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Schaamte
Voor Monika, een succesvolle jonge arts, stapelen de psychologische problemen zich op als een collega bij een auto-ongeluk om het leven komt. Eigenlijk had Monika in de verongelukte auto moeten zitten. Op het laatste moment heeft ze met medecursist Mattias van plaats geruild en is ze met iemand anders meegereden. Uit schaamte, schuld en medeleven bedenkt Monika een manier om de jonge weduwe van Mattias financieel bij te staan. Maar ze verzwijgt haar betrokkenheid. En omdat ze niet voor de waarheid durft uit te komen, wordt ze voor anderen chantabel.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2005
26 people are currently reading
860 people want to read
About the author
Karin Alvtegen
23 books177 followersThe Queen of Crime in Scandinavia.
Missing was awarded the premier Scandinavian crime writing award the Glass Key in 2001 and was also nominated for the Poloni Award and Best Crime Novel 2000 in Sweden.
Shame was shortlisted for the Crime Writers' Association Duncan Lawrie International Dagger award for crime novels in translation upon publication in English.
Alvtegen lives in Stockholm. She is grand-niece of the popular children's novelist Astrid Lindgren.
Missing was awarded the premier Scandinavian crime writing award the Glass Key in 2001 and was also nominated for the Poloni Award and Best Crime Novel 2000 in Sweden.
Shame was shortlisted for the Crime Writers' Association Duncan Lawrie International Dagger award for crime novels in translation upon publication in English.
Alvtegen lives in Stockholm. She is grand-niece of the popular children's novelist Astrid Lindgren.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 144 reviews
June 14, 2023
4 "heart-pounding, psychologically compelling, fascinating" stars !!
Winner - The Pleasant Surprise Award of 2022
First of all a big thank you to Jim F. whose review led me to this most anxiety provoking book !
Ms. Alvtegen is the greatniece of Alfred Lindgren of Pippi Longstocking stories. She has created in this novel a most interesting and chilling psychological drama of a group of Swedish women and the impact of shame on their inner being, their relationships and ways of being in the world.
I was hooked from the first chapter and the narrative explores the past and present of two primary protagonists....a buttoned up and avoidant doctor and a terribly bitter housebound morbidly obese layabout. The author carefully peels back the onion and we are given their backstory and how shame has taken over their lives and is eating away at their well being and the way they have hurt themselves and others by hiding, denying and shapeshifting their shame. These two women are on a very dark collision course as a tragedy brings them together where these two implosive personalities combine to create an explosion and possibly redemption for both of them. There are also a number of other minor female characters that are also dealing with shame and the impact that is has on their own lives as well as our two main protagonists.
Ms. Altvegen's plot and understanding of the psychology of shame are easily 4.5 star quality. The quality of the prose is a bit more pedestrian but still a respectful and adequate 3 star quality. I had to read this novel quickly as the anxiety it created was at times most uncomfortable.
This is not recommended if you are dealing with acute anxiety or overwhelmed with your own hidden shames as it may exarcerbate your discomfort. For anybody else buckle in and see where this very astute and dark psychodrama takes you !
Winner - The Pleasant Surprise Award of 2022
First of all a big thank you to Jim F. whose review led me to this most anxiety provoking book !
Ms. Alvtegen is the greatniece of Alfred Lindgren of Pippi Longstocking stories. She has created in this novel a most interesting and chilling psychological drama of a group of Swedish women and the impact of shame on their inner being, their relationships and ways of being in the world.
I was hooked from the first chapter and the narrative explores the past and present of two primary protagonists....a buttoned up and avoidant doctor and a terribly bitter housebound morbidly obese layabout. The author carefully peels back the onion and we are given their backstory and how shame has taken over their lives and is eating away at their well being and the way they have hurt themselves and others by hiding, denying and shapeshifting their shame. These two women are on a very dark collision course as a tragedy brings them together where these two implosive personalities combine to create an explosion and possibly redemption for both of them. There are also a number of other minor female characters that are also dealing with shame and the impact that is has on their own lives as well as our two main protagonists.
Ms. Altvegen's plot and understanding of the psychology of shame are easily 4.5 star quality. The quality of the prose is a bit more pedestrian but still a respectful and adequate 3 star quality. I had to read this novel quickly as the anxiety it created was at times most uncomfortable.
This is not recommended if you are dealing with acute anxiety or overwhelmed with your own hidden shames as it may exarcerbate your discomfort. For anybody else buckle in and see where this very astute and dark psychodrama takes you !
March 16, 2020
I think it’s fair to call this Nordic Noir even though no one gets killed. It’s a psychological thriller, not a murder mystery. I’ll be careful to describe the plot in generalities, so I don’t give away too much.
The story alternates between two women who are badly screwed up from their upbringings. One woman is an obese food-binging recluse who grew up in a cult-type religion that featured bizarre punishments for what the modern world would consider normal childhood behavior. She hates being dependent on people and is the type who calls to get her care worker changed every month. Meanwhile she’s nasty and demanding.
The other woman is a doctor who manages to survive, even thrive, in her career by burying her past. She was involved in the accidental death of a family member as a child. Although the circumstance were her fault, she told everyone it was the dead person’s fault and she was believed. Now it happens a second time and she “loses it” as we say. She undertakes strange behaviors to make up for what she believes was her fault a second time and in the process weaves a tangled web of lies. She’s 40-ish and it’s almost as if she has a split personality – competent professional woman by day; frightened little girl by night.
