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Jana Kippo #1
Mon frère
De retour à Smalånger, Jana Kippo retrouve Bror, son frère jumeau, qui vit toujours dans la vieille ferme familiale et a sombré dans l'alcool. L'été précédent, la découverte du corps de Maria, convoitée par tous les hommes mariés, a enflammé la petite communauté. Jana décide de rester et obtient un emploi d'aide à domicile - celui que Maria occupait. Grâce à ce poste, la jeune femme reprend contact avec des personnes qu'elle n'avait plus revues depuis son adolescence. Ces retrouvailles ainsi que sa relation passionnelle avec John viennent bousculer sa mémoire et réveiller les souvenirs enfouis d'un père violent et d'un enfant perdu - souvenirs qu'elle aurait, peut-être, préféré laisser dans l'oubli...
384 pages, Pocket Book
First published October 2, 2018
366 people are currently reading
7341 people want to read
About the author
Karin Smirnoff
13 books623 followersKarin Smirnoff (b. 1964) lives in the small village of Yttre Hertsånger, in northern Sweden. She worked as a journalist before she decided to change direction and bought a wooden factory. After a few years Smirnoff yearned back to the practice of writing and decided to pick it up again – but this time in literary form. She applied to Lund University’s Writer’s school with what would become her debut as an author: My Brother. It received triumphant reviews and was nominated for the esteemed August Prize in 2018. The following year Smirnoff returned with My Mother and in 2020 she ended the trilogy about Jana Kippo with Then I Went Home Smirnoff brought something entirely new into the literary field with her immensely appreciated trilogy that has sold more than 500 000 copies in Sweden.
In 2021 Karin Smirnoff was announced as the author to continue the legacy of Stieg Larsson’s Millennium series.
source: Amazon
In 2021 Karin Smirnoff was announced as the author to continue the legacy of Stieg Larsson’s Millennium series.
source: Amazon
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,178 reviews
July 19, 2019
Ett av mina bästa ord på engelska är unputdownable. Slår man upp ordet i en ordlista får man bara upp en länk till den här boken SÅ DET SÅ!!!! Un-der-bar. Vilket språk. Vilken berättelse. Man matas med smulor och man hungrar hela tiden efter mer.
December 11, 2022
Oh, damn…
4,5 ✨
4,5 ✨
July 9, 2022
3.5 rounded up
Jana Kippo sets off in a heavy snow storm to visit her twin brother Bror at the family home in Smalånger in Northern Sweden. She gets disorientated in the driving snow and loses her way but he’s helped by John with whom she later has a love affair. The past becomes very entangled and wrapped up with the present and what emerges a bit at a time is a dark and shocking tale in which Jana is forced to confront the truth about her horrifying past.
This is about as far from an easy read as you can get mostly because of the harrowing cruelty that is revealed which shocks to the core. Here we have hugely damaged people and it seems that some are fractured beyond healing. Jana and Bror are understandably on a course of self destruction but in different ways. They are not the only ones who are messed up by trauma in the past and so it’s a darkly unremitting twisted tale with violence, revenge and hatred that repeats on a loop.
Not only is the subject matter a very difficult one but the style is equally tricky to get into as there is little punctuation and words that run into each other. However, you do get used to it and the incendiary information bombs the author throws at us .
This harsh and strange tale is matched by the harsh far northern latitudes, with changeable weather conditions in a tough to live area. This makes the people equally tough and they sure are. They aren’t just survivors in an unremitting landscape, they are also secretive and you can’t altogether make sense of some actions or their lies but some of their fears are very understandable.
The ending is strange but I hope it is an optimistic sign as Jana and Bror deserve something good.
Overall, this has been a difficult book to read and it’s not for the faint of heart that’s for sure.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Pushkin Press for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
Jana Kippo sets off in a heavy snow storm to visit her twin brother Bror at the family home in Smalånger in Northern Sweden. She gets disorientated in the driving snow and loses her way but he’s helped by John with whom she later has a love affair. The past becomes very entangled and wrapped up with the present and what emerges a bit at a time is a dark and shocking tale in which Jana is forced to confront the truth about her horrifying past.
This is about as far from an easy read as you can get mostly because of the harrowing cruelty that is revealed which shocks to the core. Here we have hugely damaged people and it seems that some are fractured beyond healing. Jana and Bror are understandably on a course of self destruction but in different ways. They are not the only ones who are messed up by trauma in the past and so it’s a darkly unremitting twisted tale with violence, revenge and hatred that repeats on a loop.
Not only is the subject matter a very difficult one but the style is equally tricky to get into as there is little punctuation and words that run into each other. However, you do get used to it and the incendiary information bombs the author throws at us .
This harsh and strange tale is matched by the harsh far northern latitudes, with changeable weather conditions in a tough to live area. This makes the people equally tough and they sure are. They aren’t just survivors in an unremitting landscape, they are also secretive and you can’t altogether make sense of some actions or their lies but some of their fears are very understandable.
The ending is strange but I hope it is an optimistic sign as Jana and Bror deserve something good.
Overall, this has been a difficult book to read and it’s not for the faint of heart that’s for sure.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Pushkin Press for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
February 17, 2024
Wiele tu bolesnych wspomnień i traum, ale mimo ciężaru nie mogłam się oderwać.
December 21, 2018
Voj voj, vilken sjujävla åktur, känner jag när jag läst ut den här, och blev något snopen över slutet. Men det är bra, tänker jag. Snopet är bra.
Detta är socialrealism at it's finest (eller socialporr, som min svärmor skulle sagt) blandat med en nypa amerikansk feelgood och det är just det som gör att jag känner lite what?
För det är trasigt och äckligt, smutsigt, våldsamt. Misshandel, incest, missbruk, mord och byns hora. Men samtidigt varmt och kärleksfullt.
Tankar: får man framställa glesbygdfolk lite hur som helst? Den här boken profiterar ju lite på fördom lm hur "de är", lantisarna. Samtidigt intressant att läsa om människor i samhällets utkant. Vilken debut! Är glad över det rättframma språket och avsaknad av skiljetecken, vilket gör att jag kommer djupare in i boken.
Men också: det här frosseriet i elände, misär och våld, både sexuellt och icke sexuellt. Det kanske är jag som är känslig men det är lite to much alltså.
Samtidigt innehåller boken en mysyisk död och snåriga familjehemligehter och det hade lätt kunnat bli ännu en psykologisk spänningsroman av det här. Så tack för det!
Ursäkta denna röriga recension, mina känslor är lite all over the place och egentligen borde jag samla tankarna och låta boken landa, men det är inte riktigt så jag jobbar.
Oavsett: bladvändare (kunde inte sluta läsa) och oväntad på många sätt. Och! Detta är en debut! Well done!
Läs och bilda dig en egen uppfattning.
Detta är socialrealism at it's finest (eller socialporr, som min svärmor skulle sagt) blandat med en nypa amerikansk feelgood och det är just det som gör att jag känner lite what?
För det är trasigt och äckligt, smutsigt, våldsamt. Misshandel, incest, missbruk, mord och byns hora. Men samtidigt varmt och kärleksfullt.
Tankar: får man framställa glesbygdfolk lite hur som helst? Den här boken profiterar ju lite på fördom lm hur "de är", lantisarna. Samtidigt intressant att läsa om människor i samhällets utkant. Vilken debut! Är glad över det rättframma språket och avsaknad av skiljetecken, vilket gör att jag kommer djupare in i boken.
Men också: det här frosseriet i elände, misär och våld, både sexuellt och icke sexuellt. Det kanske är jag som är känslig men det är lite to much alltså.
Samtidigt innehåller boken en mysyisk död och snåriga familjehemligehter och det hade lätt kunnat bli ännu en psykologisk spänningsroman av det här. Så tack för det!
Ursäkta denna röriga recension, mina känslor är lite all over the place och egentligen borde jag samla tankarna och låta boken landa, men det är inte riktigt så jag jobbar.
Oavsett: bladvändare (kunde inte sluta läsa) och oväntad på många sätt. Och! Detta är en debut! Well done!
Läs och bilda dig en egen uppfattning.
August 21, 2022
This was a difficult book to read and is difficult to review. But I did think the writing was outstanding, painful but outstanding.
Jana Kippo is heading back to Smalånger in northern Sweden to see her twin brother, Bror. I suppose it was time for her to set some demons to rest. One the way she gets caught in a blizzard and is rescued by John, another very complex character, with whom she ends up having a physical relationship but she never quite seems to trust him.
It was a harsh story set in a harsh climate. Jana ends up questioning everything about her past and it is a bleak and unforgiving past at that. Think of a trigger - this story has it. It could have been unremittingly bleak but somehow there were moments of hope. Her upbringing was harsh - ruled by a father who was always right, even when was being cruel, and a mother whose only solace was praying - there was little joy in Jana and Bror’s childhood.
She learns that the truth is a fluid thing depending on who is doing the telling and when. It seems in Smalånger everything is connected to everything and everyone else. I’m sorry to be so cryptic but the story was like trying to catch smoke in your hands. I’d like to think it ended on a comparatively happy note but I can’t be sure.
The format took a bit of getting used to with words running into one other and minimal punctuation. I can’t say I really enjoyed the story as it was so, so bleak but I do commend the talent of the author. She does pull the emotions out of you and the book will stay with me for some time. Many thanks to Netgalley and Pushkin Press for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.
Jana Kippo is heading back to Smalånger in northern Sweden to see her twin brother, Bror. I suppose it was time for her to set some demons to rest. One the way she gets caught in a blizzard and is rescued by John, another very complex character, with whom she ends up having a physical relationship but she never quite seems to trust him.
It was a harsh story set in a harsh climate. Jana ends up questioning everything about her past and it is a bleak and unforgiving past at that. Think of a trigger - this story has it. It could have been unremittingly bleak but somehow there were moments of hope. Her upbringing was harsh - ruled by a father who was always right, even when was being cruel, and a mother whose only solace was praying - there was little joy in Jana and Bror’s childhood.
She learns that the truth is a fluid thing depending on who is doing the telling and when. It seems in Smalånger everything is connected to everything and everyone else. I’m sorry to be so cryptic but the story was like trying to catch smoke in your hands. I’d like to think it ended on a comparatively happy note but I can’t be sure.
The format took a bit of getting used to with words running into one other and minimal punctuation. I can’t say I really enjoyed the story as it was so, so bleak but I do commend the talent of the author. She does pull the emotions out of you and the book will stay with me for some time. Many thanks to Netgalley and Pushkin Press for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.
December 28, 2021
Ich hatte mich über diesen Roman nicht informiert, sondern griff auf der Suche nach einem schwedischen Buch, welches kein Thriller ist, eher blind zu diesem Werk. Eine Familiengeschichte aus Nordschweden. Das hörte sich erstmal harmlos an. Doch was da zwischen zwei Buchdeckeln an menschlichen Abgründen, häuslicher Gewalt, Vernachlässigung, Demütigung, Erniedrigung, Gewalt gegen Frauen, Kinder und Tiere bis hin zur Quälerei und übelsten Sadismus, Suchtprobleme, insbesondere Alkoholismus, unwürdiges Altern, Suizide und Morde sowie Kindesmissbrauch zu finden war, ließ jeden Schwedenkrimi wie eine Wohlfühloase in Bullerbü und Lönneberga aussehen. Eigentlich nicht die Art von fiktionalen Romanen, die ich gerne lese, da ich meist das Gefühl habe, dass hier die Gewalt Mittel zum Zweck der Verkaufsförderung ist, gerade wenn sie auch noch explizit dargestellt wird.
Bei Karin Smirnoffs Werk hatte ich allerdings nicht den Eindruck, dass sie bewusst dick aufträgt, um Emotionen zu erzeugen (wie z.B. in Ein wenig Leben von Yanagihara). Im Gegenteil. Die schockierenden Momente im Buch werden von der Ich-Erzählerin fast schon in einem belanglosen Ton übermittelt. Jana Kippo ist Mitte Dreißig als sie nach vielen Jahren aus Südschweden in ihre nördliche Heimat zurückgekehrt, um ihrem Zwillingsbruder Bror beizustehen, der nach einer unglücklichen Liebe im Alkohol versinkt. In eingeschobenen Rückblenden ergibt sich immer mehr ein Bild einer zerrütteten Familie, die durch einen gewalttätigen Vater und einer in der Opferrolle gefangenen Mutter geprägt war.
„Ich konnte mir niemanden aus meiner Familie verliebt vorstellen. Wir waren keine liebende Familie. Wir waren einfach nur Erbgutträger die Nachfahren in die Welt setzten und taten was getan werden musste. Oft auf die denkbar schlechteste Weise mit erbärmlichen Ergebnis.“
Wie kann man lieben, wenn man nie Liebe als Kind erfahren hat? Wie kann man vergeben, wenn Taten eigentlich unentschuldbar sind? Warum zieht es Jana immer wieder zu Abziehbildern ihres Vaters hin? Karin Smirnoff verwendet einen sehr eigenwilligen Schreibstil, um die Sprache und den Dialekt der Nordschweden zu treffen. Ob das der Übersetzerin bei der Übertragung ins Deutsche originalgetreu gelungen ist, kann ich nicht beurteilen. Auf jeden Fall bekommt der Ton der Geschichte durch den Verzicht jeglicher Interpunktion bis auf den Punkt einen sehr eindringliche Note. Die Sätze sind oft kurz und nüchtern, was auf mich authentisch wirkte. Jana wird dadurch zu einer sehr zähen und bewundernswerten Frau, deren Schicksalsschläge man sich kaum vorstellen mag. Das Buch, welches der erste Band einer Trilogie ist, hat mich sehr beeindruckt. Ein unerwartet eindringliches Leseerlebnis. Ich freue mich, wenn auch die weiteren Bücher der Autorin übersetzt werden sollten.
Bei Karin Smirnoffs Werk hatte ich allerdings nicht den Eindruck, dass sie bewusst dick aufträgt, um Emotionen zu erzeugen (wie z.B. in Ein wenig Leben von Yanagihara). Im Gegenteil. Die schockierenden Momente im Buch werden von der Ich-Erzählerin fast schon in einem belanglosen Ton übermittelt. Jana Kippo ist Mitte Dreißig als sie nach vielen Jahren aus Südschweden in ihre nördliche Heimat zurückgekehrt, um ihrem Zwillingsbruder Bror beizustehen, der nach einer unglücklichen Liebe im Alkohol versinkt. In eingeschobenen Rückblenden ergibt sich immer mehr ein Bild einer zerrütteten Familie, die durch einen gewalttätigen Vater und einer in der Opferrolle gefangenen Mutter geprägt war.
„Ich konnte mir niemanden aus meiner Familie verliebt vorstellen. Wir waren keine liebende Familie. Wir waren einfach nur Erbgutträger die Nachfahren in die Welt setzten und taten was getan werden musste. Oft auf die denkbar schlechteste Weise mit erbärmlichen Ergebnis.“
Wie kann man lieben, wenn man nie Liebe als Kind erfahren hat? Wie kann man vergeben, wenn Taten eigentlich unentschuldbar sind? Warum zieht es Jana immer wieder zu Abziehbildern ihres Vaters hin? Karin Smirnoff verwendet einen sehr eigenwilligen Schreibstil, um die Sprache und den Dialekt der Nordschweden zu treffen. Ob das der Übersetzerin bei der Übertragung ins Deutsche originalgetreu gelungen ist, kann ich nicht beurteilen. Auf jeden Fall bekommt der Ton der Geschichte durch den Verzicht jeglicher Interpunktion bis auf den Punkt einen sehr eindringliche Note. Die Sätze sind oft kurz und nüchtern, was auf mich authentisch wirkte. Jana wird dadurch zu einer sehr zähen und bewundernswerten Frau, deren Schicksalsschläge man sich kaum vorstellen mag. Das Buch, welches der erste Band einer Trilogie ist, hat mich sehr beeindruckt. Ein unerwartet eindringliches Leseerlebnis. Ich freue mich, wenn auch die weiteren Bücher der Autorin übersetzt werden sollten.
July 5, 2022
Z Serią Dzieł Pisarzy Skandynawskich nie można popełnić błędu! Tym bardziej z sagą rodzinną tak druzgoczącą, miażdżącą, rozbijającą konwencję jak Saga Kippo i jej pierwszy tom...
Nic dziwnego, że Karin Smirnoff uznano za objawienie literatury skandynawskiej, że to jej oddano również pałeczkę kontynuowania Sagi Millenium po Stiegu Larssonie i Davidzie Lagercrantzu. To autorka, która nie boi się uderzać znienacka, ale która przede wszystkim trafia do celu. „Pojechałam do brata na południe” otwiera dopiero sagę rodziny Kippów, ale to jedno z najbardziej emocjonalnych otwarć, na jakie można było się zdobyć. U Smirnoff nawet najboleśniejsza trauma leży na tacy, możemy przypatrywać się jej z bliska, bez zbędnych filtrów. Bez owijania w bawełnę, bez podejmowania gierek, bez zbędnych metafor. Smirnoff pisze o tym, jak jest. Robi to w swoim własnym niepowtarzalnym stylu, tak, by czytelnik miał nieustannie szeroko otwarte oczy.
A po „Pojechałam do brata na południe” teraz nie pozostaje nic jak czekać na więcej. Dobrej literatury w końcu nigdy za wiele.
Nic dziwnego, że Karin Smirnoff uznano za objawienie literatury skandynawskiej, że to jej oddano również pałeczkę kontynuowania Sagi Millenium po Stiegu Larssonie i Davidzie Lagercrantzu. To autorka, która nie boi się uderzać znienacka, ale która przede wszystkim trafia do celu. „Pojechałam do brata na południe” otwiera dopiero sagę rodziny Kippów, ale to jedno z najbardziej emocjonalnych otwarć, na jakie można było się zdobyć. U Smirnoff nawet najboleśniejsza trauma leży na tacy, możemy przypatrywać się jej z bliska, bez zbędnych filtrów. Bez owijania w bawełnę, bez podejmowania gierek, bez zbędnych metafor. Smirnoff pisze o tym, jak jest. Robi to w swoim własnym niepowtarzalnym stylu, tak, by czytelnik miał nieustannie szeroko otwarte oczy.
A po „Pojechałam do brata na południe” teraz nie pozostaje nic jak czekać na więcej. Dobrej literatury w końcu nigdy za wiele.
September 30, 2022
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.
My Review: First, read this:
You're now familiar with the author's voice in this, the first of three novels set it the Arctic Swedish town of Smalånger, where Bror and Jana are from...Jana has left...Bror hasn't bothered, he can drink himself to death in the comfort of what was the family's home. With, now, the company of his twin, as she chooses to come back to, to, help? Anyway, bear witness if not accelerate the crash. To keep herself in food (Bror worries about booze, nothing else) she starts working for the local social services department, which she calls smalångerhomecareservices, thus making herself useful while getting fully up on the local gossip from the people she works with and the ones she's helping to survive whatever time is left to them in a modicum of physical comfort. No one in Smalånger lives in psychic comfort, she discovers early, and often.
My idea of what I was in for was too weak-kneed. I thought I'd get something dark, but not my-eyes-my-poor-eyes dark! A woman suffers a dreadful childhood; returns to the scene of the crime to be there with the brother ("Bror" is Swedish for "brother"; unlike Jana, he has no personal name) whose life was stalled, stopped, and never had any particular reason to start it again. He drifts aimlessly, but reasonably harmlessly...yes, he sleeps with his best friend's wife, but it's not like he was the only one who did; he's drinking himself to death, sure, but when the woman he loved but who was murdered by person or persons unknown, what else is there to do except hang out with her widower and drink?
No, not chuckle one in this book. But there are two more in Swedish and I need to read them now!
What the heck? I need to read them? Yes, while I wouldn't have predicted that I'd get invested in this Nordic grimdark saga of terrible, sad, claustrophobic life in a tiny, remote, and dark (physically) place, that is exactly what happened. What more there is to learn I want to learn it.
It's that kind of a read, y'all. You won't leave the same as you entered.
My Review: First, read this:
We were born just a few minutes apart and are alike in many ways. Especially in how we look. We are thin and gingery, with straggly unpigmented hair. We are so bleakly unremarkable that nobody used to remember either of us as somebody. Only as the twins.
–and–
So the police were looking into her death I said.
Of course they did. What did you expect. A dead woman found in the grass near the sawmill and it turns out she has slept with most of the married men in the village. And a number of others as well. On top of that one of the suspects is a convicted murderer.
Who I asked. Me of course he said.
