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Die Lebenden und Toten von Winsford
Vorgestern beschloss ich, meinen Hund zu überleben. Das bin ich ihm schuldig …
Exmoor, eines Abends im November. Über dem kleinen Dorf Winsford in der südenglischen Moorlandschaft liegt dichter Nebel. Die mysteriöse Frau, die sich unter dem Namen Maria Anderson mit ihrem Hund im abseits gelegenen Haus auf der Heide niederlässt, bietet Stoff für Spekulationen. Was hat sie hier draußen in der Einöde zu suchen? Was hält ihr Mann von ihrem Aufenthalt an diesem Ende der Welt? Wo ist er überhaupt? Tatsächlich auf Reisen?
Irgendetwas Sonderbares umgibt die Fremde, die Tag für Tag im diesigen Nieselregen spazierengeht – auch wenn sie schon bald aus dem Dorfleben nicht mehr wegzudenken ist. Nicht alle scheinen ihr jedenfalls wohlgesonnen. Wie anders wäre sonst zu erklären, dass plötzlich tote Vögel vor ihrer Türe liegen und ihr Hund tagelang verschwindet? Und die seltsamen Vorfälle häufen sich. Man könnte auch sagen: Je mehr sie sich auf die kleine Gemeinschaft einlässt, desto gefährlicher wird es für sie …
Exmoor, eines Abends im November. Über dem kleinen Dorf Winsford in der südenglischen Moorlandschaft liegt dichter Nebel. Die mysteriöse Frau, die sich unter dem Namen Maria Anderson mit ihrem Hund im abseits gelegenen Haus auf der Heide niederlässt, bietet Stoff für Spekulationen. Was hat sie hier draußen in der Einöde zu suchen? Was hält ihr Mann von ihrem Aufenthalt an diesem Ende der Welt? Wo ist er überhaupt? Tatsächlich auf Reisen?
Irgendetwas Sonderbares umgibt die Fremde, die Tag für Tag im diesigen Nieselregen spazierengeht – auch wenn sie schon bald aus dem Dorfleben nicht mehr wegzudenken ist. Nicht alle scheinen ihr jedenfalls wohlgesonnen. Wie anders wäre sonst zu erklären, dass plötzlich tote Vögel vor ihrer Türe liegen und ihr Hund tagelang verschwindet? Und die seltsamen Vorfälle häufen sich. Man könnte auch sagen: Je mehr sie sich auf die kleine Gemeinschaft einlässt, desto gefährlicher wird es für sie …
464 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 2013
40 people are currently reading
910 people want to read
About the author
Håkan Nesser
142 books1,110 followersHåkan Nesser is a Swedish author and teacher who has written a number of successful crime fiction novels. He has won Best Swedish Crime Novel Award three times, and his novel Carambole won the Glass Key award in 2000. His books have been translated from Swedish into numerous languages.
Håkan Nesser was born and grew up in Kumla, and has lived most of his adult life in Uppsala. His first novel was published in 1988, but he worked as a teacher until 1998 when he became a full-time author. In August, 2006, Håkan Nesser and his wife Elke moved to Greenwich Village in New York.
Series:
* Inspector Van Veeteren
* Inspector Barbarotti
Håkan Nesser was born and grew up in Kumla, and has lived most of his adult life in Uppsala. His first novel was published in 1988, but he worked as a teacher until 1998 when he became a full-time author. In August, 2006, Håkan Nesser and his wife Elke moved to Greenwich Village in New York.
Series:
* Inspector Van Veeteren
* Inspector Barbarotti
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 199 reviews
February 14, 2022
I am a fan of Scandinavian thrillers and The Living and the Dead in Winsford is an entertaining and very well written novel
A woman arrives in the village of Winsford on Exmoor. She has travelled a long way and chosen her secluded cottage carefully. Maria's sole intention is to outlive her beloved dog Castor. And to survive the torrent of memories that threaten to overwhelm her.
Weeks before, Maria and her husband Martin fled Stockholm under a cloud. The couple were bound for Morocco, where Martin planned to write an explosive novel; one that would reveal the truth behind dark events within his commune of writers decades before. But the couple never made it to their destination.
This is a slow burn thriller, its a very intriguing read and yet the writer is not bombarding the reader with twists and turns. Its a more a good old fashioned style thriller, well written and a wonderful sense of time and place. I really enjoyed the characters. I looked forward to picking this one up every evening and will certainly be adding more books by Håkan Nesser
A woman arrives in the village of Winsford on Exmoor. She has travelled a long way and chosen her secluded cottage carefully. Maria's sole intention is to outlive her beloved dog Castor. And to survive the torrent of memories that threaten to overwhelm her.
Weeks before, Maria and her husband Martin fled Stockholm under a cloud. The couple were bound for Morocco, where Martin planned to write an explosive novel; one that would reveal the truth behind dark events within his commune of writers decades before. But the couple never made it to their destination.
This is a slow burn thriller, its a very intriguing read and yet the writer is not bombarding the reader with twists and turns. Its a more a good old fashioned style thriller, well written and a wonderful sense of time and place. I really enjoyed the characters. I looked forward to picking this one up every evening and will certainly be adding more books by Håkan Nesser
August 2, 2019
What an awesome read this was! This is not part of Hakan Nesser's Chief Inspector Van Veeteren series, but a stand-alone psychological thriller that is unforgettable. It's beautifully written, and extremely suspenseful, as clues to what has happened are gradually revealed by the narrator, a Swedish woman named Maria Holinek who is lying low in Exmoor in southwestern England, accompanied by her dog, Castor.
I haven't read any of Nesser's Van Veeteren books yet, but I'm definitely going to seek them out.
I recommend this book to readers who enjoy psychological suspense novels or Scandinavian crime fiction.
I haven't read any of Nesser's Van Veeteren books yet, but I'm definitely going to seek them out.
I recommend this book to readers who enjoy psychological suspense novels or Scandinavian crime fiction.
July 20, 2019
The Living and the Dead in Winsford(Hardcover) by Hakan Nesser.
Wow! And again I say, WOW! A book like this comes along once in a lifetime.
Maria Holinek arrives in the Village of Winsford with her dog, Castor. The entire story is told by Maria in detail. Those details include her past with her parents, friends, husband and their children. Her relationships with them all, as well as the relationships her husband, shared alone. Many of her husband(Martin) relationships she was not included in.
The one relationship that was closer than to anyone else was with her dog, Castor. They went everywhere together. It was heartwarming since I am a dog lover.
This book became part of my everyday life. It was more than just another realistic book. It was awarded the Rosenkrantz Award for Best Thriller of the Year. Hakan Nesser is the author of the successful Inspector Van Veeteren series.
Wow! And again I say, WOW! A book like this comes along once in a lifetime.
Maria Holinek arrives in the Village of Winsford with her dog, Castor. The entire story is told by Maria in detail. Those details include her past with her parents, friends, husband and their children. Her relationships with them all, as well as the relationships her husband, shared alone. Many of her husband(Martin) relationships she was not included in.
The one relationship that was closer than to anyone else was with her dog, Castor. They went everywhere together. It was heartwarming since I am a dog lover.
