This week´s letter of Kerrie´s alphabet meme is W.
Just a short recommendation of the famous Martin Beck series, written by the Swedish couple Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö in the 1960s and 1970s. Their ´story about a crime´ was written as part of a plan to expose the Swedish welfare state, but whether you are in favour of their political project or not, any crime fan is in for a treat.
And if you take your crime fiction studies seriously, this Scandinavian series is a must.
My personal favourite is the first in the series, Roseanna, published in 1965. They are all solid police procedurals, but in my opinion the last few are the weakest.
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15 kommentarer:
Dorte - ...an excellent choice! You're right about this series' profound influence on crime fiction, too.
I'll look up Roseanna...thanks for the recommendation. :)
What a beautiful picture!
Elizabeth
Mystery Writing is Murder
Oh yes! They are an institution in Scandinavia, and I`ve read most of them.
That was a good choice for the letter w. If I were to choose among modern writers I would pick Minette Walters.
Margot: people are so impressed by Stieg Larsson, and with good reason, but he and many other Scandinavians owe Sjöwall and Wahlöö a lot.
Elizabeth: oh, I would love to hear what you think about it. When you consider how old it is, it is a fantastic novel.
Bente: how funny! I thought about Minette Walters but decided to highlight these Scandinavian classics instead.
Thanks! I am gonna check it out!
Crime Fiction Alphabet: W
Yes, I read them all at the suggestion of a friend many years ago, and really enjoyed the experience. The political intent was probably a bit above my head, though.
Gautami: I think you´ll like them.
Seana: they were Marxists and very critical of the Swedish society, but even though they show the negative sides, I never experienced them as ´preachy´.
Excellent choice! I love Roseanna for its nothing-happens realism. Terroristerna, the last in the series, was by contrast quite farcical.
However I disagree about all the later ones being weak. Cop Killer, the second last, is particularly good.
Great choice for W, Dorte. I am very keen on these books, having been introduced to them by Norman of Crime Scraps. I've been reading them over the past couple of years, and only have one left to go (sob). I think they are all very good, in that each one takes a particualr aspect of the genre. I agree that the later ones are more overtly political, but also I think the authors mature both as writers and at depicting these particular characters as the books go on.
Tim: I don´t remember all of them clearly; I only remember that there were one or two that were not of quite the same quality as the rest. But several modern crime writers could learn a lot of them.
Maxine: I thought there might be readers who did not know them yet so I took the chance to recommend a fine series.
I love all their book but Roseanna is my favorite, too.
It's a great series, which more crime fiction readers should be aware of. And you're right, it's not at all preachy.
Patti: yes, I can imagine they are also your taste.
Seana: and that makes all the difference :D
Sure I was expecting your W choice to be Wahlöö. I have now "Brandbilen som försvann" in my TBR pile as I'm reading them in order. "Mannen pa balkongen" so far is my favorite. Great choice Dorte. Regards.
Jose: I enjoyed "Brandbilen som försvann" very much,especially the denouement. I found "Mannen på balkongen" less entertaining, though.
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