Vafan var det som hände?

by Clark Olofsson

453 pages, Paperback

First published September 8, 2015

About the author

Clark Oderth Olofsson was a Swedish criminal. He received sentences for attempted murder, assault, robbery, and dealing narcotics, and spent more than half of his life in prison. Olofsson has been called Sweden's first "celebrity gangster".
Olofsson faced a tumultuous childhood marked by familial challenges. Growing up amidst extensive alcohol problems, he endured the departure of his father and his mother's subsequent illness, which led to the placement of Olofsson and his two younger sisters in foster care. Determined to escape an unhappy foster family, Olofsson forged his mother's signature at the age of 15 and enrolled in a sailors' school. Embarking on the ship Ballade, he sailed around the world, gaining a unique perspective between Japan and South America. Returning home at 15, Olofsson reunited with his mother, who had regained stability. Despite earlier adversities, the family settled in Gothenburg, where Olofsson's journey took a criminal turn. Convicted for various offenses in the 1960s, including burglary and assault, Olofsson gained notoriety for his involvement in the killing of a police officer during a robbery. Multiple prison escapes characterized his criminal career, with notable incidents like the Norrmalmstorg robbery, coining the term "Stockholm syndrome".
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Olofsson continued a pattern of escapes, criminal activities, and imprisonments, marked by a marriage in Kumla Prison. Despite his turbulent criminal history, Olofsson pursued education, studying journalism while incarcerated. Released in 1983, he left Sweden with his wife, settling in Belgium. However, his criminal activities persisted, resulting in a drug smuggling conviction in 1999. The subsequent decades saw Olofsson's involvement in various criminal enterprises, leading to multiple arrests, imprisonments, and deportation. His life story, filled with escapes, convictions, and legal battles, became the subject of films, documentaries, and a Netflix drama series in 2022, portraying the complex and notorious figure of Clark Olofsson.

Reviews

[Linda Nordgren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fruktansvärt underhållande! Störande med alla korrekturfel dock.

[kamila · Rating 5 out of 5]

ty chory pojebie

[Filippa Mentzer · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first part of the book was eventful but felt meaningless (I ended up skipping a bit), since I was waiting for the Norrmalmstorgsdrama (the event of the Stockholm-syndrome). Although it was very interesting to follow the mind of Clark Olofsson, especially during the drama.

I want to point out too; the Stockholm-syndrome was basically made up by the swedish police because the hostages were afraid of the reckless police since their lives were at risk. Inside the bank they did not feel (too) threatened by the robber and Clark, but when the police got close with weapons they actually felt threatened. And, according to this book, it was also manipulation on Clark's behalf.

This book (and the second part) is what the Netflix show Clark is based on. I loved the show and would definatley recommend it, this book however is pretty slow unless you're very interested. It wasn't bad though!

[Maley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks