shopping cart
Call us:  800-878-7323 HELP
McAfee SECURE helps keep you safe from identity theft, credit card fraud, spyware, spam, viruses and online scams.
Powell's Q&A, Q&A | June 24, 2009

All posts by Colum McCann Powell's Q&A: Colum McCann

"'Why do writers write? Because it isn't there.'" Continue »


  1. $17.50 Sale Hardcover add to wish list

Ships free on qualified orders.
$9.98
List price: $26.00
HARDCOVER, SALE
Ships in 1 to 3 days
Add to Wishlist
Qty Store Section
2 Beaverton Literature- A to Z
3 Burnside Literature- A to Z
3 Hawthorne Literature- A to Z


The Quiet Girl

by Peter Hoeg

The Quiet Girl Cover

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

Set in Denmark in the here and now, The Quiet Girl centers around Kaspar Krone, a world-renowned circus clown with a deep love for the music of Johan Sebastian Bach, and an even deeper gambling debt. Wanted for tax evasion and on the verge of extradition, Krone is drafted into the service of a mysterious order of nuns who promise him reprieve from the international authorities in return for his help safeguarding a group of children with mystical abilities — abilities that Krone also shares. When one of the children goes missing, Krone sets off to find the young girl and bring her back, making a shocking series of discoveries along the way about her identity and the true intentions of his young wards. The result is a fast-paced, philosophical thriller blending social realism with the literary fantastic and pitting art and spirituality against corporate interests and nothing less than the will to war by the industrialized world. The Quiet Girl is a masterful, inventive novel that marks the triumphal return of one of the great writers of the international literary world.

Review:

"Heg built his bestselling mystery, Smilla's Sense of Snow, around the science of ice. In this labyrinthine, intellectual thriller, Heg focuses on the nature of sound, and in particular the music of Bach. In a near future where an earthquake and resulting flood have submerged a portion of the city of Copenhagen, Kasper Krone, a world-famous clown and passionate Bach fan, is about to be deported for not paying his taxes. But an official in a secret government agency known as Department H offers to make the charges disappear if Krone will help them locate a young girl, KlaraMaria, who was once his student and shares his peculiar psychic abilities. The blend of science, erudition and slow revelations could only have been written by Heg, and will appeal to his many fans and other readers with a taste for the literary offbeat." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Review:

"[An] engrossing, beautifully written tale of suspense. But in Peter Hoeg's hands, a thriller is never just a thriller." Philadelphia Inquirer

Review:

"[An] intellectual thriller combining such unlikely elements as an intimate knowledge of Bach's music, the geology of earthquakes, the Russian Orthodox Church in Denmark, and the impeccable timing of great circus clowns." Library Journal

Review:

"Overwritten and murky, but there's life in it — will appeal most to fans of Smilla's Sense of Snow." Kirkus Reviews

Review:

"Some readers may conclude that the novel spins out of control, untethered to any form of reality, but even they will respect Hoeg's genius for stretching the bounds of narrative fiction in altogether new directions." Booklist

Review:

"Hoeg has written an unusual novel that will challenge your senses and imagination." USA Today

Review:

"This is writing that sparkles to distract from its deep philosophical aspects. 'I will entertain you while I unnerve you,' any novel by Peter Hoeg promises the reader. And makes good." Los Angeles Times

Review:

"[N]ever loses a thriller's sense of go." Wall Street Journal

Synopsis:

Set in Denmark in the here and now, Hoegs masterful, inventive novel centers around Kaspar Krone, a world-renowned circus clown with a deep love for the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, and an even deeper gambling debt.

About the Author

Peter Hoeg, born in 1957 in Denmark, followed various callings — dancer, actor, sailor, fencer, and mountaineer — before turning seriously to writing. His work has been published in thirty-three countries. The Quiet Girl is his fifth novel.

What Our Readers Are Saying

Add a comment for a chance to win!
Average customer rating based on 1 comment:
Jonathan, December 16, 2008 (view all comments by Jonathan)
Unusual and not an easy book to read, but what a reward for your effort! The way Hoeg describes the world as Kasper Krone hears it is truly amazing, and worth a read even if you get a bit lost in the plot.
Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
(2 of 4 readers found this comment helpful)

Product Details

ISBN:
9780374263690
Subtitle:
A Novel
Author:
Hoeg, Peter
Translator:
Christensen, Nadia
Author:
Heg, Peter
Publisher:
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Subject:
General
Subject:
General Fiction
Subject:
Missing persons
Subject:
Denmark
Edition Description:
American
Publication Date:
20071030
Binding:
HC
Language:
English
Pages:
424
Dimensions:
9.28x6.36x1.32 in. 1.56 lbs.

Other books you might like

  1. $6.00 Used Trade Paper add to wish list

    The Royal Physician's Visit

    Per Olov Enquist
  2. $8.50 Used Trade Paper add to wish list

    The Exception

    Christian Jungersen
  3. $3.75 Used Trade Paper add to wish list
  4. $6.50 Used Trade Paper add to wish list

    Haweswater (P.S.)

    Sarah Hall
  5. $8.50 Used Trade Paper add to wish list

    Firmin

    Sam Savage
  6. $17.50 Used Hardcover add to wish list

    Heartsick: A Novel

    Chelsea Cain

Related Aisles

  • back to top

Powell's City of Books is an independent bookstore in Portland, Oregon, that fills a whole city block with more than a million new, used, and out of print books. Shop those shelves — plus literally millions more books, DVDs, and eBooks — here at Powells.com.