You're now familiar with the author's voice in this, the first of three novels set it the Arctic Swedish town of Smalånger, where Bror and Jana are from...Jana has left...Bror hasn't bothered, he can drink himself to death in the comfort of what was the family's home. With, now, the company of his twin, as she chooses to come back to, to, help? Anyway, bear witness if not accelerate the crash. To keep herself in food (Bror worries about booze, nothing else) she starts working for the local social services department, which she calls smalångerhomecareservices, thus making herself useful while getting fully up on the local gossip from the people she works with and the ones she's helping to survive whatever time is left to them in a modicum of physical comfort. No one in Smalånger lives in psychic comfort, she discovers early, and often.
My idea of what I was in for was too weak-kneed. I thought I'd get something dark, but not my-eyes-my-poor-eyes dark! A woman suffers a dreadful childhood; returns to the scene of the crime to be there with the brother ("Bror" is Swedish for "brother"; unlike Jana, he has no personal name) whose life was stalled, stopped, and never had any particular reason to start it again. He drifts aimlessly, but reasonably harmlessly...yes, he sleeps with his best friend's wife, but it's not like he was the only one who did; he's drinking himself to death, sure, but when the woman he loved but who was murdered by person or persons unknown, what else is there to do except hang out with her widower and drink?
No, not chuckle one in this book. But there are two more in Swedish and I need to read them now!
What the heck? I need to read them? Yes, while I wouldn't have predicted that I'd get invested in this Nordic grimdark saga of terrible, sad, claustrophobic life in a tiny, remote, and dark (physically) place, that is exactly what happened. What more there is to learn I want to learn it.
It's that kind of a read, y'all. You won't leave the same as you entered.
July 28, 2025
Nie wierzę, że to mówię, ale ta książka to największe czytelnicze zaskoczenie tego roku. Na świeżo oceniam na 4,25 ⭐️, ale kto wie co się wydarzy, gdy ta historia we mnie dojrzeje.
January 5, 2024
Előrebocsátom: hiszek a helyesírásban. Hiszek abban, hogy egy irodalmi mű csak nyomós indokkal ignorálhatja a mondattan szabályait. Itt vannak például a vesszők. A vesszőket nem úri hóbortból találták ki mindenféle okos emberek, hogy bosszantsák a közösségi oldalakon posztolgató kisnyugdíjasokat. Hanem igenis fontos funkcióval bírnak, mert értelmezhetővé tagolják a mondatokat, észszerű ritmust adnak nekik, fazonra igazítják. Aki vitatkozott már írásban olyasvalakivel, aki a vesszőhasználat művészetében finoman szólva sem volt járatos, az tudja, miről beszélek - mintha egy langyos kásában próbálna gyorsúszni az ember: rettenetesen fárasztó, értelmetlen foglalatosság, és hót piszkosnak érezzük magunkat utána.
No most úgy jön ez ide, hogy Karin Smirnoff nem használ vesszőket. Egyáltalán nem.
Ezzel együtt remek ez a regény. Mert itt a szabály radikális elutasításának funkciója van. Kiiktatja azt a hullámzást, azt a ritmust, amelyet a szabatos vesszőhasználat adományoz a szövegnek, és becseréli egyfajta monotonitásra, ami szépen intonálja az elbeszélő kiégettségét. Mert próza hangsúlyozástól való megfosztása együtt jár azzal, hogy erre az elbeszélőre az író elviselhetetlen súlyt helyez.
Jana visszatér szülőhelyére, a svéd Isten háta mögé, hogy ott megküzdjön a saját múltjával, vagy esetleg megadja magát neki. Smirnoff nem szemérmes, ami a borzalmakat illeti: a családon belüli erőszaktól a pedofílián át az apagyilkosságig van itt minden. Komolyan mondom, itt 80 oldal alatt annyi minden derül ki a svéd falu sötét lelkéről, hogy azzal az egész észak-magyar régiót el lehetne látni száz évre. El is képed az ember - hogy lehetne ezt még fokozni? Hogy lehetne még több fájdalmat felfedni egy regényben? Hogy lehetne még dühítőbben ábrázolni a közösség közönyét, aki hagyta, hogy ezeket a fájdalmakat átélje valaki?
Mégsem tűnik túlzónak. Egyfelől Smirnoffnak pöpec ütemérzéke van. Nem klasszikus nyomorpornót ír, ahol a rettenet ábrázolása, az empátia felkeltése a cél, azon túlmutató ideával nem áll elő a szerző. Itt minden, ami Janával (és a többiekkel) történik, csak felvezetés. Annak illusztrálása, hogy van olyan rossz, amit ha elkövetnek ellened, akkor jogod van rossznak lenni. Jogod van bosszút állni - és igen, az olvasó is akarja a bosszút. Naná, én is akartam. Csak hát ez a csapda. Mert a szörnyeket a szörnyek szülik. A rossz, amit tesznek velünk, belénk fészkeli magát, rág belülről, mint a féreg, gyűlik, gyűlik, aztán kiárad. Akit mindig bántanak, annak magának is egy eszköze lesz: a bántás. Smirnoff igazi kérdése pedig az, hogy ebből a körből ki lehet-e törni. Fel lehet-e építeni kapcsolatokat - akár olyan emberekkel, akik épp olyan sérültek, mint mi? Meg lehet-e tanulni bízni, tíz körömmel ki tudjuk-e kaparni magunkat a hat láb föld alól, amit rossz szellemeink ránk lapátoltak?
Kemény könyv, kegyetlen könyv. De valami elemi szépség van benne.
No most úgy jön ez ide, hogy Karin Smirnoff nem használ vesszőket. Egyáltalán nem.
Ezzel együtt remek ez a regény. Mert itt a szabály radikális elutasításának funkciója van. Kiiktatja azt a hullámzást, azt a ritmust, amelyet a szabatos vesszőhasználat adományoz a szövegnek, és becseréli egyfajta monotonitásra, ami szépen intonálja az elbeszélő kiégettségét. Mert próza hangsúlyozástól való megfosztása együtt jár azzal, hogy erre az elbeszélőre az író elviselhetetlen súlyt helyez.
Jana visszatér szülőhelyére, a svéd Isten háta mögé, hogy ott megküzdjön a saját múltjával, vagy esetleg megadja magát neki. Smirnoff nem szemérmes, ami a borzalmakat illeti: a családon belüli erőszaktól a pedofílián át az apagyilkosságig van itt minden. Komolyan mondom, itt 80 oldal alatt annyi minden derül ki a svéd falu sötét lelkéről, hogy azzal az egész észak-magyar régiót el lehetne látni száz évre. El is képed az ember - hogy lehetne ezt még fokozni? Hogy lehetne még több fájdalmat felfedni egy regényben? Hogy lehetne még dühítőbben ábrázolni a közösség közönyét, aki hagyta, hogy ezeket a fájdalmakat átélje valaki?