There’s a lot of tension in the story, not the least of which for the reader is how are these two characters going to interact and what will be the outcome? They don’t even know of each other until two-thirds of the way through the book.
Some examples of what I thought was good writing:
“The Bible says quite eloquently that only God has the right to judge. Most of us have thoughts about eternity now and then. I don’t understand why we human beings, as soon as we find something to believe in, have to run out and try to convince everyone else that we’re right, as if we don’t dare believe anything by ourselves but have to do it in a group for it to count.”
“There was something special about the nights. To be awake while others were sleeping. When everything had quieted down, when the thoughts of all people were gathered up and sorted into various dream states, leaving the air free. It was as if it became easier to think then, as if her musings had an easier time emerging when they didn’t have to make way for all the rushing traffic.”
[On reality TV:] “The lowest types of human behavior had been suddenly elevated to desirable entertainment by people who degraded themselves in full of view of the public…She seldom missed a single episode.”
[On lying:] “There was no danger yet. So far it was possible to meander cautiously alongside the truth.”
The Swedish author (b. 1965) has won awards for her writing. Half of her eight novels have been translated into English. Since 2013 she has suffered so badly from chronic fatigue syndrome that she stopped writing, according to Wiki. The book jacket states that fans of Ruth Rendell and Patricia Highsmith will like her writing.
Top photo of Stockholm from thecrazytourist.com
Stockholm street scene from alamy.com
The author from wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons
The story alternates between two women who are badly screwed up from their upbringings. One woman is an obese food-binging recluse who grew up in a cult-type religion that featured bizarre punishments for what the modern world would consider normal childhood behavior. She hates being dependent on people and is the type who calls to get her care worker changed every month. Meanwhile she’s nasty and demanding.
The other woman is a doctor who manages to survive, even thrive, in her career by burying her past. She was involved in the accidental death of a family member as a child. Although the circumstance were her fault, she told everyone it was the dead person’s fault and she was believed. Now it happens a second time and she “loses it” as we say. She undertakes strange behaviors to make up for what she believes was her fault a second time and in the process weaves a tangled web of lies. She’s 40-ish and it’s almost as if she has a split personality – competent professional woman by day; frightened little girl by night.
There’s a lot of tension in the story, not the least of which for the reader is how are these two characters going to interact and what will be the outcome? They don’t even know of each other until two-thirds of the way through the book.
Some examples of what I thought was good writing:
“The Bible says quite eloquently that only God has the right to judge. Most of us have thoughts about eternity now and then. I don’t understand why we human beings, as soon as we find something to believe in, have to run out and try to convince everyone else that we’re right, as if we don’t dare believe anything by ourselves but have to do it in a group for it to count.”
“There was something special about the nights. To be awake while others were sleeping. When everything had quieted down, when the thoughts of all people were gathered up and sorted into various dream states, leaving the air free. It was as if it became easier to think then, as if her musings had an easier time emerging when they didn’t have to make way for all the rushing traffic.”
[On reality TV:] “The lowest types of human behavior had been suddenly elevated to desirable entertainment by people who degraded themselves in full of view of the public…She seldom missed a single episode.”
[On lying:] “There was no danger yet. So far it was possible to meander cautiously alongside the truth.”
The Swedish author (b. 1965) has won awards for her writing. Half of her eight novels have been translated into English. Since 2013 she has suffered so badly from chronic fatigue syndrome that she stopped writing, according to Wiki. The book jacket states that fans of Ruth Rendell and Patricia Highsmith will like her writing.
Top photo of Stockholm from thecrazytourist.com
Stockholm street scene from alamy.com
The author from wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons
Read
June 16, 2020This is the second book I have not rated in two days. Ugh. ☹
I did not rate it because it was a book that after 150 pages or so I did not want to finish. Things just got more and more depressing and more and more absurd to where I thought it was just bad writing. What new terrible thing is going to happen…it just kept on coming with the three main female protagonists (Monika, Maj-Britt, Vanya) either doing depressing/creepy stuff in the present or remembering in flashbacks depressing/creepy stuff that they either did or had happened to them in the past. It got to the point where instead of being a page turner (OMG, how does it end) I just did not care…on the back cover there was a blurb from a reviewer in which it was said “Shame continues Alvtegen’s good work in creating female characters who set themselves beyond the pale…and the ensuing resolution is beautifully handled”. To me, it was the writing that went beyond the pale, to such an extent I discarded the novel, not caring anymore what ending the author had concocted.
The book (published in 2005 in Swedish and published in English in 2006/7) got good reviews:
https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-en...
http://archive.boston.com/ae/books/ar...
https://reactionstoreading.wordpress....
I did not rate it because it was a book that after 150 pages or so I did not want to finish. Things just got more and more depressing and more and more absurd to where I thought it was just bad writing. What new terrible thing is going to happen…it just kept on coming with the three main female protagonists (Monika, Maj-Britt, Vanya) either doing depressing/creepy stuff in the present or remembering in flashbacks depressing/creepy stuff that they either did or had happened to them in the past. It got to the point where instead of being a page turner (OMG, how does it end) I just did not care…on the back cover there was a blurb from a reviewer in which it was said “Shame continues Alvtegen’s good work in creating female characters who set themselves beyond the pale…and the ensuing resolution is beautifully handled”. To me, it was the writing that went beyond the pale, to such an extent I discarded the novel, not caring anymore what ending the author had concocted.
