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WordsAndPeace
, March 02, 2022
(view all comments by WordsAndPeace)
A clever plot symbolizing different layers of the Norwegian society of early 20th century. A nice glimpse into the impressive work of Sven Elvestad, aka Stein Riverton.
Published in Norwegian in 1917 by an author and journalist who ended up being the father of Norwegian detective fiction and police procedural. A Norwegian crime literature award is now named after him.
One night, somebody breaks into the abbey library and ransacks it. More alarming, the abbot is missing. Has he been kidnapped? Murdered? Why? The more Detectives Asbjørn Krag and Sirius Keller investigate, the more the whole thing gets muddled, with possible connections to other violent events. What is behind it all?
The intricate plot is enriched with the presence of quirky characters and wonderful descriptions. There are also funny scenes and details. The Confession (chapters 32-33) is a sublime page of writing, full of psychological finesse.
I liked the many issues around the theme of identity.
At a deeper level, the clever plot seems to be a commentary on the Norwegian society of the time: it offers a respectable façade with for instance the tranquil and harmonious setting of the abbey and its flower gardens, yet as the same time, it contains a totally different parallel life, shown here in its close by Krydder district, renown for its criminals and misfits, especially featured through the Gilded Peacock, the weirdest hotel, with disreputable fame, BUT awesome international cuisine!
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