This book became part of my everyday life. It was more than just another realistic book. It was awarded the Rosenkrantz Award for Best Thriller of the Year. Hakan Nesser is the author of the successful Inspector Van Veeteren series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 28, 2015
What a very good writer and a very good read. One I think I will remember a very long time! The description and flow of language doesn't feel translated. One of the last translations by the recently deceased Laurie Thompson, reads very well. Maria and Martin have been married thirty plus years. There are secrets and damages. The various threads of story running along are well developed as Maria simply wants to outlive Castor, her dog! The travels, ramblings / walking in the moors really kept me involved. As the past of both are unraveled and mystery uncovered. Relationships expanded. The ending was quite cleverly done... Very good read and highly recommended.
August 6, 2015
Ok, I know, I should be really miffed at what was left hanging. Part of the joy of a skein of potentially intractable mysteries has always been, in this genre, the comfortable knowledge that all would be tied together and explained. But Nesser leaves some of the most tantalising mysteries (albeit secondary to the plot) completely unresolved. Perhaps this is a massive cheat on his part. But to dwell on this would be to negate the huge enjoyment I derived along the journey of this story. It is just utterly entertaining; atmospheric and gripping. I mean, murder, moors, winter, stalkers, all centred on a lonely Exmoor cottage, with lashings of Nordic noir thrown in - what's not to love, for God's sake!?
November 25, 2015
The Living and the Dead in Winsford – Scandi Noir transfers to Exmoor
Hakan Nesser the King of Swedish Noir returns with his latest book, The Living and the Dead in Winsford, where Exmoor gets a starring role, in this psychological thriller. Nesser brings all his skills to bare in this thriller, which is a slow cooker, but lets you in to the twist in the last couple of pages. This is not a fast paced book, but carefully written, so we see the world from our narrator’s point of view, Maria Holinek.
Maria Holinek is a star of Swedish television, a well known face across the country and she is married to Martin who is a University Professor of Literature. He also happens to be at the centre of yet another scandal, and has been accused of rape, and all the various pressures that brings. He suggests to Maria that they spend winter in Morocco while he writes a book.
Maria, is our narrator who decides to change her name to Maria Anderson, and rather spend winter in the sunny climes of Northern Africa, she opts to spend hers in England. Furthermore she bumps in to someone she used to work with in London but pretends not to know her.
Maria, with her dog, Castor, opts to spend the winter up on Exmoor, a place as eerie anywhere in winter that Swedish Noir would like to be. She tells locals that she is a writer, and that she is writing a book. She rents a cottage, Darne Lodge, just above the village of Winsford on Exmoor, and her only near neighbours are the Exmoor Ponies.
As autumn turns in to winter and Maria is left more and more with her thoughts that are haunting her, especially as the weather and the outlook becomes rather bleak on the moors. Trying to come to terms with her past and her present while not having a breakdown means that she takes long walks with Castor across the moors.
To the people she is the lady writer, who sometimes uses the community centre where there is an internet connection to keep her abreast of what is happening in the wider world as well as her family. The more time passes her the more depressed she seems to become at times, feeling haunted by people and her past. All Maria wants to do is out live Castor before she can die.
As Maria feels more isolated, she makes friends with a local Mark, who falls in love with her, which is not something she expected or really wanted. She spends more time walking and getting lost on the moors, just as her life seems to becoming more lost and broken. You really start to worry about her mental health when castor goes missing.
Will her mental state remain hanging by a thread, will we ever find out what happened, what is causing her to breakdown. The darkness in this novel is a reflection of the darkness that can be felt in winter up on Exmoor as well as what you expect in Scandi Noir.
This is yet another excellent thriller by Hakan Nesser that leaves you guessing all the way to the end. Will she out live Castor? You will have to read on to find out.
Hakan Nesser the King of Swedish Noir returns with his latest book, The Living and the Dead in Winsford, where Exmoor gets a starring role, in this psychological thriller. Nesser brings all his skills to bare in this thriller, which is a slow cooker, but lets you in to the twist in the last couple of pages. This is not a fast paced book, but carefully written, so we see the world from our narrator’s point of view, Maria Holinek.
Maria Holinek is a star of Swedish television, a well known face across the country and she is married to Martin who is a University Professor of Literature. He also happens to be at the centre of yet another scandal, and has been accused of rape, and all the various pressures that brings. He suggests to Maria that they spend winter in Morocco while he writes a book.
Maria, is our narrator who decides to change her name to Maria Anderson, and rather spend winter in the sunny climes of Northern Africa, she opts to spend hers in England. Furthermore she bumps in to someone she used to work with in London but pretends not to know her.
Maria, with her dog, Castor, opts to spend the winter up on Exmoor, a place as eerie anywhere in winter that Swedish Noir would like to be. She tells locals that she is a writer, and that she is writing a book. She rents a cottage, Darne Lodge, just above the village of Winsford on Exmoor, and her only near neighbours are the Exmoor Ponies.
As autumn turns in to winter and Maria is left more and more with her thoughts that are haunting her, especially as the weather and the outlook becomes rather bleak on the moors. Trying to come to terms with her past and her present while not having a breakdown means that she takes long walks with Castor across the moors.
To the people she is the lady writer, who sometimes uses the community centre where there is an internet connection to keep her abreast of what is happening in the wider world as well as her family. The more time passes her the more depressed she seems to become at times, feeling haunted by people and her past. All Maria wants to do is out live Castor before she can die.
As Maria feels more isolated, she makes friends with a local Mark, who falls in love with her, which is not something she expected or really wanted. She spends more time walking and getting lost on the moors, just as her life seems to becoming more lost and broken. You really start to worry about her mental health when castor goes missing.
Will her mental state remain hanging by a thread, will we ever find out what happened, what is causing her to breakdown. The darkness in this novel is a reflection of the darkness that can be felt in winter up on Exmoor as well as what you expect in Scandi Noir.
This is yet another excellent thriller by Hakan Nesser that leaves you guessing all the way to the end. Will she out live Castor? You will have to read on to find out.
December 18, 2015
This is an excellent book. A standalone novel that keeps on giving. I know this author through the wonderful Van Veeteren Series but this another facet of his writing and informed story telling. What is most facinating is that for the most part he speaks through the voice of his female protagonist for the majority of the book.
How he captures the world through Maria's eyes is quite remarkable; the novel is in the main her telling her story which is full of unsettled thoughts and a sense of impending dread.
How you could make a book based on a women's diary when she is living in an isolated rented cottage on Exmoor interesting when she only have a dog for company ? Especially when she spends nearly every day walking her Rhodesian ridgeback, Castor over the moors never meeting a soul other than the ponies roaming free. Yet Nesser pulls it off in a detailed novel that slowly reveals secrets in both her husband's life and her own emotional journey. In part this is down to a sense of time and place. This doesn't feel like the research done on Google Maps but from detailed first hand knowledge and walking every step along muddy paths in fog and rain; allowing his protagonist to follow in his own footsteps.
Basically a marriage between Martin & Maria Holinek has not been credible for somewhile and when Martin has an affair that hits the papers they decide to escape from Sweden to review and refresh their relationship. Martin hopes also to use their time in Morocca to write a novel.
Somewhere on their journey they become separated and Maria carries on with the dog and all their belongings in the car to England where she intends to live incognito when sorting her life out. It transpires from her own notes see keeps that Martin hasn't made it to Morocco either, indeed on some whim or impulse she has abandoned him where his life could be threatened. Assuming in time that she might be responsible for his death but satisfied that he had no ID on him she masks where she is and then begins to use email to fictionalise their new life together in North Africa.
However, when strange things start to happen she fears he may not be as dead as she thought and the tension ratchets up in the book as her own anxieties increase.
A thrilling read where you image the worst before it is revealed; even if Maria has murdered her husband Martin you wonder if it was justified and you warm to her character. But as you feel she is being observed you fear for her. The tension is real and at odds for the quiet lanes and cosy village life around her.
A book that is never dull and full of jeopardy, but has she got away with Murder?
How he captures the world through Maria's eyes is quite remarkable; the novel is in the main her telling her story which is full of unsettled thoughts and a sense of impending dread.
How you could make a book based on a women's diary when she is living in an isolated rented cottage on Exmoor interesting when she only have a dog for company ? Especially when she spends nearly every day walking her Rhodesian ridgeback, Castor over the moors never meeting a soul other than the ponies roaming free. Yet Nesser pulls it off in a detailed novel that slowly reveals secrets in both her husband's life and her own emotional journey. In part this is down to a sense of time and place. This doesn't feel like the research done on Google Maps but from detailed first hand knowledge and walking every step along muddy paths in fog and rain; allowing his protagonist to follow in his own footsteps.
Basically a marriage between Martin & Maria Holinek has not been credible for somewhile and when Martin has an affair that hits the papers they decide to escape from Sweden to review and refresh their relationship. Martin hopes also to use their time in Morocca to write a novel.
Somewhere on their journey they become separated and Maria carries on with the dog and all their belongings in the car to England where she intends to live incognito when sorting her life out. It transpires from her own notes see keeps that Martin hasn't made it to Morocco either, indeed on some whim or impulse she has abandoned him where his life could be threatened. Assuming in time that she might be responsible for his death but satisfied that he had no ID on him she masks where she is and then begins to use email to fictionalise their new life together in North Africa.
However, when strange things start to happen she fears he may not be as dead as she thought and the tension ratchets up in the book as her own anxieties increase.
A thrilling read where you image the worst before it is revealed; even if Maria has murdered her husband Martin you wonder if it was justified and you warm to her character. But as you feel she is being observed you fear for her. The tension is real and at odds for the quiet lanes and cosy village life around her.
A book that is never dull and full of jeopardy, but has she got away with Murder?
January 30, 2016
This is a standalone novel and not one of the series. It is a psychological understanding book - and told from the perspective or Maria. Maria is 55 and has been married to Martin all of her adult years.They have 2 grown children who live away. Both Maria and Martin have had successful careers - Maria in television, and Martin as a writer. Then Martin is accused of rape - not his first sexual assignation - but his first rape. The woman later withdrawals her accusation.. Since both Maria and Martin are well-known it becomes front page news. They decide to spend 6 months in Morocco where Martin will write a book about his early years.
Maria begins to contemplate her entire life - her early years before Martin; her meeting of Martin; up until the present day - where she has met with the woman who accused Martin of rape.
It is a slow moving book - where Maria and her dog Castor, take many walks and spend much time in contemplation - time to review a life
Maria begins to contemplate her entire life - her early years before Martin; her meeting of Martin; up until the present day - where she has met with the woman who accused Martin of rape.
It is a slow moving book - where Maria and her dog Castor, take many walks and spend much time in contemplation - time to review a life
September 18, 2015
The Living and the Dead in Winsford may be my book of the year in 2015. Captivating and beautifully written story. I was so enthralled with the location of the book (Winsford,Somerset) that I put the book down and read up on the area and looked at various photos. Nesser has nailed the foreboding atmosphere. The Living and the Dead for me was the perfect psychological thriller. It reminded me of the type of tension Hitchcock created in his movie Suspicion. The book has to do with isolation both physically and emotionally. It is a journey about the purpose in life. A brilliant study of the mind of a lonely woman. The author moves our character, Maria, through various emotional states such as guilt, paranoia, detachment and even intimacy. Many reviewers of the book were dissatisfied with the end of the book. I think the book concluded the only way that it could. The entire story was based on finding answers to impossible questions (why life turns out as it does), so for the book to end with "strings hanging loose" is perfectly appropriate. As a note, though a very different book, if you enjoy this one, consider Gillespie and I by Jane Harris. For some reason, the smooth writing about a strange woman reminded me of that excellent book.
June 19, 2017
Håkan Nesser är en sådan där författare som jag känner mig väldigt trygg med. Att läsa hans böcker känns alltid hemtamt, småmysigt (oavsett vad de handlar om) och väldigt avkopplande. Här finns ingen action, ingen stress och ju längre stunder man läser desto bättre blir böckerna. Det är lite som att bli vaggad i en liten eka ute på sjön. Läs mer på min blogg
November 24, 2015
Håkan Nesser's Van Veeteren is one of my favorite detectives (especially as played by Sven Wollter in the film versions of the books). Borkmann's Point was the first of Nesser's books translated into English, and I keep hoping for another as good. The Living and the Dead in Winsford isn't even close. It gets high points for atmosphere – the evocation of the Somerset moor is superb but cannot support the the feeble plot. The narrator, an enervated Swedish television presenter betrayed by her literary husband, is tedious from the start and her ruminations only get worse over the next 400 pages. Mildly intriguing events are never explained; mildly mysterious characters are never illuminated. The plot divagates pointlessly (particularly in its disappointing backstory) then collapses, predictably, about 300 pages too late.
December 15, 2015
Wonderful, probably my favorite read of 2015. I don't want to say too much for fear of spoilers. Some people are a bit unhappy with the ending, but I found it very apt and have my own ideas of what happens next. The love between her and the dog really spoke to me and their walks on the moor were beautifully vivid. As the story progressed there were parts where I literally held my breath. So glad I ordered it from the UK.
August 5, 2015
Absolutely loved this story set on Exmoor. High profile Swedish woman seeks refuge in an isolated cottage. Don't want to give anything away. I found the story completely believable with the mundane - beautifully described walks and pub meals - with totally unexpected omg moments. Very little violence.
August 6, 2015
Not a totally perfect story by any means, in my opinion, but I was so gripped by it and the characters that it has to be a 5 star book for me.
July 29, 2018
I thought it was an excellent read and really enjoyed the story and the way it unfolds. It keeps you guessing to the end..
I wonder why this author seems less known under the scandinavian thriller writers.
(Warning: if you like to see everything neatly explained and folded up at the end, it might not be your cup of tea)
I wonder why this author seems less known under the scandinavian thriller writers.
(Warning: if you like to see everything neatly explained and folded up at the end, it might not be your cup of tea)
August 9, 2015
The tension, which builds up slowly in this genius psychological thriller, only gives up on the last pages of the book when we finally find out what really happened to the central Swedish celebrity couple in Nesser's gripping new novel.
Maria Holinek has decided to spend the winter in a remote Exmoor cottage, with the single ambition to outlive her dog, Castor. Although she tells the locals she’s Maria Anderson, a Swedish author seeking the seclusion of Exmoor to write her latest novel, we soon discover that she's in fact a well known TV personality in Sweden, and that she's hiding a terrible secret.
In truth Maria should now be in Morocco, having fled a scandal in Sweden, with her equally famous, or even infamous, literary professor husband, Martin.
