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9 før døden
"En perlerække af godt konstruerede gyserhistorier … Et godt bud på Danmarks gyserkonge nr. 1"
Steffen Larsen, Politiken
"En håndfuld gode gys ... Lad det blot være der er rystende god underholdning i ‘9 før døden’."
Lars Ole Sauerberg, Jyllands-Posten
"Får uhyggen til at snige sig ind på læseren og gåsehuden til at bryde frem."
Hans Larsen, Ekstra Bladet
“'9 før døden’ byder på grusomme, effektive historier. Der er overnaturlig horror og psykothrillers, og samlingen viser at Steen Langstrups stil egner sig særdeles godt til den korte form."
Mathias F. Clasen, Homo Timidus
Mareridt kan lure, hvor man mindst venter det. Man kan aldrig være helt tryg. Om man så ligger i sengen om natten eller snakker med sin datter, der fortæller om en ny fantasiven. Om man er ude at fiske eller i byen, høj på alkohol og vold. Om man har røvet en bank eller er politimand, der beskytter et vidne. Om man besøger en gammel ven eller går langs landevejen i Jylland. Mareridtet kan vente lige rundt om hjørnet. Eller måske er man selv en andens mareridt ...‘9 før døden’ indeholder ni gysernoveller skrevet af Steen Langstrup – en af landets bedste gyserforfattere. Steen Langstrups bøger er oversat til flere sprog, han er filmatiseret og radiodramatiseret. Novellerne i ‘9 før døden’ er alle flittigt genudgivet i antologier og undervisningsmateriale i Danmark, Island og Spanien.
Steffen Larsen, Politiken
"En håndfuld gode gys ... Lad det blot være der er rystende god underholdning i ‘9 før døden’."
Lars Ole Sauerberg, Jyllands-Posten
"Får uhyggen til at snige sig ind på læseren og gåsehuden til at bryde frem."
Hans Larsen, Ekstra Bladet
“'9 før døden’ byder på grusomme, effektive historier. Der er overnaturlig horror og psykothrillers, og samlingen viser at Steen Langstrups stil egner sig særdeles godt til den korte form."
Mathias F. Clasen, Homo Timidus
Mareridt kan lure, hvor man mindst venter det. Man kan aldrig være helt tryg. Om man så ligger i sengen om natten eller snakker med sin datter, der fortæller om en ny fantasiven. Om man er ude at fiske eller i byen, høj på alkohol og vold. Om man har røvet en bank eller er politimand, der beskytter et vidne. Om man besøger en gammel ven eller går langs landevejen i Jylland. Mareridtet kan vente lige rundt om hjørnet. Eller måske er man selv en andens mareridt ...‘9 før døden’ indeholder ni gysernoveller skrevet af Steen Langstrup – en af landets bedste gyserforfattere. Steen Langstrups bøger er oversat til flere sprog, han er filmatiseret og radiodramatiseret. Novellerne i ‘9 før døden’ er alle flittigt genudgivet i antologier og undervisningsmateriale i Danmark, Island og Spanien.
- GenresHorror
183 pages
First published January 1, 2001
10 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 4, 2013
As a lover of horror, or really anything spooky, macabre and bloody, this book has a special place in my heart.
I distinctly remember the first time I read the collection as suddenly a memory came rushing back - the recollection of a day when I was walking home from swimming practice with my mother, being 8 or 9 years of age. Already then I was into creepy stuff, and I begged her to tell me a REALLY scary story. She began telling me a about a gnome, or really a nisse, the scandinavian "friendlier" version of a gnome or goblin. But this was definitely not the kind who wears a jolly red hat and sings songs about Christmas. This one was hairy and ate MEAT.
When she said that she probably could see the excitement inhabit my whole body, as she refused to continue. Little did she know that the meat-eating nisse would haunt the back of my mind for years, growing darker and more alluring by the mystery of it all. How did my kind mother make up such a dark creature? But it wasn't her at all. It was Steen Langstrup, and one day I found her reviewer's copy of "9 før Døden".
I got chills down my spine reading the first story (ironically called "The Last") as it revolves around a little girl and her relationship with the farm nisse - who happens to be hairy and like MEAT. Although it became apparent that my mom had heavily censored the story - and why she refused to continue to tell it.
