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L'immigrato
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- GenresFiction
432 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 25, 2013
stessa protagonista del precedente "il fuggitivo": rikke, giornalista in prima linea penalizzata dall'eccessivo coinvolgimento nei casi che segue, tormentata da dubbi etici e piena di passione. stavolta il libro verte su un reato commesso da giovani immigrati, sulle reazioni dell'opinione pubblica e sulla durissima legge danese sugli stranieri. nelle 400 e rotte pagine del romanzo, si intrecciano azione, strategie politiche, deontologia e la strenua lotta per capire come siano andate veramente le cose e quale sia il comportamento più giusto da tenere. "l'immigrato" non è un noir né un giallo ma un romanzo di denuncia che aiuta a saperne di più su come funzionano le cose in un paese ricco e per molti aspetti privilegiato- eppure in balia di forze conservatrici e preoccupanti spettri di razzismo. attuale e coinvolgente, ottima lettura.
January 13, 2018
Romanzo che affronta il problema dell’immigrazione da più punti di vista senza cadere nello luogo comune o nella visione manichea di buoni e cattivi.
E’ anche un giallo, scritto molto bene, soprattutto nelle descrizione della protagonista (la stessa del libro Il fuggitivo).
Consiglio entrambe i libri
E’ anche un giallo, scritto molto bene, soprattutto nelle descrizione della protagonista (la stessa del libro Il fuggitivo).
Consiglio entrambe i libri
August 13, 2017
Il merito principale di questo romanzo è di parlare del fenomeno migratorio (e di saperlo spiegare) in termini accessibili, chiari e non stereotipati. Non nega la criminalità, non nega il naturale affratellamento in nome delle sole origini etniche, ma fa attenzione a non fare un unico fascio di tutta l'erba.
I personaggi, a partire dal giovane Zaki, dalla madre coraggio Rabia, fino al buttafuori Micky con la figlioletta Milla, hanno sfaccettature che spaziano dai sentimenti più nobili alla più istintiva reazione. Zaki è uno studente brillante, desideroso di ballare con ragazze bionde e danesi nelle discoteche per festeggiare il diploma; ma è lo stesso ragazzo che si sente in parte un estraneo nella civilissima Europa, lo stesso che ai buttafuori razzisti dà una testata, ma poi cerca di salvar loro la vita quando si fanno male sul serio. Zaki è quello che tortura il mandante dell'omicidio (colposo) di sua madre, e quello che vuole fare l'avvocato e costruirsi una vita in Danimarca.
E' un romanzo complesso, sfaccettato, con molte digressioni (interessanti e competenti) sulla politica dell'immigrazione in Danimarca dove ogni nazionalità riceve la giusta attenzione: si riconosce la difficoltà di un popolo palestinese sradicato ed orfano, così come i meriti dei lavoratori nordafricani (perfettamente rappresentati dai genitori di Zaki, che da sempre si impegnano e si amano rispettando se stessi, il Paese d'origine e quello d'elezione). Anche la vicenda processuale ed i complessi rapporti all'interno della stampa danese sono descritti con accuratezza e precisione.
Nell'insieme è davvero un romanzo dove nulla pare lasciato al caso, trascurato, "tirato via", e proprio per questo convince moltissimo.
I personaggi, a partire dal giovane Zaki, dalla madre coraggio Rabia, fino al buttafuori Micky con la figlioletta Milla, hanno sfaccettature che spaziano dai sentimenti più nobili alla più istintiva reazione. Zaki è uno studente brillante, desideroso di ballare con ragazze bionde e danesi nelle discoteche per festeggiare il diploma; ma è lo stesso ragazzo che si sente in parte un estraneo nella civilissima Europa, lo stesso che ai buttafuori razzisti dà una testata, ma poi cerca di salvar loro la vita quando si fanno male sul serio. Zaki è quello che tortura il mandante dell'omicidio (colposo) di sua madre, e quello che vuole fare l'avvocato e costruirsi una vita in Danimarca.
E' un romanzo complesso, sfaccettato, con molte digressioni (interessanti e competenti) sulla politica dell'immigrazione in Danimarca dove ogni nazionalità riceve la giusta attenzione: si riconosce la difficoltà di un popolo palestinese sradicato ed orfano, così come i meriti dei lavoratori nordafricani (perfettamente rappresentati dai genitori di Zaki, che da sempre si impegnano e si amano rispettando se stessi, il Paese d'origine e quello d'elezione). Anche la vicenda processuale ed i complessi rapporti all'interno della stampa danese sono descritti con accuratezza e precisione.