As the late autumn in Darne Cottage, the old stone dwelling she's renting together with her dog, turns into a unforgiving Exmoor winter, Maria begins to feel less and less protected by her anonymity and remote location. The long walks along the wild, desolate moors no longer calm her nerves, but the opposite; the moors begin to scare her. The secret she hides, and the secrets of Martin's decade old exploits in Morocco, increasingly and persistently continue to disturb Maria, and she feels more and more vulnerable to both the forces of the Exmoor winter, and the people in her past.
On top of her own inner demons, other strange goings on haunt Maria. Is she being followed by stranger in a car? Has her terrible secret been discovered? Trying to keep her terror at bay, she befriends the nearest neighbour, an Englishman called Mark Britton who lives a few miles away in an equally lonely location. Mark Britton has a perfectly innocent reason to have settled where he is, but is he really as nice and as uncomplicated as he seems to be?
I understand that this novel is the result of some time Nesser spent in the UK, and this certainly shows in the descriptions of the harshness of an Exmoor winter and the long, muddy walks along the moors, where Maria often gets lost, and as a reader you feel a real fear for her safety.
I loved this book, but then I've been a fan of Nesser's writing for more than a decade. Still, even if you're new to Nesser, and to Nordic Noir or Scandinavian fiction, I believe you'll enjoy this brilliant novel.
Maria Holinek has decided to spend the winter in a remote Exmoor cottage, with the single ambition to outlive her dog, Castor. Although she tells the locals she’s Maria Anderson, a Swedish author seeking the seclusion of Exmoor to write her latest novel, we soon discover that she's in fact a well known TV personality in Sweden, and that she's hiding a terrible secret.
In truth Maria should now be in Morocco, having fled a scandal in Sweden, with her equally famous, or even infamous, literary professor husband, Martin.
As the late autumn in Darne Cottage, the old stone dwelling she's renting together with her dog, turns into a unforgiving Exmoor winter, Maria begins to feel less and less protected by her anonymity and remote location. The long walks along the wild, desolate moors no longer calm her nerves, but the opposite; the moors begin to scare her. The secret she hides, and the secrets of Martin's decade old exploits in Morocco, increasingly and persistently continue to disturb Maria, and she feels more and more vulnerable to both the forces of the Exmoor winter, and the people in her past.
On top of her own inner demons, other strange goings on haunt Maria. Is she being followed by stranger in a car? Has her terrible secret been discovered? Trying to keep her terror at bay, she befriends the nearest neighbour, an Englishman called Mark Britton who lives a few miles away in an equally lonely location. Mark Britton has a perfectly innocent reason to have settled where he is, but is he really as nice and as uncomplicated as he seems to be?
I understand that this novel is the result of some time Nesser spent in the UK, and this certainly shows in the descriptions of the harshness of an Exmoor winter and the long, muddy walks along the moors, where Maria often gets lost, and as a reader you feel a real fear for her safety.
I loved this book, but then I've been a fan of Nesser's writing for more than a decade. Still, even if you're new to Nesser, and to Nordic Noir or Scandinavian fiction, I believe you'll enjoy this brilliant novel.
January 5, 2016
I have literally just turned the final page and am lost for words! I was overjoyed to see that the wonderful Hakan Nesser had written a stand alone novel. I absolutely adore his Inspector Van Veeteren series and when I saw this was based in the south of England, I started it eagerly.
It's perhaps one of the strangest books i have ever read, but I was completely obsessed with reading it and couldn't put it down. The main character, Maria, is not someone I took to at any point as she just seems, quite frankly, very odd.
I was shocked at the events that take place in the middle of the book and the book did pick up immense speed from thereon in.
Briefly, Maria is spending six months ensconced on the wild and windy moors of Exmoor, with her wonderful Rhodesian ridgeback, Castor (by far the best character in the book). She spends her time going through her husband's very seedy past by reading his diaries. Whilst staying in her remote cottage, she meets a lovely man by the name of Mark Britton, who lives with his disabled son, Jeremy, nearby.
All the while she finds she is being followed by someone in a silver Renault but never sees the driver, albeit he has a Polish newspaper on the dashboard and the car is rented. She asks Martin to investigate but makes up a terrible untrue story of a previous stalker to him.
Maria is setting the scene for what she expects will be the final part of her plan (I won't go into any more detail as I don't want to spoil what her plan has been and will be).
When she returns to Sweden the book ends like a door which slammed in my face. I could have screamed. I have so many questions unanswered. Who was Martin really? Who was driving the silver Renault? Who on earth is G? What happens to Castor?
I'm unbelievably frustrated and so disappointed that it has left me hanging like this!
I love Hakan Nesser and it won't stop me reading any more books by him but I now need a cup of tea to settle myself down :-(
It's perhaps one of the strangest books i have ever read, but I was completely obsessed with reading it and couldn't put it down. The main character, Maria, is not someone I took to at any point as she just seems, quite frankly, very odd.
I was shocked at the events that take place in the middle of the book and the book did pick up immense speed from thereon in.
Briefly, Maria is spending six months ensconced on the wild and windy moors of Exmoor, with her wonderful Rhodesian ridgeback, Castor (by far the best character in the book). She spends her time going through her husband's very seedy past by reading his diaries. Whilst staying in her remote cottage, she meets a lovely man by the name of Mark Britton, who lives with his disabled son, Jeremy, nearby.
All the while she finds she is being followed by someone in a silver Renault but never sees the driver, albeit he has a Polish newspaper on the dashboard and the car is rented. She asks Martin to investigate but makes up a terrible untrue story of a previous stalker to him.
Maria is setting the scene for what she expects will be the final part of her plan (I won't go into any more detail as I don't want to spoil what her plan has been and will be).
When she returns to Sweden the book ends like a door which slammed in my face. I could have screamed. I have so many questions unanswered. Who was Martin really? Who was driving the silver Renault? Who on earth is G? What happens to Castor?
I'm unbelievably frustrated and so disappointed that it has left me hanging like this!
I love Hakan Nesser and it won't stop me reading any more books by him but I now need a cup of tea to settle myself down :-(
December 1, 2015
"Levande och döda i Winsford" is bijlange niet het eerste boek van Håkan Nesser dat ik lees, doch wel het eerste in het Zweeds. Ik las reeds de hele Barbarotti-reeks in het Nederlands, alsook enkele stand-alones (Hemel boven Londen, de zomer van Kim Novak, …) en was al fan van Nesser's vertelstijl en humor. Dat is na het lezen van dit boek alleen maar bevestigd. Nesser is een topauteur;zijn humor om van te smullen.
In "Levande och döda i Winsford" volgen we de Zweedse televisiepresentatrice Maria Holinek tijdens haar "vlucht" naar zo goed als onbewoond gebied in Engeland. Ze betrekt er een klein huisje middenin de velden en de paarden, om de gebeurtenissen van de voorbije maanden op een rijtje te kunnen zetten. Holinek heeft het immers niet makkelijk: beide kinderen zijn het huis uit en er is geen noemenswaardige band met hen; haar werkplek noemt ze het "Apenhuis", wat weinig aan de verbeelding overlaat haar echtgenoot Martin draagt ook niet bij tot geluk: hij wordt ervan beschuldigd een bediende van een hotel te hebben verkracht. Dit is het startpunt van een reeks gebeurtenissen die Maria helemaal tot in Engeland brengen en waar we niet alleen met mondjesmaat kennis nemen van het verhaal, maar ook op meesterlijke wijze worden meegenomen in de sfeer die er heerst in het Engelse strontdorp waar ze verblijft. Nesser weet bijzonder goed de sfeer, de verhoudingen en de personages weer te geven, waardoor je je al snel zelf in de Britse boerenbuiten waant. Bovendien heeft het verhaal ook een spannend aspect, want er zijn natuurlijk de nodige intriges die zorgen voor onverwachte wendingen tot op de laatste pagina.
Geen thriller van dertien in een dozijn, maar eerder een heel goede roman met spannende elementen. En de typische Nesser-humor.
Loved it!
In "Levande och döda i Winsford" volgen we de Zweedse televisiepresentatrice Maria Holinek tijdens haar "vlucht" naar zo goed als onbewoond gebied in Engeland. Ze betrekt er een klein huisje middenin de velden en de paarden, om de gebeurtenissen van de voorbije maanden op een rijtje te kunnen zetten. Holinek heeft het immers niet makkelijk: beide kinderen zijn het huis uit en er is geen noemenswaardige band met hen; haar werkplek noemt ze het "Apenhuis", wat weinig aan de verbeelding overlaat haar echtgenoot Martin draagt ook niet bij tot geluk: hij wordt ervan beschuldigd een bediende van een hotel te hebben verkracht. Dit is het startpunt van een reeks gebeurtenissen die Maria helemaal tot in Engeland brengen en waar we niet alleen met mondjesmaat kennis nemen van het verhaal, maar ook op meesterlijke wijze worden meegenomen in de sfeer die er heerst in het Engelse strontdorp waar ze verblijft. Nesser weet bijzonder goed de sfeer, de verhoudingen en de personages weer te geven, waardoor je je al snel zelf in de Britse boerenbuiten waant. Bovendien heeft het verhaal ook een spannend aspect, want er zijn natuurlijk de nodige intriges die zorgen voor onverwachte wendingen tot op de laatste pagina.
Geen thriller van dertien in een dozijn, maar eerder een heel goede roman met spannende elementen. En de typische Nesser-humor.
Loved it!
May 4, 2015
I enjoyed this novel following Swedish TV presenter Maria, who ends up in the wiles of Exmoor after fleeing from her husband, literary giant Martin. The tension builds up well, and the slightly sarcastic tone of the narration makes it darkly humorous. My only reservation is that it was rather open-ended, not clearing up all the mysteries and questions I had about what happened.
July 21, 2015
Disappointing. Very slow, although I found myself more drawn into it from the midpoint. Felt the ending was lacking, though.
April 14, 2019
I've been longing to read this book for quite a long time as I'm familiar with Håkan Nesser's overall work and I admit being an admirer of his writing skills. I've read the majority of his well-known Van Veeteren book series -10 books in total- and I believe that his prose is one of the best among the heavyweights of Scandinavian crime fiction. His stories on the other hand, are not so intriguing and ingenious as those of the best Nordic Noir novels, but when reading a Nesser's book you simply tend to overlook any plot flaws as is the text's quality that matters most.
''The Living and the Dead in Winsford'' is perhaps the best example of the author's exceptional writing style but it is also an engaging crime story unfolding in five acts and narrating the story of Maria, a television journalist from Sweden who settles in a remote village in England, fleeing an undefined crime that she committed previously. Nesser is a master keeping a steady tempo in a story, and slowly, through the eyes of the protagonist (Maria), we learn the whole truth concerning her current predicament. At the end of act 1, Maria tells the audience that he left her husband (Martin), who is a well-known and respected literary author, die by locking him in a forsaken World War 2 bunker in a beach, somewhere in Poland.
By following Maria's point of view throughout the whole book, Nesser proves that there are indeed male authors who can write solid and plausible female characters and see the world through their particular eyes. Soon, Maria will get to know her neighbors and while trying to adopt a fake identity she is also trying to uncover her dead (?) husband's past which is exposed in his his notes about his upcoming novel that Maria possesses.
The suspense in ''The Living and the Dead in Winsford'' concerns the fate of the abandoned Martin who is believed to be dead but soon Maria gets some ominous messages which suggest that perhaps her husband managed to get away and tracked her down in order to get his revenge. But, as I wrote above, a Håkan Nesser's book is meant to be read for its literal merits which are on full display here. If a literary crime genre truly exists, this would be an exemplary novel and it is recommended even to those who are not hardcore crime fiction fans. Though, I have to add, that my precise rating would be closer to 3,5/5.
''The Living and the Dead in Winsford'' is perhaps the best example of the author's exceptional writing style but it is also an engaging crime story unfolding in five acts and narrating the story of Maria, a television journalist from Sweden who settles in a remote village in England, fleeing an undefined crime that she committed previously. Nesser is a master keeping a steady tempo in a story, and slowly, through the eyes of the protagonist (Maria), we learn the whole truth concerning her current predicament. At the end of act 1, Maria tells the audience that he left her husband (Martin), who is a well-known and respected literary author, die by locking him in a forsaken World War 2 bunker in a beach, somewhere in Poland.
By following Maria's point of view throughout the whole book, Nesser proves that there are indeed male authors who can write solid and plausible female characters and see the world through their particular eyes. Soon, Maria will get to know her neighbors and while trying to adopt a fake identity she is also trying to uncover her dead (?) husband's past which is exposed in his his notes about his upcoming novel that Maria possesses.
The suspense in ''The Living and the Dead in Winsford'' concerns the fate of the abandoned Martin who is believed to be dead but soon Maria gets some ominous messages which suggest that perhaps her husband managed to get away and tracked her down in order to get his revenge. But, as I wrote above, a Håkan Nesser's book is meant to be read for its literal merits which are on full display here. If a literary crime genre truly exists, this would be an exemplary novel and it is recommended even to those who are not hardcore crime fiction fans. Though, I have to add, that my precise rating would be closer to 3,5/5.
July 2, 2025
Das Buch hat mir wirklich gut gefallen, wenn nur das Ende nicht wäre. Die Geschichte erzählt die erste Zeit von Maria kurz nach dem Ableben ihres Mannes, die sie in England verbringt. Die Gegend dort und auch viele Charaktere sind sehr schön beschrieben, man kann sich gut in das Leben hineinversetzen. Maria findet mehr und mehr zu sich selbst und wird als Person authentischer.
Aber natürlich schreibt Hakan Nesser Thriller und man muss mit dem Ende rechnen. Da dies aber erst auf den letzten 10 Seiten stattfindet, kann man die einfach auch weglassen. Am besten, man schneidet gleich zu Beginn die Seiten aus dem Buch, damit man nicht aus Versehen weiterliest. Aber ich gebe zu, das ist schwierig. Ansonsten, tolles Buch.
Aber natürlich schreibt Hakan Nesser Thriller und man muss mit dem Ende rechnen. Da dies aber erst auf den letzten 10 Seiten stattfindet, kann man die einfach auch weglassen. Am besten, man schneidet gleich zu Beginn die Seiten aus dem Buch, damit man nicht aus Versehen weiterliest. Aber ich gebe zu, das ist schwierig. Ansonsten, tolles Buch.
January 21, 2025
Lite långdragen ibland men vackra detaljerade beskrivningar och spänningen drar upp poängen. Värd att läsas!