Mégsem tűnik túlzónak. Egyfelől Smirnoffnak pöpec ütemérzéke van. Nem klasszikus nyomorpornót ír, ahol a rettenet ábrázolása, az empátia felkeltése a cél, azon túlmutató ideával nem áll elő a szerző. Itt minden, ami Janával (és a többiekkel) történik, csak felvezetés. Annak illusztrálása, hogy van olyan rossz, amit ha elkövetnek ellened, akkor jogod van rossznak lenni. Jogod van bosszút állni - és igen, az olvasó is akarja a bosszút. Naná, én is akartam. Csak hát ez a csapda. Mert a szörnyeket a szörnyek szülik. A rossz, amit tesznek velünk, belénk fészkeli magát, rág belülről, mint a féreg, gyűlik, gyűlik, aztán kiárad. Akit mindig bántanak, annak magának is egy eszköze lesz: a bántás. Smirnoff igazi kérdése pedig az, hogy ebből a körből ki lehet-e törni. Fel lehet-e építeni kapcsolatokat - akár olyan emberekkel, akik épp olyan sérültek, mint mi? Meg lehet-e tanulni bízni, tíz körömmel ki tudjuk-e kaparni magunkat a hat láb föld alól, amit rossz szellemeink ránk lapátoltak?
Kemény könyv, kegyetlen könyv. De valami elemi szépség van benne.
February 20, 2024
Ta książka to definicja syndromu sztokholmskiego. Nie tylko fabularnie, ale i tego, co robi z czytelnikiem. Wręcz miażdży, a my i tak chcemy więcej…
April 24, 2019
För att vara ärlig förstår jag mig inte på den här boken. Vad är den sammanhållande handlingen? Vad är syftet med detta frosseri i äckel och elände? Jag förstår liksom inte VARFÖR jag måste läsa om binnikemask i vartannat kapitel. Det här var inte min grej alltså. Jag tänker på den här boken Våtmarker. Det är mycket kropp och mycket äckel och mycket detaljer. Men där kunde jag ändå välja att se hur författaren ville skriva om kvinnokroppen på ett sätt som det typ aldrig görs. Och att det var det som var syftet. Här känner jag bara... Que?
September 23, 2021
Женщина возвращается домой после неоднократно пережитого инцеста в коровнике (и не только в коровнике, и не только инцеста), влюбляется в душного мудака-психопата, расследует смерть местной проститутки, которая внезапно оказывается ее сестрой, откачивает отравившегося несвежей водкой алкаша-брата и понимает, что жизнь налаживается.
November 17, 2022
A difficult and troubling read which grew on me with time and if not for the pathetic translation, I’d have rated this higher; can’t say I’d have enjoyed this more because this is not an entertaining book.
The story revolves around a woman, Jana Kippo, who has returned to her childhood town where she and her twin brother suffered abuse at the hands of their father. As Jana recalls her childhood memories, she discovers painful secrets that she’d deliberately forgotten. There are a bunch of twists and secrets that are revealed through the progression of the story - some of them are bizarre, some downright sick! The character development was the best pert. Even though I didn’t feel any fondness for most of them, I caws able to sympathise with them and grieve for them. They were all complex, yet distinct in their own ways.
Update:Sadly, the whole experience was ruined by the writing style. The lack of punctuation and the content being solely written in lower case made the experience irritating and incomprehensible. I had to double my focus and reread paragraphs for them to make any sense.
Overall, not an easy read; there’s abuse of every kind in it - children abuse, domestic violence, sexual abuse, unplanned pregnancy, child abandonment, incest, murder, alcoholism, substance abuse, death by disease and what not. Could be triggering to some readers.
Thanks to Pushkin Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Publication Date: September 6th, 2022.
3/5🌟.
TW: Please refer to the content highlighted above in bold.
The story revolves around a woman, Jana Kippo, who has returned to her childhood town where she and her twin brother suffered abuse at the hands of their father. As Jana recalls her childhood memories, she discovers painful secrets that she’d deliberately forgotten. There are a bunch of twists and secrets that are revealed through the progression of the story - some of them are bizarre, some downright sick! The character development was the best pert. Even though I didn’t feel any fondness for most of them, I caws able to sympathise with them and grieve for them. They were all complex, yet distinct in their own ways.
Update:Sadly, the whole experience was ruined by the writing style. The lack of punctuation and the content being solely written in lower case made the experience irritating and incomprehensible. I had to double my focus and reread paragraphs for them to make any sense.
Overall, not an easy read; there’s abuse of every kind in it - children abuse, domestic violence, sexual abuse, unplanned pregnancy, child abandonment, incest, murder, alcoholism, substance abuse, death by disease and what not. Could be triggering to some readers.
Thanks to Pushkin Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Publication Date: September 6th, 2022.
3/5🌟.
TW: Please refer to the content highlighted above in bold.
December 21, 2020
Our jana is a comfortable soul to have around. Rarely says what she thinks. Doesn’t ask uncalledfor questions. Demands no answers. Sits in the kitchen eating what’s left on other people’s plates. She was the one. She who comes when needed. I.
I am clear about what’s going on but will keep myself to myself. Stand by and watch as bror drinks himself to death.
I have no real friends. Because the only real friend I have had will soon be buried. I leave those who say they love. I am jealous and grudging. I have sex without contraception because if I get pregnant I will have it terminated. I take pleasure in revenge. I shoot animals during the mating season. I despise my workmates because they are overweight and dull. There are times when I want to cause pain. I could probably kill.
My Brother is Dr Anna Paterson’s translation of Karin Smirnoff’s 2018 Swedish langusge novel ‘Jag for net till bror,’ the first of the award-winning and best-selling Jana Kippo trilogy comprising ‘Vi for upp med mor’ (2019) and ‘Sen for jag hem’ (2020). Google (sorry!) translates the original titles as I went down to my brother, We went up with mother, Then I went home.
The English translation is published by Pushkin Press - and thanks to them, via Netgalley, for the ARC.
In this first volume, the first person narrator, Jana, returns to her hometown Smalånger in rural northern Sweden to visit her alcoholic twin brother bror (as he is referred by everyone, albeit bror is Swedish for brother) and the family home.
We were born just a few minutes apart and are alike in many ways. Especially in how we look. We are thin and gingery, with straggly unpigmented hair. We are so bleakly unremarkable that nobody used to remember either of us as somebody. Only as the twins.
Even though we came from different eggs we mostly behaved just the way people expect from twins.
And the purpose of her return is to confront the troubled family history. From the first pages there is a sense of something off, something sinister lurking in the family background, including some drip-fed sinister hints, which is also echoed in the strikingly off-kilter narrative style, captured wonderfully by Paterson, with minimal punctuation, lack of capitalization and runon words, which also serves to give the narration a sense of urgency:
You know nothing about john said bror. He isn’t a bad man but you know nothing whatever about him. No I don’t and he knows nothing about me I said. Well nothing except that I murdered my father but I guess everyone knows that. Yes said my brother everyone knows that. Though he didn’t die.
And:
The tapeworm kept up lowlevel gnawing however hard I tried to focus on neutral things like cleansingsoap colgate stomatol almawin cleaningfluid shavingfoam and timotei shampoo.
Jana moves back into the family farm with bror, takes up with another local man john, and accepts a role in the local social services, smalångerhomecareservices as she refers to it, as a homecarer for the elderly and dying, all of which enables her to probe the secrets of both her own family and of the community generally. And the community doesn’t exactly lack secrets, as Jana remarks at one point:
I’m so fed up with all these stories I said. Why can’t anyone be normal just for once. And look normal. Say normal things.
To give one example (no spoiler needed as the basic story is revealed early on and then examined relentlessly by Jana like a tongue probing the cavity in a rotting tooth), her new lover john was married to maria. Maria was unfaithful, sleeping with many of the married men in the community, most recently bror. Then maria was found dead, but it is unclear if by suicide or murder and if the latter, the community and police have john and bror as prime suspects.
So the police were looking into her death I said.
Of course they did. What did you expect. A dead woman found in the grass near the sawmill and it turns out she has slept with most of the married men in the village. And a number of others as well. On top of that one of the suspects is a convicted murderer.
Who I asked. Me of course he said.
And then to add to the mix, john suggests that maria is actually bror and jana’s half-sister.
As for jana herself, she seems selfdestructive in her own choice of relationships, ending up with men who are either violent or alcoholic or both, although as she points out people tend to blame her, and she isn’t the one with the alcohol or violence problem.
Overall a powerful story, brilliantly translated, and I really hope that a) Pushkin and Anna Paterson soon bring out volumes 2 and 3 of the trilogy and b) this features in the International Booker, albeit I can see it splitting opinion in the way that this year’s winner Discomfort of Evening did.
4.5 stars, rounded to 4 pending the completion of janakippo’s tale, albeit the book functions well as a stand-alone novel.
I am clear about what’s going on but will keep myself to myself. Stand by and watch as bror drinks himself to death.
I have no real friends. Because the only real friend I have had will soon be buried. I leave those who say they love. I am jealous and grudging. I have sex without contraception because if I get pregnant I will have it terminated. I take pleasure in revenge. I shoot animals during the mating season. I despise my workmates because they are overweight and dull. There are times when I want to cause pain. I could probably kill.
My Brother is Dr Anna Paterson’s translation of Karin Smirnoff’s 2018 Swedish langusge novel ‘Jag for net till bror,’ the first of the award-winning and best-selling Jana Kippo trilogy comprising ‘Vi for upp med mor’ (2019) and ‘Sen for jag hem’ (2020). Google (sorry!) translates the original titles as I went down to my brother, We went up with mother, Then I went home.
The English translation is published by Pushkin Press - and thanks to them, via Netgalley, for the ARC.
In this first volume, the first person narrator, Jana, returns to her hometown Smalånger in rural northern Sweden to visit her alcoholic twin brother bror (as he is referred by everyone, albeit bror is Swedish for brother) and the family home.
We were born just a few minutes apart and are alike in many ways. Especially in how we look. We are thin and gingery, with straggly unpigmented hair. We are so bleakly unremarkable that nobody used to remember either of us as somebody. Only as the twins.
Even though we came from different eggs we mostly behaved just the way people expect from twins.
And the purpose of her return is to confront the troubled family history. From the first pages there is a sense of something off, something sinister lurking in the family background, including some drip-fed sinister hints, which is also echoed in the strikingly off-kilter narrative style, captured wonderfully by Paterson, with minimal punctuation, lack of capitalization and runon words, which also serves to give the narration a sense of urgency:
You know nothing about john said bror. He isn’t a bad man but you know nothing whatever about him. No I don’t and he knows nothing about me I said. Well nothing except that I murdered my father but I guess everyone knows that. Yes said my brother everyone knows that. Though he didn’t die.
And:
The tapeworm kept up lowlevel gnawing however hard I tried to focus on neutral things like cleansingsoap colgate stomatol almawin cleaningfluid shavingfoam and timotei shampoo.
Jana moves back into the family farm with bror, takes up with another local man john, and accepts a role in the local social services, smalångerhomecareservices as she refers to it, as a homecarer for the elderly and dying, all of which enables her to probe the secrets of both her own family and of the community generally. And the community doesn’t exactly lack secrets, as Jana remarks at one point:
I’m so fed up with all these stories I said. Why can’t anyone be normal just for once. And look normal. Say normal things.
To give one example (no spoiler needed as the basic story is revealed early on and then examined relentlessly by Jana like a tongue probing the cavity in a rotting tooth), her new lover john was married to maria. Maria was unfaithful, sleeping with many of the married men in the community, most recently bror. Then maria was found dead, but it is unclear if by suicide or murder and if the latter, the community and police have john and bror as prime suspects.
So the police were looking into her death I said.
Of course they did. What did you expect. A dead woman found in the grass near the sawmill and it turns out she has slept with most of the married men in the village. And a number of others as well. On top of that one of the suspects is a convicted murderer.
Who I asked. Me of course he said.
And then to add to the mix, john suggests that maria is actually bror and jana’s half-sister.
As for jana herself, she seems selfdestructive in her own choice of relationships, ending up with men who are either violent or alcoholic or both, although as she points out people tend to blame her, and she isn’t the one with the alcohol or violence problem.
Overall a powerful story, brilliantly translated, and I really hope that a) Pushkin and Anna Paterson soon bring out volumes 2 and 3 of the trilogy and b) this features in the International Booker, albeit I can see it splitting opinion in the way that this year’s winner Discomfort of Evening did.
4.5 stars, rounded to 4 pending the completion of janakippo’s tale, albeit the book functions well as a stand-alone novel.
January 30, 2019
Helt fantastisk. Kommer nog aldrig sluta tänka på den.
January 12, 2023
Zaczęłam w zeszłym roku, skończyłam w tym. Czytałam długo, czytałam na raty, czytałam z doskoku. Jednak przy każdym skoku w świat janykippo czułam niesamowity komfort - mimo braku interpunkcji, mimo braku wielkich liter, mimo złączeń imion i nazwisk. Dzięki niesamowicie swobodnej narracji, dzięki ujmująco leniwej fabule, dzięki niesztampowym bohaterom, nieodgadnionym relacjom, oblepiającej atmosferze, jakiejś takiej skandynawskiej ospałości połączonej z podstępnie porywającą treścią. Zaskakująca, dociekliwa, przyciągająca, niebywale oryginalna - w formie, kreacji bohaterów, tempie i rozwoju akcji. No, łebska książka. Będzie mi się podobać ta książka coraz bardziej i niesamowicie cieszę się, że to pierwsza papierowa książka tego roku i że kolejna część po polsku już się dzieje.
Janakippo przyjeżdza do brata mieszkającego w rodzinnym domu na szwedzkiej wsi. I jak to z takimi powrotami bywa - odkrywa coś nowego, rozdrapuje stare rany, odświeża traumy, poznaje ludzi na nowo i poznaje nakładające się na siebie kolejne wersje kolejnych perspektyw kolejnych wydarzeń z przeszłości. Jest też romans, jest nowa praca, są uzależnienia i współuzależnienia, sporo bólu, dystansu i trudności (również komunikacyjnych: brak prostoty w komunikacji alert!), dużo pytań i jeszcze więcej odpowiedzi, które niekoniecznie się uzupełniają. Bardzo moja książka, bardzo moja narracja i bardzo moi bohaterowie. Dużo niedopowiedzeń, dużo znaków zapytań (choć ani jednego w tekście), dużo tajemniczności i dużo soczystej literackiej skandynawii - jakkolwiek ta soczystość nie współgra biegunowo z literaturą skandynawską to ja właśnie tak skandynawsko frywolnie prozę Smirnoff odbieram.
Janakippo przyjeżdza do brata mieszkającego w rodzinnym domu na szwedzkiej wsi. I jak to z takimi powrotami bywa - odkrywa coś nowego, rozdrapuje stare rany, odświeża traumy, poznaje ludzi na nowo i poznaje nakładające się na siebie kolejne wersje kolejnych perspektyw kolejnych wydarzeń z przeszłości. Jest też romans, jest nowa praca, są uzależnienia i współuzależnienia, sporo bólu, dystansu i trudności (również komunikacyjnych: brak prostoty w komunikacji alert!), dużo pytań i jeszcze więcej odpowiedzi, które niekoniecznie się uzupełniają. Bardzo moja książka, bardzo moja narracja i bardzo moi bohaterowie. Dużo niedopowiedzeń, dużo znaków zapytań (choć ani jednego w tekście), dużo tajemniczności i dużo soczystej literackiej skandynawii - jakkolwiek ta soczystość nie współgra biegunowo z literaturą skandynawską to ja właśnie tak skandynawsko frywolnie prozę Smirnoff odbieram.
November 7, 2018
Och detta ska vara en debut...
Vad får de i sig i luften där uppe i de norrländska skogarna...
Hade velat ge den en femma men den tappade lite på slutet.
Augustnominerad!
Vad får de i sig i luften där uppe i de norrländska skogarna...
Hade velat ge den en femma men den tappade lite på slutet.
Augustnominerad!
July 21, 2021
I think that if I had read any reviews in detail of this beforehand I would have skipped it, but I am pleased I didn't. Almost all of the characters in the small Arctic town in Sweden in which this novel is set are deeply troubled and perhaps not surprisingly, there is an atmosphere of decay hanging over the community.
At the outset, narrator Jana, is returning to the town having lived away for several years. She moves in to live with her twin brother, Bror, though spends much time at her lover, John, facially scarred from a fire; both men are suspects in the death of Maria, girl-friend to both, and wife to John.
There are damaged survivors of physical and sexual abuse here, Jana's best friend is dying of cancer, there is drug addiciton, and also the various dying characters Jana sees daily in her job as a home carer. More than once it reminded me of those sad old country and western songs by the likes of Hank Williams or Pasty Cline. Not only did I keep reading though, but also there were times in the first half when I thought it could go on to be one of the best novels of the year. Smirnoff's secret is in her narrator. As much as this is about frailty and despair it is about resilience and hope, and it is the latter that stays in the mind after the finish. The second half is a bit too long, and lacks the insightfulness and intensity of the first.
It may not be a very cheeful read, but it certainly is compelling.
At the outset, narrator Jana, is returning to the town having lived away for several years. She moves in to live with her twin brother, Bror, though spends much time at her lover, John, facially scarred from a fire; both men are suspects in the death of Maria, girl-friend to both, and wife to John.
There are damaged survivors of physical and sexual abuse here, Jana's best friend is dying of cancer, there is drug addiciton, and also the various dying characters Jana sees daily in her job as a home carer. More than once it reminded me of those sad old country and western songs by the likes of Hank Williams or Pasty Cline. Not only did I keep reading though, but also there were times in the first half when I thought it could go on to be one of the best novels of the year. Smirnoff's secret is in her narrator. As much as this is about frailty and despair it is about resilience and hope, and it is the latter that stays in the mind after the finish. The second half is a bit too long, and lacks the insightfulness and intensity of the first.
It may not be a very cheeful read, but it certainly is compelling.
July 18, 2022
When you read a 300-page novel in 1.5 days you know it's good. This is the story of a woman returning to her childhood home in a village in Northern Sweden, where everybody knows everybody, where her brother still lives and where we knows some awful things happened long ago.
Lots of snow, derelict farms, alcohol, secrets, violence, and hunters, but most of all lots of broken families - which means one or the other family secret is revealed in almost every one of the 51 short chapters. Still, it never feels like a soap opera. An extremely compulsive read; I can see why it is such a success in Sweden and can't wait for the translation of parts 2 and 3 (and the TV adaptation).
4,5
Many thanks to Pushkin Press for the arc via Netgalley.
Lots of snow, derelict farms, alcohol, secrets, violence, and hunters, but most of all lots of broken families - which means one or the other family secret is revealed in almost every one of the 51 short chapters. Still, it never feels like a soap opera. An extremely compulsive read; I can see why it is such a success in Sweden and can't wait for the translation of parts 2 and 3 (and the TV adaptation).
4,5
Many thanks to Pushkin Press for the arc via Netgalley.
May 29, 2019
ag for ner till bror är en väldigt säregen bok. Eljest skulle jag säga. För det första är det språket. Exempelvis saknar texten helt skiljetecken utom punkt, i uppräkningar saknas komma. Alla egennamn är ihopskrivna, som namnet på berättaren: janakippo. Allt sådant här brukar störa mig enormt, och i början så gör det det. Men så övergår det till att dra mig in i berättelsen på ett suggestivt och märkligt sätt. Språket blir ett med berättaren och ett med berättelsen. Effektfullt! Och trots detta är boken väldigt lättläst. Jag tror Jag for ner till bror är en bok man antingen fastnar i eller inte tar sig igenom. Det är definitivt en bok som jag tänker mycket på, även efter avslutad läsning.
Berättelsen utspelar sig i Smalånger, en fiktiv plats någonstans i glesbygd i norra Sverige. Bara namnet på byn är så typiskt. Karin Smirnoff sägs ha inspirerats av sin uppväxt någonstans mellan Umeå och Skellefteå. Inte så speciellt långt härifrån alltså, bara runt 30 mil. Trots att jag bor i mellanstor stad som befinner sig i de södra delarna av ”Norrland” och bara i mitten av vårt avlånga land så kan jag känna igen en del av de dialektala uttrycken. Och om jag inte känner igen det så har jag ingen svårighet att förstå det. Språket är mitt i prick, och jag tror inte historien hade kunnat berättas på något annat vis än med det språket.
Det är mycket som händer men som inte skrivs ut fullt, man befinner sig inne i huvudet på Jana och det är hennes minnen och tidslinje som man får följa. Allt är inte helt logiskt, men ibland är det ju så i verkliga livet också. Jag tycker om när en berättelse utmanar och man får läsa en del mellan raderna. Det är en brutal och hemsk historia som chockerar på mer än ett sätt. Samtidigt finns det en överlevnadsinstinkt och självironi hos Jana som jag gillar, och som lyfter berättelsen till något över en eländesskildring.