Nell'insieme è davvero un romanzo dove nulla pare lasciato al caso, trascurato, "tirato via", e proprio per questo convince moltissimo.
January 12, 2021
Un bel romanzo inchiesta, sul tema dell'integrazione dei giovani stranieri di seconda generazione in Danimarca, che vivono il difficile rapporto tra le proprie radici, sempre più lontane, e una società di arrivo in cui, nonostante la cittadinanza, sono e saranno sempre di serie B. È anche un interessante ritratto di un paese europeo in cui il partito populista, cavalcando le aspettative della "pancia" della popolazione, raggiunge i vertici della scena politica.
June 13, 2021
Jeg ville gerne have skrevet et grundigt og fyldestgørende review, men jeg kan ikke. Jeg kan ikke, fordi min holdning til bogen er voldsomt farvet af, at jeg ikke kan døje hovedpersonen, og jeg ville være vred og gnaven hele vejen gennem sådan et review.
De fire stjerner er for plot og dilemmaer, og så for alle de andre personer. Men ikke for Rikke.
De fire stjerner er for plot og dilemmaer, og så for alle de andre personer. Men ikke for Rikke.
August 21, 2012
I have just finished reading a book called Indvandreren (eng. immigrant)by Olav Hergel
The main events centre on a Moroccan family who come to Denmark with every intention of working hard, assimilating and bettering the lives of their children. If they stay in Morocco, the only future they can foresee for their children is leading tourists up a nearby mountain. The family consists of Rabia, the mother, Said el Azizi, the father, Zaki, the boy and Sara, the girl. When they arrive in Denmark Rabia is quite prepared to get up early every morning for her cleaning job. Her attitude is that it is necessary for her to do this if she is to fulfil her dreams and better the lives of her loved ones. All goes relatively smoothly until Zaki is wrongly accused of murdering a door keeper at a discothèque on the night when he is out with friends celebrating his exam results. Zaki knows who has killed the doorkeeper, but he is afraid to say who it is in case his family or friends suffer reprisals. If he says anything, he could endanger people’s lives.
This book is multi-faceted in that it documents racism in a very subtle way, while at the same time it clearly involves the thoughts and actions of people whose intention it is to combat racism.
Very little is ‘black’ and ‘white’ in this book. With a few exceptions, immigrants are not depicted as victims neither are they depicted as scoundrels nor saints. The same goes for the native Danes, most of them are have ‘good’ in them and ‘bad’ in them. It is usually human weakness that lets people down. Unfortunately there are gangs as well as those who are law-abiding. One individual whom we suspect of being a racist is also a loving father and husband, and generally liked by his friends. In this book we meet the ‘bad’, the criminals and the gangs, just as in real life. Gang behaviour plays an important role in this book, especially the way in which individuals are manipulated.
The book does portray nobility of character. The most outstanding person is Rabia. She is an extremely noble character. She is hard working, does the best that she can for her family, but at the same time refuses to compromise when it comes to her principles. The scene where she dies is extremely moving and emphasises her nobility of character. Another person who has the makings of a noble character is Rikke, the journalist, who takes it on herself to write in order that justice may be done. Even so, both Rabia and Rikke are very human.
As far as I know this book has not been translated into English. It is a very good book which provides a great deal of food for thought. The characters, their attitudes and their lives are realistic, though at the end of the book Olav Hergel states emphatically that this novel is fiction and that the characters have never existed in real life, neither do any of the institutions mentioned in the book. Nevertheless there are similarities in certain contexts.
Demonization of certain groups plays an important role. But then we can ask ourselves why not demonise criminal gangs since innocent people are caught up in their misdeeds. Olav Hergal starts off by quoting Birthe Rønn Hornbeck (2006):
“Dæmoniseringen er med til at vanskeliggøre mindretallenes forståelse for vort samfund og øger tværtimod de pågældendes følelse af at være marginaliseret. Og det er dødsensfarligt.”
Roughly translated this quotation means: ”Demonization makes it harder for minority groups to understand our society and all it does is increase their fear of being marginalised. This is incredibly dangerous”.