February 14, 2023
Enjoyable book. I liked the writing style - meandering along. The storyline was clever and slightly unusual, and highly intriguing. Insight into Maria's mind is excellent, and you cannot help but be invested in her (and her dog's) outcome.
4 stars instead of 5, as the ending didn't fit the rest of the book. I am okay with having questions unanswered, but it was rather abrupt and not in keeping with the story thus far.
The audiobook narrator was brilliant.
4 stars instead of 5, as the ending didn't fit the rest of the book. I am okay with having questions unanswered, but it was rather abrupt and not in keeping with the story thus far.
The audiobook narrator was brilliant.
October 13, 2016
Cold & creepy Winsford
Winsford, Somerset, Exmoor National Park. In de wintermaanden is het er koud, mistig, modderig en eenzaam. Precies die eenzaamheid is wat hoofdpersoon Maria Holinek/Anderson er zoekt. Zij huurt een tijdelijk onderkomen, waarin ze samen met haar Rhodesian ridgeback Castor haar intrek neemt. Castor is een hond met karakter en betekent veel voor Maria, hoewel zich in de loop van het verhaal de vraag opdringt in hoeverre Maria überhaupt in staat is lief te hebben.
Håkan Nesser lanceert met De levenden en de doden in Winsford een wonderschone vertelling. Er is een beginpunt, het eindpunt gloort ergens in de verte, maar wordt niet helemaal gehaald: er resten legio vragen als de pagina's van het boek op zijn. Eigenlijk is het niet meer dan logisch dat niét alle lijnen in (een periode in) een mensenleven exact op één punt of op één moment afgerond zijn; het zou wel heel toevallig zijn als dat wél het geval is. (Aan wat te doen gebruikelijk is in thrillers heeft Nesser nog nooit een boodschap gehad.)
Maria Holinek, in Winsford Anderson geheten, is presentatrice bij de Zweedse televisie. Zij is gehuwd met Martin, hoogleraar in de literaire wetenschappen, er zijn twee volwassen kinderen buiten het blikveld. Maria en Martin zijn BZ'ers en staan beiden in de schijnwerpers. Martin wordt door een schandaal voorpaginanieuws, wat het echtpaar doet besluiten een tijdje de luwte op te zoeken in Marokko. Met de veerboot van Ystad naar Swinoujscie (Polen), dan via Duitsland verder naar het zuiden. Maria denkt er echter plotseling anders over, of wellicht is het voorbedachte rade? Hoe dan ook, zij keert alleen terug van een wandeling op het strand van Miedzyzdroje en reist naar Somerset in plaats van Marokko.
In Winsford overdenkt ze haar leven in prachtige, bespiegelende beschrijvingen, Håkan Nesser wel toevertrouwd. De sfeer van het gebied spat van de bladzijden. Maria's jeugd, haar leven met Martin, haar kinderen, alles passeert de revue, ze maakt - op middelbare leeftijd - in feite de balans op. Tevens houdt ze zich bezig met uitpluizen van Martins dagboeken uit de tijd dat hij nog jong en wild was en zij nog niet in beeld. Dat graven in het verleden is uitvoerig beschreven, compleet met tekstfragmenten, die niet bijdragen aan de leesvreugde, noch aan het verhaal. Maria zoekt in Martins leven, maar is minstens zo op zoek naar zichzelf. Ze sluit vriendschap met haar buurman Mark, eet geregeld in The Royal Oak in het dichtstbijzijnde dorp, sociale contacten doen zich mondjesmaat voor.
Als lezer zit je in Maria's hoofd, versterkt door de ik-vorm. Wat doet ze, wat denkt ze, hoe ziet ze de toekomst voor zich? Dat laatste is een penibel onderwerp. Is de politie haar op het spoor in verband met de verdwijning van Martin? Maria heeft de indruk dat ze in de gaten gehouden wordt ...
Zoals gezegd: terechte losse eindjes, die elk voor zichzelf kan invullen. En vragen. Hoe was Martin werkelijk, niet beïnvloed door de perceptie van Maria? Is Mark wie en wat hij zegt dat hij is? Waarom is Marks zoon Jeremy opgevoerd in het verhaal? Wie is de man in de huurauto? Waarom loopt Castor weg? Enzovoort ... De hamvraag spreekt vanzelf: hoe zit Maria écht in elkaar? Wij kennen het beeld dat ze van zichzelf schetst, maar dat hoeft geen juiste voorstelling te zijn. Is Maria een uitgekookt serpent of een ietwat sneue vrouw van middelbare leeftijd?
Hoe het ook zij, gedachtespinsels over De levenden en de doden in Winsford, tijdens en na het lezen, zijn minstens zo spannend als het door Nesser vertelde verhaal. De spanning zit in de psychologie en de locatie doet daar een schep bovenop. Onzichtbare suggesties tussen de regels door, onderhuids, daar moet je je als lezer voor openstellen. Nessers verteltempo is traag en het verhaal lijkt verraderlijk eenvoudig. Geen boek om even snel te lezen, maar om de tijd voor te nemen en van te genieten.
[spanning 4, plot 5-, schrijfstijl 5-, leesplezier 5-, originaliteit 5, psychologie 5]
Winsford, Somerset, Exmoor National Park. In de wintermaanden is het er koud, mistig, modderig en eenzaam. Precies die eenzaamheid is wat hoofdpersoon Maria Holinek/Anderson er zoekt. Zij huurt een tijdelijk onderkomen, waarin ze samen met haar Rhodesian ridgeback Castor haar intrek neemt. Castor is een hond met karakter en betekent veel voor Maria, hoewel zich in de loop van het verhaal de vraag opdringt in hoeverre Maria überhaupt in staat is lief te hebben.
Håkan Nesser lanceert met De levenden en de doden in Winsford een wonderschone vertelling. Er is een beginpunt, het eindpunt gloort ergens in de verte, maar wordt niet helemaal gehaald: er resten legio vragen als de pagina's van het boek op zijn. Eigenlijk is het niet meer dan logisch dat niét alle lijnen in (een periode in) een mensenleven exact op één punt of op één moment afgerond zijn; het zou wel heel toevallig zijn als dat wél het geval is. (Aan wat te doen gebruikelijk is in thrillers heeft Nesser nog nooit een boodschap gehad.)
Maria Holinek, in Winsford Anderson geheten, is presentatrice bij de Zweedse televisie. Zij is gehuwd met Martin, hoogleraar in de literaire wetenschappen, er zijn twee volwassen kinderen buiten het blikveld. Maria en Martin zijn BZ'ers en staan beiden in de schijnwerpers. Martin wordt door een schandaal voorpaginanieuws, wat het echtpaar doet besluiten een tijdje de luwte op te zoeken in Marokko. Met de veerboot van Ystad naar Swinoujscie (Polen), dan via Duitsland verder naar het zuiden. Maria denkt er echter plotseling anders over, of wellicht is het voorbedachte rade? Hoe dan ook, zij keert alleen terug van een wandeling op het strand van Miedzyzdroje en reist naar Somerset in plaats van Marokko.