Jag for ner till bror innehåller ett fascinerande bygge av karaktärer, som byter skepnad efter hand. Man blir ständigt överraskad över vad de gör och hur de reagerar. Som läsare tror jag att jag begripit mig på en karaktär, men så kommer något nytt som vänder allt upp och ner. Man vet inte om man gillar en del karaktärer eller inte. Utom en del som jag definitivt inte gillar, jag närmast avskyr.
Det finns en sak som stör mig något. Jag for ner till bror är en mörk skildring av svensk glesbygd, och i stort sett alla fördomar kan bekräftas. Det är alkoholism, våld, incest, kvinnoförakt och allt man kan tänka sig. Det kan snarare förstärka fördomarna än att verka mot dem och se glesbygden som den är.
Precis innan jag började läsa Jag for ner till bror så kom Vi for upp med mor med posten. Den kommer jag antagligen att läsa inom kort.
Blir du lockad av recensionen så kika in på Instagram!
Omdöme: Eljest bok om mörka hemligheter och starka band
Betyg: 5-
https://lottensbokblogg.wordpress.com...
Berättelsen utspelar sig i Smalånger, en fiktiv plats någonstans i glesbygd i norra Sverige. Bara namnet på byn är så typiskt. Karin Smirnoff sägs ha inspirerats av sin uppväxt någonstans mellan Umeå och Skellefteå. Inte så speciellt långt härifrån alltså, bara runt 30 mil. Trots att jag bor i mellanstor stad som befinner sig i de södra delarna av ”Norrland” och bara i mitten av vårt avlånga land så kan jag känna igen en del av de dialektala uttrycken. Och om jag inte känner igen det så har jag ingen svårighet att förstå det. Språket är mitt i prick, och jag tror inte historien hade kunnat berättas på något annat vis än med det språket.
Det är mycket som händer men som inte skrivs ut fullt, man befinner sig inne i huvudet på Jana och det är hennes minnen och tidslinje som man får följa. Allt är inte helt logiskt, men ibland är det ju så i verkliga livet också. Jag tycker om när en berättelse utmanar och man får läsa en del mellan raderna. Det är en brutal och hemsk historia som chockerar på mer än ett sätt. Samtidigt finns det en överlevnadsinstinkt och självironi hos Jana som jag gillar, och som lyfter berättelsen till något över en eländesskildring.
Jag for ner till bror innehåller ett fascinerande bygge av karaktärer, som byter skepnad efter hand. Man blir ständigt överraskad över vad de gör och hur de reagerar. Som läsare tror jag att jag begripit mig på en karaktär, men så kommer något nytt som vänder allt upp och ner. Man vet inte om man gillar en del karaktärer eller inte. Utom en del som jag definitivt inte gillar, jag närmast avskyr.
Det finns en sak som stör mig något. Jag for ner till bror är en mörk skildring av svensk glesbygd, och i stort sett alla fördomar kan bekräftas. Det är alkoholism, våld, incest, kvinnoförakt och allt man kan tänka sig. Det kan snarare förstärka fördomarna än att verka mot dem och se glesbygden som den är.
Precis innan jag började läsa Jag for ner till bror så kom Vi for upp med mor med posten. Den kommer jag antagligen att läsa inom kort.
Blir du lockad av recensionen så kika in på Instagram!
Omdöme: Eljest bok om mörka hemligheter och starka band
Betyg: 5-
https://lottensbokblogg.wordpress.com...
August 3, 2022
This was a difficult book to read for both the style and subject matter and yet it was hard to look away. Set in rural Sweden in a cold and harsh winter environment, it’s a story of family secrets, of violence and mental illness, alcoholism, generations of child abuse, small town knowledge/gossip and all the interlinked relationships. It’s mostly bleak but there is some love and kindness. It’s narrated by Jana, a woman returning to the family home where her alcoholic twin brother still lives. The writing makes it difficult to get into and to start with, I thought it was a shocking translation until I realised it was meant to be written with almost no punctuation including no capital letters for names, first and last names run together as do some other phrases, numbers and years are written out in full. This style made it hard to get close to the main character and those around her and also made the whole narrative more uncertain. An intense read.
May 4, 2025
Så sjukt mørkt. Og så sjukt bra.
August 11, 2024
3,8/5 ⭐️
Bardzo mocna i przy tym ogołocona z emocji. A tych emocji i u czytelnika wywołująca ogrom 😳 Typowo chyba dla Skandynawii surowa, zimna narracyjnie - mi to bardzo siedzi 👌🏼
Bardzo mocna i przy tym ogołocona z emocji. A tych emocji i u czytelnika wywołująca ogrom 😳 Typowo chyba dla Skandynawii surowa, zimna narracyjnie - mi to bardzo siedzi 👌🏼
October 22, 2020
Mkt bra. Har inga problem att förstå hajpen kring denna bok. Två citat som jag tyckte var värda att stryka under: "Vi var bara genbärare som satte avkommor till världen och gjorde det som måste göras. Oftast på sämsta tänkbara vis och med klent resultat" & "Nu var jag där igen. Berättelse mot berättelse och jag i mitten som skiljedomare. Två fyllon med minnesluckor på varsin sida om sanningen".
February 25, 2019
Själva boken är en trea. Men Lo Kauppis inläsning höjer den till en fyra. Rekommenderas som ljudbok!
July 14, 2020
4,5! Att läsa den är som att lägga ett pussel, små bitar till en komplex historia. Otroligt intressant språk med nyskapande metaforer och liknelser, namn m.m
February 19, 2024
Jeg var ikke så betaget af denne roman. I store stræk er den ganske velskrevet, men lidt for ofte, synes jeg, falder den for lidt for nemme metaforer, lidt for klichéagtige beskrivelser af følelser, en form for "villet" distancering, som jeg alligevel ikke synes rigtig lykkes.
I en lille landsby følger vi flere personer, hovedsageligt fortælleren og hendes tvillingebror. På nær et par markante undtagelser, virker det, som om flertallet er vokset op med forældre, der i et eller andet omfang har mishandlet dem. Er det strengt at sige, at jeg er lidt træt af at høre den historie? Og hvis jeg skal, så giv mig til enhver tid hellere en bog af Alex Schulman.
Bogen er nogenlunde okay indlæst af Helene Egelund.
I en lille landsby følger vi flere personer, hovedsageligt fortælleren og hendes tvillingebror. På nær et par markante undtagelser, virker det, som om flertallet er vokset op med forældre, der i et eller andet omfang har mishandlet dem. Er det strengt at sige, at jeg er lidt træt af at høre den historie? Og hvis jeg skal, så giv mig til enhver tid hellere en bog af Alex Schulman.
Bogen er nogenlunde okay indlæst af Helene Egelund.
March 29, 2019
SÅ bra. Jag hade bara lite mycket egen pms-ångest under en viss del av läsningen för att helt kunna hantera all ångest i själva romanen, men annars var det en väldigt stor och fantastisk läsupplevelse.
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