.0 stars.
Something else about this book is that it is stream of conscientiousness. You would think that to be a hitman that would be very rigid and by the numbers, but he is a think constantly type of guy.
Side note, reminded me of GTA - Liberty City in places.
I was enjoying this book until I got to the very last revelation. It was a bit out of place with the pacing of the rest of the story telling. I could see the foreshadowing of it, but it still felt tacked onto the end. It was like the author knew this is where he wanted to go, but I felt betrayed as reader that he kept this information from me for so long only to spring it on my like that.
I was going to give this author 4.5 stars, but I tried to figure out how much of a shiny gold star I should scratch off for that surprise ending. In the end, I give him 4.0 stars.
April 11, 2013
Funny, crude, thought provoking, tragic and uplifting. I'm not sure what I was expecting when I started this but it definitely wasn't what I actually read. I'm not sure I can actually say much about the book without spoiling it.
But here are some things I can say. It was very well written. It uses first person present POV, which if you're familiar with my reviews, you'll know I usually loathe. It was however the perfect tense here. The main character was more of a narrator than is typically the case when authors use this tense. Toxic was telling you his personal story and the fourth wall was pretty malleable and thin. It wasn't to the level of 'dear reader' though. I greatly enjoyed the main character's voice. He was extremely crude though so if you're easily offended this book is not for you. I laughed out loud in places. I ultimately found myself rooting for him even though he was a very bad guy.
This story dealt with some weighty topics, PTSD, sin, death and redemption. The hero was a man whose life circumstances had made him what he was. The story illustrated how a person's life can slip into unintended paths. Some weighty questions were raised. Who is worthy of redemption? Does turning over a new leaf and becoming Christian get you off the hook for any evil you've done?
Lastly, woven through the action was a lovely description of Iceland. The author's words painted a clear picture of a desolate northern country that never the less was clearly beautiful. It certainly made me want to visit.
This book is marketed as a mystery thriller but it isn't in my opinion. It is straight general fiction and I can see it as being a very interesting book club selection.
But here are some things I can say. It was very well written. It uses first person present POV, which if you're familiar with my reviews, you'll know I usually loathe. It was however the perfect tense here. The main character was more of a narrator than is typically the case when authors use this tense. Toxic was telling you his personal story and the fourth wall was pretty malleable and thin. It wasn't to the level of 'dear reader' though. I greatly enjoyed the main character's voice. He was extremely crude though so if you're easily offended this book is not for you. I laughed out loud in places. I ultimately found myself rooting for him even though he was a very bad guy.
This story dealt with some weighty topics, PTSD, sin, death and redemption. The hero was a man whose life circumstances had made him what he was. The story illustrated how a person's life can slip into unintended paths. Some weighty questions were raised. Who is worthy of redemption? Does turning over a new leaf and becoming Christian get you off the hook for any evil you've done?
Lastly, woven through the action was a lovely description of Iceland. The author's words painted a clear picture of a desolate northern country that never the less was clearly beautiful. It certainly made me want to visit.
This book is marketed as a mystery thriller but it isn't in my opinion. It is straight general fiction and I can see it as being a very interesting book club selection.
September 3, 2016
Some find this humorous, but it did not work for me. The narrator made it worse.
It was dragging and dragging. Finally at about half way through I stopped reading and jumped to the last two chapters.
I might have liked it better if I were reading as opposed to listening. The narrator used a strong Croatian accent and an Icelandic accent. The accents were not enjoyable. There’s a reason TV anchors sound the same - it’s pleasant for the majority of the population.
There was one scene I found funny. Andro was a crazy gay boy who jerked off two men at the same time, one Serbian, one Croatian. The author said “It was the strangest image I have from that f***ing war. If we had gay nations there would be less wars.”
I did not like the ending. It was not funny.
The title is misleading because it is such a minor part of the story. Toxic enters a girl’s messy home to hideout. He cleans it before she arrives home.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 1st person. Unabridged audiobook length: 8 hrs and 20 mins. Swearing language: strong, frequently used. Sexual language: moderate. Number of sex scenes: at least 4. Setting: 2006 New York and Iceland. Book copyright: 2008. Genre: humorous crime fiction.
It was dragging and dragging. Finally at about half way through I stopped reading and jumped to the last two chapters.
I might have liked it better if I were reading as opposed to listening. The narrator used a strong Croatian accent and an Icelandic accent. The accents were not enjoyable. There’s a reason TV anchors sound the same - it’s pleasant for the majority of the population.
