Scandinavian Mysteries discussion

I am not sure this would be too much of a spoiler, so I will just ask. Of those who have seen the BBC series did you notice a huge difference between the novel and the film? I know that the two media require changes but wonder if there is not something normative about the original book that ought to be maintained? This is not to say the film isn't fantastic as it is. I loved watching it and it did capture the social dysfunction and racism of the novel. It just was confusing to see such a difference. If there is interest could we try to identify those differences?

I saw two of the BBC productions of Mankell's books and missed one of the three. The ones I saw did feel differnt from the books, starker even perhaps, and the British accents drove me crazy.I felt like they were set in England. I couldn't feel the place as I do in the novels. I'd watch them if they do more, but I don't know that I'd love these stories like I do if I haven't read the books first.

Yeah, I felt the same way about the accents. Branagh definitely has the ruffled, dislocated cop down pretty good though. He is a bit charismatic for what I consider Wallander to be like, the team is more muted on the TV, maybe it is seeing Branagh rather than Wallander in this character. The Swedish TV version would be great to see even if with subtitles. Any ideas where to get that?

If you have read Faceless Killers, you will notice some really differences as who witnesses the death message of Maria and how the ambiguity of the word "foreigner" plays out. In the novel there is less ambiguity about the word itself but its meaning. Does foreigner mean linguistic (ie. Danish or German) or does it mean racial (Middle east or Africa). Wallander totters toward racism but I think the book clarifies that it is not a ideological racism but a rather paranoid response to immigration and the problems it can create if unregulated.

Good question - are those who question immigration policies racist, xenophobes, or something else. Personally I think the mix can be educative and productive for a country. I used to get irritated when I heard Lou Dobbs the commentator on CNN always deriding Mexican immigrants and aliens. It seemed heartless and unaware that in this continent we are all alien except first nations.

I first heard "Faceless Killers" on BBC Radio 7, using their iPlayer off the internet. The abridged version was read, not dramatized. Radio seems a better to fit for all the interior stuff going on in Wallander's head. I'll post again if I see the show will be rebroadcast.

I just watched BBC Faceless Killers. It was just ok. Filmed beautifully, but the British accents did throw me off a bit.

I didn't mind some of the changes made to adapt it to film, but a few of them bugged me. Too much was changed about Wallander's Dad, and the relationship between the two of them was missing. And I missed Rydberg as the older, wiser cop, who Wallander visited while he was sick for advice.

The whole thing seemed starker and slower to me, and not for the better. The biggest absence was Wallandar's internal monologue. He didn't even listen to opera, there was nothing about his recent divorce etc. While Branagh played Wallander well, without the context of the divorce, and his complicated relationships with his daughter and dad, his ruffled, downtrodden cop thing didn't have context. And without his internal thoughts, I missed his drive and his process of solving the case.

All of that could have been played out more with dialogue-- with Rydberg and the other cops, but it was just left out instead. A shame.

I guess I'd watch the other ones b/c I do love Wallandar, but I really wasn't impressed with the adaptation.

Wendy, You nailed it in your analysis of the BBC version of Wallander and what was missing from the book. I have a mug on my desk that says "Never judge a book by its movie!". So true.

I am with you to in your analysis of book versus movie. Although if you don't put up the expectations on the movie it is better. Perhaps it will stimulate people to read Faceless Killers. It is kinda like when we were kids and we read the Classic Comic book before we read Classic itself. I also see movies as having a different goal partly pure entertainment. They are constrained by budget - speaking roles are costly. I missed the dismal scenes of Wallander with wife and the hopeful scene although sad of his relationship with Rydberg.

I just finished reading Faceless Killers and loved this novel. I am one of the those people who became interested after seeing the PBS series..so I think it will create alot of new readers . I really enjoyed the novel and am onto #2 in the Kurt Wallander series Dogs of Riga.

Fantastic Laura! Great stuff these Mankell mysteries, I hope to share with my Goodreads friends some of my reflections on that first book - it is about half finished. I find Mankell extremely helpful in understanding our world and its injustices as well as the possible potentials for transformation. I just finished Man from Beijing and am half way through reading the White Lioness about South African politics and the 90's. Good to have friends to share these things with. Thanks.

I, too, am enjoying the Mankell series very much (just finished Dogs of Riga and need to get the next one)!

I also just read Arnaldur Indriðason's Jar City-- an Icelandic mystery with a main character (Erlunder) very much like Wallander. Haven't read anymore of the series, but based on Jar City I highly recommend it!

Paul, any comments on Girl with the Dragon Tatoo? Read that one last year for book club and liked it. I thought not as well written as Mankell. I will be reading the second in the series though, at some point. I think it's interesting that a movie is coming out based on the book and I think this will open up a lot more readers to the Scandinavian mystery genre.

Hi Wendy- glad you mentioned Jar City, will put it on my to read list.

Yes, I have both read this book and seen the movie. (Does this guy just read books, no he works too:) I found Dragon a real slow start but it picked up momentum as I read - again helping me to understand a little more about Europe, finances, underworld and the effect of modern technology. As for the plot line, it was good but I am usually put off when it becomes to overtly relational or sexual, there are some racy scenes (depending on your proclivities:) that I think distract a tad. Wonderful twists and turns in the book. I am looking forward to reading Fire, Larrson's next book. The movie is a fantastic follow up and should as you say draw more Scando-fans.

@Lori-- I LOVED the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I read all 3 in the series, and enjoyed them so much I didn't want it to end. There is a movie out already in Sweden, but I'm having a hard time finding it with English subtitles. I actually enjoyed Larsson's writing a lot more than Mankell's, but that could be a translation issue, too. What I love about Larsson compared with Mankell is the depth of character development. Every character Larsson writes about is like a real, living person, no matter how small their role in the books is.

But I do enjoy both Mankell (and Indriðason), and I wish Larsson was still alive to write more!

I"m looking forward to reading the other books in the series as well as seeing the movie. In our book club we laughed about the amount of coffee drinking is in the book ..and one of the ladies actually found that Sweden is one of the nations with the highest coffee consumption...Now that I have read Wallander and the excellent although non mystery Out Stealing Horses, I have noticed it more and more. Just some trivia....

I am a Swede and my Husband is a Dane and yes both countries are well known for how much coffee they drink,and we eat a fair number of goodies with that coffee.

Kathy Anne your post made me chuckle...thanks!

Kathy Anne wrote: "I am a Swede and my Husband is a Dane and yes both countries are well known for how much coffee they drink,and we eat a fair number of goodies with that coffee."

Lori wrote: "Kathy Anne your post made me chuckle...thanks!"

And I wondered why I'm hungry each time I read one of these books.

Mankell was what got me started on the Scandanavian mysteries. Read all of his, Larsson's, and Indriðason's. Iread the latter's prior to a vacation to Iceland. Currently I am just getting started with Jo Nesbo's Harry Hole series.

I started the Harry Hole series with Nemesis. It was a pretty amazing book. What I discovered is Nesbo is a mastercrafts-person, he sucks the reader into not only red herrings but into a ambiguous reference point between dream, recollection, alcoholic swoon and what not. Harry is indeed a Hole in many aspects but a likeable one. One thing he is like Mankell flawed but driven toward the truth of a crime and dedicated toward an integral resolution, even though he himself is rather questionable. This book had a real post-modern feel and is somewhat more literary than Mankell's Wallander. But I still prefer Henning Mankell because of his social justice agenda.

Paul could you elaborate on what you mean by Makell's social justice agenda. I have only read two books of the books, "Faceless Killers" and "The Man Who Smiled"; I noticed that one referred primarily to the immigrant situation and the social changes occuring in Sweden in the 90's and with "The Man Who Smiled" I noticed a more global agenda. Have you noticed that Mankell address different issues with each book or are his views more global in the later novels. I"m just curious on your take.

David, how was your vaction to Iceland? My family watches a show on SyFy channel called Destination Truth; the host Josh somebody says he's an explorer and myth buster and one of the shows we taped was on elves in Iceland. That people really believe in elves and that one of the government road projects was actually re-routed because it was thought to be disturbing the elf community. Any comments or stories about this from your trip? Just wondering from someone who spent some time there.

Lori wrote: "Paul could you elaborate on what you mean by Makell's social justice agenda. I have only read two books of the books, "Faceless Killers" and "The Man Who Smiled"; I noticed that one referred prima..."
In every book I have read by Mankell he has addressed some social ill whether it is about immigration reform, bureaucratic incompetence, adjusting to the Eastern Block countries, crime related to social policy of government. Usually there is a back an forth between Africa and Sweden as well as recently China. In Beijing man the issues involve colonialism, prejudice against Chinese, China colonizing Mozambique, and other issues. I am still pondering a review I am writing on Faceless Killers which as the first Wallander contains the seeds most of these ideas.

Interesting ...thanks! I"m reading Dogs of Riga and will let you know what I observe and see what you think. Thanks for the discussion

Lori wrote: "David, how was your vaction to Iceland? My family watches a show on SyFy channel called Destination Truth; the host Josh somebody says he's an explorer and myth buster and one of the shows we tap..."

If pressed I would like to think most would admit that they do not believe in them, But on the other hand no one is going to go out of their way to upset them either. There are rocks everywhere you go and in those rocks they have built little house for them to live. These houses are everywhere.

As for Iceland, it is one of the most beautiful countries I have ever been to. Think of every natural wonder America has and put them all ( x 6) in one tiny place. Plus the hot dogs were fantastic.

FWIW Indriðason's first book was made into a movie in Iceland called Myrin. I bought mine while there but you can get it online. It does have subtitles and was quite good.

Thanks David! Very interesting ...not only the place but the hot dogs...ahh what makes them special, the toppings or the meat?

Bought the next Steig Larsson "The Girl Who Played with Fire" will read after "Dogs of Riga" I didn't realize it was out in paperback until I saw it on sale at Target.

Lori wrote: "Thanks David! Very interesting ...not only the place but the hot dogs...ahh what makes them special, the toppings or the meat?"

http://www.5min.com/Video/Hot-Dogs-in...

It is the whole thing (the meat is lamb). Went to the stand featured in the video several times.

I did not think the Branagh TV series was very good- all very beautiful, but not the Wallender of the books. I really missed the old police station and the receptionist, plus the interplay between the police team. In the Branagh version the police are reduced to minor and irritating sterotypes. At least the series made me want to go and read the books again! In the right order this time - I read them as they were published in the UK, which was a very strange order. Similarly, the TV version has been filmed out of order, which explains no doubt Wendy's point about the divorce.

As a couple of other books are mentioned above, I thought I'd just say I love Arnaldur Indridason's novels (Jar City and others) and Stieg Larsson's Millennium trilogy.