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Strindberg'in Yıldızı
Amatör bir dalgıç olan Erik Hall eski bir maden kuyusunda, çok iyi korunmuş bir ceset ve üzeri gizemli sembollerle süslenmiş bir kulplu haç bulur. Dinî semboller uzmanı Don Titelman bu haçı incelemek üzere Hall’un evine gittiğinde onun cesediyle karşılaşır. Artık bu araştırmanın kendisini çok gizli bir sırra doğru götürdüğünü fark etmiştir. Fakat haçla ilgilenen tek kişi o değildir: Alman vakfı görünümündeki bir Nazi örgütü de bu esrarengiz nesnenin peşindedir.
Don’u Avrupa’ya sürükleyen bir yarış başlamıştır. İnsanların uğruna öldürmeye hazır olduğu bu haçın gizemi nedir? Bunu çözmek için Don Titelman’ın, Avrupa tarihinin karanlık sırlarının derinliklerine inmesi ve tehlikeli rakiplerinden kaçması gerekmektedir.
Don’u Avrupa’ya sürükleyen bir yarış başlamıştır. İnsanların uğruna öldürmeye hazır olduğu bu haçın gizemi nedir? Bunu çözmek için Don Titelman’ın, Avrupa tarihinin karanlık sırlarının derinliklerine inmesi ve tehlikeli rakiplerinden kaçması gerekmektedir.
456 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
37 people are currently reading
570 people want to read
About the author
Jan Wallentin
2 books7 followersJan Wallentin is a Swedish journalist and author who previously worked for SVT (Sweden's national television broadcaster).
His debut novel, Strindbergs stjärna, was published in October of 2010. Even before its Swedish publication date the foreign rights to the book had been sold in 12 countries.
His debut novel, Strindbergs stjärna, was published in October of 2010. Even before its Swedish publication date the foreign rights to the book had been sold in 12 countries.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 176 reviews
May 9, 2012
I received this book through Goodreads First Reads.
Normally, this isn't my kind of genre. But the description for this giveaway boasted "Lisbeth Salander meets Robert Langdon!" A fan of the Millennium trilogy, as well as Angels & Demons, I decided to give this a shot. Instead, I was reminded why I steer away.
The writing is far from smooth. It switches between characters & plot lines like crazy, & I found it hard to follow. This is in addition to a far-fetched plot & characters that have absolutely no personality. It was muddled with information without good transitions, & I found myself not caring at all about the well being of the characters. To me, this books was all over, sloppy, & uninteresting.
The only parts that I found semi-interesting to read about were the parts concerning World War II.
As far as the whole "Lisbeth Salander meets Robert Langdon!" promise? Hardly. I suppose this was given because there's a troubled girl on a motorcycle (Lisbeth?) & an academic male (Langdon?). Unfortunately, it's like comparing Twilight to Dracula simply because both have vampires- a comparison that just shouldn't be made.
If this is your kind of genre, great, maybe you'll like it. But if you're on the edge, I'd pick up something else instead.
Normally, this isn't my kind of genre. But the description for this giveaway boasted "Lisbeth Salander meets Robert Langdon!" A fan of the Millennium trilogy, as well as Angels & Demons, I decided to give this a shot. Instead, I was reminded why I steer away.
The writing is far from smooth. It switches between characters & plot lines like crazy, & I found it hard to follow. This is in addition to a far-fetched plot & characters that have absolutely no personality. It was muddled with information without good transitions, & I found myself not caring at all about the well being of the characters. To me, this books was all over, sloppy, & uninteresting.
The only parts that I found semi-interesting to read about were the parts concerning World War II.
As far as the whole "Lisbeth Salander meets Robert Langdon!" promise? Hardly. I suppose this was given because there's a troubled girl on a motorcycle (Lisbeth?) & an academic male (Langdon?). Unfortunately, it's like comparing Twilight to Dracula simply because both have vampires- a comparison that just shouldn't be made.
If this is your kind of genre, great, maybe you'll like it. But if you're on the edge, I'd pick up something else instead.
July 25, 2012
I couldn't put this book down because I wanted to finish it and get it over with. It's very rare indeed that I don't finish a book but I can't justify the time I spent reading this one. The characters are less than realistic, the plot was convoluted and not in a twisty, mystery way. There were so many things that were just out of synch with my thought processes. After I slogged through this book to the end I had hoped that something worth while would have happened, but no. Even the ending left too many unanswered questions. You expect an ending to resolve things unless it's something like the great Pendergast series from Preston and Child, but no, this was no Preston and Child work of art. Pass it by.
May 19, 2012
The year was 1897. Nils Strindberg traveled with several companions. Their balloon crashed in the North Pole during the Andree Expedition. What they left behind to this day still has people searching.