The book (published in 2005 in Swedish and published in English in 2006/7) got good reviews:
https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-en...
http://archive.boston.com/ae/books/ar...
https://reactionstoreading.wordpress....
February 8, 2020
As incadra cartea ca drama, suspans, povestea ma facut curioasa: ce se va intampla mai departe? Care este legatura intre personaje?
Ce ciudat reactionam fiecare la o anumita situatie cu care ne confruntam la un moment dat.
Totul este sa ai pe cineva alaturi, cum se spune: la bine si la rau.
Ce ciudat reactionam fiecare la o anumita situatie cu care ne confruntam la un moment dat.
Totul este sa ai pe cineva alaturi, cum se spune: la bine si la rau.
July 1, 2011
Oh what a waste of good reading time. The book started out interestingly enough, but by mid-book, I felt as though I was reading the same words over and over again, and that it had been written for adolescent readers even though the plot was not for kids, that's for sure. I speed-read through the second half. It didn't get any better. It was a completely implausible situation. I'm surprised to read that it was short-listed for a Crime Readers whatever.
There are so many good books, and so little time. This wasn’t the worst book I ever read, but I suggest to my reading buddies that this one isn't worth your time.
There are so many good books, and so little time. This wasn’t the worst book I ever read, but I suggest to my reading buddies that this one isn't worth your time.
July 22, 2016
Monica, is a successful, well regarded surgeon and physician who is ashamed of something in her past. She can't develop any meaningful relationships with anyone and pushes anyone who gets close quickly away.
Maj-Britt, hiding from the world behind an endless supply of food, requires help just to live, she is so obese. Locked in her apartment away from the world, Maj-Britt is deeply ashamed of something in her past.
Monica and Maj-Britt don't know each other, yet somehow, because of a conference, a car-accident and a care-worker, they briefly collide. The results of that collision, catastrophic for one in the short term, force both of them to confront the past and deal with their personal shame.
SHAME is not a novel for readers who like a murder right up there are the front of the book, with an investigation to resolve the crime. There really is no murder in SHAME, but there is death, sadness, despair, personal angst and profound tragedy and sorrow.
SHAME takes you carefully through the lives of Monica and Maj-Britt, revealing the events that lead to the shame that they each feel, and what has happened to each of them since. As those events are revealed, a connection between the two women slowly eventuates. The connection could save them, or it could destroy them both.
With elements of fear, oppressive religion, obsession, betrayal, sexuality, guilt, family dysfunction and emotional blackmail, SHAME is challenging and sometimes harrowing. It is also compelling, taut, intriguing and, ultimately, uplifting.
Maj-Britt, hiding from the world behind an endless supply of food, requires help just to live, she is so obese. Locked in her apartment away from the world, Maj-Britt is deeply ashamed of something in her past.
Monica and Maj-Britt don't know each other, yet somehow, because of a conference, a car-accident and a care-worker, they briefly collide. The results of that collision, catastrophic for one in the short term, force both of them to confront the past and deal with their personal shame.
SHAME is not a novel for readers who like a murder right up there are the front of the book, with an investigation to resolve the crime. There really is no murder in SHAME, but there is death, sadness, despair, personal angst and profound tragedy and sorrow.
SHAME takes you carefully through the lives of Monica and Maj-Britt, revealing the events that lead to the shame that they each feel, and what has happened to each of them since. As those events are revealed, a connection between the two women slowly eventuates. The connection could save them, or it could destroy them both.
With elements of fear, oppressive religion, obsession, betrayal, sexuality, guilt, family dysfunction and emotional blackmail, SHAME is challenging and sometimes harrowing. It is also compelling, taut, intriguing and, ultimately, uplifting.
December 11, 2013
This is the second book I've read by Karin Alvtegen, and I did not enjoy it as much as her novel Missing.
I had several problems with Shame. First of all, the two main characters are hard to like. Monika is a doctor who carries an extreme sense of guilt over something that occurred in her past. Because of this, she believes she needs to subjugate herself, and denies herself romance and friendship. The second character, Maj-Brit, is a morbidly obese woman who has chosen to remain housebound, and who torments the social workers who come to help her by being saying mean things to them. Maj-Brit also has a shameful secret from her childhood, one which, we are led to believe, is responsible for her failed marriage, her weight problem, and her bitterness towards everyone around her.
It was difficult to read a novel in which the main characters were so full of self-pity and self-flagellation. I understand that this novel is obviously exploring the nature of shame, but on the other hand, many people have difficult childhoods, and don't use that as an excuse to brood for their entire lives.
Furthermore, some of the descriptions of Maj-Brit's past, in a fanatical religious household, seemed a bit far-fetched. The abuse that Maj-Brit undergoes was challenging to read about.
Given all this "shame," the supporting characters in Alvtegen's tale are all decent, well-adjusted human beings. This makes it even more difficult to empathize with the extreme reactions that Monika and Maj-Brit exhibit to their pasts.
Ultimately, Shame ends on an uplifting and healing note. But for this reader, the hopeful ending was too little, too late. Overall, the novel was a definite downer.
As a final note, for those who are interested in reading Scandinavian crime fiction, Shame does not exactly fit that genre. It is not a mystery, nor does it involve police. It is more of a character study. Also, Karin Alvtegen's novels are light on description and sense of place. If you are looking to read a book that makes you feel like you are in Sweden, you will be disappointed. Karin Alvtegen is clearly a fluent writer, but due to the subject matter and lack of description in Shame, it was not a book that I enjoyed.
I had several problems with Shame. First of all, the two main characters are hard to like. Monika is a doctor who carries an extreme sense of guilt over something that occurred in her past. Because of this, she believes she needs to subjugate herself, and denies herself romance and friendship. The second character, Maj-Brit, is a morbidly obese woman who has chosen to remain housebound, and who torments the social workers who come to help her by being saying mean things to them. Maj-Brit also has a shameful secret from her childhood, one which, we are led to believe, is responsible for her failed marriage, her weight problem, and her bitterness towards everyone around her.
It was difficult to read a novel in which the main characters were so full of self-pity and self-flagellation. I understand that this novel is obviously exploring the nature of shame, but on the other hand, many people have difficult childhoods, and don't use that as an excuse to brood for their entire lives.
Furthermore, some of the descriptions of Maj-Brit's past, in a fanatical religious household, seemed a bit far-fetched. The abuse that Maj-Brit undergoes was challenging to read about.
Given all this "shame," the supporting characters in Alvtegen's tale are all decent, well-adjusted human beings. This makes it even more difficult to empathize with the extreme reactions that Monika and Maj-Brit exhibit to their pasts.
Ultimately, Shame ends on an uplifting and healing note. But for this reader, the hopeful ending was too little, too late. Overall, the novel was a definite downer.
As a final note, for those who are interested in reading Scandinavian crime fiction, Shame does not exactly fit that genre. It is not a mystery, nor does it involve police. It is more of a character study. Also, Karin Alvtegen's novels are light on description and sense of place. If you are looking to read a book that makes you feel like you are in Sweden, you will be disappointed. Karin Alvtegen is clearly a fluent writer, but due to the subject matter and lack of description in Shame, it was not a book that I enjoyed.
December 12, 2012
What a great writer. Karin Alvetegen never ceases to surprise and enthrall me. This book is her best yet. it revolves around two psychologically damaged women, what a fantastic read! Her books are all stand-alones, so don't worry about starting with a specific title, just pick-up any of her titles and enjoy!
July 14, 2012
Shame by Karin Alvtegen is a study of two women (three, if you count the significant but background character of Vanja). Monika is a successful surgeon who saves lives to compensate for the life she didn't save. She is in love with a stereotypically "wonderful" man, who is deeply in love with her, but who is haunted by a sense of failure, not only in actions but in her very being. MajBrit is a morbidly obese woman who eats to bury (literally-in mounds of flesh) her own shame, rooted (unsurprisingly) in her fear of and shame in her body. the two women are brought together by a coincidence (that, if meant to be surprising, is not).
Although I was fascinated by the women and found them well drawn and interesting, I felt the book was limited by its many stereotypes. I enjoyed the text but felt that this limitation kept it from being a really outstanding work that promised more than it ultimately delivered.
Although I was fascinated by the women and found them well drawn and interesting, I felt the book was limited by its many stereotypes. I enjoyed the text but felt that this limitation kept it from being a really outstanding work that promised more than it ultimately delivered.
April 24, 2020
Shame was significantly longer than it should have been and sadly a bit of a disappointment. I've liked what I've read from Alvtegen so far, but this is a hard book to swallow for several reasons.
The narrative revolves around two (and a half) women whose life is dominated by guilt and shame, emotions that lead them to further bad decision making. While I can appreciate the depth of the two despairs and liked the characters in the beginning, I found it harder and harder to believe in the plot and character development. Their reactions seemed so irrationally over the top, the coincidences needed for things to unfold as they did so far-fetched and the final resolution so weirdly esoteric, lazy and lackluster in a way that I just got annoyed. I still finished it quite quickly - Alvtegen can write, that's for sure! - but I just lost it with the ending.
I gave three stars, but only because it kept me interested and two seemed a bit harsh. I would not recommend it though.
The narrative revolves around two (and a half) women whose life is dominated by guilt and shame, emotions that lead them to further bad decision making. While I can appreciate the depth of the two despairs and liked the characters in the beginning, I found it harder and harder to believe in the plot and character development. Their reactions seemed so irrationally over the top, the coincidences needed for things to unfold as they did so far-fetched and the final resolution so weirdly esoteric, lazy and lackluster in a way that I just got annoyed. I still finished it quite quickly - Alvtegen can write, that's for sure! - but I just lost it with the ending.
I gave three stars, but only because it kept me interested and two seemed a bit harsh. I would not recommend it though.
May 17, 2020
The worst book Ive read. Cant understand how it could be a bestseller.Chapter after chapter,one comes across the depressing stories moulding the lives of the characters.A book full of miserable events which would lead a happy reader into a vulnerable state.
February 22, 2023
Monica si Maj-Britt, doua femei total diferite si aparent doua povesti fara nicio legatura. Alvtegen reuseste sa ne plimbe prin vietile celor doua, intr-un mod destul de captivant, dezvaluind treptat adevaruri dureroase, tragedii si rusini ascunse adanc in trecut dar purtate ca o povara in suflet.
"... este imposibil sa alergi suficient de repede, cand fugi de ceea ce porti in tine."
Desi subiectul se invarte in jurul mortii, nu este un thriller ci o drama. Legatura dintre cele doua femei este cu doua taisuri, totul tine doar de ele daca se vor distruge sau salva.
"... este imposibil sa alergi suficient de repede, cand fugi de ceea ce porti in tine."
Desi subiectul se invarte in jurul mortii, nu este un thriller ci o drama. Legatura dintre cele doua femei este cu doua taisuri, totul tine doar de ele daca se vor distruge sau salva.
November 3, 2019
It was a cringy, in a way scary, daring and weird read. At the same time I couldn't stop. K. Alvtegen is a master when it comes to creating a maze in your head which can be solved only by reading to the end.
November 9, 2025
Tai istorija apie dvi moteris, kurios savy nešiojasi gėdos ir kaltės jausmus. Monika jaučia kaltę dėl brolio Larso mirties. Ji su mama vis važiuoja uždegti žvakutės ant brolio kapo, o savy laiko paslaptį dėl jo netekties. Vieną dieną gydytoja Monika dalyvauja kursuose, kur sutinka Matijų, kuris po kursų žūna autoavarijoje. Kaip su šia nelaime susijusi Monika ir kodėl ji bijo, meluoja ir nori padėti Matijaus žmonai ir dukrelei?
Maja Brita gyvena viena, tik su šuneliu, ji yra priaugusi nemažai svorio, ji bijo išeiti iš namų, todėl ją lanko slaugė Elinora. Maja Brita augo itin tikinčioje šeimoje, todėl kai ji į įsimylėjo vaikiną Joraną, ji paliko namus, tėvai jos atsisakė dèl tokio sprendimo. Gyvenimas buvo negailestingas Majai, net ir praėjus nemažai laiko, Maja Brita, gavusi laisvę nuo religijos, nebemoka gyventi, tačiau jos gyvenimą supurto jos jaunystės draugės Vanjos laiškas.
Visos trys moterys - Monika, Maja Brita, Vanja - susitinka, jų gyvenimai persipina ir taip suprantama tikroji gyvenimo tiesa - gyventi ir priimti savo klaidas, nebeslèpti paslapčių, priimti save ir savo veiksmus. Juk klysti žmogiška.
Stilius ramus, melancholiškas, knyga lengvai skaitosi. Kūrinys parašytas mano mėgiamu stiliumi, todėl labai maloniai susiskaitė. Labai patiko, rekomenduoju, nes tai knyga apie kiekvieną iš mūsų.
Maja Brita gyvena viena, tik su šuneliu, ji yra priaugusi nemažai svorio, ji bijo išeiti iš namų, todėl ją lanko slaugė Elinora. Maja Brita augo itin tikinčioje šeimoje, todėl kai ji į įsimylėjo vaikiną Joraną, ji paliko namus, tėvai jos atsisakė dèl tokio sprendimo. Gyvenimas buvo negailestingas Majai, net ir praėjus nemažai laiko, Maja Brita, gavusi laisvę nuo religijos, nebemoka gyventi, tačiau jos gyvenimą supurto jos jaunystės draugės Vanjos laiškas.
Visos trys moterys - Monika, Maja Brita, Vanja - susitinka, jų gyvenimai persipina ir taip suprantama tikroji gyvenimo tiesa - gyventi ir priimti savo klaidas, nebeslèpti paslapčių, priimti save ir savo veiksmus. Juk klysti žmogiška.
Stilius ramus, melancholiškas, knyga lengvai skaitosi. Kūrinys parašytas mano mėgiamu stiliumi, todėl labai maloniai susiskaitė. Labai patiko, rekomenduoju, nes tai knyga apie kiekvieną iš mūsų.
January 14, 2018
Bra och lättläst. Psykologiskt intressant. Hur hanterar man sin skam...
January 22, 2018
La novela se presenta como un thriller psicológico y en efecto lo es pero está descompensado, mucha psicología ( y no de la cara ) y un poquito, muy poquito, de thriller.
Le falta ritmo, los personajes no son del todo creíbles, los paisajes no existen, no sabes si es de día o de noche, y aunque con el transcurrir de las páginas la autora logra conectar las historias, lo hace a duras penas.
Le falta ritmo, los personajes no son del todo creíbles, los paisajes no existen, no sabes si es de día o de noche, y aunque con el transcurrir de las páginas la autora logra conectar las historias, lo hace a duras penas.
December 30, 2021
Psychologische thriller over 2 vrouwen met geheimen en schaamte erover. De 2 levens worden langzaam in het verhaal verweven. Het leest lekker, plot is wel bizar en over de top.
December 22, 2025
Ganska bra! Saknat en bra thriller, o denna var ändå spännande! Kanske något overklig ibland, vilket drar ner lite. Men kul plottwist!
April 19, 2019
Gripande människoöden men någonstans i mitten kändes det som att berättelsen blev väldigt invecklad för sakens skull. Tyvärr även dåligt redigerad. Bl.a. fattades mellanslag påfallande ofta och ibland saknades hela ord.
November 9, 2017
This was an interesting book by Karin Alvtegen in that so many people felt shame when they weren't really responsible. I'll admit Monika felt shame when she switch places with Mattias who was killed when an elk ran into the vehicle he was riding in. She went to far when she got into prison for aggravated embezzlement at her firm when she was blackmailed by Maj-Britt. I have to thank Karin Alvtegen in leaving this until the second to the last chapter to announce this. Up until then she was pretty close to pulling off what she had planned. It was filled with two stories which evolved into one. I liked it. I've read all of Karin Alvtegen's books in English.
December 25, 2024
Meine Meinung von 2008
Monika und Maj-Britt sind zwei Frauen, die unterschiedlicher nicht sein können. Die eine ist eine erfolgreiche Ärztin und ist beruflich wie privat nur für andere da, die andere hat sich in ihrer Wohnung vergraben und meidet jeden menschlichen Kontakt. Der Grund ist bei beiden Frauen der gleiche: sie geben sich für ein ein tragisches Ereignis in ihrer Vergangenheit die Schuld und tun alles, um die Erinnerungen daran zu verdrängen. Obwohl Monika die scheinbar erfolgreichere ist kommt mir Maj-Britt stärker vor. Im Gegensatz zu Monika, die ständig auf den Beinen ist und alles tut um sich abzulenken ist Maj-Britt in ihrem selbstgewählten Gefängnis mehr damit konfrontiert und macht sich meiner Meinung nach auch mehr Gedanken über ihre Vergangenheit.
Dem Leser wird recht früh klar dass es zwischen den Frauen einen Zusammenhang geben muss. Ich zumindest war lange auf der falschen Fährte, denn ich habe den Zusammenhang in der Vergangenheit gesucht. Dass er sich erst im Lauf der Geschichte entwickelt war mir lange nicht klar. Ich habe die beiden Frauen in ihrem täglichen Leben beobachtet das die Autorin eindrucksvoll beschreibt. Während Monika für ihre Mutter immer nur zweite Wahl war bekam Maj-Britt die Aufmerksamkeit, die Monika sich gewünscht hätte und wollte doch nichts anderes als unbeachtet zu bleiben. Als sich ihre Wege schließlich kreutzen ist Maj-Britt diejenige, die die Initiative ergreift und die Handlung nochmals in eine andere Richtung schubst. Am Ende ist es ihr Eingreifen, dass auch Monika aus ihrem inneren Gefängnis befreit genauso wie es auch sie selbst befreit.
Meine Meinung von 2024
Die Dinge spielen sich lange unter der Oberfläche ab, weil weder Monika noch Maj-Britt zulassen, dass sie sich damit befassen müssen. Es gibt Andeutungen, was passiert ist (passiert sein kann), aber erst, als im Leben der beiden Frauen eine neue Katastrophe passiert, müssen sie sich auch den Ereignissen aus der Vergangenheit stellen. Denn jetzt haben sie keine Kraft mehr, sie weiter zu verdrängen.
Ich fand weder Monika noch Maj-Britt wirklich sympathisch. Beide wirkten verbittert, was bei Monika ein wenig dadurch gemildert wurde, dass sie durch ihren Beruf von Menschen umgeben war, mit denen sie auskommen musste. Maj-Britt dagegen konnte ihre Gefühle ihren Betreuern ungefiltert entgegen schleudern. Egal, wie sie sich ihnen gegenüber verhalten würde, sie würden immer wiederkommen.
Karin Alvtegen erzählt eine düstere Geschichte, bei der es an vielen Punkten die Möglichkeit gegeben hätte, dass sie sich in eine bessere Richtung wendet. An dem Punkt, an dem der Roman beginnt, sind beide Frauen schon so in ihren Routinen gefangen, dass es kaum noch ein Entkommen zu geben scheint. Aber dann kommt eine unerwartete Dynamik in die starren Strukturen, die mir Hoffnung macht, dass es für Monika und Maj-Britt doch noch ein anderes Leben geben könnte, auch wenn die ersten Schritte fast unmöglich scheinen.
Monika und Maj-Britt sind zwei Frauen, die unterschiedlicher nicht sein können. Die eine ist eine erfolgreiche Ärztin und ist beruflich wie privat nur für andere da, die andere hat sich in ihrer Wohnung vergraben und meidet jeden menschlichen Kontakt. Der Grund ist bei beiden Frauen der gleiche: sie geben sich für ein ein tragisches Ereignis in ihrer Vergangenheit die Schuld und tun alles, um die Erinnerungen daran zu verdrängen. Obwohl Monika die scheinbar erfolgreichere ist kommt mir Maj-Britt stärker vor. Im Gegensatz zu Monika, die ständig auf den Beinen ist und alles tut um sich abzulenken ist Maj-Britt in ihrem selbstgewählten Gefängnis mehr damit konfrontiert und macht sich meiner Meinung nach auch mehr Gedanken über ihre Vergangenheit.
Dem Leser wird recht früh klar dass es zwischen den Frauen einen Zusammenhang geben muss. Ich zumindest war lange auf der falschen Fährte, denn ich habe den Zusammenhang in der Vergangenheit gesucht. Dass er sich erst im Lauf der Geschichte entwickelt war mir lange nicht klar. Ich habe die beiden Frauen in ihrem täglichen Leben beobachtet das die Autorin eindrucksvoll beschreibt. Während Monika für ihre Mutter immer nur zweite Wahl war bekam Maj-Britt die Aufmerksamkeit, die Monika sich gewünscht hätte und wollte doch nichts anderes als unbeachtet zu bleiben. Als sich ihre Wege schließlich kreutzen ist Maj-Britt diejenige, die die Initiative ergreift und die Handlung nochmals in eine andere Richtung schubst. Am Ende ist es ihr Eingreifen, dass auch Monika aus ihrem inneren Gefängnis befreit genauso wie es auch sie selbst befreit.
Meine Meinung von 2024
Die Dinge spielen sich lange unter der Oberfläche ab, weil weder Monika noch Maj-Britt zulassen, dass sie sich damit befassen müssen. Es gibt Andeutungen, was passiert ist (passiert sein kann), aber erst, als im Leben der beiden Frauen eine neue Katastrophe passiert, müssen sie sich auch den Ereignissen aus der Vergangenheit stellen. Denn jetzt haben sie keine Kraft mehr, sie weiter zu verdrängen.
Ich fand weder Monika noch Maj-Britt wirklich sympathisch. Beide wirkten verbittert, was bei Monika ein wenig dadurch gemildert wurde, dass sie durch ihren Beruf von Menschen umgeben war, mit denen sie auskommen musste. Maj-Britt dagegen konnte ihre Gefühle ihren Betreuern ungefiltert entgegen schleudern. Egal, wie sie sich ihnen gegenüber verhalten würde, sie würden immer wiederkommen.
Karin Alvtegen erzählt eine düstere Geschichte, bei der es an vielen Punkten die Möglichkeit gegeben hätte, dass sie sich in eine bessere Richtung wendet. An dem Punkt, an dem der Roman beginnt, sind beide Frauen schon so in ihren Routinen gefangen, dass es kaum noch ein Entkommen zu geben scheint. Aber dann kommt eine unerwartete Dynamik in die starren Strukturen, die mir Hoffnung macht, dass es für Monika und Maj-Britt doch noch ein anderes Leben geben könnte, auch wenn die ersten Schritte fast unmöglich scheinen.
August 21, 2014
Monika is a successful, highly paid doctor, recently unnerved by the fact that for the first time she's fallen in love. She puts off the courageous act of confessing to Thomas the secret shame that burdens her: that, when she was a child and fire gutted the family home, she was unable to save her beloved elder brother Lasse. Maj-Britt is a monstrously obese woman who hasn't stirred out of her flat for years and takes satisfaction in driving away through sheer nastiness the succession of home helps the social services send her: "She stayed right there in the flat doing what she always did, sitting from one silence to the next." Her shame is that, in a fit of fury and self-pity born largely from her nightmarish upbringing by fundamentalists, she let her blind infant wander across the landing to the top of the stairs and fall down them to her death.
Returning from an out-of town conference, Monika trades lifts with a young father, Mattias, only to discover later that the truck in which he was a passenger hit an elk, an accident that killed him, though leaving the driver unscathed. Awash with a fresh burden of guilt that he should have died "in her place", Monika resolves that this time she'll obviate future shame by trying somehow to make it up to the widow and their small daughter. For her part, Maj-Britt is jolted out of her complacency by the new home help, Ellinor, who's made of far sterner stuff than any before her, and by the first letter in years from Vanja, Maj-Britt's friend all through youth and later, who's now serving a long prison sentence for murdering her viciously abusive husband and their children.
The stories of how these two very disparate women try to cope with their shame are eventually brought together in a climax that's, finally, very moving. But the course that brings them to that point is full of event and diversion and drama . . .
Of all the "Nordic noir" authors I've read, Alvtegen is the one to have a truly distinctive voice. The Felony & Mayhem cover blurb likens her to Ruth Rendell, and I can certainly see some resemblance: both subject their protagonists to searing psychological exploration. Yet Alvtegen's work is both more controlled and more dramatic than Rendell's; the current of her narratives is both swifter and more powerful. This, the third of her novels I've been able to lay hands on (and the last I think to be available in this country), is the one I've found the most engrossing and skillful of all (with the exception of one silly plot point near the end; that's 4.75 stars you see above, not 5). By the end of it I found myself in sympathy with all four of its major characters -- Monika, Vanja, the marvelous Ellinor and even Maj-Britt -- and almost living to the rhythm of their stories. A fine novel.
Returning from an out-of town conference, Monika trades lifts with a young father, Mattias, only to discover later that the truck in which he was a passenger hit an elk, an accident that killed him, though leaving the driver unscathed. Awash with a fresh burden of guilt that he should have died "in her place", Monika resolves that this time she'll obviate future shame by trying somehow to make it up to the widow and their small daughter. For her part, Maj-Britt is jolted out of her complacency by the new home help, Ellinor, who's made of far sterner stuff than any before her, and by the first letter in years from Vanja, Maj-Britt's friend all through youth and later, who's now serving a long prison sentence for murdering her viciously abusive husband and their children.
The stories of how these two very disparate women try to cope with their shame are eventually brought together in a climax that's, finally, very moving. But the course that brings them to that point is full of event and diversion and drama . . .
Of all the "Nordic noir" authors I've read, Alvtegen is the one to have a truly distinctive voice. The Felony & Mayhem cover blurb likens her to Ruth Rendell, and I can certainly see some resemblance: both subject their protagonists to searing psychological exploration. Yet Alvtegen's work is both more controlled and more dramatic than Rendell's; the current of her narratives is both swifter and more powerful. This, the third of her novels I've been able to lay hands on (and the last I think to be available in this country), is the one I've found the most engrossing and skillful of all (with the exception of one silly plot point near the end; that's 4.75 stars you see above, not 5). By the end of it I found myself in sympathy with all four of its major characters -- Monika, Vanja, the marvelous Ellinor and even Maj-Britt -- and almost living to the rhythm of their stories. A fine novel.
November 10, 2013
A psychological tale of two women, each struggling with the consequences of a past event, who are brought together following an accident. Both are shaped by their past, but how much do they allow it to influence their future?
I suppose this book is classed as part of the crime genre, but it's more a psychological study of how our past actions can live with us and allow their consequences to poison our futures. It also deals with an individual's perception of how they acted in a particular situation and whether they can genuinely be held responsible for what happened.
I greatly enjoyed the first two-thirds of the book and thought it was an excellend character study. I found it interesting that both protagonists are women, as I think Western society brings up girls to have more guilt and shame about events than it does boys.
Unfortunately, I felt that the last third of the book and particularly the ending let the rest of the book down. It did not feel genuine as the characters were acting in ways which were inconsistent with their personalities in the rest of the book.
It's definitely worth reading though as an excellent study of individuals in difficult circumstances and how they come to terms with their past.
I suppose this book is classed as part of the crime genre, but it's more a psychological study of how our past actions can live with us and allow their consequences to poison our futures. It also deals with an individual's perception of how they acted in a particular situation and whether they can genuinely be held responsible for what happened.
I greatly enjoyed the first two-thirds of the book and thought it was an excellend character study. I found it interesting that both protagonists are women, as I think Western society brings up girls to have more guilt and shame about events than it does boys.
Unfortunately, I felt that the last third of the book and particularly the ending let the rest of the book down. It did not feel genuine as the characters were acting in ways which were inconsistent with their personalities in the rest of the book.
It's definitely worth reading though as an excellent study of individuals in difficult circumstances and how they come to terms with their past.
August 4, 2016
Touted as a psychological thriller at par with the works of Morag Joss and Patricia Highsmith, I did not find it so.
Monika and Maj-britt are two women who mask their present in a vain effort to avoid confronting their past. Monika Lunvall works contimuously to escape the guilt and Maj-britt is a clinically-obese-woman who continually abuses her nurse to stop memories of her past seep into her mind. A letter written by someone from their past throws them together and each woman has to decide to act in a way that will bring about each other's destruction - or redemption.
Ask what is not there in the book. It is not an out-and-out-detective thriller but the book springs grief, despair, death, tragedy and sorrow from its pages without all the gory details. There are also splashes of betrayal, sexuality, repressed religion, dysfunctional families, blackmail and Shame.
Monika and Maj-britt are two women who mask their present in a vain effort to avoid confronting their past. Monika Lunvall works contimuously to escape the guilt and Maj-britt is a clinically-obese-woman who continually abuses her nurse to stop memories of her past seep into her mind. A letter written by someone from their past throws them together and each woman has to decide to act in a way that will bring about each other's destruction - or redemption.
Ask what is not there in the book. It is not an out-and-out-detective thriller but the book springs grief, despair, death, tragedy and sorrow from its pages without all the gory details. There are also splashes of betrayal, sexuality, repressed religion, dysfunctional families, blackmail and Shame.
Read
February 27, 2018I am unable to rate this book as I am still processing what I read. Basically it is the long time coming downward spiral of one woman and the odd emergence of another who is so nasty throughout the book and then in the end she finds companionship and happiness. I found myself irked by this. You could almost say that it is a study of how being nasty can put you on top, and how good works don't trump guilt; real or imagined. I found myself compelled to keep reading when in all honesty only one of the characters was even remotely likeable.
July 28, 2016
A talented doctor and an obese woman both has shameful pasts which they hide. One by helping others and one by eating. They don't know each other but through some events their paths cross.
I didn't really know what to expect when I started to read this, but I was not satisifed at the end. It felt like I was awaiting some huge embarassing moments and I read fast just to get rid of it. Not my cup of tea.
I didn't really know what to expect when I started to read this, but I was not satisifed at the end. It felt like I was awaiting some huge embarassing moments and I read fast just to get rid of it. Not my cup of tea.
June 16, 2020
This is a story of the lives of two women which at the end intertwined. A fresh idea, but somehow I don't really get what the book wants to achieve. What I got is life sucks. So I propose that this book is categorised as 'life sucks' guidance
July 16, 2013
I liked Missing but I have been disappointed by Karin Alvtegen's other books. The initial character development at the beginning of the book is good, but the plot seemed improbable and there was no sense of suspense. Betrayal was creepy, these characters only seem sad.
December 17, 2015
What a dull & depressing read! Melancholy & at times incredible happenings!! Do 'gooders' wanting to help others at the risk to their own life!!! I think this was not a book I would recommend to anyone ~ but of course, interests are varied! Who knows, someone might actually lime it! Good luck :(
March 24, 2016
Faktiskt riktigt bra, både kring handling och skildring av karaktärerna. Maj-britt, en texas-sized kvinna som aldrig lämnar lägenheten och som terroriserar hemtjänsten, är en omsorgsfullt skapad karaktär med dynamik och som man både älskar och hatar.
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