The Broken Shore by Peter Temple - a slow paced crime novel

My rate: ☠☠☠☠☠☠☠☠☠☠ (3/10 Skulls)

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Original Title: The Broken Shore

Norwegian Title: Mørk Kyst

Written by: Peter Temple

Genre: A crime novel

Written for: Adult

Pages: 395
Publisher: Picador

Published: 2005

Published in Norway: 2010

My copy: 2011 (Paperback)
Norwegian Publisher: Forlaget Press
I read it: September 29 - October 28, 2011
Source: Bought

Challenge(s): 100 Books in a Year Challenge

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(Goodreads)

Winner of the Ned Kelly Award for Crime Fiction (Australia)

Joe Cashin was different once. He moved easily then. He was surer and less thoughtful. But there are consequences when you’ve come so close to dying. For Cashin, they included a posting away from the world of Homicide to the quiet place on the coast where he grew up. Now all he has to do is play the country cop and walk the dogs. And sometimes think about how he was before.

Then prominent local Charles Bourgoyne is beaten and left for dead. Everything seems to point to three boys from the nearby Aboriginal community; everyone seems to want it to. But Cashin is unconvinced. And as tragedy unfolds relentlessly into tragedy, he finds himself holding onto something that might be better let go.

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Every place got dark secrets ...

Joe Cashin is an ordinary cop from a small place in Australia. After a hard life he returns to his home place where he lived as a young boy. He lives with two dogs and likes to listen to classical music. But his life gets really busy when a man named Charles Bourgoyne is found killed. He has been beaten to death and three boys from another culture gets the blame. But are they really guilty? Something makes Cashin think they don't have the guilty ones ... yet. But who killed Bourgoyne and why? Soon Cashin finds out about a dark, secretly  past about his home place...

I had high hopes and I really mean HIGH hopes for The broken shore 'cause this book has gotten a lot of good reviews. Finally a crime novel that will capture me I thought but I was wrong. I have never read anything by Peter Temple before and I like to try books by authors I haven't read anything by or heard of. I like to explore different type of books. But this book was truly not for me even though I'm a big fan of crime novels. The book was very slow pace and it felt like "nothing ever happened". Some parts were exciting though but easily forgotten. I just never got into the book no matter how much I tried. I felt like forcing through the book instead of reading it (if you know what I mean...).

The broken shore was a boring and dry read. I'm not picky when it comes to crime novels but it felt like this book was not for me even though it has gotten a lot of good words. It was somehow worth a read but I just didn't get impressed. It was just an okay read. No more than that. Sorry!

Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts - a masterpiece that everyone should read!

 My Rate: ☠☠☠☠☠☠☠☠☠☠ (10/10 Skulls)

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Original Title: Shantaram

Norwegian Title: Shantaram

Written by: Gregory David Roberts

Genre: a novel, biography, fiction

Written for: Adult

Pages: 910
Publisher: Scribe
Published: 2003

Published in Norway: 2008

My copy: 2010 (Hardcover)
Norwegian Publisher: Press

I read it: June 27 - July 26, 2011
Source: Bought

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(Goodreads)

 "It took me a long time and most of the world to learn what I know about love and fate and the choices we make, but the heart of it came to me in an instant, while I was chained to a wall and being tortured."

So begins this epic, mesmerizing first novel set in the underworld of contemporary Bombay. Shantaram is narrated by Lin, an escaped convict with a false passport who flees maximum security prison in Australia for the teeming streets of a city where he can disappear.

Accompanied by his guide and faithful friend, Prabaker, the two enter Bombay's hidden society of beggars and gangsters, prostitutes and holy men, soldiers and actors, and Indians and exiles from other countries, who seek in this remarkable place what they cannot find elsewhere.

As a hunted man without a home, family, or identity, Lin searches for love and meaning while running a clinic in one of the city's poorest slums, and serving his apprenticeship in the dark arts of the Bombay mafia. The search leads him to war, prison torture, murder, and a series of enigmatic and bloody betrayals. The keys to unlock the mysteries and intrigues that bind Lin are held by two people. The first is Khader Khan: mafia godfather, criminal-philosopher-saint, and mentor to Lin in the underworld of the Golden City. The second is Karla: elusive, dangerous, and beautiful, whose passions are driven by secrets that torment her and yet give her a terrible power.

Burning slums and five-star hotels, romantic love and prison agonies, criminal wars and Bollywood films, spiritual gurus and mujaheddin guerrillas---this huge novel has the world of human experience in its reach, and a passionate love for India at its heart. Based on the life of the author, it is by any measure the debut of an extraordinary voice in literature.

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About the ups and downs in life.

The ex-prisoner Gregory David Roberts went in living hell after the marriage fell apart and he lost the custody of his daughter. Since then his life went downhill and he started taking drugs and robbing banks. One day he gets caught. His future is to be behind bars for 20 years but only two years he manages to escape from one of Australia's top guarded prisons. He even escapes in the middle of the day! He ends up in Bombay and he lives with fear to be revealed and taken by the police. On the run, he has to move forward by not contacting his family or friend. He can't do that to risk to get caught and sent behind bars again. 

In Bombay the main character and the escapist Lin, meets many new and exciting persons and he learns about his new culture. He ends up living in the slum with his new, good friends, opens a doctor clinic for the people who shares the slum with him and he gets well known all over the city also for the mafia. The mafia gets interested in him and they make a special connection as well. Will Lin ever feel at home in Bombay and be accepted or will he forever be seen as a foreigner?

I got Shantaram as a birthday gift back in January but I thought I should wait to read it until the summer vacation when I had more time to read and by the thought that the book is very thick. My copy has 910 pages and that's a lot! I haven't read a real thick book since last summer when I was reading IT by Stephen King. And that book were a bit over 1000 pages (!). (How can people write so much?) But thick books doesn't scare me. And I've been wanting to read this book in a long time 'cause I've only heard great things about it and I got curious about what "everyone" is talking about 'cause I feel like I'm the last person in the world to read this book while (everybody else) has done it years ago. But better late then never!

I must admit that I was struggling to get through the first 200 pages. It was many names (some hard ones) to keep track of and stuff, but after getting through that it was a lot easier to get into the reading and things was beginning to happen. We get to know how the main character deals with living in the slum and how he deals with being in the part of the mafia.

As far as I know the movie adaption has already started and Johnny Depp is the main character. Don't hate me but I'm totally disagree about that. I know he is a good actor (even though he's not any of my favorites). But while I was reading the book I just couldn't picture Johnny Depp as Gregory David Roberts. It's just wrong (at least for me). They seem like two different persons. I don't know who I would chose to be the main character but it wouldn't be Johnny Depp. That's for sure. I'm also a bit tired of seeing Johnny Depp in almost every modern movies. I would like to see some new faces as long as they are not from Disney (you know what I mean?).

Shantaram is a warm, good and honest book about ups and downs in life. About a man who moves on with his life no matter what happens and at the same time is trying to leave the past behind. His friendship and conversations with Prabaker is priceless and unforgettable! And the main character's love for Karla is very touching. And they way he handle meeting new culture than he is used to - is impressive! This is a book with a lot of discussion about life philosophy, about belonging somewhere and make the right choices. Shantaram is a book that should be read to understand how amazing it is! And the expression bear hug will never be the same again. Read the book and you'll understand what I mean! Everyone should read this. It's an incredible fascinating, rough and charming book! A book for both women and men!

I'm very excited to see how the movie is gonna be even though I don't agree with the choice of the main character (again, please don't hate me).

And I would really, really like an audio book with Gregor David Roberts as the narrator, I've seen some YouTube-videos by Roberts and I love his voice! It would be great to listen to him reading the entire book. And if you'd like to know more about the author's life when he was on the run I recommend you to see these clips. An interview by CNN. In these videos Roberts talks about the book and shows us the places he spent a lot of time in when he was living in Bombay. It's very interesting to watch it and it's worth it! Roberts is a though guy!

I didn't mean to spend almost a month reading this book but this is a book that needs time to sink in and it's not a book just to rush through. It's a book that makes you do a lot of thinking. Just want to make you sure of that.

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The Nine Tailors by Dorothy L. Sayers - church bells is a lovely sound but it's annoying to read about it!

My Rate: ☠☠☠☠☠☠☠☠☠☠ (2/10 Skulls)

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Original Title: The Nine Tailors

Norwegian Title: Dødsklokkene

Written by: Dorothy L. Sayers

Genre: crime, suspense

Written for: Adult

Pages: 334
Publisher: Victor Gollancz Ltd
Published: 1934

Published in Norway: 2005

My copy: 2005 (Paperback)
Norwegian Publisher: Se og hør forlag

I read it: June 27 - June 30, 2011
Source: From my own personal "library"

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(Goodreads)

Nine tellerstrokes from the belfry of an ancient country church toll the death of an unknown man and call the famous Lord Peter Wimsey to one of his most brilliant cases, set in the atmosphere of a quiet parish in the strange, flat, fen-country of East Anglia.

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On New Years Eve, Lord Peter Wimsey gets in a little car accident during a snowstorm and ends up in a village where church bells are very important for the people who lives there.Since his car is stuck, Wimsey is offered to stay at the priest's home and he hears that the flu is dominating the village and that one of his bell ringers are sick. Wimsey offers to help out. They are gonna play a certain melody all night on New Years Eve, an old tradition to greet the new year. Mysteries comes along the way when a body is discovered in someoneelses grave. Who is that man and how did he end up there? Wimsey can't hold back when it comes to murder cases and wants to find out what has happened.

I love old crime, books and crime shows on TV. It's something charming about it. And I remember I read a lot of that genre when I was younger. Old crime novels, and Stephen King books was something I read most of, and of course, the Goosebumps series!

Mostly I've read crime novels based from and between the world wars by male authors, but when it comes to women who writes in the same genre, I have to admit that I prefer Agatha Christie. Not everything she has written has been all that great but most of them. And then there were none is a classic which I really love. It's my fave of her. And I also like Hallowe'en party a lot. But I've never read anything by Sayers before. I hadn't even heard about her before I suddenly discovered this book a few years ago and bought it, But for some reason I haven't read it before now. It's typical me sometimes that I buy books and some books waits on my shelf in years before I  actually read them. The main problem is that I buy too many books but of course I try to read all of the books I get.

After being in the fantasy world (I've been reading the first book of  House of Night before I read this book) it was good to be back in the world of crime again. People gets killed in fantasy books too but it's even better when it happens in crime novels. I may sound pretty sick but it's fiction and crime novels is a genre I've always turned back to and I always wait for something bad to happen when I read them. (Maybe that's why I read many Stephen King books. I always read many, or try to read many books by him every year). I love horror and crime. But ... enough about that.

I had been looking forward to read this book. The title sounded cool. And I love reading crime novels 'cause then I can play a detective myself and see if I'm right or not while I read. It's a concept I never get tired of.

On front of the cover it says: one of the greatest crime novels. Uhm ... I'm certainly not agree! Old or modern crime novels must be exciting,captivating, fun, have great characters and good point(s). But me as reader I didn't think the book didn't have any of that. The experience got really dull and boring. Instead of feeling satisfied I was just happy to be done with the book. It was too slow for my taste. It was actually a bit exciting to read a little about church bells ringing but during the book it got a bit boring and annoying. I almost died of boredom reading about it. At first the book was interesting but most of the time I had to struggle through it and that's not a good sign when you're suppose to enjoy a book.

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The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold - a gripping story

My Rate: ☠☠☠☠☠☠☠☠☠☠ (9/10 Skulls)

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Original Title: The Lovely Bones

Norwegian Title: Alle mine kjære

Written by: Alice Sebold

Genre: crime/novel

Written for: YA/Adult

Pages: 328
Publisher: Picador
Published: 2002

Published in Norway: 2003

My copy: 2003 (Paperback)
Norwegian Publisher: Samlaget

I read it: June 10 - June 17, 2011
Source: From my own personal "library"

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The Back Of The Book

My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973. My murderer was a man from our neighborhood. My mother liked his border flowers, and my father talked to him once about fertilizer.

This is Susie, speaking from heaven – which looks a lot like her school playground, with the good kind f swing sets, counselors to help newcomers adjust, and friends to room with. Everything Susie wants appears as soon as she thinks of it – except the one thing she wants most: to be back with the people she loved on earth.

Watching from her place in heaven, Susie sees her happy, suburban family devastated by her death, isolated even from one another as they each try to cope with their terrible loss alone. Over the years, her friends and siblings grow up, fall in love, do all the things she never had the chance to do herself. But life is not quite finished with Susie yet …

‘Moving and compelling … It will put an imperceptible but stealthily insistent hold on you. I saw down in the morning to read the first couple of pages; five hours later, I was still there, book in hand, transfixed’

Maggie O’Farrell, Sunday Telegraph

‘Our dead do not leave us – and The Lovely Bones has found a graceful new way of presenting that truth of the imagionation’

Evening Standard

“That rare thing, a debut novel that takes the stuff of terrible tragedy and manages to transform it into something hopeful and redemptive …Alice Sebold’s words are strung together like the most delicate of charm bracelets. This book will stay with you long after you finish the last page’

Daily Mail

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Dark destinies can hit anyone and anywhere. The Lovely Bones is a very good example of that!

Fourteen year old Susie gets brutally killed and raped by a man from her own neighborhood when she, as usual, takes a shortcut on the way home trough the cornfield. She’s leaving behind a very devastated and upset family who, of course, gets lost in an endless grief. That Susie is killed is not only the worst thing but her body is gone. The police find eventually evidences that make them sure of that she’s dead. For the rest of the life, her family must live in unconsciousness. Together, the whole family tries to stay together in the hard times they will go through, but are they strong enough to make it? Without being aware of it, Susie watches every one of them and the rest of the people she loved, from heaven.

I hadn’t heard about this before it was made into a movie. That’s typical me. I rarely hear about great books before they are already in production of a movie or already made into a movie. But I also think the reason why I haven’t heard of this book before is that I don’t read much from that genre. Gripping books, I mean, but I had heard so much good things about this book and movie, so, I just had to read it before I see the movie later. And I’m surprised that I really enjoyed this book even though it was a sad read. The book is very special and after reading it I really want to see the movie and I will do so when I get the chance to get it.

I’ve seen movies before where the main character tells through their own perspective after their death, but never read books from this perspective and I found it very interesting and I want to read more books like this one. I liked that perspective!

I’m not 100 % sure if this book is base on the author’s own experience. When she was a student, she got brutally raped when was on her way home through the park off campus. She has even written about that episode in another book, a memoir called Lucky So I don’t know for sure if this book is also based on that cruel experience? It’s so gruesome to read and to know it can happen to anyone and nobody deserves to be a victim of anything!

The Lovely Bones is a graphic, disturbing and a beautiful read in every way that’s hard to explain. It’s a book that sets perspective on a lot of things that’s easy to take for granted. And if you’ve lost someone close, than this book will also become a lot of help to move on and make it easier with life in one way or another.

The only thing that this book doesn’t get top score is the book has a bit of a typical American ending (no offense!).Read it and you’ll probably know what I mean. And sorry that this is a very short review but I don’t want to spoil too much ‘cause it’s a book that just has to be read to understand how meaningful and sad the book is.

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The Dead Zone by Stephen King - the master of horror makes even politics sound interesting

(Sorry about the bad picture. It was the best I could take.)

My Rate: ☠☠☠☠☠☠☠☠☠☠ (10/10 Skulls)

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Original Title: The Dead Zone

Norwegian Title: Mørke Krefter

Written by: Stephen King

Genre: horror/crime

Written for: Adult

Pages: 336
Publisher: Viking (Penguin Books)
Published: 1979

Published in Norway: 1980

My copy: 1995 (Paperback)
Norwegian Publisher: Egmont spenning

I read it: June 3 - June 10, 2011
Source: From my own personal "library"

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(Goodreads)

If any of King's novels exemplifies his skill at portraying the concerns of his generation, it's The Dead Zone (1979). Although it contains a horrific subplot about a serial killer, it isn't strictly a horror novel. It's the story of an unassuming high school teacher, an Everyman, who suffers a gap in time--like a Rip Van Winkle who blacks out during the years 1970-75--and thus becomes acutely conscious of the way that American society is rapidly changing. He wakes up as well with a gap in his brain, the "dead zone" of the title. The zone gives him crippling headaches, but also grants him second sight, a talent he doesn't want and is reluctant to use. The crux of the novel concerns whether he will use that talent to alter the course of history.

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The sixth sense; A gift or is it a curse?

Johnny Smith got everything. He is young, has a great job that he loves and is about to fall in love with a lovely woman. After a night at the carnival together, his lovely gal, Sarah, gets sick and he brings her home. He offers himself to stay but she promise she’ll be alright and Johnny takes a taxi home when the tragedy happens. He gets involved in a bad car accident which brings him in coma in four and a half year. When he finally wakes up, he notice a lot of things in the world has changed – including himself. He discovers when he touch somebody, especially by a handshake or a hug, Johnny sees pictures, pictures about that says something about the person he touches. Some of these pictures can be very creepy and frightening.

This sudden gift is something Johnny must live with. He has never had this kind of gift before the accident happened. The gift scares him and others. Still he tries to live a normal life as possible – even though it’s not that easy since rumors spreads about his gift. It takes time to live in the world with a lot of changes. A lot of things have happened in the years he has been sleeping – especially in the political world. Even the president is not the same one as before the accident happened. And there is already a new round with new president candidates going on after Johnny has started his own life again. He reads a lot of newspapers to read about the changes and watches TV. He is particularly interested in one of the president candidates. He gets bad vibes from him even through the TV – screen. Johnny gets very interested in this new president candidate that he even shows up on one of the live shows this president candidate is having. And Johnny hopes to greet him when the candidate is on his way to the stage through the crowd. Johnny is one of those who gets to greet this guy with a handshake. But during the handshake, Johnny gets a vision. A vision that makes Johnny to think that this president candidate must be stopped before it’s too late.

I’ve seen many Stephen King movies before I started reading his books – even though I prefer the other way around, to read a book before I see the movie itself. But I grew up with watching a lot of SK movies before I read his books. Even though it’s years since I saw the movie The Dead Zone I still remember it very well. Wonderful Christoper Walken was great as Johnny Smith! Many of his visions and happenings are a bit different in the movie ‘cause movies usual don’t follow the book it’s based on 100%. But even though the movie had some changes from the book, I didn’t feel like it ruined the joy of reading the book.

Even though I like the movie a lot, I must admit that I liked the book even better and it was a pleasure to really get to know Johnny Smith. I liked him very much. He is charming, had tons of black sense of humor (which I love) and all in all: He just seemed to be an exciting guy! I just wanted and wished him well no matter what situation he ended up in. I really want to read more about characters like him.

I’m not a fan of politics. But I did actually stay up all night to see if Obama won or not even though I had to leave my home around 9:00 am to go to school. But I stayed all night to see if Obama would win or not (I’m a fan of him. He seems like a good fella.) And at 6:00 am Obama finally won the title: President of United States of America. I don’t even live in that country but still I found the election very interesting since I was hoping he would win – and he did. But other than that I find politic stuff very boring.

 Even though the second half of the book is a lot of talk about politics, I did not bore myself to death; I was very surprised by that. I read hours and hours every night I read this book ‘cause I had a very hard time to let go of the book. I just had to find out how this would end (even though I had seen the movie). The Dead Zone must be the shortest time I must’ve spent with in a King book. I read it so fast. 

Pet Sematary is still my all time favorite book by King, but The Dead Zone is definitely now on my Top 5 list. That’s for sure. And I finally got to read The Dead Zone after seeing the movie several times. The book gives so much more and I got very sad when I came to the last page. It’s one of these books I’ll never forget!

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Mystic River by Dennis Lehane - amazing book and movie!

Original Title: Mystic River

Norwegian Title: I Blodet
Written by: Dennis Lehane
Genre: a crime novel
Written for: Adult
Pages: 431
Publisher: William Morrow
Published: 2001
Published in Norway: 2003
My copy: 2003 (Paperback)
Norwegian Publisher: Cappelendamm
I read it: May 5Th - May 17Th 2011
Source: From my own "library"

My Rate: ☠☠☠☠☠☠☠☠☠☠ (10/10 Skulls)

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Three young boys; Jimmy, Sean and Dave is having a little discussion/fight on the street when a car slowly arrives. Two "old" men is sitting in the car and one of them gets out of the car . By the way he is dressed and the way he acts, the boys assume that the men are from the police. The man who has gotten out of the car, talks to the boys and ask them to behave themselves. He asks the boys where they're from. Two of them tells him they're from the neighborhood while the other one tells him that he is from another neighborhood. The man asks that boy to get in the car so that he can drive him home and tell his mom about his behavior. The boy gets in the car. He is missing in four days before he manage to escape and come back home. But the friendship between Jimmy, Sean and Dave is not the same or ever will be. The friendship has somehow changed for good. Several years later they meet again as grown-ups. They meet again under tragic circumstances when Jimmys daughter, Katie, is found murdered, one of the three friends is a cop and will investigate the case and the third one is one of the suspects. The three childhood friends destinies involves into their lives again.

After watching the movie, I really wanted to read the book as well (even though I prefer to read the book before I see the movie, but that time I didn't knew it was based on a book). But I don't know why it took me so many years to finally read it. Cause I saw the movie for the first time in like 2005 and I loved it so much that I've seen it several times. And the book has been standing on my shelf since like 2006. I even loved the movie so much that I just had to get the amazing soundtrack as well. Most of the tracks are composed by Clint Eastwood and one track is also composed by his son, Kyle (who is a jazz mucisian). While reading most part of the book I was listening to the soundtrack to get in the right atmosphere. I don't do that a lot 'cause I don't have many soundtrack but when I have a book that has been turned to movie and if I have the soundtrack - I listen to it while reading that book. And if it's a book who's not turning to a movie, I often find music that I think will match the plot and listen to it while reading. It's an exciting experiment.

Like in most movie adaptions there are a few changes but still I think the movie was very true to the book. And even though I’m not a fan of knowing what the characters look like before I read the book – I didn’t mind it this time. I didn’t mind imagining Sean Penn, Kevin Bacon and Tim Robbins while I was reading. I think they fit so well to these characters so much that it didn’t bother me.

This is not an ordinary crime novel where cars explodes, computers get hacked and secret documents leaks or other typical crime novel signs. This is a quiet and slow crime novel. It was a bit unusual to read the book in the beginning ‘cause I thought it was a little too slow. I was also not used to Lehane's writing style (even though I have read Shutter Island). But after getting through the first ten pages it got easier and faster to read. And really enjoyed he book. It was fascinating to get well known with each of the characters, the neighborhoods in Boston and characters surroundings.

Mystic River is a book about the dark side, dark secrets and dark destinies. Even though the book is sad and brings up subjects about the dark sides of life. Mystic River is still a good and fascinating read. I finished reading the book several days ago but it still feels like I finished the book today. ‘Cause the book stays with me and I even hear glimpse of some parts of the dialogs as well. It’s like the characters and the atmosphere don’t want to be forgotten and I fully understand why Clint Eastwood bought the movie rights. It was a very smart choice!

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