Journalists as a profession play an important role in the story, and as journalists some, not all, do demonise and marginalise certain groups. Fear of being marginalised can also be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Journalists, like everyone else, want to earn a living and not upset those in the top echelons. Indvandreren examines the lives of those who are marginalised, or perceive themselves to be marginalised, and contrasts this with the lives of those who are fully-fledged members of society and idealised in some way or other.
I like the structure of the book. The opening chapter and the final chapter portray an idyllic setting in a village not far from Marrakesh, though idyllic from the point view of those who observe it, not necessarily its residents. When Rabia is killed, they come back to the village to bury her. By that time Zaki has become far more cynical and certain tourists irritate him. Finally we are left wondering whether Zaki will stay or go back to Denmark to train to be a lawyer. Will he really want to lead tourists up the mountain path after having done so well at school?
The main events centre on a Moroccan family who come to Denmark with every intention of working hard, assimilating and bettering the lives of their children. If they stay in Morocco, the only future they can foresee for their children is leading tourists up a nearby mountain. The family consists of Rabia, the mother, Said el Azizi, the father, Zaki, the boy and Sara, the girl. When they arrive in Denmark Rabia is quite prepared to get up early every morning for her cleaning job. Her attitude is that it is necessary for her to do this if she is to fulfil her dreams and better the lives of her loved ones. All goes relatively smoothly until Zaki is wrongly accused of murdering a door keeper at a discothèque on the night when he is out with friends celebrating his exam results. Zaki knows who has killed the doorkeeper, but he is afraid to say who it is in case his family or friends suffer reprisals. If he says anything, he could endanger people’s lives.
This book is multi-faceted in that it documents racism in a very subtle way, while at the same time it clearly involves the thoughts and actions of people whose intention it is to combat racism.
Very little is ‘black’ and ‘white’ in this book. With a few exceptions, immigrants are not depicted as victims neither are they depicted as scoundrels nor saints. The same goes for the native Danes, most of them are have ‘good’ in them and ‘bad’ in them. It is usually human weakness that lets people down. Unfortunately there are gangs as well as those who are law-abiding. One individual whom we suspect of being a racist is also a loving father and husband, and generally liked by his friends. In this book we meet the ‘bad’, the criminals and the gangs, just as in real life. Gang behaviour plays an important role in this book, especially the way in which individuals are manipulated.
The book does portray nobility of character. The most outstanding person is Rabia. She is an extremely noble character. She is hard working, does the best that she can for her family, but at the same time refuses to compromise when it comes to her principles. The scene where she dies is extremely moving and emphasises her nobility of character. Another person who has the makings of a noble character is Rikke, the journalist, who takes it on herself to write in order that justice may be done. Even so, both Rabia and Rikke are very human.
As far as I know this book has not been translated into English. It is a very good book which provides a great deal of food for thought. The characters, their attitudes and their lives are realistic, though at the end of the book Olav Hergel states emphatically that this novel is fiction and that the characters have never existed in real life, neither do any of the institutions mentioned in the book. Nevertheless there are similarities in certain contexts.
Demonization of certain groups plays an important role. But then we can ask ourselves why not demonise criminal gangs since innocent people are caught up in their misdeeds. Olav Hergal starts off by quoting Birthe Rønn Hornbeck (2006):
“Dæmoniseringen er med til at vanskeliggøre mindretallenes forståelse for vort samfund og øger tværtimod de pågældendes følelse af at være marginaliseret. Og det er dødsensfarligt.”
Roughly translated this quotation means: ”Demonization makes it harder for minority groups to understand our society and all it does is increase their fear of being marginalised. This is incredibly dangerous”.
Journalists as a profession play an important role in the story, and as journalists some, not all, do demonise and marginalise certain groups. Fear of being marginalised can also be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Journalists, like everyone else, want to earn a living and not upset those in the top echelons. Indvandreren examines the lives of those who are marginalised, or perceive themselves to be marginalised, and contrasts this with the lives of those who are fully-fledged members of society and idealised in some way or other.
I like the structure of the book. The opening chapter and the final chapter portray an idyllic setting in a village not far from Marrakesh, though idyllic from the point view of those who observe it, not necessarily its residents. When Rabia is killed, they come back to the village to bury her. By that time Zaki has become far more cynical and certain tourists irritate him. Finally we are left wondering whether Zaki will stay or go back to Denmark to train to be a lawyer. Will he really want to lead tourists up the mountain path after having done so well at school?
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews