Status
Available
Series
Genres
Collection
Publication
Rochester, NY : Open Letter, 2009.
Description
Jonas Wergeland has been convicted of the murder of his wife Margrete. What brought Norway's darling to this end? A professor has been set the task of writing a biography of the once celebrated, now notorious television personality. In doing so, he hopes to solve the riddle of Jonas Wergeland's success and downfall.
User reviews
LibraryThing member arubabookwoman
This is the second title in the trilogy that began with The Seducer (See my review at #155 above). Even though there was not very much plot advancement in The Seducer (it ended where it began, with Jonas in his living room with the body of his murdered wife), I really liked that book. The entirety
I expected some plot advancement in the second volume. However, this does not happen, although we do learn who the narrator of the first novel was (which was not clear in the first book). Instead, there is a recapitulation of the events of Jonas's life up until the murder, again in great detail. For the most part, these are not the same events, although the entirety of Jonas's life is again covered. Apparently, the events described in the first novel were intended to show why Jonas was a "seducer", while the events in this novel are intended to show why Jonas is a "conqueror". (And presumably the last volume The Discoverer will show, finally, what Jonas discovers.)
I reached "Jonas-overload" with this book. Nearly 1000 pages of Jonas's life--how much do I need to know to find out who the murderer was? In a word, I was bored. This was particularly so because after each episode the narrator states something like "And this was when Jonas first...(fill in the blank)" I think there were similar statements in The Seducer, but somehow they didn't grate as much. Maybe it's because there's so much information about Jonas in each book they have been described as stand-alone.
So now, 1000 pages later, I know Jonas is a seducer and a conquereor. Since I am often a plot-driven reader, I'm going to go ahead and read the final volume, The Discoverer. It's shorter, and I can skim and read the last page, if need be.
Show More
of the book went into Jonas's life from childhood up to the murder in great detail, and was a revealing character study.I expected some plot advancement in the second volume. However, this does not happen, although we do learn who the narrator of the first novel was (which was not clear in the first book). Instead, there is a recapitulation of the events of Jonas's life up until the murder, again in great detail. For the most part, these are not the same events, although the entirety of Jonas's life is again covered. Apparently, the events described in the first novel were intended to show why Jonas was a "seducer", while the events in this novel are intended to show why Jonas is a "conqueror". (And presumably the last volume The Discoverer will show, finally, what Jonas discovers.)
I reached "Jonas-overload" with this book. Nearly 1000 pages of Jonas's life--how much do I need to know to find out who the murderer was? In a word, I was bored. This was particularly so because after each episode the narrator states something like "And this was when Jonas first...(fill in the blank)" I think there were similar statements in The Seducer, but somehow they didn't grate as much. Maybe it's because there's so much information about Jonas in each book they have been described as stand-alone.
So now, 1000 pages later, I know Jonas is a seducer and a conquereor. Since I am often a plot-driven reader, I'm going to go ahead and read the final volume, The Discoverer. It's shorter, and I can skim and read the last page, if need be.
Show Less
LibraryThing member soam
Very good book, kept me gripped until the end. Details the life of Jonas Wegeland, a television star, and delves into the mind of what makes someone capable of murder. Very vivid descriptions of an imaginary life. Second in a trilogy.
Language
Original language
Norwegian