Wednesday 3rd August

I don’t often buy a book simply by the title, but when one starts with “The Girl Who” and is by an obviously Scandinavian name then I am intrigued.  A few years ago I read the Millenium trilogy starting with “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo” and they were really good.  These led me on to the Wallander books and I have read a couple of other Scandinavian writers along the way.  Anyway I bought the book on kindle and have just finished it.

Where do I start?  Firstly it is not a detectives story, or a murder mystery or anything of that genre at all.  Secondly it isn’t particularly Scandinavian; admittedly a large part of the action takes place in Sweden, but it could just as well be America or France or England, there are no descriptions of the dreary weather, I don’t think that snow is mentioned once either.  The book is rather a sort-of political fable.  There are very real politicians involved in the story but highly fictionalised versions (I hope) of them.  The story itself is ridiculous, absolutely improbable and with so many twists and turns that you stop ‘believing’ after a few pages.  The real beauty of the book is in the writing and the ‘hidden’ asides and the philosophical messages it sends out to one.  It is also very funny in a black or dry style, reminding the reader all the time of the perfectly ridiculous nature of the obvious.

The story starts in South Afrca with ‘the girl’ who through a series of bizarre co-incidences travels to Sweden and meets two brothers with the same name.  I must admit to begin with I was quite transfixed and then I lost it in the middle, which became a bit tedious, after all the book though quite slim stretches over a few decades where sometimes very little happens, but the ending was better.  And you always knew, more or less, what would happen as the title suggests she does save the king of Sweden.  Anyway quite a unique book and a good if challenging read.  I am not sure if I even recommend it as I don’t think everyone would like it.  But I thought I might just share my thoughts with you, as is my wont….hahaha