Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Alfred A. Knopf (2010), 371 pages
Description
Hudiksvall, January 2006, police find eighteen people massacred in a small village. They think it's the work of a mad man but Birgitta and August believe they were killed by the same person who killed their mother.
Media reviews
Mankell’s fierce instinct for social criticism is admirable. If only it didn’t sabotage the opportunity for old-fashioned whodunit delight.
User reviews
LibraryThing member nbmars
This book has one of the best beginnings of a suspense/mystery that I’ve read in a long time. But the second half of the book left me in major zoning out mode.
The story begins in 2006 in the remote Swedish village of Hesjövallen. Nineteen residents have been brutally massacred, and there is no
Meanwhile, in the city of Helsingborg, the 50-something judge Birgitta Roslin discovers that her mother’s foster parents, the Andrens, are among those who were slaughtered. She contacts the police officer in charge, Viv Sundberg, but is basically brushed aside. Wanting to know more, she takes some days off and drives to Hesjövallen. There, in the cottage that had belonged to her mother’s foster parents, she discovers some diaries. She reads that one of the ancestors of the Andren family had gone to the United States, and had become a supervisor of the Chinese indentured servants (including one Wang San) who helped build railroads in Nevada in 1864.
But how is it all connected? When the scene transfers to Beijing to one of San’s descendants, the plot gets pulled together. But it is also here that it begins to bog down. A detour to Africa to hear the characters debate China’s plans to help cultivate the land doesn’t help the tempo. It is only when we go back to Europe in the last part of the book that the author seems to remember this is a suspense novel.
Evaluation: For me there was a little too much discourse on Chinese history and foreign policy. I’m not saying it’s not an interesting and important topic, but it’s like putting raisins in cheesecake; I just don’t like my genres mixed together like that. My expectation for a suspense thriller is for suspense and thriller-osity. I want intrigue and excitement, not lectures on Mao’s concept of progress or the economic role of China in the twenty-first century. Both the beginning and end of the book did provide the scary tension for which one selects these books. But the middle? Well, maybe I’m too much a product of the short attention span generation. ….
One good aspect of this novel is the characterization of Birgitta. Her meditations about her marriage and about the course her life has taken ring so true. And her naivety makes Sarah in the book Little Bee seem like a model of caution and foresight. You just want to shake some sense into Birgitta, and yet, it makes her seem so real!
I should also note that there are apparently people all over the world who don't mind metaphorical raisins in cheesecake, since this is an international bestseller.
The story begins in 2006 in the remote Swedish village of Hesjövallen. Nineteen residents have been brutally massacred, and there is no
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clue left whatsoever except one red ribbon lying in the snow. Meanwhile, in the city of Helsingborg, the 50-something judge Birgitta Roslin discovers that her mother’s foster parents, the Andrens, are among those who were slaughtered. She contacts the police officer in charge, Viv Sundberg, but is basically brushed aside. Wanting to know more, she takes some days off and drives to Hesjövallen. There, in the cottage that had belonged to her mother’s foster parents, she discovers some diaries. She reads that one of the ancestors of the Andren family had gone to the United States, and had become a supervisor of the Chinese indentured servants (including one Wang San) who helped build railroads in Nevada in 1864.
But how is it all connected? When the scene transfers to Beijing to one of San’s descendants, the plot gets pulled together. But it is also here that it begins to bog down. A detour to Africa to hear the characters debate China’s plans to help cultivate the land doesn’t help the tempo. It is only when we go back to Europe in the last part of the book that the author seems to remember this is a suspense novel.
Evaluation: For me there was a little too much discourse on Chinese history and foreign policy. I’m not saying it’s not an interesting and important topic, but it’s like putting raisins in cheesecake; I just don’t like my genres mixed together like that. My expectation for a suspense thriller is for suspense and thriller-osity. I want intrigue and excitement, not lectures on Mao’s concept of progress or the economic role of China in the twenty-first century. Both the beginning and end of the book did provide the scary tension for which one selects these books. But the middle? Well, maybe I’m too much a product of the short attention span generation. ….
One good aspect of this novel is the characterization of Birgitta. Her meditations about her marriage and about the course her life has taken ring so true. And her naivety makes Sarah in the book Little Bee seem like a model of caution and foresight. You just want to shake some sense into Birgitta, and yet, it makes her seem so real!