Erik Hall was checking out pictures of other mine explorers. One that had Erik's attention was of two women who went cave diving near where Erik lives. Erik decided to go explore the cave for himself. He finds more than he bargained for with a dead body. The body is holding an ankh.
Don Titelman is a religious symbol expert. He is the perfect person to investigate the mystery surround the ankh. Don is joined by his lawyer, Eva Strand.
This book did grab my attention in tbe beginning. This was a good and bad thing. Good as that meant, I was intrigued by the story but bad because I started it right before I went to bed. The suspense of what Erik would find down in the mind shaft was enough to keep me awake.
Don became the main man in this story. I had mixed feelings about him. On one hand, he was smart and did not lose his cool under pressure but on the other hand, he lacked a big personality. He did not jump off the pages at me. He is more like someone that slowly grows on you the more you spend time with him and get to know him.
Also, I felt that the mystery behind the ankh could have used the intensity button cranked up several mroe levels. It was alright but lacking some in action and intrigue. Also, it felt too drawn out. I started to grow bored and found myself at times skimming the book. Mr. Wallentin did a nice job incorporating the three story lines into one another. Overall, I would suggest this book to some of my friends. It had good potential. I am interested to see what Mr. Wallentin comes out with next.
Erik Hall was checking out pictures of other mine explorers. One that had Erik's attention was of two women who went cave diving near where Erik lives. Erik decided to go explore the cave for himself. He finds more than he bargained for with a dead body. The body is holding an ankh.
Don Titelman is a religious symbol expert. He is the perfect person to investigate the mystery surround the ankh. Don is joined by his lawyer, Eva Strand.
This book did grab my attention in tbe beginning. This was a good and bad thing. Good as that meant, I was intrigued by the story but bad because I started it right before I went to bed. The suspense of what Erik would find down in the mind shaft was enough to keep me awake.
Don became the main man in this story. I had mixed feelings about him. On one hand, he was smart and did not lose his cool under pressure but on the other hand, he lacked a big personality. He did not jump off the pages at me. He is more like someone that slowly grows on you the more you spend time with him and get to know him.
Also, I felt that the mystery behind the ankh could have used the intensity button cranked up several mroe levels. It was alright but lacking some in action and intrigue. Also, it felt too drawn out. I started to grow bored and found myself at times skimming the book. Mr. Wallentin did a nice job incorporating the three story lines into one another. Overall, I would suggest this book to some of my friends. It had good potential. I am interested to see what Mr. Wallentin comes out with next.
June 12, 2011
I found this book mediocre. The story was quite interesting, but the characters surrounding Don Titelman did not feel "alive" to me - the lawyer, in particular, just came off as very arrogant to me.
This book, it must be said, is not at all unique - in the last years there have been several "suspense/crime" novels that touches the world war II - and the nazism in particular. Why it is such a popular subject, I don't know - but this was far from the first story I've read that works in Himmlers' occult Ahnenerbe "society".
This book, it must be said, is not at all unique - in the last years there have been several "suspense/crime" novels that touches the world war II - and the nazism in particular. Why it is such a popular subject, I don't know - but this was far from the first story I've read that works in Himmlers' occult Ahnenerbe "society".
February 25, 2018
Det är säkert möjligt att skriva en bra bok som blandar historiska händelser, konspirationsteorier och övernaturliga händelser. Det här är, dessvärre, inte den boken. Om det som utspelar sig i den "verkliga" världen hade varit trovärdigt så kanske boken inte verkat fullt så löjeväckande. Men efter episoderna med Säpo, tyska ambassaden och Green cargo så kan det inte hjälpas att resten av boken läses enbart för att se om dom dumheterna kan överträffas. En riktig kalkon!
June 4, 2017
Tramsig bok tycker jag. Skummade slutet då jag hade tröttnat rejält.
February 8, 2025
Naturligtvis blir man ju nyfiken på en bok som det skrivits så mycket om redan innan den kommit ut, men egentligen borde ju detta vara en signal för att man ska dra öronen åt sig. I kölvattnen av Dan Brown's framgångar med "Da Vinci-koden" har det kommit en hel radda böcker på samma eller liknande tema de senaste åren. Brown's böcker var unika eftersom de var först i sin genre, och alla andra försök har bara känts som mer eller mindre dåliga plagiat.
"Strindbergs stjärna" inleds som en deckare, övergår i en thriller och avslutas i rena science fiction stilen. Den är också alldeles för fantastisk och overklig för min smak och dessutom inte särskilt bra skriven. Den är visserligen ganska spännande, men många av händelserna är förutsägbara. Den historiska approachen däremot, med Andrées polarexpedition år 1897 i centrum, känns nyskapande och ger en extra krydda åt den annars något torftiga handlingen.
"Strindbergs stjärna" inleds som en deckare, övergår i en thriller och avslutas i rena science fiction stilen. Den är också alldeles för fantastisk och overklig för min smak och dessutom inte särskilt bra skriven. Den är visserligen ganska spännande, men många av händelserna är förutsägbara. Den historiska approachen däremot, med Andrées polarexpedition år 1897 i centrum, känns nyskapande och ger en extra krydda åt den annars något torftiga handlingen.
June 20, 2021
Un gran minestrone di cazzate.
July 2, 2015
U ovom zanimljivom romanu isprepliću se povijest i fantastika. Glede povijesti, dio povijesti s kojim su povezani događaji u ovoj knjizi je 2. svjetski rat, konkretnije vladavina Hitlera i nacista, no glavni fokus ipak je na onom fantastičnom dijelu, otkrivanju značenja tajanstvenog simbola ankha i toga tko stoji iza smrti ronioca koji ga je pronašao. Postojanje tajnog bunkera koji je Hitler dao izgraditi, a o kojem se nagađa i teoretizira u mnogim književnim djelima koja se bave nacistima i njihovom ostavštinom, ovdje je dovedeno u vezu s natprirodnim elementima i misterioznim simbolima koji te elemente pokreću.
Glavni lik, Don Titelman, gotovo je kopija Dan Brownovog Roberta Langdona. Obojica se bave simbolima, u kasnim su srednjim godinama života, samci, posvećeni svojem poslu, bez ičeg značajnog u njihovim privatnim životima. Razlika je samo u tome što Titelmana prate neka mučna sjećanja iz prošlosti i djetinjstva koje je proveo s bakom židovkom, koja je bila zatočenica u koncentracijskom logoru, zbog kojih je postao ovisnik o tabletama. Kroz Titelmanova prisjećanja na njegovu baku i priče koje mu je pričala o svom zatočeništvu, doznajemo ponešto o surovosti života u koncentracijskim logorima i grozotama koje su zatočenici morali proživljavati iz dana u dan pod nacistima. Bakine priče utjecale su na Titelmana u toj mjeri da se specijalizirao baš za nacističke simbole i obilježja, i postao stručnjak u tom području.
Sličnosti s Brownovim trilerima ne prestaju samo na glavnom liku, i žanru - triler-misteriji - već se ogledaju i u radnji: i ovdje se pojavljuje ženska suputnica koja pomaže glavnom liku u nastojanju da nađeni (moćni) artefakt ne padne u pogrešne ruke, pri čemu njih dvoje razvijaju međusobnu naklonost, jureći po različitim gradovima i mjestima pokušavajući spriječiti potencijalnu apokalipsu. Ipak, unatoč svim sličnostima, radnja ostaje originalna, napeta i zanimljiva, a ona nadnaravna crta koja se ovdje pojavljuje ono je što poprilično razlikuje romane ovih dvaju pisaca.
Puno je toga ovdje povezano, povijesnog i fantastičnog, i zanimljivo je gledati kako se svi ti aspekti romana međusobno isprepliću tvoreći posve nevjerojatnu priču, kakvu u početku čitanja ne bi mogli ni zamisliti. Utrka s negativcima, koji su Titelmanu i njegovoj odvjetnici neprestano za petama, te utrka s vremenom nakon što se otkrije priroda simbola kojeg je Erik Hall pronašao u rudniku održavaju neprekidnu napetost i ne dopuštaju vam da prekinete s čitanjem. Jedino što me mrvicu razočaralo u cijeloj priči, je njen kraj, za koji imam dojam da se nekako odvio prebrzo i ostao mrvicu nedorečen. A ono što me malo začudilo je opće čuđenje svih likova kod susreta s pronađenim simbolom ankha, koji kao da taj simbol (baš njegov izgled, ne njegovu tajnovitu prirodu) nisu nikada prije vidjeli niti čuli za njega, a radi se ipak o prilično poznatom egipatskom simbolu vječnog života, za koji vjerujem da je široko poznat većini ljudi.
Ako volite Brownove trilere s Robertom Langdonom, vjerujem da će vam se svidjeti i ovaj Wallentinov s Titelmanom. Također, ako uživate u otkrivanju misterioznih simbola i tajnovitih dijelova povijesti, u koje je umiješano i malo fantastike, preporučam.
Duža recenzija je na FB stranici.
Glavni lik, Don Titelman, gotovo je kopija Dan Brownovog Roberta Langdona. Obojica se bave simbolima, u kasnim su srednjim godinama života, samci, posvećeni svojem poslu, bez ičeg značajnog u njihovim privatnim životima. Razlika je samo u tome što Titelmana prate neka mučna sjećanja iz prošlosti i djetinjstva koje je proveo s bakom židovkom, koja je bila zatočenica u koncentracijskom logoru, zbog kojih je postao ovisnik o tabletama. Kroz Titelmanova prisjećanja na njegovu baku i priče koje mu je pričala o svom zatočeništvu, doznajemo ponešto o surovosti života u koncentracijskim logorima i grozotama koje su zatočenici morali proživljavati iz dana u dan pod nacistima. Bakine priče utjecale su na Titelmana u toj mjeri da se specijalizirao baš za nacističke simbole i obilježja, i postao stručnjak u tom području.
Sličnosti s Brownovim trilerima ne prestaju samo na glavnom liku, i žanru - triler-misteriji - već se ogledaju i u radnji: i ovdje se pojavljuje ženska suputnica koja pomaže glavnom liku u nastojanju da nađeni (moćni) artefakt ne padne u pogrešne ruke, pri čemu njih dvoje razvijaju međusobnu naklonost, jureći po različitim gradovima i mjestima pokušavajući spriječiti potencijalnu apokalipsu. Ipak, unatoč svim sličnostima, radnja ostaje originalna, napeta i zanimljiva, a ona nadnaravna crta koja se ovdje pojavljuje ono je što poprilično razlikuje romane ovih dvaju pisaca.
Puno je toga ovdje povezano, povijesnog i fantastičnog, i zanimljivo je gledati kako se svi ti aspekti romana međusobno isprepliću tvoreći posve nevjerojatnu priču, kakvu u početku čitanja ne bi mogli ni zamisliti. Utrka s negativcima, koji su Titelmanu i njegovoj odvjetnici neprestano za petama, te utrka s vremenom nakon što se otkrije priroda simbola kojeg je Erik Hall pronašao u rudniku održavaju neprekidnu napetost i ne dopuštaju vam da prekinete s čitanjem. Jedino što me mrvicu razočaralo u cijeloj priči, je njen kraj, za koji imam dojam da se nekako odvio prebrzo i ostao mrvicu nedorečen. A ono što me malo začudilo je opće čuđenje svih likova kod susreta s pronađenim simbolom ankha, koji kao da taj simbol (baš njegov izgled, ne njegovu tajnovitu prirodu) nisu nikada prije vidjeli niti čuli za njega, a radi se ipak o prilično poznatom egipatskom simbolu vječnog života, za koji vjerujem da je široko poznat većini ljudi.
Ako volite Brownove trilere s Robertom Langdonom, vjerujem da će vam se svidjeti i ovaj Wallentinov s Titelmanom. Također, ako uživate u otkrivanju misterioznih simbola i tajnovitih dijelova povijesti, u koje je umiješano i malo fantastike, preporučam.
Duža recenzija je na FB stranici.
May 13, 2012
I liked the historical aspects of this book the most. I was a little worried when the description mentioned Nazis, because they are overused when it comes to stories with secret artifacts, but I thought Wallentin used them cleverly in her story. I liked the multiple voices as the story goes back and forth through time. The story of the ankh and star is revealed at a nice pace and that is what kept me reading this book. The history of the ankh and star, from their discovery to present day, I found very inventive. That being said -
The most disappointing part of this book is the actual secret - what the ankh and star actually lead to. I can't really go into detail without major spoilers, but I couldn't really understand the connection on how the foundation ends up using this secret and and what the secret actually is. At first I thought it was the secret that wasn't grandiose enough for me, but I realized it was actually the reaction of the people who discover it and how they use it. Some of the what they discover from this secret is used for awful things, especially during World War II by the Germans, but I think I just expected a secret society to use such a secret to a grander scale.
The characters were a mix for me. We get quite a few character viewpoints, though Don Titelman is main character. I could never really connect with him. I never really understood why he was so messed up. His Jewish grandmother told him stories when he was eight of the Nazi's cruel experiments on her. He also discovered her secret stash of Nazi memorabilia that completely freaks him out. The stories she told him were awful, but I couldn't understand Don's over sensitivity to them. He ends up becoming addicted to prescription drugs and becomes a professor who is an expert in Nazi symbolism. And he has photographic memory, a fact that is thrown out there in the middle of the book. His character was just too irrational for me. The character I liked the most was Eva. She's smart and calm, though I was suspicious of her throughout the whole book.
I'm giving this one three stars, because I liked the historical aspects of this book a lot and the story behind the ankh and star.
ARC provided through NetGalley.
The most disappointing part of this book is the actual secret - what the ankh and star actually lead to. I can't really go into detail without major spoilers, but I couldn't really understand the connection on how the foundation ends up using this secret and and what the secret actually is. At first I thought it was the secret that wasn't grandiose enough for me, but I realized it was actually the reaction of the people who discover it and how they use it. Some of the what they discover from this secret is used for awful things, especially during World War II by the Germans, but I think I just expected a secret society to use such a secret to a grander scale.
The characters were a mix for me. We get quite a few character viewpoints, though Don Titelman is main character. I could never really connect with him. I never really understood why he was so messed up. His Jewish grandmother told him stories when he was eight of the Nazi's cruel experiments on her. He also discovered her secret stash of Nazi memorabilia that completely freaks him out. The stories she told him were awful, but I couldn't understand Don's over sensitivity to them. He ends up becoming addicted to prescription drugs and becomes a professor who is an expert in Nazi symbolism. And he has photographic memory, a fact that is thrown out there in the middle of the book. His character was just too irrational for me. The character I liked the most was Eva. She's smart and calm, though I was suspicious of her throughout the whole book.
I'm giving this one three stars, because I liked the historical aspects of this book a lot and the story behind the ankh and star.
ARC provided through NetGalley.
April 2, 2012
I don't remember having this much fun reading an adventure story since first devouring the stories of Jules Verne. This is what an adventure story should be. It is loaded with action, exotic locals, deliciously evil villains, and a not too heroic, slightly neurotic, unsympathetic character who holds the parts of the story together. More specifically, he is holding the secret to Strindberg's Star, an otherworldly talisman shaped like an ankh surrounded by a star. This object of legend and desire has been the center of a quest for well over a hundred years. The star, a reputed key to the underworld and untold secrets, has reappeared after being lost for a century. From the depths of a water filled cave in Sweden, across Europe to the dank crypts surrounded by memories of the dead from two wars, deep into the freezing Russian winter, and across the vast ice covered reaches deep in the Arctic Circle the search goes on. Will the ankh finally reveal it's secrets or be lost for all time? This book was provided for review by the well read folks at Viking Press.
May 5, 2012
I have to say that I was hoping that this book was going to be more Nordic Noir than it was. To be honest, I almost felt the writing style of this author was almost Americanized compared to other Scandanavian authors I have read. There were aspects to it that I felt like I could have been reading a Vince Flynn novel with historical aspects thrown in. It was good but coming from its' country of origin, I know I expected more. And the book did start of incredibly strong, but then it kind of tapered off.
As I said, this book wasn't terrible. It did keep my interest. I would have liked to have seen a bit more "twistedness" to it, rather than almost a feeling of it being a political thriller without the politics thrown in!
As I said, this book wasn't terrible. It did keep my interest. I would have liked to have seen a bit more "twistedness" to it, rather than almost a feeling of it being a political thriller without the politics thrown in!
November 1, 2016
This is about the original Swedish version
Berättelsen kunde ha blivit riktigt spännande (klassisk äventyrsroman) om inte författaren hade envisas med att bl.a. skriva helt onödiga avsnitt om huvudpersonens judiska farmor som inte bidrar till historien men som antagligen ska ge huvudpersonen ett djup (tror nog författaren).
Det värsta är inte att författaren skriver vissa meningar på engelska/tyska/italienska/jiddisch - utan att han översätter dessa korta meningar direkt utan att det ger mervärde. Hans jiddisch är delvis dessutom felaktig, vilket gör saken inte bättre, och hans tyska och italienska verkar komma från hollywoodfilmer som Die Hard eller Godfather.
Vilken dålig bok....
Berättelsen kunde ha blivit riktigt spännande (klassisk äventyrsroman) om inte författaren hade envisas med att bl.a. skriva helt onödiga avsnitt om huvudpersonens judiska farmor som inte bidrar till historien men som antagligen ska ge huvudpersonen ett djup (tror nog författaren).
Det värsta är inte att författaren skriver vissa meningar på engelska/tyska/italienska/jiddisch - utan att han översätter dessa korta meningar direkt utan att det ger mervärde. Hans jiddisch är delvis dessutom felaktig, vilket gör saken inte bättre, och hans tyska och italienska verkar komma från hollywoodfilmer som Die Hard eller Godfather.
Vilken dålig bok....
May 7, 2012
The first half of this book seemed pretty confusing to me. It also dragged (for about the first 200 pages), but I plowed through and was glad I did. The second half is very fast paced and I found it hard to put down. I had a hard time identifying with some of the main characters (Don, Eva, and Elena) and the plot seemed pretty far fetched. Would like to see more by this author in the future. This was a Goodreads giveaway, but is also one I would probably have bought after reading the synopsis o the back of the book. Many may truly enjoy this book, but it was not my cup of tea.
September 30, 2017
Here comes another book which looks very promising in the beginning but starts accumulating bullsh*t soon after, to end up in a very inconclusive and frustrating way. Even without taking into account the improbable background science (if you manage) and you start reading it as an adventure book, it's really hard to digest the rest: the nazi conspiracy, secret societies and secret police.. Even paranormal powers.. That was a bit too much for me!
March 24, 2012
Non ce l'ho potuta fare, dopo 300 pagine di nulla sono andata a leggermi direttamente il finale, che per altro fa cagare ed è completamente senza senso.
Una palla disumana, brutto, inutile, inverosimile e senza capo nè coda.
A confronto Dan Brown si merita il Nobel e ho detto tutto.
Voto: 2/10
Una palla disumana, brutto, inutile, inverosimile e senza capo nè coda.
A confronto Dan Brown si merita il Nobel e ho detto tutto.
Voto: 2/10
December 21, 2024
Ukratko, puno muke nizašto... Ako neko ovo čita, neka preskoči ovu knjigu. Ništa nema smisla, a ni do samog kraja se ne desi ništa smisleno. Posvetite 10 dana života nečemu zanimljivijem. Hvala na pažnji.
October 3, 2014
Liking this book is a lot like being my wife: you have to be willing to overlook flaws. Imho, a book can still be okay even if it has one of the Three Most Commonest Flaws: 1) starting with a bang and then losing momentum; 2) basing the narrative on unlikeable characters; and 3) too damned much implausibility. Unfortunately, Wallentin has #s one through three. A Swedish diver (he’s a creep) finds a relic that’s been preserved in copper vitriol for hundreds, maybe thousands, of years. He loses the MacGuffin to a mysterious, motorbike ridin’ siren (she’s a murderess). In taking possession of the relic, an alcoholic, drug-addled academic symbologist (sigh) turns into the prime suspect for the murder. Things get even more intense when he learns about another Maguffin. Everyone is involved and everyone (especially the Germans) wants the damn Maguffins! The chase leads all over hell and gone, even the Arctic Circle, and reveals the truth about an ill-fated hot air-balloon mission from over one hundred years ago. C’mon, who wrote this, fifty monkeys with typewriters? Even though it’s a choppy read, I couldn’t tear myself away because it sure is a sticky, inventive, and imaginative novel. Star is typically Swedish: umlauts and Eurotrash keep it lively and Bergmanesque inscrutability keeps it mysterious. If you like sprawl, convenient plotting, and have a long attention span, this is a good choice. But reading a book is an investment, and you want the damned thing to pay off.
Find reviews of books for men at Books for Dudes, Books for Dudes, the online reader's advisory column for men from Library Journal. Copyright Library Journal.
Find reviews of books for men at Books for Dudes, Books for Dudes, the online reader's advisory column for men from Library Journal. Copyright Library Journal.
March 21, 2017
There are some books which make you wonder how an agent, an acquisition's editor, and the rest of the editorial team at a publishing company could have allowed it to get published. This is one of them. When I picked it up, I thought "hey, it's compared to Dan Brown, and while I don't think his books are great literature, they do pass the time. So sure, why not?" Mistake. This book tries to capture Dan Brown's style, but manages to make it boring. I don't know how many times I fell asleep reading this novel. Not only are the characters interchangeable, with not a single one of them being remotely interesting, despite the author trying hard to make Don appear complex because of his addiction issues, but they also tend to behave in ways that are out of character.
The best parts of the novel are the ones that deal with Nazi Germany. They offer some harrowing facts about life in concentration camps. Unfortunately, these moments are too few to make the novel worthwhile.
If you are looking for a fun read, this ain't it.
The best parts of the novel are the ones that deal with Nazi Germany. They offer some harrowing facts about life in concentration camps. Unfortunately, these moments are too few to make the novel worthwhile.
If you are looking for a fun read, this ain't it.
May 26, 2017
A thriller? This novel? I'd call it a suspence novel because there's very little action and dangerous situations, I can count them on one hand, maybe two. And them running across europe with bad guys right at their heels? Pfft! They escape from Sweden and go to Belgium in a secret train coupé, noone chasing them until they get to Ypres, where the bad guys have their lair, so to speak. They get captured, but it's not very dramatic either. They deside to find the location the ankh and the star point to after they manage to escape, and still noone is chasing them. The only "real" suspence happens pretty much at the end of the book. I would say about 90% of the book is really about the main character taking drugs or prescription pills and he also knows nothing about Strindberg's star until the bad guys tell him the story. This book is typical Swedish literature where everything is lagom (just enough, not too little, not too much), and because of that it never reaches higher than average, which is a pity. I would have liked it to be more Dan Brownish in its quest for riches, oh well...
March 27, 2019
The book has a slow build up. At around page 160 (dutch edition) it really starts to kick in and I had problems to put the book down. I know that while sitting in the sun on a sunday it was easy to read a lot of pages in one go which definitely helped me to get the flow.
Characters are well formed. Those that don’t need much detail are left alone at that. Surrounding are described detailed enough to understand where the main character is.
Sometimes the book is a bit unclear, but most of the time this doesn’t last long and you easily forget the scene.
I did enjoy it because of the idea and how Jan was able to put it on paper.
Characters are well formed. Those that don’t need much detail are left alone at that. Surrounding are described detailed enough to understand where the main character is.
Sometimes the book is a bit unclear, but most of the time this doesn’t last long and you easily forget the scene.
I did enjoy it because of the idea and how Jan was able to put it on paper.
July 29, 2012
I received this book through Goodreads First Reads.
I couldn't even finish this book. My girlfriend warned me about it, & she was right. Like her, I was drawn to this book because the description compares it to Robert Langdon & Lisbeth Salander. I am a fan of both, but this book is neither. It has a jumpy plot, uninteresting characters, & mediocre writing.
Maybe if you're more into crime than I am you'd like it. But for me, this is a pass.
I couldn't even finish this book. My girlfriend warned me about it, & she was right. Like her, I was drawn to this book because the description compares it to Robert Langdon & Lisbeth Salander. I am a fan of both, but this book is neither. It has a jumpy plot, uninteresting characters, & mediocre writing.
Maybe if you're more into crime than I am you'd like it. But for me, this is a pass.
August 14, 2016
Tvekar mellan 1 eller två stjärnor. Å ena sidan sträckläste jag ju ut den och ville veta hur det skulle gå - å den andra var det här en förskräcklig röra. Ihåliga och klyschiga karaktärer utan djup och personlighet. Storyn kändes som ett hopkast av olika 'coola' scener och idéer som egentligen inte hör ihop men författaren samlat på sig och ville visa upp. Men, den skulle nog göra sig helt ok som actionrulle - på netflix
August 8, 2012
I won this book as a giveaway through Goodreads.
Strindberg's Star was mildly entertaining. It had some pretty decent action and mystery, but the main character was too odd to carry the story. I kept thinking that someone else was going to step forward as the main character, but unfortunately, it never happened.
Strindberg's Star was mildly entertaining. It had some pretty decent action and mystery, but the main character was too odd to carry the story. I kept thinking that someone else was going to step forward as the main character, but unfortunately, it never happened.
Read
April 9, 2012engin stjarna frá mér.
noway-josé
March 6, 2014Mimal commented: it was promising but turned out it wanted to be something it wasn't. Final verdict=don't bother...it was mainly swedish media trying to promote it
July 14, 2015
A wonderful story with a beautiful plot, but reads like too many slices of light wheat toast, no real nutrition in the bread, you feel still hungry, swollen and fed up with eating too much
December 18, 2020
Definitely an interesting read. Kept me engaged. Good ending.
September 3, 2022
I'm not sure I've ever had such an aggravating experience in reading a book. What I had was an electronic review copy with the editor's notes in the margins. Interesting, sure, but that meant an already unwieldy format (DRM protected PDF) was almost useless on my Sony. The text was too small to read at normal size, and once you zoomed in . . . not only did the lines break in awkward places (as PDFs tend to do), but the editor's notes merged into the body of the text, making for some really confusing passages.
With all that to consider, the fact that I persevered is testament to how engaging the story was. Despite the frustrations, I wanted to see where it was going next, and how it all would end.
I usually try to avoid comparing works or authors, but the best way I can think of to describe Strindberg's Star is as a mix of Dan Brown and Clive Cussler, with a little Stieg Larsson thrown for good measure. It's a great adventure story with some deep mythology, a truly fascinating puzzle at the heart of it all, and a villainess/heroine in Eva Strand who rivals Lisbeth Salander in terms of darkness and diversity. It was so refreshing to read a Dan Brown type thriller that wasn't mired in Catholicism, and as much as WWII history is very much not my forte, what Wallentin does with the Nazis, their experiments, and (most of all) their symbolism is genius.
In some ways, this is a difficult read, in that it blurs the lines between good and evil. There is no one shining example to latch onto as a hero here. Instead, we have a lot of broken, damaged, tainted individuals who often do very bad things for very good reasons . . . and vice versa. Don Titelman is an interesting character, a drug-addicted ex-doctor who lacks only the biting sarcastic wit to be a proper homage to Gregory House. He's a hard man to admire, and an even harder one to like, but he does provide an interesting vantage from which to experience the story.
As for the central mystery of the ankh and the star, the oddly well-preserved body from which they're retrieved, and the bloody (but fascinating) history of their original discovery and loss . . . well, I won't say much at all, other than to promise it's a mystery/puzzle well worth investigating. Personally, I found it much more fascinating than anything Dan Brown or his clones have attempted, and it really made the book for me.
All-in-all, a solid read, and one that I'd very much like to revisit in a more manageable paperback format, without the headaches of the electronic arc. I rarely invest the time in rereading a book, but this is one I would like to sit down and enjoy all over again. I suspect that, with a more comfortable read, I might even elevate it to a fourth star.
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
With all that to consider, the fact that I persevered is testament to how engaging the story was. Despite the frustrations, I wanted to see where it was going next, and how it all would end.
I usually try to avoid comparing works or authors, but the best way I can think of to describe Strindberg's Star is as a mix of Dan Brown and Clive Cussler, with a little Stieg Larsson thrown for good measure. It's a great adventure story with some deep mythology, a truly fascinating puzzle at the heart of it all, and a villainess/heroine in Eva Strand who rivals Lisbeth Salander in terms of darkness and diversity. It was so refreshing to read a Dan Brown type thriller that wasn't mired in Catholicism, and as much as WWII history is very much not my forte, what Wallentin does with the Nazis, their experiments, and (most of all) their symbolism is genius.
In some ways, this is a difficult read, in that it blurs the lines between good and evil. There is no one shining example to latch onto as a hero here. Instead, we have a lot of broken, damaged, tainted individuals who often do very bad things for very good reasons . . . and vice versa. Don Titelman is an interesting character, a drug-addicted ex-doctor who lacks only the biting sarcastic wit to be a proper homage to Gregory House. He's a hard man to admire, and an even harder one to like, but he does provide an interesting vantage from which to experience the story.
As for the central mystery of the ankh and the star, the oddly well-preserved body from which they're retrieved, and the bloody (but fascinating) history of their original discovery and loss . . . well, I won't say much at all, other than to promise it's a mystery/puzzle well worth investigating. Personally, I found it much more fascinating than anything Dan Brown or his clones have attempted, and it really made the book for me.
All-in-all, a solid read, and one that I'd very much like to revisit in a more manageable paperback format, without the headaches of the electronic arc. I rarely invest the time in rereading a book, but this is one I would like to sit down and enjoy all over again. I suspect that, with a more comfortable read, I might even elevate it to a fourth star.
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
May 30, 2022
Goodreads review on Strindberg’s star
Overall I thought the book “Strindberg's Star”, by Jan Wallentin, was a very good book. At the beginning of the book there are things that are hard to follow especially when all the characters are introduced and when all the ancient artifacts and weird names come into place. But as you read it all comes together and starts to make scenes who each character is and what their mission is.
One of the first parts of fiction I see in the book is experiments on two ancient objects called an ankh and a star object. When they were trying to be melted separately at 2,700 degrees F, they wouldn't melt. But when both objects were put on top of each other they would fuse together to make a map of constellations. This leads to a power that lots of dark and evil people want.
Another part of fiction I saw was a girl who could read other characters' minds. She lost this ability because when she was young her mother sent her to a psychiatric hospital. But after she got out of the hospital she did not go back to her mother.
In the story some of the dark figures are Natizes that want the map and the treasure at the end of it. Although this book takes place in 1984, the natizs don’t seem to be a good fit into the book. They could have used a fictional villain instead of trying to use a non-fictional villain that has already been part of world war ll and has caused lots of damage. Also the fact the the nazis are looking for this tresure 30 years after the war seems kinda rediculase.
I liked the story because of the mystery and the action. There always seemed to be something new hiding on the next page that would change the story. There were lots of adventures and mysteries that needed to be solved. I like the main character Don titleman most of the time. He didn’t really seem like a hero though. He was addicted to drugs and he just seemed to be boring at times.
Overall I thought the book “Strindberg's Star”, by Jan Wallentin, was a very good book. At the beginning of the book there are things that are hard to follow especially when all the characters are introduced and when all the ancient artifacts and weird names come into place. But as you read it all comes together and starts to make scenes who each character is and what their mission is.
One of the first parts of fiction I see in the book is experiments on two ancient objects called an ankh and a star object. When they were trying to be melted separately at 2,700 degrees F, they wouldn't melt. But when both objects were put on top of each other they would fuse together to make a map of constellations. This leads to a power that lots of dark and evil people want.
Another part of fiction I saw was a girl who could read other characters' minds. She lost this ability because when she was young her mother sent her to a psychiatric hospital. But after she got out of the hospital she did not go back to her mother.
In the story some of the dark figures are Natizes that want the map and the treasure at the end of it. Although this book takes place in 1984, the natizs don’t seem to be a good fit into the book. They could have used a fictional villain instead of trying to use a non-fictional villain that has already been part of world war ll and has caused lots of damage. Also the fact the the nazis are looking for this tresure 30 years after the war seems kinda rediculase.
I liked the story because of the mystery and the action. There always seemed to be something new hiding on the next page that would change the story. There were lots of adventures and mysteries that needed to be solved. I like the main character Don titleman most of the time. He didn’t really seem like a hero though. He was addicted to drugs and he just seemed to be boring at times.
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