Nordic Noir discussion

Works...

OK..I have come to the conclusion that Wallander bores me. He is just not twisted enough and way too dysfunctional. On that note, I am sure I will continue on with the series!

I wonder if the series with his daughter is different to the series featuring him solely?

I don't know..I am going to meander in...I want to finish up this series..which I think I should be able to do in the next couple of months..then I should be able to read the one with her really quick. I am finally starting to whip through my books again..don't know what was going on with me.

I did get my books ordered for September and did a bunch of NN

I like Wallander. I guess I like lonely quiet detectives like him or Harry Bosch, or Salvo Montalbano (even if he doesn't really seem to have that many dark sides). Or Harry Hole (not that quiet and maybe too twisted). Maybe he's not that noir but I could read all the Wallanders in a row (whereas I can't do more than one Bosch at a time).

I somehow don't like the too family oriented detectives (Guido Brunetti's family life bores me to death). The detectives do need some noir... perhaps Wallander is with the minimum enjoyable amount of noir, but he's there.

I haven't tried any Linda Wallander book yet, so whoever tries first please tell how they compare to Wallander himself.

See, I like the Wallander movies compared to the books..I was recently watching "The Fifth Woman" and it smacked me in the face how well Kenneth Branaugh does the depressed Wallander character. I thought it was better than Mankell writes him... :/

I like the original, Swedish Wallander movies. Somehow an English speaking Kurt just seems wrong. And oh, the pronounciation of the name in the Branaugh movies is hilarious!

Who plays Wallender in the original?? I didn't even realize there was an original.

The Swedes have made five seasons of Wallander movies, 22 of them all in all. In the nine first movies Wallander was played by Rolf Lassgard, after that the role was taken over by Krister Henriksson.

OK

so Jim is dark and stormy night noir, Mankell is more full-moon noir ;)

Good comparison, Dee.

I love the Wallander series but I was truly disappointed with Before the Frost (Linda Wallander series).
It has a completely different 'feel' than all other Mankell's and it has a very slow pace. There is nothing of the well-developed characters and their interactions that we've learned to like. I had a hard time believing this was Mankell's writing since it's so very different to all previous books.

Linda is not a likable character. She comes across as a disrespectful brat and one tires of all her antics quite quickly.
I don't think I want to read more of her series.

I think I'll skip the Linda Wallander series for now then (until I run out of reads... heh). I've never found her particularly likable in the Wallander series, yet she's not as unlikable as Eva Lind - if there was a series where she investigates something instead of Erneldur, I'd skip that 200 %.

I agree..I am not hearing wonderful things about that book. I have never been crazy about his daughter any how..either on film or in the books.

Anna wrote: "I think I'll skip the Linda Wallander series for now then (until I run out of reads... heh). I've never found her particularly likable in the Wallander series, yet she's not as unlikable as Eva Lin..."

You're not kidding about Eva Lind! I'm actually glad "Outrage" focuses almost entirely on Elinborg as the detective while Erlendur is off in the mountains. I hope that means that Eva Lind will be completely absent from the story. After Hypothermia, I was so tired of her that I considered abandoning the series.

And I agree completely with Nidia about the Linda Wallander book, Before the Frost. Linda comes off like a whiney spoilt brat throughout and the book doesn't hold any of the charm of his regular series. I loved all the Kurt Wallander books (the only one I haven't yet read is a Troubled Man) but I won't be bothering with anymore Linda Wallander books should he decide to make it a series.

Nidia wrote: "I love the Wallander series but I was truly disappointed with Before the Frost (Linda Wallander series).
It has a completely different 'feel' than all other Mankell's and it has a very slow pace. ..."

HM started writing the Linda series but when the actress that played her in the truly fabulous series by Yellow Bird committed suicide it was such a blow to everyone in the cast and HM himself that he shelved the idea. This I write from many many articles and interviews over the years. There were 13 in the first release and then a further 13 in the second. All fabulous enough that the characters really were hard to say goodbye to as it ended. Why the UK made copy series with Kenneth Branaugh I will never under stand. Have been a solid fan of his for years in film and tv, especially his Shakespeare but simply cannot watch the UK version.

When I see discussion about the US remake of Millinenium and The Killing it makes me sad. There is no trick to getting into the flow of subtitles and so much to be gained from the joy of the place, habits and wonderful tones of the original language to really fully set the scene and tension.

Why settle for second best when you can have the enjoyment of the real thing from the original??

I couldn't agree more, Sharon!

I have only watched one Branaugh Wallander, couldn't face more. It's so strange, I know they did the outdoors scenes in Sweden - but how did they manage to make even them look so un-Swedish?

Agree, so much was lost. Plus making things a bit Anglo dramatic takes away the fabulous cool, understated feel which is the addictive joy of the main and other characters. When Stefan died at the end of the first series of thirteen, it was truly chilling. One understood everything without the need for dramatic sweeps of camera, silly building music. The true sorrow of abuse spoke volumes in that episode.

Occurs to me that I read many commenting on this and that being slow. But the subtle flow and pace of film noir, Nordic Noir, Italian Noir is the tension and charm ....isn't it? The personalities are so important, their flaws and strengths against the situation, crime or political atmosphere. Their progress often against the odds at solving, surviving or coping...
To me that is noir! I love it... Seems much more true to life to me. I cannot bear reading perfect storybook tales.