There was one scene I found funny. Andro was a crazy gay boy who jerked off two men at the same time, one Serbian, one Croatian. The author said “It was the strangest image I have from that f***ing war. If we had gay nations there would be less wars.”
I did not like the ending. It was not funny.
The title is misleading because it is such a minor part of the story. Toxic enters a girl’s messy home to hideout. He cleans it before she arrives home.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 1st person. Unabridged audiobook length: 8 hrs and 20 mins. Swearing language: strong, frequently used. Sexual language: moderate. Number of sex scenes: at least 4. Setting: 2006 New York and Iceland. Book copyright: 2008. Genre: humorous crime fiction.
June 12, 2017
The hitman is Croatian, a former soldier in the Balkan wars who progressed to working for the Croatian 'Mafia' in New York. He is a very effective hitman, as he tells us, but his last hit (although not quite his last killing) turns out to be an undercover FBI agent and so he has to leave the country quickly. By a series of accidents, coincidences, escape attempts and one more killing, he ends up in Reykjavik, Iceland, pretending to be a Baptist minister as the guest of two tele-evangelists.
The author is Icelandic and he has a lot of fun with non-Icelanders inability to pronounce any Icelandic names or places correctly: the evangelist couple are Goodmoondoor (Guðmundur) and Sickreader (Sigríður), a pastor is Torture (Þórður), and the daughter in need of a house-cleaner is Gunholder (Gunnhildur). He does not rely entirely on cultural differences and pronunciation difficulties, the whole book is funny and quite dark and violent in places.
My favourite quote (which may not be quite accurate as I am relying on memory): 'Summer in Iceland is like a fridge with the door left open. The ice melts and the light stays on, but it is still a fridge.' I read the book in Iceland at the start of Summer; not all the ice had melted and it was light enough for the birds to sing all twenty-four hours of the day.
The author is Icelandic and he has a lot of fun with non-Icelanders inability to pronounce any Icelandic names or places correctly: the evangelist couple are Goodmoondoor (Guðmundur) and Sickreader (Sigríður), a pastor is Torture (Þórður), and the daughter in need of a house-cleaner is Gunholder (Gunnhildur). He does not rely entirely on cultural differences and pronunciation difficulties, the whole book is funny and quite dark and violent in places.
My favourite quote (which may not be quite accurate as I am relying on memory): 'Summer in Iceland is like a fridge with the door left open. The ice melts and the light stays on, but it is still a fridge.' I read the book in Iceland at the start of Summer; not all the ice had melted and it was light enough for the birds to sing all twenty-four hours of the day.
July 26, 2012
Tom Boksic (aka Toxic) is a hitman with a troubled past and some deep secrets. The title of the book takes on a double-meaning when Tom has to confront those secrets and clean up his past. Before I got to that part,however, this was a pretty funny book full of humorous comments about killing people for money, sex for money, stealing money and running away from the law. Tom finds himself with the need to make a quick escape from the law and from other hit men sent to get him. At the airport, he has a sudden change of plans and ends up in Iceland, passing himself off briefly as a minister. Hijinks and interesting comments on life in Iceland ensue - I've been there and loved it but I wasn't a hit man passing as a minister.
Why didn't I absolutely "love" this book - I found Toxic's spiritual "housecleaning" to be degrading, violent and generally nasty, even though it proved to be effective for him. I also felt that the portions of the book that covered that experience were too long and had too little comic relief. By the time the housecleaning was over, I was pretty sick of Toxic.
Why didn't I absolutely "love" this book - I found Toxic's spiritual "housecleaning" to be degrading, violent and generally nasty, even though it proved to be effective for him. I also felt that the portions of the book that covered that experience were too long and had too little comic relief. By the time the housecleaning was over, I was pretty sick of Toxic.
January 12, 2015
This odd novel by the author of Reykjavik 101, tells the tale of a Croatian assassin for hire who winds up in Iceland disguised as a televangelist, and who falls in with the Christian community in Reykjavik. The Hitman's Guide to Housecleaning is mildly amusing throughout. What surprises me the most, however, is how author Hallgrímur Helgason knew so much about Croatia.
February 1, 2012
Was surprised this title was not in Goodread's data-base ....A novel by an Icelandic author who really knows how to put a story together . About a Croatian mobster named 'Toxic' with 66 hits to his name finds himself 'playing' the part of a priest bound for Iceland after a assassination goes wrong ...Fluidly written and without the need for violence and stero-typing . Also did I mention surprising very funny too ....I strongly recommend
January 15, 2020
A hitman for the Croatian mafia hits the wrong person and has to go on the run. He ends up in Iceland impersonating a priest. This book is hard to describe. I hated the ending.
May 21, 2020
Tarantino in a book! Irreverent and outlandishly inventive! Once again, I bow to the workings of Helgason’s brain.
March 1, 2025
I read this book to give this author a second chance after liking the premise but hating the execution of one of his others. But honestly, this one was just more of the same.
Crude references to women’s bodies at every step, and referring to every single random woman he sees by the number of days it would take for him to imagine sleeping with them. Misogynistic through and through, he slut shames one woman even though he sleeps around as much as she does, and is angry about being lied to or cheated on when he literally did the same thing to both people he’s angry at.
It’s really too bad because I can see that there is some dry humor and wit that the author possesses, and he comes up with story premises that are outlandish in a fun way. But the degrading nature toward women that pervades both books ruined both for me and I will never be picking up his work again.
Read
February 12, 2018Tomislav Bokšić, poznat i po svom profesionalnom nadimku Toksik, američki je državljanin hrvatskog porekla koji tokom nedelje radi za gazda Dikana kao… hm… konobar u "Zagrebačkom samovaru", prelepom restoranu u 21. ulici.
Toksik za sebe voli da kaže kako je jedan od najboljih konobara u branši. Niko se do sada nije žalio na njegove usluge. Budući da je poklonik ekologije i štednje resursa ponosan je što tokom usluživanja na svaku mušteriju potroši svega jedan metak. Sve zainteresovane uverava da mušterije jedva osete njegovu uslugu. Najbezbednije je verovati mu na reč.
Toksik je poreklom iz Jugoslavije. Nakon krvavog raspada otadžbine, te tamnice naroda i narodnosti, u kome je izgubio oca, brata, devojku, drugove, mladost i savest bio je prinuđen da upiše studije u inostranstvu. Iz oslobođene Hrvatske poneo je samo pun kofer ratnih trauma. Šta bi mladom čoveku kao što je on još trebalo u životu? Uskoro zapostavlja studije zarad onoga što je naučio i u čemu se izveštio da radi u ratu, a to je konobarisanje. Za razliku od ratnog, mirnodopsko konobarisanje ima svojih prednosti. Na primer, niko neće zbog ugostiteljskih usluga raspisati međunarodnu teralicu zbog ratnih zločina ili sličnih gluposti.
Zbog mudrog izbora zanimanja Toksik vodi relativno miran život. Osim nekoliko službenih putovanja uglavnom živi povučeno sa svojom devojkom Munitom. Munita radi u Trampovoj kuli i kune se da, kao svaka poštena devojka, nikada ne „odrađuje“ oženjene muškarce.
Uprkos ovoj porodičnoj idili Toksiku mnogo nedostaje otadžbina u čijem je stvaranju nesebično dao sve osim golog života. Zahvaljujući kablovskoj ima HRT, pa nostalgiju ka travi zelenoj „leči“ gledanjem splitskog "Hajduka" na fletskrinu kod kuće.
Čini se da ništa ne može da pokvari Toksikovu američku pastoralu. Međutim, jednog dana greškom ili „greškom“ usluži jednog FBI agenta. Što je još gore sve su videli drugi FBI agenti.
Američka država zbog ove usluge želi da uzvrati gostoprimstvo mladom konobaru i da ga na duže vreme smesti u jednu od njihovih kaznenih ustanova, a ako im pravosudni sistem do dopusti možda i dva metra pod zemljom.
Toksik nije nezahvalan, ali ipak ne želi da bude na teretu američkih poreskih obveznika. Ovo je divna prilika da ponovo poseti zavičaj. Međutim, zbog ispraćaja koji su mu na aerodromu organizovali FBI agenti Toksik, umesto u lijepoj njegovoj, završava na Islandu. I to ni više, ni manje, pod krinkom oca Frendlija. Otac Frendli je televagnelista sa američkog Srednjeg zapada koji je došao da širi božiju homofobnu i šovinističku reč i jed u zemlji leda i vatre.
Toksik doživljava poseban šok kada sazna da je Island zemlja „bez kriminala, oružja, prostitucije i ubistava“. Šta jedan konobar koji ne zna ništa drugo da radi osim da konobariše mušterije može da radi na jednom takvom mestu?
Ceo prikaz romana možete pročitati na ovom linku: http://www.bookvar.rs/?p=15065
Toksik za sebe voli da kaže kako je jedan od najboljih konobara u branši. Niko se do sada nije žalio na njegove usluge. Budući da je poklonik ekologije i štednje resursa ponosan je što tokom usluživanja na svaku mušteriju potroši svega jedan metak. Sve zainteresovane uverava da mušterije jedva osete njegovu uslugu. Najbezbednije je verovati mu na reč.
Toksik je poreklom iz Jugoslavije. Nakon krvavog raspada otadžbine, te tamnice naroda i narodnosti, u kome je izgubio oca, brata, devojku, drugove, mladost i savest bio je prinuđen da upiše studije u inostranstvu. Iz oslobođene Hrvatske poneo je samo pun kofer ratnih trauma. Šta bi mladom čoveku kao što je on još trebalo u životu? Uskoro zapostavlja studije zarad onoga što je naučio i u čemu se izveštio da radi u ratu, a to je konobarisanje. Za razliku od ratnog, mirnodopsko konobarisanje ima svojih prednosti. Na primer, niko neće zbog ugostiteljskih usluga raspisati međunarodnu teralicu zbog ratnih zločina ili sličnih gluposti.
Zbog mudrog izbora zanimanja Toksik vodi relativno miran život. Osim nekoliko službenih putovanja uglavnom živi povučeno sa svojom devojkom Munitom. Munita radi u Trampovoj kuli i kune se da, kao svaka poštena devojka, nikada ne „odrađuje“ oženjene muškarce.
Uprkos ovoj porodičnoj idili Toksiku mnogo nedostaje otadžbina u čijem je stvaranju nesebično dao sve osim golog života. Zahvaljujući kablovskoj ima HRT, pa nostalgiju ka travi zelenoj „leči“ gledanjem splitskog "Hajduka" na fletskrinu kod kuće.
Čini se da ništa ne može da pokvari Toksikovu američku pastoralu. Međutim, jednog dana greškom ili „greškom“ usluži jednog FBI agenta. Što je još gore sve su videli drugi FBI agenti.
Američka država zbog ove usluge želi da uzvrati gostoprimstvo mladom konobaru i da ga na duže vreme smesti u jednu od njihovih kaznenih ustanova, a ako im pravosudni sistem do dopusti možda i dva metra pod zemljom.
Toksik nije nezahvalan, ali ipak ne želi da bude na teretu američkih poreskih obveznika. Ovo je divna prilika da ponovo poseti zavičaj. Međutim, zbog ispraćaja koji su mu na aerodromu organizovali FBI agenti Toksik, umesto u lijepoj njegovoj, završava na Islandu. I to ni više, ni manje, pod krinkom oca Frendlija. Otac Frendli je televagnelista sa američkog Srednjeg zapada koji je došao da širi božiju homofobnu i šovinističku reč i jed u zemlji leda i vatre.
Toksik doživljava poseban šok kada sazna da je Island zemlja „bez kriminala, oružja, prostitucije i ubistava“. Šta jedan konobar koji ne zna ništa drugo da radi osim da konobariše mušterije može da radi na jednom takvom mestu?
Ceo prikaz romana možete pročitati na ovom linku: http://www.bookvar.rs/?p=15065
January 3, 2015
"Icelandic names are like Scud missiles. Their trails linger in the air long after they've reached their target. Still, these guys have my respect. Being a crime writer in a land of no murders can't be easy. It seems you need the creative powers of a genius just to be able to provide your murderer with a gun."
What's interesting about this Icelandic crime novel is that the author apparently wrote it in English for Americans. He then translated it to Icelandic and published it in Iceland. Then, someone else translated it into German and it became a bestseller in Germany. From this we learn that Germans love David Hasselhoff.
This book is strangely very religious. I wanted to know more about Hallgrimmur's politics (it's not correct to refer to him by his patronymic alone, as it would be if that were his family name.) It sounds to me like he took the side of the financiers when the government of Iceland nationalized the banks in response to Iceland's financial crisis. (You know, in 2008, when the rest of the world ALSO had a financial crisis!) The measures that the Icelandic government took against the crisis seem from the outside to have worked. I don't know! I don't know enough about Iceland! I just know it's a lot harder to write a crime novel set there.
Why did I find the book religious?
What's interesting about this Icelandic crime novel is that the author apparently wrote it in English for Americans. He then translated it to Icelandic and published it in Iceland. Then, someone else translated it into German and it became a bestseller in Germany. From this we learn that Germans love David Hasselhoff.
This book is strangely very religious. I wanted to know more about Hallgrimmur's politics (it's not correct to refer to him by his patronymic alone, as it would be if that were his family name.) It sounds to me like he took the side of the financiers when the government of Iceland nationalized the banks in response to Iceland's financial crisis. (You know, in 2008, when the rest of the world ALSO had a financial crisis!) The measures that the Icelandic government took against the crisis seem from the outside to have worked. I don't know! I don't know enough about Iceland! I just know it's a lot harder to write a crime novel set there.
Why did I find the book religious?
March 3, 2012
This is the story of Toxic, a Croatian Soldier turned NYC Hit Man who prides himself on his perfect record - it only takes him one bullet to make his hit. Since this narrative is presented from Toxic's uncensored point of view, it is a little crude. Although I'm not usually a light-weight when it comes to language and graphic descriptions of violence, I did almost quit reading this novel after the first few pages. I was really repelled by the way he talked about women and his "hits", and my initial feeling was that the author was just being as crude and graphic as possible simply for shock value. But, just as I was getting ready to abandon the book, something clicked, and I started to understand Toxic's "voice" and began to enjoy his story of Karmic justice.
This story begins right after Toxic has killed the wrong person. Well, it WAS the person he was contracted to hit, but it turned out to be an undercover FBI agent. So, Toxic has to get out of the country QUICK. In order to evade capture, he has to abandon his first assumed identity and ends up in Reykjavic, Iceland as a Baptist minister. That is when the absurdity begins as Toxic attempts to assimilate into Icelandic society and "do the LPP" (Lowest Possible Profile).
This was a very interesting read. In spite of Toxic's crude language, it was almost lyrical. There was humor, but I wouldn't call it a comedy. There was actually quite a lot of insight into human nature accented with a little tragedy but I wouldn't call it a drama. I would definitely recommend "The Hitman's Guide to Housecleaning" if you are looking for something unique.
This story begins right after Toxic has killed the wrong person. Well, it WAS the person he was contracted to hit, but it turned out to be an undercover FBI agent. So, Toxic has to get out of the country QUICK. In order to evade capture, he has to abandon his first assumed identity and ends up in Reykjavic, Iceland as a Baptist minister. That is when the absurdity begins as Toxic attempts to assimilate into Icelandic society and "do the LPP" (Lowest Possible Profile).
This was a very interesting read. In spite of Toxic's crude language, it was almost lyrical. There was humor, but I wouldn't call it a comedy. There was actually quite a lot of insight into human nature accented with a little tragedy but I wouldn't call it a drama. I would definitely recommend "The Hitman's Guide to Housecleaning" if you are looking for something unique.
September 23, 2020
Hallgrimur Helgason is a multi-talented, brilliant Icelandic author, who wrote the popular 101 Reykjavik, another elegy to the country's capital city. Apart from writing, he is also a painter, translator, cartoonist, and essayist. 101 Reykjavik was adapted into a movie in 2000 by one of the most prominent, contemporary Icelandic directors, Baltasar Kormákur, starring Victoria Abril, Hilmir Snær Guðnason, and Ólafur Darri Ólafsson. Helgason has won the Icelandic Literary Prize in 2001 for his book, Iceland's Author (original title: Höfundur Íslands), and also won a nomination for the same prize in 2005 for Rokland (Stormland). A Hitman's Guide to Housecleaning is a wonderful attempt at combining the comical element with a hard-boiled crime story, as the protagonist, Tomislav Bokšić, or Toxic as he is known in the underbelly of New York City, is a Croatian hitman who works for a ruthless gang and kills people for a living. In the first three or four chapters, Helgason introduces his intriguing protagonist and there is a lot of background information about him.
To read my full review, visit https://tapthelinemag.com/post/the-hi...
To read my full review, visit https://tapthelinemag.com/post/the-hi...
March 1, 2025
This is the second book I've read by this author now that has had some of the most disgusting misogynistic language.
Rape jokes aren't funny.
Referring to women by the number of days it would take the narrator to fuck them is disgusting. He literally says "A day five woman, a day three woman,"
This main character is so clearly an author insert character. A male Mary Sue.
I'm never reading from this author again.
DNF at 52%
Rape jokes aren't funny.
Referring to women by the number of days it would take the narrator to fuck them is disgusting. He literally says "A day five woman, a day three woman,"
This main character is so clearly an author insert character. A male Mary Sue.
I'm never reading from this author again.
DNF at 52%
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