In Winsford overdenkt ze haar leven in prachtige, bespiegelende beschrijvingen, Håkan Nesser wel toevertrouwd. De sfeer van het gebied spat van de bladzijden. Maria's jeugd, haar leven met Martin, haar kinderen, alles passeert de revue, ze maakt - op middelbare leeftijd - in feite de balans op. Tevens houdt ze zich bezig met uitpluizen van Martins dagboeken uit de tijd dat hij nog jong en wild was en zij nog niet in beeld. Dat graven in het verleden is uitvoerig beschreven, compleet met tekstfragmenten, die niet bijdragen aan de leesvreugde, noch aan het verhaal. Maria zoekt in Martins leven, maar is minstens zo op zoek naar zichzelf. Ze sluit vriendschap met haar buurman Mark, eet geregeld in The Royal Oak in het dichtstbijzijnde dorp, sociale contacten doen zich mondjesmaat voor.
Als lezer zit je in Maria's hoofd, versterkt door de ik-vorm. Wat doet ze, wat denkt ze, hoe ziet ze de toekomst voor zich? Dat laatste is een penibel onderwerp. Is de politie haar op het spoor in verband met de verdwijning van Martin? Maria heeft de indruk dat ze in de gaten gehouden wordt ...
Zoals gezegd: terechte losse eindjes, die elk voor zichzelf kan invullen. En vragen. Hoe was Martin werkelijk, niet beïnvloed door de perceptie van Maria? Is Mark wie en wat hij zegt dat hij is? Waarom is Marks zoon Jeremy opgevoerd in het verhaal? Wie is de man in de huurauto? Waarom loopt Castor weg? Enzovoort ... De hamvraag spreekt vanzelf: hoe zit Maria écht in elkaar? Wij kennen het beeld dat ze van zichzelf schetst, maar dat hoeft geen juiste voorstelling te zijn. Is Maria een uitgekookt serpent of een ietwat sneue vrouw van middelbare leeftijd?
Hoe het ook zij, gedachtespinsels over De levenden en de doden in Winsford, tijdens en na het lezen, zijn minstens zo spannend als het door Nesser vertelde verhaal. De spanning zit in de psychologie en de locatie doet daar een schep bovenop. Onzichtbare suggesties tussen de regels door, onderhuids, daar moet je je als lezer voor openstellen. Nessers verteltempo is traag en het verhaal lijkt verraderlijk eenvoudig. Geen boek om even snel te lezen, maar om de tijd voor te nemen en van te genieten.
[spanning 4, plot 5-, schrijfstijl 5-, leesplezier 5-, originaliteit 5, psychologie 5]
September 16, 2015
Is it a readable book? Yes
Is it a gripping thriller? Somewhat
Is it face paced like other Hakan Nesser books? No
Is it lucid? No
Did it meet mine expectations? Not completely
Will I recommend this one? Half Heartedly
Is it a gripping thriller? Somewhat
Is it face paced like other Hakan Nesser books? No
Is it lucid? No
Did it meet mine expectations? Not completely
Will I recommend this one? Half Heartedly
April 17, 2022
4.5 stars rounded down.
First of all, I really liked this book’s heroine. She was smart and had a wonderful way with words which is honestly a fact I expect when it comes to Håkan Nesser’s books by now.
The first murder mystery wasn’t surprising- at least not the who just the how. Let’s just say it didn’t hit the wrong person.
The past murder mystery was more of a surprise and only cemented my view on the first one. And here comes the point why I’m rounding my review down. I was so close to getting a female murderer who I liked as a person and who would get away with her crime. SO fu**ing close. Damn you Nesser for letting reality with its small mistakes and overseen facts be her downfall.
I also have to admit that a few threads didn’t get a revelation and - even though it didn’t bother - might be disappointing for other readers. The whole Exmoor descriptions made me want to go and take a walk - it’s spring here and that’s a much better time to walk for hours through a heathland or the woods (in my case).
At least nothing bad happened to Castor, the dog, who played an important role in this book. Yes, a dead dog would have been unforgivable.
So here I am after a great read with a deeply unsatisfactory ending (for me).
If anybody wants to recommend some fictional murderer woman (or women) who get away with her / their crimes, please take the time to comment. The last one I read (and it’s been ages since I’ve read that book) was Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café.
First of all, I really liked this book’s heroine. She was smart and had a wonderful way with words which is honestly a fact I expect when it comes to Håkan Nesser’s books by now.
The first murder mystery wasn’t surprising- at least not the who just the how. Let’s just say it didn’t hit the wrong person.
The past murder mystery was more of a surprise and only cemented my view on the first one. And here comes the point why I’m rounding my review down. I was so close to getting a female murderer who I liked as a person and who would get away with her crime. SO fu**ing close. Damn you Nesser for letting reality with its small mistakes and overseen facts be her downfall.
I also have to admit that a few threads didn’t get a revelation and - even though it didn’t bother - might be disappointing for other readers. The whole Exmoor descriptions made me want to go and take a walk - it’s spring here and that’s a much better time to walk for hours through a heathland or the woods (in my case).
At least nothing bad happened to Castor, the dog, who played an important role in this book. Yes, a dead dog would have been unforgivable.
So here I am after a great read with a deeply unsatisfactory ending (for me).
If anybody wants to recommend some fictional murderer woman (or women) who get away with her / their crimes, please take the time to comment. The last one I read (and it’s been ages since I’ve read that book) was Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café.
September 24, 2016
The Living and the Dead in Winsford made a impressive introduction to the writing of Håkan Nesser for me and I will ensure I repeat the experience. This is one of two standalone thrillers that he has written, being more well known for his Inspector Van Veeteren series set in the fictitious city of Maardam, although the exact country is never specified. This novel is firmly set in the rugged surroundings of Winsford, a village in Exmoor, an undoubtedly breathtaking landscape and in the harshest weather conditions, equally treacherous. When we meet Maria Holinek she is arriving in the remote village of Winsford with her dog, Castor with the sole ambition to outlive her dog. As a fifty-five-year old woman and mother to two adult children, television newsreader Maria is one half of a high-profile marriage. Husband of over thirty years, Martin Holinek, is an academic professor of literature and recognised polemicist. It becomes clear that Maria and Martin were never perfect lovebirds, both seemingly operating mutually exclusive existences that occasionally met in the common ground of the home they have made together. When they first met, Maria is mourning the loss of her long-term boyfriend, Rolf after his tragic death and a childhood marred by losing her sister and then her parents. That she has never acknowledged the extent of her grief is certain and her history of post-natal depression is no surprise and hence her emotional detachment.
Both Maria and Martin are relatively well-known in Sweden, and when Martin is accused with having raped a young waitress the ensuing scandal takes its toll. Although several weeks later this claim is later retracted. Maria speaks to the girl in question and appears ambivalent to Martin's betrayal, simply seeking to ascertain the truth about the supposed rape. As the media vultures circle, Martin convinces Maria to take a leave of absence from her employment and accompany him to Morocco where he plans to write an expose of the events behind the summers he spent with a noted literary crowd, hosted by the English poet, Tom Herold and his much younger wife, an author who later committed suicide, Bessie Hyatt. Leaving Sweden together neither Maria nor Martin ever arrive in Morocco, and it is a lone woman and dog who seek a remote refuge and find their way to Exmoor.
Going by the name of Maria Anderson she tells the local folk that she is a Swedish author and that she has rented Darne Lodge for a period of six-months to write her next book. As Maria marks the days of her retreat in the village of Exmoor monitoring the variations in weather, walking the surrounding moors with no more than Castor for company, she is unprepared for the harsh English winter and the isolation of Darne Lodge. As she pieces together the details of the summers that Martin recorded in his diaries, her need for human contact and basic supplies sends her into the local inns, frequenting one in particularly, The Royal Oak Inn, for occasional meals. As she meets the residents and becomes something of a familiar face she is surprised by her fondness for a single father she converses with. As a born and bred local, Maria's connection to Mark Britton grows as they form a friendship, tramp the moors exploring the landscape together and begin to ponder on their futures.
As Maria begins to see a future for herself she is unsettled by several strange occurrences that lead her to believe her presence in Winsford is not the secret that she believed and the howling winds on the moor and all encompassing mists allow her imagination to run wild. Could Martin have followed her on the journey to Winsford? The atrocious weather and morose landscape allows Nesser to tap into the resulting feelings and adds a distinct air of menace to Maria's plight. As Maria rehashes the memories of an unsatisfying marriage and the indifference of her children she finally shows signs of overcoming the glass wall that she has always remained behind and making a connection with the wilds of Exmoor and Mark Britton. Coming to the end of Martin's diaries of his summers, Maria is forced to make decisions about her future but not before her own hand is forced.
Explaining why this novel is so unsettling right from Maria setting foot in the isolated village of Winsford is difficult as specifying the reasons remains tantalisingly beyond the readers grasp throughout the novels entirety. Nesser allows his readers to hear choice extracts from Maria's childhood, her marriage and her relationships with her two children right through to detailing the scandal that has seen her and husband, Martin, desert their native Sweden. As Nesser delivers assorted parts of her life, a feeling that Maria remains curiously detached from the life story she narrates remains, and it is perhaps this trepidation that heightens awareness and fuels the claustrophobic grip of The Living and the Dead in Winsford. A knowledge that Maria has not explained her situation equivocally remains and compels readers to go in search for discover just what has remained unsaid, and as she heads towards the throes of a breakdown her reliability as a narrator is called into question.
I was impressed with how Håkan Nesser tempered the pace to ensure attention never waivers from Maria's story. The skill required to ensure that even as I approached the final pages, I was never certain of Maria's fate is considerable. My first thoughts were that the sting in the tail would be the diaries that Martin was planning to write; I never assumed that the most revelatory part of The Living and the Dead in Winsford would be the honest and touching stripping back of the layers that Maria has hidden behind throughout her whole life. It is the fate of Maria and Castor that holds the readers attention and makes this novel such a captivating achievement and despite its length it effortlessly holds a mesmerising appeal.
Both Maria and Martin are relatively well-known in Sweden, and when Martin is accused with having raped a young waitress the ensuing scandal takes its toll. Although several weeks later this claim is later retracted. Maria speaks to the girl in question and appears ambivalent to Martin's betrayal, simply seeking to ascertain the truth about the supposed rape. As the media vultures circle, Martin convinces Maria to take a leave of absence from her employment and accompany him to Morocco where he plans to write an expose of the events behind the summers he spent with a noted literary crowd, hosted by the English poet, Tom Herold and his much younger wife, an author who later committed suicide, Bessie Hyatt. Leaving Sweden together neither Maria nor Martin ever arrive in Morocco, and it is a lone woman and dog who seek a remote refuge and find their way to Exmoor.
Going by the name of Maria Anderson she tells the local folk that she is a Swedish author and that she has rented Darne Lodge for a period of six-months to write her next book. As Maria marks the days of her retreat in the village of Exmoor monitoring the variations in weather, walking the surrounding moors with no more than Castor for company, she is unprepared for the harsh English winter and the isolation of Darne Lodge. As she pieces together the details of the summers that Martin recorded in his diaries, her need for human contact and basic supplies sends her into the local inns, frequenting one in particularly, The Royal Oak Inn, for occasional meals. As she meets the residents and becomes something of a familiar face she is surprised by her fondness for a single father she converses with. As a born and bred local, Maria's connection to Mark Britton grows as they form a friendship, tramp the moors exploring the landscape together and begin to ponder on their futures.
As Maria begins to see a future for herself she is unsettled by several strange occurrences that lead her to believe her presence in Winsford is not the secret that she believed and the howling winds on the moor and all encompassing mists allow her imagination to run wild. Could Martin have followed her on the journey to Winsford? The atrocious weather and morose landscape allows Nesser to tap into the resulting feelings and adds a distinct air of menace to Maria's plight. As Maria rehashes the memories of an unsatisfying marriage and the indifference of her children she finally shows signs of overcoming the glass wall that she has always remained behind and making a connection with the wilds of Exmoor and Mark Britton. Coming to the end of Martin's diaries of his summers, Maria is forced to make decisions about her future but not before her own hand is forced.
Explaining why this novel is so unsettling right from Maria setting foot in the isolated village of Winsford is difficult as specifying the reasons remains tantalisingly beyond the readers grasp throughout the novels entirety. Nesser allows his readers to hear choice extracts from Maria's childhood, her marriage and her relationships with her two children right through to detailing the scandal that has seen her and husband, Martin, desert their native Sweden. As Nesser delivers assorted parts of her life, a feeling that Maria remains curiously detached from the life story she narrates remains, and it is perhaps this trepidation that heightens awareness and fuels the claustrophobic grip of The Living and the Dead in Winsford. A knowledge that Maria has not explained her situation equivocally remains and compels readers to go in search for discover just what has remained unsaid, and as she heads towards the throes of a breakdown her reliability as a narrator is called into question.
I was impressed with how Håkan Nesser tempered the pace to ensure attention never waivers from Maria's story. The skill required to ensure that even as I approached the final pages, I was never certain of Maria's fate is considerable. My first thoughts were that the sting in the tail would be the diaries that Martin was planning to write; I never assumed that the most revelatory part of The Living and the Dead in Winsford would be the honest and touching stripping back of the layers that Maria has hidden behind throughout her whole life. It is the fate of Maria and Castor that holds the readers attention and makes this novel such a captivating achievement and despite its length it effortlessly holds a mesmerising appeal.
September 2, 2022
I really enjoyed reading this book. It has a great vibe of mystery and coming danger. The plot seems to be very simple. A Swedish, women in her fifties arrives in a small town in England. She mostly spends time with her dog and thinks back about the past.
It is beautifully written, puts the reader in the same place with the protagonist. I enjoyed every moment of it. I had some doubts about logic in the actions of the main character but the ending was quite surprising and explained somehow my feelings.
Definitely worth to read in order to feel transferred to the foggy winter in English moors.
It is beautifully written, puts the reader in the same place with the protagonist. I enjoyed every moment of it. I had some doubts about logic in the actions of the main character but the ending was quite surprising and explained somehow my feelings.
Definitely worth to read in order to feel transferred to the foggy winter in English moors.
August 23, 2021
In klassischer Nesser-Manier liegt der Fokus hier nicht so sehr auf der Tat, sondern im Umgang damit. Außerdem spielt der Autor mit Landschaft und Wetter und zeichnet damit Parallelen zur Stimmungswelt der Hauptfigur Maria. Leider bleiben manche Figuren, deren Hintergründe man gerne noch genauer kennen gelernt hätte, trotz der insgesamten Länge des Romans ein bisschen blass. Man hat das Gefühl, dass da der ein oder andere Handlungsstrang zuviel geknüpft wurde und dadurch verkümmern musste.
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