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Cigarett
Johan är servitör på en nattklubb och rör sig bland unga vackra människor i stockholmsnatten. Han är likgiltig för det mesta utanför det egna jaget, umgås med alla som är något och lever ett liv fyllt av sex och droger.
150 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1991
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
May 14, 2025
Per Hagman's first novel tells us about the life of a waiter working in Hard Rock Cafe in Stockholm in 1989.
The protagonist, Johan, is young and doesn’t care about the moral side of anything in this world. He takes a nihilistic approach to everything happening in this world. His ulterior motive is just pleasure when it comes to women, recreational substances, movies, and music. The MTV channel is always on in his house, and it was sacrosanct for him to watch it. He doesn’t even know what day of the week it is and just shuttles his psyche between the mornings and the nights. In short, if you are an orthodox person, Johan’s life was enmeshed with everything you consider sacrilegious.
Johan's character perfectly reflects the problem of deciding everything on a whim. He has no plans at all for his future. He doesn’t know whether sadness or jealousy comes to his mind when he meets Linda’s new friend or when he hears about a new opportunity his ex Lisa got in Paris. For Johan, everything is based on just pure dopamine. If he doesn’t get that dopamine surge, he won’t do anything that day, including his work. Consumption of brain rot content, lack of awareness, and inability to focus for even a short time are a few criticisms that Gen-Z is facing. Johan’s character shows us that these are not any new problems that suddenly crept up in the 21st century. Even the youngsters in the 80s and 90s were also facing similar issues. We can see it when Johan says he will try to see only the last ten minutes of thriller movies. The character arc of Johan is created intriguingly. We can see that his constant attempts to seek pleasure send him on a downward spiral route. Is he going into depression, or will he be able to recover from it? The author indirectly also answers it in a few parts of the novel.
The way the protagonist's mind vacillates between pleasure and pain when he hears an ambulance siren during one of the intimate moments of his life shows the power of empathy even to override pleasure. For some readers, it might seem like a mere rhetorical attempt by the author. But if you are someone who has explored multiple aspects of the human mind, you can clearly see that it is a brilliant depiction of the remonstrating nature of the human psyche.
This novel shows us everything that can go wrong while living alone in a big city. Even though the story is set in 1989, everything mentioned in it is still relevant today. It shows what bad parenting can do to your children. Johan’s parents seem to have a great life, with their business flourishing and taking trips to the US and the Bahamas from Sweden. We can see that his mother and father sense that something is wrong with Johan’s life. But instead of trying to help him, they are trying to compensate him by sending him money. They seem to pay for their lack of love or enthusiasm with cash.
Nordic fiction has become a favorite worldwide in the last few decades through the works of authors like Stieg Larsson and Jo Nesbø. Sadly, some fantastic Nordic works are yet to be explored by people from other parts of the world. Cigarette by Per Hagman is one such work. It was an instant success in Sweden when it was first published. Sadly, it took some time for its English translation to get published, and many people still don’t know about this work outside Sweden. It is at this juncture that the publication of these works in regional languages will become relevant.
Why should you read a Malayalam translation of Hagman’s works? Some readers prefer to read the works in the original language, complaining that many ideas will be lost in the translation. It is indeed true if we consider some of the earlier works of fiction that were translated into other languages. But in this 21st century, there are many great authors who can translate the works without losing their essence.
Bindu Jagadeesh has done a great job while translating this work into Malayalam. It will help you to learn more about life. Reading this in Malayalam will help you to get back to your roots and refresh your attachment to our language and country and will help you to look at European life through dual angles - one through the Swedish angle of Per Hagman and one through the Kerala angle of Bindhu Jagadeesh if you can read in between the lines. Yes, the translator has successfully added her perspective to this novel without diluting the actual work by any means. That isn't easy to achieve, and Bindu Jagadeesh deserves all the applause here.
What I learned from this book
1) How does pop culture influence youngsters?
Various media streams influenced the youngsters across multiple time periods. In the early part of the 20th century, especially during the 1920s and 1930s, we can see the influence of radio and movies on Western culture. During the 50s, television and Rock ‘n’ Roll started entering the Center stage. In this book, the protagonist is living in the late 80s. We can see the influence of MTV, music, and Bob Marley (even after his death in early 1981) on Johan on multiple occasions. In fact, MTV is almost always playing in the background, and the songs heavily influence how he behaves and reacts to certain situations in his life. We can see Magnus demonstrating how Bob Marley smoked in this book.
This also shows why the celebrities with a lot of power to influence the youngsters should be very careful about what they do in public and their creations, as hundreds of thousands of youngsters eagerly watch what they are doing and try to emulate them.
(All the Malayalam quotes shared here are the translations of the English quotes from the Malayalam translation of this book, written by Bindu Jagadeesh, published by Six Year Plan Books)
2) How does the constant pursuit of pleasure affect our physical and mental health?
In simple terms, life can be said to be the balance between neurotransmitters and hormones, as they play essential roles in various bodily functions. If you try to mess with these neurotransmitters and hormones using drugs for pleasure, you will have to face the backlash. It will, in turn, affect our physical and mental health. We can see such instances in multiple parts of this book.
3) How is the term pretty privilege used to overshadow women’s real achievements?
This is the age where women come to the forefront in all spheres of life. It is due to their intelligence, determination, and hard work that they are able to achieve these feats. Sadly, some men who have chauvinistic tendencies are not ready to acknowledge their achievements. It is true that there are indeed a few gold diggers and social climbers among women, but so are there among men. But whenever hearing an achievement by women, considering it as only due to their pretty privilege is atrocious. We can see one such instance in this book.
4) Why is it said that even infants are not safe in front of the drug cartels?
The illegal drug trade has been causing a lot of trouble in various forms to all countries in the world. The way the drugs destroy the minds of youngsters is destroying their bright future. In this book, the author shows us the shady ways the drug cartels operate. It is disheartening to read that even the infants are not spared by them. If you are someone who is taking illegal recreational drugs, this is one more reason to stop using them.
My favorite three lines from this book
What could have been better?
Per Hagman’s works are indeed true classics. It sadly took more than three decades to get his works translated into other languages. At least we are lucky now to read his works. The brutally honest manner in which Hagman writes might affect you if you are a weak-hearted person. The honesty and the realistic writing style are the main positives of this book. Some readers won’t like how the protagonist looks at the concept of love in the latter half of this novel. If you are an American or a Turkish person, there is a probability that you won’t like certain things written in this novel.
Rating
4/5
This book will take you on a journey through the small towns of Sweden, through the unfiltered thoughts of Swedish youth, and through Sweden's music, food, and culture that you should never miss.
Suitable for - 17+ (Dr A, Se, Lan)
—————————————————————————
You can also follow me on
Instagram ID - Dasfill | YouTube Channel ID - Dasfill | YouTube Health Channel ID - Dasfill - Health | YouTube Malayalam Channel ID - Dasfill - Malayalam | Threads ID - Dasfill | X ID - Dasfill1 | Snapchat ID - Dasfill | Facebook ID - Dasfill | TikTok ID - Dasfill1
The protagonist, Johan, is young and doesn’t care about the moral side of anything in this world. He takes a nihilistic approach to everything happening in this world. His ulterior motive is just pleasure when it comes to women, recreational substances, movies, and music. The MTV channel is always on in his house, and it was sacrosanct for him to watch it. He doesn’t even know what day of the week it is and just shuttles his psyche between the mornings and the nights. In short, if you are an orthodox person, Johan’s life was enmeshed with everything you consider sacrilegious.
Johan's character perfectly reflects the problem of deciding everything on a whim. He has no plans at all for his future. He doesn’t know whether sadness or jealousy comes to his mind when he meets Linda’s new friend or when he hears about a new opportunity his ex Lisa got in Paris. For Johan, everything is based on just pure dopamine. If he doesn’t get that dopamine surge, he won’t do anything that day, including his work. Consumption of brain rot content, lack of awareness, and inability to focus for even a short time are a few criticisms that Gen-Z is facing. Johan’s character shows us that these are not any new problems that suddenly crept up in the 21st century. Even the youngsters in the 80s and 90s were also facing similar issues. We can see it when Johan says he will try to see only the last ten minutes of thriller movies. The character arc of Johan is created intriguingly. We can see that his constant attempts to seek pleasure send him on a downward spiral route. Is he going into depression, or will he be able to recover from it? The author indirectly also answers it in a few parts of the novel.
The way the protagonist's mind vacillates between pleasure and pain when he hears an ambulance siren during one of the intimate moments of his life shows the power of empathy even to override pleasure. For some readers, it might seem like a mere rhetorical attempt by the author. But if you are someone who has explored multiple aspects of the human mind, you can clearly see that it is a brilliant depiction of the remonstrating nature of the human psyche.
This novel shows us everything that can go wrong while living alone in a big city. Even though the story is set in 1989, everything mentioned in it is still relevant today. It shows what bad parenting can do to your children. Johan’s parents seem to have a great life, with their business flourishing and taking trips to the US and the Bahamas from Sweden. We can see that his mother and father sense that something is wrong with Johan’s life. But instead of trying to help him, they are trying to compensate him by sending him money. They seem to pay for their lack of love or enthusiasm with cash.
Nordic fiction has become a favorite worldwide in the last few decades through the works of authors like Stieg Larsson and Jo Nesbø. Sadly, some fantastic Nordic works are yet to be explored by people from other parts of the world. Cigarette by Per Hagman is one such work. It was an instant success in Sweden when it was first published. Sadly, it took some time for its English translation to get published, and many people still don’t know about this work outside Sweden. It is at this juncture that the publication of these works in regional languages will become relevant.
Why should you read a Malayalam translation of Hagman’s works? Some readers prefer to read the works in the original language, complaining that many ideas will be lost in the translation. It is indeed true if we consider some of the earlier works of fiction that were translated into other languages. But in this 21st century, there are many great authors who can translate the works without losing their essence.
Bindu Jagadeesh has done a great job while translating this work into Malayalam. It will help you to learn more about life. Reading this in Malayalam will help you to get back to your roots and refresh your attachment to our language and country and will help you to look at European life through dual angles - one through the Swedish angle of Per Hagman and one through the Kerala angle of Bindhu Jagadeesh if you can read in between the lines. Yes, the translator has successfully added her perspective to this novel without diluting the actual work by any means. That isn't easy to achieve, and Bindu Jagadeesh deserves all the applause here.
What I learned from this book
1) How does pop culture influence youngsters?
Various media streams influenced the youngsters across multiple time periods. In the early part of the 20th century, especially during the 1920s and 1930s, we can see the influence of radio and movies on Western culture. During the 50s, television and Rock ‘n’ Roll started entering the Center stage. In this book, the protagonist is living in the late 80s. We can see the influence of MTV, music, and Bob Marley (even after his death in early 1981) on Johan on multiple occasions. In fact, MTV is almost always playing in the background, and the songs heavily influence how he behaves and reacts to certain situations in his life. We can see Magnus demonstrating how Bob Marley smoked in this book.
This also shows why the celebrities with a lot of power to influence the youngsters should be very careful about what they do in public and their creations, as hundreds of thousands of youngsters eagerly watch what they are doing and try to emulate them.
“We lit up and the pipe did the rounds and I remember my hands shaking when it was my first turn. Magnus demonstrated how Bob Marley had smoked in some video and we tried to smoke just like him. After a while I felt sick and Lasse felt sick, but Magnus danced around the cassette player blasting out I Shot the Sheriff.”
“എന്റെ ഊഴം എത്തിയപ്പോള് ബോബ് മാർലി ഏതോ വിഡിയോയില് എങ്ങനെയാണു പുക വലിക്കുന്നത് എന്ന് മാഗ്നസ് കാണിച്ചുതന്നു. ഞങ്ങള് അതുപോലെ വലിക്കാന് ശ്രമിച്ചു. കുറച്ചുകഴിഞ്ഞപ്പോള് എനിക്ക് അസ്വസ്ഥത തോന്നി. ലാസ്സക്കും. മാഗ്നസ് മാത്രം പാട്ടുപെട്രിയില് 'ഐ ഷോട്ട് ദ ഷറീഫ്...” ഉച്ചത്തില് വച്ചുകെ ണ്ട് നൃത്തം ചെയ്യുന്നുണ്ടായിരുന്നു.”