True. Of course it's true for me. That's MY world they tell about, MY people.

Sharon wrote: "Nidia wrote: "I love the Wallander series but I was truly disappointed with Before the Frost (Linda Wallander series).
It has a completely different 'feel' than all other Mankell's and it has a ve..."

I totally agree Sharon. I have no problem following a movie with subtitles and I agree that everything does not have to be Americanized. What they did to The Killing was a crime LOL. Although the series started out good and had some great acting they never brought the 3 stories together until the last two episodes. My thought was they could have cut the season to 10 episodes, tightened up the story and of course ended it.

FYI, for those who are interested The Troubled Man by Henning Mankell is the Kindle Deal of the Day (9/25/11) for $1.99. Too bad I just bought it in paperback.

I have to apologize, I gave you the wrong book for he Kindle Deal of the day. It's The Fifth Woman by Henning Mankell that's $1.99. Sorry about that.

Great book..actually one of my favorites.

I am confused, are you discussing The Troubled Man? Not aware of a book Wallander...

It is one of his newest ones...The Troubled Man

Got confused with the title. Waited so long for the English of The Troubled Man then had it on the table unable to get started as I knew it was my farewell to Kurt Wallander after many years of books (some of which I am still to read) and the fabulous Yellow Bird series of some 26 long episodes of Wallander.... Then the British Kenneth Branaugh made some Wallander episodes. But this is the book and it was hard to read. As always Henning Mankell has done a good job of the sad realities of aging, looking back and coping with new realities. All the while solving a mystery as only Kurt could.

Oh, ok...i was confused because I was like...wait..she read The Troubled Man!

@ Sharon - the thread title is about the series in general, no specific book. You'll notice for other threads it is the same - we have the Kari Vaara one for Jim's series etc

Dee wrote: "@ Sharon - the thread title is about the series in general, no specific book. You'll notice for other threads it is the same - we have the Kari Vaara one for Jim's series etc"

Thanks Dee.....I sadly realized my mistake a bit late.

Swedish actor Krister Henriksson, who plays Wallander in several films and tv-series, met up with Mankell in Ystad to discuss six upcoming Wallander movies. Mankell also brought a surprise to the meeting – a script written especially for Henriksson.

To see the meeting between Mankell and Henriksson, follow the link on our Swedish page (in Swedish).

http://nyheter.henningmankell.se/2011...

kinda makes me wish I could read Swedish...lol!

You and me both!! But if you click on the little British flag in the right corner, there is lots more to read and enjoy, plus confirmation that the script is not a Wallander.......

Oh, that was cool...I have to go back in..Sharon, I thought you live in Sweden??

No I am in Holland.....HM is on my Facebook.

Did I see though that you had worked in Sweden in marital law or am I imagining things (which is very, very possible!!)

No, matrimonial law was Canada. Here has been war crimes....
Just read a bit about common law when the SL/EG media articles were fast and furious for awhile. And I know zip, just what I have picked up....

I have to say that I liked Dogs of Riga much more than Faceless Killers and it sparked an interest in my learning more about the soviet block countries and what happened to them. I read a YA about a lithuanian family who became political prisoners, and then a bio about a woman sent to kasakastan as a political prisoner - wish it was an era in history we learnt about more

The Dogs of Riga, Henning Mankell
status Read from October 04 to 12, 2011
format Paperback (edit)
review Really a totally good non stop read. Enjoyed that.
Wallander himself, his environment and the political and cultural changes within the Eastern Block
that were happening at that time and continue today. Also enjoyed the follow up at the end of the book of the
earlier events at the start so that all threads were nicely completed. And the author's Afterword on the politics
taking place then and his voice as a writer....
All around excellent read and good to read finally the appearance of Baiba...
 
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Dee wrote: "I have to say that I liked Dogs of Riga much more than Faceless Killers and it sparked an interest in my learning more about the soviet block countries and what happened to them. I read a YA about..."

Agree but considering they are the first two books introducing not only Kurt Wallander but the people and culture around him, they read easy and I enjoyed them. Starting The White Lioness now in my catching up, then only one to go and will have followed Kurt through start to end. They are now showing another series of Wallander on tv too, earlier before YellowBird excellent series or the British with K Branaugh. Nice to compare.

i looked for wallander on netflix but no joy - hopefully soon

PBS Wallander??? I get them all the time. Yours is streaming though..right?

yeah, maybe i just missed them

They are not on streaming yet.

It looks like they have the swedish versions getting ready to be added too...can't wait. I will love comparing the two.

I've only seen one Swedish Wallander movie, and it was mostly about Linda and Kurt was mostly a background character and seemed to not fit what I read in the books (at least to me) I'd like to see more of them so I can get a better feel for them, I know there's a lot of them out there. I liked the BBC Wallander as well, I think Mr. Branaugh carried Wallander well and his sadness was what came through.
If nothing else for me the BBC shows took me from the South African crime novels I was reading and got me started with the Nordic Noir books, starting with Faceless Killers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurt_Wal...

This is a very good read through of the developments and history of the various treatments of the Wallander books and then the many extra dramas written for the small and large screen.