What has always seemed most frightening to me has been the mixture of innocence and the perverse, and Langstrup is not afraid to play on this aversion and disgust. He throws sentences in your face that make a pit sink in your stomach and your hands quiver as you read on because you MUST know what happens, and you so desperately hope for a chance for our sympathetic characters, but WHAM! WHAM! Line after line he rips the cosiness apart and exposes our worst fears and terrors, the part of our psychology where the drive for sex and death eclipse.
I maintain that the first story is the best of the collection, and one of the best horror short stories I have ever read, but do remember that it's like comparing filled chocolates - you may each have your preference, even though all are exquisite.
Steen Langstrup is Denmark's answer Stephen King or Dean R. Koontz and in this collection his authorship easily compares to theirs, and likewise he unapologetically writes genre fiction. It is a delight to see someone as passionately in love with the genre as yourself, and digging into this book the reader gets to revel in it and experience it too as he plays with conventions and paint with gore.
As mentioned earlier, I got my hands on (and sneakily stole, shh) my mom's reviewer's copy, and from the notes in the margins I can see that as as a professional reviewer she had some comments to composition, etc. I never got to read her review or know what rating she gave, but I do know that Steen Langstrup's imagination was what she turned to first when she had to tell "a REALLY scary story", so it must have left some kind of impression. As a horror fan this is still the best of many collections I've read since, and it deserves all five stars, and much more recognisition than it has gotten.
Now, grab your copy, bundle up with a blanket, wait for night time and enjoy...
I distinctly remember the first time I read the collection as suddenly a memory came rushing back - the recollection of a day when I was walking home from swimming practice with my mother, being 8 or 9 years of age. Already then I was into creepy stuff, and I begged her to tell me a REALLY scary story. She began telling me a about a gnome, or really a nisse, the scandinavian "friendlier" version of a gnome or goblin. But this was definitely not the kind who wears a jolly red hat and sings songs about Christmas. This one was hairy and ate MEAT.
When she said that she probably could see the excitement inhabit my whole body, as she refused to continue. Little did she know that the meat-eating nisse would haunt the back of my mind for years, growing darker and more alluring by the mystery of it all. How did my kind mother make up such a dark creature? But it wasn't her at all. It was Steen Langstrup, and one day I found her reviewer's copy of "9 før Døden".
I got chills down my spine reading the first story (ironically called "The Last") as it revolves around a little girl and her relationship with the farm nisse - who happens to be hairy and like MEAT. Although it became apparent that my mom had heavily censored the story - and why she refused to continue to tell it.
What has always seemed most frightening to me has been the mixture of innocence and the perverse, and Langstrup is not afraid to play on this aversion and disgust. He throws sentences in your face that make a pit sink in your stomach and your hands quiver as you read on because you MUST know what happens, and you so desperately hope for a chance for our sympathetic characters, but WHAM! WHAM! Line after line he rips the cosiness apart and exposes our worst fears and terrors, the part of our psychology where the drive for sex and death eclipse.
I maintain that the first story is the best of the collection, and one of the best horror short stories I have ever read, but do remember that it's like comparing filled chocolates - you may each have your preference, even though all are exquisite.
Steen Langstrup is Denmark's answer Stephen King or Dean R. Koontz and in this collection his authorship easily compares to theirs, and likewise he unapologetically writes genre fiction. It is a delight to see someone as passionately in love with the genre as yourself, and digging into this book the reader gets to revel in it and experience it too as he plays with conventions and paint with gore.
As mentioned earlier, I got my hands on (and sneakily stole, shh) my mom's reviewer's copy, and from the notes in the margins I can see that as as a professional reviewer she had some comments to composition, etc. I never got to read her review or know what rating she gave, but I do know that Steen Langstrup's imagination was what she turned to first when she had to tell "a REALLY scary story", so it must have left some kind of impression. As a horror fan this is still the best of many collections I've read since, and it deserves all five stars, and much more recognisition than it has gotten.
Now, grab your copy, bundle up with a blanket, wait for night time and enjoy...
August 23, 2025
"9 før døden" byder på ni effektive, uhyggelig konstruktioner. Novellesamlingen startede lidt langsomt, men ellers er fortællingerne virkelige gode.
April 15, 2013
Jeg må læse denne her bog igen, det er alt for længe siden...
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews