Read for Week 50: a book originally written in a language other than English, I gave this psychological thriller that takes place in Norway three stars, mainly for the complex, yet highly TROUBLED characters and plot lines Ullmann thoughtfully fleshes out: the murder of a 'moon-pretty' (whatever that means) young woman; a dysfunctional marriage; a philandering, clueless husband; a weirdly depressed and hostile daughter; a despicable old lady and her "glowing" evil giantess caretaker; a deeply guilt-filled, anguished wife; and, a long-suffering but überintelligent dog. Plus, there are even more secondary plots and characters I haven't even noted here! One thing is true: this woman knows her crazy ladies really well!
Yet, the final resolution of most of the major plot lines is rather lame, even though the promise of a terrific ending teased me throughout this page-turner til the very last page. I also found the prose inconsistent, as some lines were very good, while others were real clunkers, but that may have been due to the translation. Lastly, I have no idea what the title refers to with regard to the novel.
Read for Week 50: a book originally written in a language other than English, I gave this psychological thriller that takes place in Norway three stars, mainly for the complex, yet highly TROUBLED characters and plot lines Ullmann thoughtfully fleshes out: the murder of a 'moon-pretty' (whatever that means) young woman; a dysfunctional marriage; a philandering, clueless husband; a weirdly depressed and hostile daughter; a despicable old lady and her "glowing" evil giantess caretaker; a deeply guilt-filled, anguished wife; and, a long-suffering but überintelligent dog. Plus, there are even more secondary plots and characters I haven't even noted here! One thing is true: this woman knows her crazy ladies really well!
Yet, the final resolution of most of the major plot lines is rather lame, even though the promise of a terrific ending teased me throughout this page-turner til the very last page. I also found the prose inconsistent, as some lines were very good, while others were real clunkers, but that may have been due to the translation. Lastly, I have no idea what the title refers to with regard to the novel.