I should also note that there are apparently people all over the world who don't mind metaphorical raisins in cheesecake, since this is an international bestseller.
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LibraryThing member devenish
Begins as a conventional Swedish murder mystery in which virtually all the inhabitants of a remote village are slaughtered. Te reader is then transported to China and then America during the 1800's to follow the fortunes,or should I say misfortunes of three young Chinese brothers.Modern-day China
The main character is a Swedish judge who attempts to solve the original murders. She is no Wallender and thats a fact.She just gets herself deeper and deeper in trouble.
Is it a good read or is it not ? On the whole it holds the attention,although it could have done with a little editing i think.
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comes next and finally to London's China-town.The main character is a Swedish judge who attempts to solve the original murders. She is no Wallender and thats a fact.She just gets herself deeper and deeper in trouble.
Is it a good read or is it not ? On the whole it holds the attention,although it could have done with a little editing i think.
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LibraryThing member cameling
A mass murderer has struck a little village, killing 19 people from 3 families in one night. The only people in the village not killed are a couple and an elderly woman who don't share the surnames of the murdered families. As the police look long and hard for clues, Judge Birgitta Roslin, is
She believes the police are looking in the wrong direction but can't seem to make them take the clues she's managed to uncover seriously.
Alternately swinging over to the past and traveling from Sweden to China to America, the reader's given the insight into the murders, the murderer and the reasons for them without the whole story becoming clear to the police or Judge Birgitta.
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shocked to discover one of the murdered couple were foster parents to her mother.She believes the police are looking in the wrong direction but can't seem to make them take the clues she's managed to uncover seriously.
Alternately swinging over to the past and traveling from Sweden to China to America, the reader's given the insight into the murders, the murderer and the reasons for them without the whole story becoming clear to the police or Judge Birgitta.
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LibraryThing member DubaiReader
Very disappointing.
Although I prefer Mankell's Africa books, I have also read and enjoyed several of his Wallander mysteries. Unfortunately The Man From Beijing was a great disappointment and I struggled to finish it. Not only was the translation very simplistic and clunky, but the plot and
It starts out well, with an atmospheric scene in the frozen North of Sweden, where a scene of carnage greets Karsten Hoglin, a photographer who is studying isolated villages. Alarm bells should have rung when the photographer gets little further than the outskirts of the village before having a heart attack and dying. His car swerves into a truck driven by a Polish worker who speaks no Swedish but manages to pass on the name of the village.
So, almost the whole village is dead, as is our first witness, and the pattern is set; anyone who might be of any use gets killed off and characters who might have an answer for the crime are ignored. It's a hugely frustrating read, overly long by at least 150 pages and full of needless detail. Finally, at the end, having travelled to China, America, Africa and back again to Sweden, a letter is supposed to convince the police that they have been barking up the wrong tree all this time, even though they have resolutely ignored all the facts to this effect all along. No ends are tied up, no satisfaction.
Henning Mankell is an author of world repute, what happened to him in this book I have no idea, but I shan't be buying his next mystery book. Two points because I finished it (and one star is reserved for books I cannot finish) but I'm being generous.
Although I prefer Mankell's Africa books, I have also read and enjoyed several of his Wallander mysteries. Unfortunately The Man From Beijing was a great disappointment and I struggled to finish it. Not only was the translation very simplistic and clunky, but the plot and
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characterisations were weak too.It starts out well, with an atmospheric scene in the frozen North of Sweden, where a scene of carnage greets Karsten Hoglin, a photographer who is studying isolated villages. Alarm bells should have rung when the photographer gets little further than the outskirts of the village before having a heart attack and dying. His car swerves into a truck driven by a Polish worker who speaks no Swedish but manages to pass on the name of the village.
So, almost the whole village is dead, as is our first witness, and the pattern is set; anyone who might be of any use gets killed off and characters who might have an answer for the crime are ignored. It's a hugely frustrating read, overly long by at least 150 pages and full of needless detail. Finally, at the end, having travelled to China, America, Africa and back again to Sweden, a letter is supposed to convince the police that they have been barking up the wrong tree all this time, even though they have resolutely ignored all the facts to this effect all along. No ends are tied up, no satisfaction.
Henning Mankell is an author of world repute, what happened to him in this book I have no idea, but I shan't be buying his next mystery book. Two points because I finished it (and one star is reserved for books I cannot finish) but I'm being generous.
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LibraryThing member MarieAlt
I'm hoping part of my struggle with this was the translation, but I'm not sure how much of slow pacing, dull villain and tedious characters I can blame on language issues. But the spare prose didn't help. I just didn't feel for any of the characters or even plot. And it didn't help all the dead in
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the village were treated as irrelevant. It was a frustrating read, but I'll look at other reviews to see if others can persuade me it was worth it. Show Less
LibraryThing member smik
2006: the remote Swedish village of Hesjövallen is one of those tiny northern villages where a declining population of mainly elderly people ensures relatively limited contact with the outside world. The horrific slaughter of 19 residents (including one child who shouldn't have been there) makes
Birgitta Roslin, a district-court judge in the Swedish city of Helsingborg, realises the village is the one where her mother was once fostered out and tries to find out if her mother's foster parents are among the dead.
Homicide on this scale is beyond the resources of the local police, but in charge is Vivi Sondberg, a diligent and hard-working police officer, persistent and analytical, but she wants a local explanation.
In fact the explanation is far from local. It reaches 140 years from the past to exact revenge for acts committed in far different times. Birgitta Roslin's analytical mind is piqued when she finds diaries and letters in her mother's foster parents' house and when she realises most of the people in the villages must be related to each other.
I'm not going to tell you more of the story - you need to let it unfold for yourself. Let me just tell you that THE MAN FROM BEIJING is among my best reads so far this year. I've seen reviews that criticise the length of this book, and perhaps they are right. Henning Mankell has used an extraordinarily large canvas - in part as a platform for his criticisms not only of today's Norwegian society but also what might happen in Mozambique, where he lives, and other African countries, as a result of Chinese economic colonialism.
However I think the length was probably necessary to give the reader sufficient social and political understanding. For me it wasn't a slow read - the tension builds well, despite the fact that we really do know who was responsible for the killings from about half way through the book.
What struck me about Mankell's canvas is how global the threads are that connect this world we are now part of. This is a phenomenon that has been growing since the early industrialisation of the 19th century, where most of us in the "new countries" have strings, sometimes gossamer thin, sometimes much stronger, that connect us to an old world that existed only 200 years ago. And today telecommunications are changing our world ever more radically, but the threads that tie us to the old are still there, invisible, lurking, sometimes surfacing in most unexpected ways.
And I liked THE MAN FROM BEIJING not only because it gave me a lot to think about, but because Mankell created in it several very strong characters. Birgitta Roslin's refusal to leave questions unanswered contrasts with Vivi Sondberg's apparent willingness to accept the easy answers. I had high hopes of Vivi but she played true to form. There are many side plots to enjoy too.
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this the worst homicide bar one that Sweden has ever seen.Birgitta Roslin, a district-court judge in the Swedish city of Helsingborg, realises the village is the one where her mother was once fostered out and tries to find out if her mother's foster parents are among the dead.
Homicide on this scale is beyond the resources of the local police, but in charge is Vivi Sondberg, a diligent and hard-working police officer, persistent and analytical, but she wants a local explanation.
In fact the explanation is far from local. It reaches 140 years from the past to exact revenge for acts committed in far different times. Birgitta Roslin's analytical mind is piqued when she finds diaries and letters in her mother's foster parents' house and when she realises most of the people in the villages must be related to each other.
I'm not going to tell you more of the story - you need to let it unfold for yourself. Let me just tell you that THE MAN FROM BEIJING is among my best reads so far this year. I've seen reviews that criticise the length of this book, and perhaps they are right. Henning Mankell has used an extraordinarily large canvas - in part as a platform for his criticisms not only of today's Norwegian society but also what might happen in Mozambique, where he lives, and other African countries, as a result of Chinese economic colonialism.
However I think the length was probably necessary to give the reader sufficient social and political understanding. For me it wasn't a slow read - the tension builds well, despite the fact that we really do know who was responsible for the killings from about half way through the book.
What struck me about Mankell's canvas is how global the threads are that connect this world we are now part of. This is a phenomenon that has been growing since the early industrialisation of the 19th century, where most of us in the "new countries" have strings, sometimes gossamer thin, sometimes much stronger, that connect us to an old world that existed only 200 years ago. And today telecommunications are changing our world ever more radically, but the threads that tie us to the old are still there, invisible, lurking, sometimes surfacing in most unexpected ways.
And I liked THE MAN FROM BEIJING not only because it gave me a lot to think about, but because Mankell created in it several very strong characters. Birgitta Roslin's refusal to leave questions unanswered contrasts with Vivi Sondberg's apparent willingness to accept the easy answers. I had high hopes of Vivi but she played true to form. There are many side plots to enjoy too.
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LibraryThing member BDartnall
I have thoroughly enjoyed all Mankell's Kurt Wallander mysteries; however, The Man from Beijing, while displaying the same writing style - direct, first person narration- is quite different in other ways. The novel opens in typical Mankell fashion - the winter Swedish landscape, an unsuspecting
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civilian who encounters unspeakable murder victims, hard boiled, but dedicated police trying to unravel a terrible murder spree. Then it shifts abruptly to a Swedish judge, Birgitta Roslin, and her life. Then it shifts to to 1863 and the life of a Chinese peasant who ends up in America, building a portion of the transcontiental RR, and eventually returns to his native China. Then it shifts to December 2005 in modern Beijing to Ya Ru, a modern Chinese entrepreneur and obviously wealthy power broker, and his sister, Hong Qiu. Eventually, the separate threads connect, but I found the shifts so abrupt (Mankell does divide some of these with Part I, Part II, etc) and the long political examinations of Chinese politics too much of a drag on the pacing...sigh. Show Less
LibraryThing member AnneliM
Stand-alone mystery by the author of the Kurt Wallander series. Well done and the twists in the story believably explained.
LibraryThing member maneekuhi
The book starts as crime fiction with one of the most intriguing, violent, and emotional crime scenes I've ever read - someplace in the cold, gloomy forests of Sweden. It quickly shifts to a mini-history of the construction of the first US transcontinental rail system with a special focus on the
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forced labor of Chinese immigrants, then to a current days economics/political lecture concerning the future of China, then to a fantasy (?) about huge forced migrations (of Chinese again) this time not to Nevada but to Africa, then I wanted it to just end. Enough said. Show Less
LibraryThing member norinrad10
Hands down the best book of the year to this point. It starts off in one place and when it's finished it's turned into a completely different book. Offers a very unique look at the world. Strongly recommended.
LibraryThing member ElaineC
A gripping thriller that starts with a gruesome serial murder in Sweden, and takes you to Africa. I found the concept of China's involvement in Africa fascinating - great if you like a bit of politics in with some page turning action and an unusual central character (a Swedish female judge).
LibraryThing member pmfloyd1
Boy, this book is hard to put down... and I should be able to do so since the story line is not that riveting as some of his earlier works. Yet, Mankell's writing is very good literature and it keeps you reading and reading.
There are really two separate and independent stories being told here, and
For anyone who enjoys Mankell's writing (and who doesn't - if you read more than a few pages) this book will not disappoint. I give it 4 stars out of 5.
Paul Floyd, Mpls, MN March 2010.
There are really two separate and independent stories being told here, and
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both are intriguing in the their own right, but seem to come together in some implausible ways. For anyone who enjoys Mankell's writing (and who doesn't - if you read more than a few pages) this book will not disappoint. I give it 4 stars out of 5.
Paul Floyd, Mpls, MN March 2010.
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LibraryThing member numinizer
This is a striking and tremendously ambitious book that is also a little disturbing, not because of its violence (which is considerable), but because of the political perspective of its protagonist.
After one hell of a beginning, The Man from Beijing paces itself, dispensing revelations a little at
Mildly unsatisfying experience for a reader, but an admirable effort for this wildly popular author to stretch his wings in a new direction.
After one hell of a beginning, The Man from Beijing paces itself, dispensing revelations a little at
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a time. Perhaps it was the fault of the translation, but some of the transitions between events and voices were jarring. There is quite a bit of exposition in this novel, and that is challenging to manage. Mildly unsatisfying experience for a reader, but an admirable effort for this wildly popular author to stretch his wings in a new direction.
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LibraryThing member RicDay
A blend of good old crime "whodunnit" with social and political commentary. I initially found the switching back and forth between the two to be jarring, but as I got deeper into the book I became more comfortable with the unusual approach. A very good story by a writer who is observant and who
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(mostly) lets his characters reveal themselves. Recommended. Show Less
LibraryThing member BlackSheepDances
Can hate be hereditary? Does our DNA include code for revenge? Reading The Man from Beijing is likely to make you ponder these very questions. Mankell’s novel is a first rate thriller that goes beyond mystery into incredible historical narratives. It spans three continents (Europe, Asia and North
The novel starts with the grisly discovery of 19 dead bodies in a remote village in Sweden. The eerie crime introduces us to a three unique female characters: a detective working the case, a federal judge from Skane and a Communist Party member from Beijing. All three are linked in the complicated puzzle of the crime, one that originates more than 100 years before the murders.
The pace is brisk, the writing lean and the plot complex. At times I needed to pause and mentally regroup, just to get my bearings. This isn’t a quick or easy read because the author digs far deeper into historical details than most novels. Much of the story relates to experiences of men who have a little authority and who use it to demean and debase others. Additionally, there is no place for CSI style details in this, as the details of police work lie in the background behind the incredible story.
I really appreciated Mankell’s writing style because it didn’t get tied up in unnecessary details. He focuses on the narrative but also on the complex relationships between marriage mates and the inevitable changes that occur in friendships over time. The three prominent women are all powerful characters and do not show the typical neediness or passive aggressive tendencies that are sometimes portrayed alongside a strong will.
The only hesitation I felt in reading this was from a baffling string of terribly unlikely events that led to finding evidence and to solving elements of the crime. A few of these stretched any sense of realism away and left me disoriented, especially considering how well thought out the plot is. All in all, it’s a worthy read but requires a commitment and time to absorb the details of the various time periods presented.
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America) and several generations, travelling from remote villages in China to the U.S. and the building of the rail lines of the West. The novel starts with the grisly discovery of 19 dead bodies in a remote village in Sweden. The eerie crime introduces us to a three unique female characters: a detective working the case, a federal judge from Skane and a Communist Party member from Beijing. All three are linked in the complicated puzzle of the crime, one that originates more than 100 years before the murders.
The pace is brisk, the writing lean and the plot complex. At times I needed to pause and mentally regroup, just to get my bearings. This isn’t a quick or easy read because the author digs far deeper into historical details than most novels. Much of the story relates to experiences of men who have a little authority and who use it to demean and debase others. Additionally, there is no place for CSI style details in this, as the details of police work lie in the background behind the incredible story.
I really appreciated Mankell’s writing style because it didn’t get tied up in unnecessary details. He focuses on the narrative but also on the complex relationships between marriage mates and the inevitable changes that occur in friendships over time. The three prominent women are all powerful characters and do not show the typical neediness or passive aggressive tendencies that are sometimes portrayed alongside a strong will.
The only hesitation I felt in reading this was from a baffling string of terribly unlikely events that led to finding evidence and to solving elements of the crime. A few of these stretched any sense of realism away and left me disoriented, especially considering how well thought out the plot is. All in all, it’s a worthy read but requires a commitment and time to absorb the details of the various time periods presented.
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LibraryThing member bfister
Interesting book for discussion. At 4MA, readers veered between thinking it was a thought-provoking and effective look at historical and current international relations and thinking it was a complete and utter flop, both in the mystery department and as a coherent story. I'm still thinking it over.
LibraryThing member ShanLizLuv
Mankell just never disappoints! While this isn't one of his Wallender novels, and is quite different from his other books, I thoroughly enjoyed Man From Beijing. The only problem I had was with loose ends. There were a few "mysteries" that were never solved. In fact, towards the end of the book,
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one of the characters says that there are just some answers that will never be answered. It felt a bit like a cop out; as though someones read the book, mentioned the loose ends and the author added the line in response. Other than that, though, I loved it. Show Less
LibraryThing member idiotgirl
Kindle. This book has a wonderful beginning. Man drives into a wintry village in northern Sweden on a photography outing. No one seems to be out. He discovers multiple dead bodies. Drives away absolutely frightened and dies of a heart attack in a car crash. The story turns out to have a China
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connection that goes back to the 19th century. This book had me. But along the way it lost me. Became way too political and preachy. A way to talk about the left and who knows what else. Just way too talky. Characters just don't end up making sense. It's too bad there really is an amazingly weird plot here. And I would have loved to love this book. Alas Show Less
LibraryThing member BritAnnia
This book reads far too much like a dogmatic political history text than the fiction thriller it's supposed to be.
I'm now hesitant to read any other of Mankell's books that is not part of his Wallander series.
I'm now hesitant to read any other of Mankell's books that is not part of his Wallander series.
LibraryThing member gilly1944
Another great tale from the master storyteller! Spanning centuries and continents and yet intrinsically Swedish this is an involving story full of complex characters.
LibraryThing member MarkMeg
Some similarities to Stieg Laarson. Mass murder of village in Sweden turns out to be done by a Chinese man as revenge for the building of the railroad in the U.S. Some of it became confusing at the end. Otherwise it held my interest.
LibraryThing member ndeyton
The Man from Beijing is a well written and intriguing story that follows characters over a 200 year timeline and traces their lineage (and their egos) over several continents, but the story continually falls flat.
Mankell has the opportunity to create insight into the Swedish legal system from two
Most of the characters, in this book, come across as somewhat one dimensional. I get the sense that he doesn't really know how to write women unless they are victims. The main character, a Swedish judge, has little respect for the legal system and is completely oblivious, giving little stock to anything other than her own very personal issues. She's almost, dare I say, ditzy.
His most interesting and potentially complex character, with whom he could've gone on to write a series of books that I would've gladly read, he kills off in a very transparent and abrupt manner. He does the same thing with her brother in order to quickly resolve the entire story. What little intrigue there is loses its steam the more we find out how selfish and superficial the characters and their motivations actually are. The historical and geo political slant seems superficial as well, and didn't do much to advance any of the stories.
In the end the story is pointlessly propelled by someone who uses revenge as a means to give direction to their life, without giving the reader any substance to gnash their teeth on.
Mankell has the opportunity to create insight into the Swedish legal system from two
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viewpoints - a small town police chief, and a Swedish judge, but he uses the women to set up blockades for one another, essentially stifling that story line. He has the opportunity to flesh out varying viewpoints of Mao's Cultural revolution, but gives it only the perspective of a ditzy, impressionable girl. He could show more depth with regard to slave and forced labor of the early U.S., he could show the greater machinations of China's politics and the struggles therein, but chooses to kill of characters before they can become interesting or challenging. Most of the characters, in this book, come across as somewhat one dimensional. I get the sense that he doesn't really know how to write women unless they are victims. The main character, a Swedish judge, has little respect for the legal system and is completely oblivious, giving little stock to anything other than her own very personal issues. She's almost, dare I say, ditzy.
His most interesting and potentially complex character, with whom he could've gone on to write a series of books that I would've gladly read, he kills off in a very transparent and abrupt manner. He does the same thing with her brother in order to quickly resolve the entire story. What little intrigue there is loses its steam the more we find out how selfish and superficial the characters and their motivations actually are. The historical and geo political slant seems superficial as well, and didn't do much to advance any of the stories.
In the end the story is pointlessly propelled by someone who uses revenge as a means to give direction to their life, without giving the reader any substance to gnash their teeth on.
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LibraryThing member picardyrose
Didn't like it. Motivation wasn't credible. Also, way too much about the politics of China.
LibraryThing member kishields
Started out with a bang, kind of dragged from halfway through on. But it was interesting to see how the story traveled from Sweden to America to China to Africa to England. I enjoyed the parts in Sweden the most and found the two female lead characters by far the most interesting in the book. The
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judge was a really well rounded, intriguing character and the author did a good job of realistically representing a career woman's thoughts, feelings and friendships as she worked through solving this global revenge plot. Show Less
LibraryThing member PeterDaveridge
too slow but interesting thoughts on china and africa. probably won't read anymore by this author
Awards
Exclusive Books Boeke Prize (Shortlist — 2010)
This Mystery is Amazing! (#10 — 2015)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2008
Physical description
22 p.; 9.54 inches
ISBN
0307271862 / 9780307271860