Dolken från Tunis
(The Murder of Roger Ackroyd)
Agatha Christie
234 p.

For Decades ‘08.

B. Wahlström, 2002.
(first published 1926.)

Back cover blurb:

Mannen satt som jag lämnat honom, i länstolen framför eldstaden. Hans huvud hade fallit åt sidan. På ryggen, strax under kavajkragen, syntes ett blankt föremål - en märklig dolk.

Dolken från Tunis av deckardrottningen Agatha Christie - en klassiker som trollbundit läsare över hela världen!

I’m not a big Agatha Christie fan, not because I dislike her writing, but because I haven’t read much of it. I have read The ABC Murders and now this one. The first I read because I had run out of books whilst on a boat, and this one I read because I was interested as to how Christie would handle the topic. I already knew who murdered Ackroyd, I just wondered how on Earth it could be written convincingly. Without spilling the beans, I was so amazed. It was so clever! Alright, I wish I didn’t know who was the killer. (That is why I am trying to convince someone who doesn’t know who the killer is to read it. I have been this far unsuccessful.)

To my great disappointment, I couldn’t find an English copy of this book. I lent it at the library, because I wasn’t so desperate that I would pay for it. (I usually am.) However, despite searching high and low, I couldn’t for anything find it in English. I went mad looking in the English section. Therefore, I had to settle with the Swedish translation. I dislike reading in translation, because I feel that it is very likely something’s been lost in the translation. Therefore I try not to. (which is why I read so much in English!) Though, I think, this translation was pretty decent. I mean, I never ever cringed. And that’s something.

Hey Dolly
Amanda Svensson
157 p.

Nordstedts, 2008.

Back cover blurb:

Dolly har en tråkig pojkvän och vänner som är seriöst psykiskt störda. Hennes familj består förutom en exemplarisk mamma av en död pappa och två syskon, som båda är döpta efter Astrid Lindgren-figurer. Själv är hon döpt efter en silikonfylld countrydiva. “Ni förstår att en relation är omöjlig”, säger Dolly. Alla hennes favoritfilmer är amerikanska produktioner, och det är hon mycket stolt över. Dolly associerar snabbt, driver iväg i fantasin, är elak, rolig och faktiskt ganska känslosam. Efter några timmar i hennes närhet är man sig inte riktigt lik.

This book is arguably the most discussed book in Sweden, possibly after Lars Norén’s diaries (which I, for the record, never intend to read). I was interested by this book, but I can’t really say why - it was not because of the author’s young age, which everyone else seems to be fawning over. I don’t see the interest in hounding someone because of their old or young age. Every review I read was ecstatic; this was the stuff!! What is interesting, is that every review has treated it as a novel for adults. If the reviews had not been so ecstatic, I bet they would have discarded it as a teenage novel. Because that is what it is, really.

And yes, it is a very good novel. At places, at least. I didn’t really like the whole subplot with the imaginary rockstar who is obviously imaginary, but they never really state it. That is, I guess, one of the problems with a novel written in the first person perspective. Fortunately, this subplot was… although quite important, not really the biggest part of the story. So I really liked it. It was well-written, funny at places, and so sad at others.

Right, there was another reason for me liking it. There were references to Morrissey. And quotes! And, well, any book which talks about Moz wins my heart directly. The first reference was after just ten-fifteen pages, so it made me one very happy camper. yaaaaay Moz. Admittedly, it was mainly There is a Light That Never Goes Out, but that is one bloody good song. And it fitted so nice in the plot. Oh, it was a good story. For those of you who know Swedish, you won’t lose anything reading it. So go and do!

Skicka hem N:r 7
Lisa Eurén-Berner
189 s.

B. Wahlströms Förlag, 1934.

For Decades ‘08.

Back cover blurb:

none

After reading two disappointing books (Den unge Werthers lidanden and Vi skulle älska om vi bara kunde), I needed something good to read. My parents advocated that I had to read Skicka hem N:r 7, and so I did. And it was hilarious. Although it might not hold such an intrinsic value, it is a nice reminder of the heaps of girl-novels were written in the thirties. I haven’t read many of them, but they have all the same happy attitude to most things. And this novel is the same. It made me happy to read it. It was so cheerful, and even when things were bad, I knew that things would look up, even though I couldn’t justify why. The girls’ enthusiasm made me smile and it was such a joy to read. That is all I can say.

Vi skulle älska om vi bara kunde
Hanna Wallsten
221 p

Normal Förlag, 2007

Back cover blurb:

En dag dmpar Ingela flickvännen Susanne för den vackra prästen Katarina.

Susanne drar förtvivlad till Paris för att försonas med sin tvillingsyster som hon inte sett på tio år. Det blir en resa som förändrar flera personers liv - deras öden flätas in i varandra: vi följer Ingela, Anders - Susannes ex - och outsidern Sergej som får en oväntat central roll i allas liv.

När Susanne återvänder hem från Paris har allt förändrats. Ska hon förlåta Ingela? Eller ska hon bejaka den förbjudna känslan, som drar henne till rivalen Katarina…

I must admit that I was very intrigued by the title of this novel, roughly We Would Love If We Only Could, but was unable to decide if it was a grand title or just really pretentious. Unfortunately, it is pretentious. Why? Because the concept of the title is never explored in the novel. What’s the deal with that? I was expecting lesbian anguish, but all I got was boring relations and unimpressive characters laid forth with a drab language.

I wanted it to be a good book, but it wasn’t. It didn’t intrigue me and I wasn’t moved. I felt that I didn’t care if the main character’s father killed himself - why should I care? And he was, after all, the most sympathetic of the characters. Most of the characters lacked any sympathetic character, because all the other characters think about how stupid or shallow or annoying the characters are. It wasn’t a very strategic move. And it made it so very boring.