(All the Malayalam quotes shared here are the translations of the English quotes from the Malayalam translation of this book, written by Bindu Jagadeesh, published by Six Year Plan Books)
2) How does the constant pursuit of pleasure affect our physical and mental health?
In simple terms, life can be said to be the balance between neurotransmitters and hormones, as they play essential roles in various bodily functions. If you try to mess with these neurotransmitters and hormones using drugs for pleasure, you will have to face the backlash. It will, in turn, affect our physical and mental health. We can see such instances in multiple parts of this book.
“A girl next to me is completely ashen and makes regular trips to the bathroom to throw up. Sandra tells me the ashen girl feels rough because she’s on penicillin and has had too much tequila and smoked too much hash and taken too many Sobril for some reason. (Because her boyfriend slept with someone else on the same day they had their first anniversary? I don’t know, can’t concentrate on what she’s saying.)”
“I almost call Micke to see if he’s got any Valium or Barbitur or Stesolid or Mogadon to sell me but remember he’s working and it feels wrong taking them anyway. Downers are just so destructive.”
“എന്റെ അടുത്തിരുന്ന പെണ്കുട്ടി ഇടയ്ക്കിടയ്ക്കു ശുചിമുറിയില് പോയി ഛര്ദ്ദിക്കുന്നുണ്ടായിരുന്നു ആ പെണ്കുട്ടി പെന്സിലിന് എടുക്കുന്നുണ്ട്. അതിന്റെ കൂടെ കൂടുതല് കഞ്ചാവും ടെക്യൂലയും കഴിച്ചിട്ടാണ് ഇങ്ങനെ ആയതെന്ന് സാന്ദ്ര പറയുന്നുണ്ടായിരുന്നു. (അവളുടെ ആണ്സുഹൃത്ത് അവരുടെ വാര്ഷികത്തിന്റെ അന്ന് വേറെ ആരുടെയോ കൂടെ കിടന്നത്രേ? എനിക്കറിയില്ല. എനിക്ക് അവള് പറയുന്നതില് ഒന്നും ശ്രദ്ധിക്കാന് കഴിയുന്നില്ല.)”
“ഞാന് മിക്കെയെ വിളിച്ചാലോ എന്നോര്ത്തു, അവന്റെ കൈയില് വാലിയമോ ബാര്ബിട്ടറോ സ്റ്റെസോലിഡോ മൊഗഡോണോ ഉണ്ടോയെന്ന് ചോദിക്കാന്. പിന്നെ ഓര്ത്തു. അവന് ജോലിയിലാണ്. മാത്രവുമല്ല, അത്തരം ഗുളികകള് കഴിക്കുന്നത് തെറ്റാണെന്ന് തോന്നി. അത് നാശത്തിലേക്കുള്ള വഴിയാണ്.”
3) How is the term pretty privilege used to overshadow women’s real achievements?
This is the age where women come to the forefront in all spheres of life. It is due to their intelligence, determination, and hard work that they are able to achieve these feats. Sadly, some men who have chauvinistic tendencies are not ready to acknowledge their achievements. It is true that there are indeed a few gold diggers and social climbers among women, but so are there among men. But whenever hearing an achievement by women, considering it as only due to their pretty privilege is atrocious. We can see one such instance in this book.
“Lisa starts telling me about Paris and about the agency she’s signed up to and about the photographer, Luigi, who’s given her “sooo much support”. She starts going through her portfolio and shows me some new photographs of herself (that Luigi has shot) and tells me what magazines she’s been in recently. I wonder if she’s brought the portfolio just to show me or if there’s really some other reason she just happened to have it with her. She is insanely beautiful and I wonder how many times she’s slept with this Luigi character ”
“അവള് ഒരു ഫോട്ടോഗ്രാഫര് ലൂയ്ജിയെപ്പറ്റി പറഞ്ഞു. അയാള് അവള്ക്ക് ചെയ്തുകൊടുത്ത സഹായങ്ങളെപ്പറ്റിയും. അവള് അതിസുന്ദരിയാണ്. എത്രപ്രാവശ്യം ലൂയ്ജിയുമായി കിടന്നുകാണും എന്ന് ഞാന് ആലോചിച്ചു. ”
4) Why is it said that even infants are not safe in front of the drug cartels?
The illegal drug trade has been causing a lot of trouble in various forms to all countries in the world. The way the drugs destroy the minds of youngsters is destroying their bright future. In this book, the author shows us the shady ways the drug cartels operate. It is disheartening to read that even the infants are not spared by them. If you are someone who is taking illegal recreational drugs, this is one more reason to stop using them.
“Apparently, some South Americans smuggling coke into Europe kidnap infants and remove all the intestines and organs and things and stuff them full of cocaine. Once they’re on the plane, they sit with their sleeping baby all wrapped up in a blanket and no one suspects anything.”
“ദക്ഷിണ അമേരിക്കക്കാർ യൂറോപ്പിലേക്ക് കഞ്ചാവ് കടത്താനായി കുഞ്ഞുങ്ങളെ തട്ടിക്കൊണ്ടുപോയി അവരുടെ ആന്തരിക അവയവങ്ങള് എടുത്തു മാറ്റി കഞ്ചാവ് നിറയ്ക്കുമത്രേ. എന്നിട്ട് ഉറങ്ങുന്ന കുഞ്ഞിനെയുംകൊണ്ട് പ്ലെയിനില് സഞ്ചരിക്കും. ആരും ഒന്നും സംശയിക്കുകയില്ല.”
My favorite three lines from this book
“When I get back home, somehow, it feels like this day never happened. A kind of transition from vacuum from yesterday until tomorrow.”
“Whatever gets you through the night, just keep on dancing...” pops into my head”
“I remember it was one of those nights you imagine all nights are like in the daytime. Romantic and wet asphalt and neon-like electric eels outside the cab window.”
“എനിക്ക് എന്തോ വീട്ടിലെത്തിയപ്പോൾ ഇന്നത്തെ ദിവസം സംഭവിച്ചിട്ടില്ലായെന്ന് തോന്നി. ഇന്നലത്തെ ശൂന്യതയിൽ നിന്ന് നാളെയിലേക്കു ഒരു യാത്ര.”
“വാട്ട് എവര് ഗെറ്റ്സ് യു ത്രൂ ദി നൈറ്റ്, ജസ്റ്റ് കീപ്പ് ഓണ് ഡാന്സിംഗ് എന്റെ തലയിലേക്ക് പെട്ടെന്ന് കയറിവന്നു”
“പകല്സമയത്ത് രാത്രികള് എങ്ങനെയായിരിക്കണം എന്ന് നമ്മള് വിചാരിക്കുന്നുവോ, അതുപോലെ ഒരു രാത്രിയായിരുന്നു അത്.”
What could have been better?
Per Hagman’s works are indeed true classics. It sadly took more than three decades to get his works translated into other languages. At least we are lucky now to read his works. The brutally honest manner in which Hagman writes might affect you if you are a weak-hearted person. The honesty and the realistic writing style are the main positives of this book. Some readers won’t like how the protagonist looks at the concept of love in the latter half of this novel. If you are an American or a Turkish person, there is a probability that you won’t like certain things written in this novel.
Rating
4/5
This book will take you on a journey through the small towns of Sweden, through the unfiltered thoughts of Swedish youth, and through Sweden's music, food, and culture that you should never miss.
Suitable for - 17+ (Dr A, Se, Lan)
—————————————————————————
You can also follow me on
Instagram ID - Dasfill | YouTube Channel ID - Dasfill | YouTube Health Channel ID - Dasfill - Health | YouTube Malayalam Channel ID - Dasfill - Malayalam | Threads ID - Dasfill | X ID - Dasfill1 | Snapchat ID - Dasfill | Facebook ID - Dasfill | TikTok ID - Dasfill1
March 29, 2016
This is how I wished I could write in my early 20's. Very late-80's-early-90's book about a young man with few cares in the world other than next drink, next cigarette, next line of cocaine and next girl. His motivations remain unrevealed, since most of the story are told in a laconic matter-of-fact way, very much detached And this is the case for the whole story, no opinions or explanations are offered, just the facts. Would probably make very little sense now.
November 29, 2024
”Hon har skrivit upp numret […] till sig själv. Jag skriver ett meddelande (tänker inte ringa) och jag tänker på hur vacker hon är och hur solen lyser in genom fönstret och att jag trots allt mår ganska bra.”
en sådan uttröttande likgiltighet, ett irritament. Den hade många fina element, rytmen av att tända en cigarett och den fick en att tänka och tvingas läsa mellan raderna. men det betyder inte att jag tyckte om den så värst
en sådan uttröttande likgiltighet, ett irritament. Den hade många fina element, rytmen av att tända en cigarett och den fick en att tänka och tvingas läsa mellan raderna. men det betyder inte att jag tyckte om den så värst
July 14, 2024
Som Jack på 90-talet. Inte så mycket mer
May 18, 2025
Den är i sin enkla råhet perfekt. Som en Bonjour tristess för 90-talets Stockholm.
Read
August 16, 2025älskade denna!! fnissade flera ggr
March 20, 2018
Oh, no. This is so very bad. And I even think I liked it when I was young...
September 8, 2024
Härlig och rolig bok! Kul att läsa om Stockholm och 80/90talets ”festliv”. Kul skildring av en ung killes idé av sex och relationer
Read
February 22, 2024man dras verkligen in i känslan av apati och äckel! men det kändes också ganska gjort. avhandlat. det kanske det inte var 1991, men känns som att det borde ha varit. vad vet jag. stockholm!!!!!!!!
May 2, 2022
The nihilistic life of a Hard Rock Cafe waiter in 1989 Stockholm. Cigarette. Told in pared down prose, a procession of 80s tunes, porn, movies, girls, drugs, Walkmans and videos. And in the end… nothing. Loved it. @nordiskbooks
June 1, 2022
It feels like a book you'd think was profound when you're 14. But i'm not 14 and I quite liked reading it.
May 10, 2025
När jag var i ungefär samma ålder som protagonisten i ”Cigarett” läste jag uppföljarna ”Pool” och ”Volt”, men ”Cigarett” fanns inte längre i handeln. Där och då hade nog 90-talets poplitteratur en särskild dragningskraft. Att nu läsa Hagmans debutverk var en tidsresa till ett lätt igenkännbart Stockholm, Melody, Casa Bianca och Patricia, videobutiker och hemtelefoner med telefonsvarare. Kul för den som kan relatera till det, men inte på Christian Krachts nivå.
March 7, 2023
Jag vet inte hur många stjärnor jag ska ge den här romanen. Jag ogillade den och gillade den på samma gång. Om den här hade skrivits idag hade det inte blivit en bok, det hade blivit en blogg... som jag absolut hade följt.
September 15, 2019
jag gillade den här boken Men det blir ändå en trea. Hagman är duktig på att beskriva tomhet.
June 19, 2021
Ett tidsdokument
July 22, 2024
Kan inte riktigt bestämma mig om den ska ha en fyra eller femma.
August 20, 2024
som en svensk version av less than zero!!! känns som om allt jag läser handlar om sjuttonåriga bittra, cyniska pojkar som tar koks och har svinrika frånvarande föräldrar...
February 23, 2025
Bitches love en bortskämd mansbebis som ba strosar runt. Det här är INTE nihilism, det är konstigt knull.
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January 11, 2016Det är Lundells Jack fast 20 år senare och med mindre onödigt tjafs. Jag kanske gillar det. Väldigt 1991
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