Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Publication
Kbh. Forum 2010
Description
"From the author of the international and New York Times bestseller Let the Right One In (Let Me In) comes this stunning and terrifying book which begins when a man's six-year-old daughter vanishes.One ordinary winter afternoon on a snowy island, Anders and Cecilia take their six-year-old daughter Maja across the ice to visit the lighthouse in the middle of the frozen channel. While the couple explore the lighthouse, Maja disappears -- either into thin air or under thin ice -- leaving not even a footprint in the snow. Two years later, alone and more or less permanently drunk, Anders returns to the island to regroup. He slowly realises that people are not telling him all they know; even his own mother, it seems, is keeping secrets. What is happening in Domaro, and what power does the sea have over the town's inhabitants? As he did with Let the Right One In and Handling the Undead, John Ajvide Lindqvist serves up a blockbuster cocktail of suspense in a narrative that barely pauses for breath"--… (more)
Media reviews
Den stockholmske skjærgården beskrives stort sett alltid som en idyll med strålende solskinn og blått hav og uendelige, late sommerdager. Men det var før John Ajvide Lindqvist skrev en bredt anlagt skrekkroman fra Roslagen, ei bok som kaster lange, mørke skygger over både farbror Melker og
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Evert Taube. Show Less
De dødes hav : «Menneskehavn» er nok en strålende roman fra John Ajvide Lindqvist, en velopplagt, potent fortelling som er både grøssende og rørende.
Skumlest av alt er kjærligheten : Hvem skulle tro at skrekkindustriens språk kan brukes til å skrive en uhyre effektfull og gripende roman om grenseløs kjærlighet?
Existentiell grundforskning : SORG OCH SAKNAD Trots gengångare och magi är skräckinslagen nedtonade i John Ajvide Lindqvists nya roman. Hans perfekta gehör för miljöer och stämningar går igen från de tidigare romanerna liksom förmågan att berätta
Människohamn hakar tag direkt, och en föreställningsvärld där liv kräver död, offer sin belöning och brott straffar sig verkar lika rimlig som den förtvivlade pappans övertygelse om att dottern finns kvar i det skeva huset de bodde i på ön, och meddelar sig med honom på olika rörande
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sätt. Show Less
[S]pänningsromanens metodik finns förstås kvar och den vindlande, detaljrika berättelsen kopplar nästan oavbrutet strypgrepp med sina iskalla fingrar.
Sedan är det ju inte heller någon nackdel att Människohamn är oerhört välskriven. Inte direkt.
Här finns varken ren godhet eller djävulsk ondska, utan till synes välordnade samhällen som plötsligt hotas av ett inre kaos.
”Människohamn” är en väl fungerande blandning av släktkrönika, glesbygdsskildring och spökhistoria, där de osaliga åker flakmoppe och citerar Smiths-texter och människorna dricker malört och sluter förbund med övernaturliga larver.
User reviews
LibraryThing member TheTwoDs
As demonstrated in his debut novel Let the Right One In, John Ajvide Lindqvist masterfully mingles the subtleness of quiet horror with bursts of terror from unexpected directions. Whereas he has previously tackled vampires and zombies and imbued each mythology with his own flourishes, in Harbor
The islands of Sweden's Stockholm Archipelago are much like any other island communities around the world, insular by nature, the year-round residents often resent the presence of the summer residents and the lifelong and multi-generational residents resent the more recent arrivals. On Domaro, one such island, the long-time residents keep a secret from the others that transcends family and relationships. Domaro's fate is, and has been for centuries, deeply intertwined with that of the sea. Ghosts, possessions, strange weather and other natural and supernatural phenomena are employed to either support or punish people. The sea demands its tribute for ensuring the survival of the island with bountiful fish harvests. In the past, this tribute was determined through a Lottery-style drawing and over the centuries evolved into a method of punishment.
Now a young family, the father descended from long-time islanders, is shattered when the young daughter goes missing on the frozen sea. She did not fall through the ice, she simply disappeared, her footprints ending in the middle of a snowy expanse. The father's struggle to metaphorically find himself and physically find his daughter forms the plot which propels the narrative through numerous historical vignettes that gradually coalesce into a history of Domaro and those who inhabit it.
Once again, Lindqvist delivers a hauntingly beautiful story of love and loss. He proves worthy of the comparisons to Stephen King. Perhaps one day we'll speak of early Lindqvist in the same revered tones as early King.
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Lindqvist boldly creates a supernatural novel which does not easily fit into the boundaries of any specific genre. Lindqvist continues to be insterested in love, the past and how we can either learn or escape from it and the ramifications of the choices we make.The islands of Sweden's Stockholm Archipelago are much like any other island communities around the world, insular by nature, the year-round residents often resent the presence of the summer residents and the lifelong and multi-generational residents resent the more recent arrivals. On Domaro, one such island, the long-time residents keep a secret from the others that transcends family and relationships. Domaro's fate is, and has been for centuries, deeply intertwined with that of the sea. Ghosts, possessions, strange weather and other natural and supernatural phenomena are employed to either support or punish people. The sea demands its tribute for ensuring the survival of the island with bountiful fish harvests. In the past, this tribute was determined through a Lottery-style drawing and over the centuries evolved into a method of punishment.
Now a young family, the father descended from long-time islanders, is shattered when the young daughter goes missing on the frozen sea. She did not fall through the ice, she simply disappeared, her footprints ending in the middle of a snowy expanse. The father's struggle to metaphorically find himself and physically find his daughter forms the plot which propels the narrative through numerous historical vignettes that gradually coalesce into a history of Domaro and those who inhabit it.
Once again, Lindqvist delivers a hauntingly beautiful story of love and loss. He proves worthy of the comparisons to Stephen King. Perhaps one day we'll speak of early Lindqvist in the same revered tones as early King.
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LibraryThing member ljbwell
John Ajvide Lindqvist once again delivers a haunting novel of love, loss, and sacrifice, not to mention more than a bit of magic and ghosts.
It's winter at Stockholm's Archipelago. Anders, his wife and their 6 year old daughter Maja go out to explore the lighthouse. Maja disappears, seemingly into
A few years later, Anders, alcoholic and divorced, moves back to the archipelago. He is still struggling to cope with the loss of his daughter and the failure of his marriage. He's also dealing with being back amongst the archipelago residents, including his grandmother Anna-Greta and her long-term partner Simon (both of whom are harboring secrets of their own). People start coming back. Others begin acting strangely. The setting is as much an active character to the novel as any of the people. The harbor is alive. It swells. It recedes. It gives. It takes. It is mysterious. It resents. It provides. It protects.
The easy comparison is to Stephen King - both authors are at their best when they go beyond horror to delve into the psychological aspects of the subject at hand. This novel is not just about ghosts and magic, but about the aftermath of loss, the tricks one's mind plays, the desperation to hold on to happy memories. It is about the safe haven friends and family and home can provide.
My main criticism is that it sometimes felt there were too many threads that could have been tightened. I believe it was initially a short story that he fleshed out into this novel; at times it did feel it could have been better suited to a tauter novella. That aside, if you enjoy early King, JAL is well worth a try.
It's winter at Stockholm's Archipelago. Anders, his wife and their 6 year old daughter Maja go out to explore the lighthouse. Maja disappears, seemingly into
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thin air. She's not the first. She's not the last. A few years later, Anders, alcoholic and divorced, moves back to the archipelago. He is still struggling to cope with the loss of his daughter and the failure of his marriage. He's also dealing with being back amongst the archipelago residents, including his grandmother Anna-Greta and her long-term partner Simon (both of whom are harboring secrets of their own). People start coming back. Others begin acting strangely. The setting is as much an active character to the novel as any of the people. The harbor is alive. It swells. It recedes. It gives. It takes. It is mysterious. It resents. It provides. It protects.
The easy comparison is to Stephen King - both authors are at their best when they go beyond horror to delve into the psychological aspects of the subject at hand. This novel is not just about ghosts and magic, but about the aftermath of loss, the tricks one's mind plays, the desperation to hold on to happy memories. It is about the safe haven friends and family and home can provide.
My main criticism is that it sometimes felt there were too many threads that could have been tightened. I believe it was initially a short story that he fleshed out into this novel; at times it did feel it could have been better suited to a tauter novella. That aside, if you enjoy early King, JAL is well worth a try.
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LibraryThing member erikschreppel
When I first read “Let the Right One In” I thought it was not just the best vampire novel I have read, but one of the best novels I had read in a long time. Right out of the gate Lindqvist produced a masterpiece. Since then I have read “Handling the Undead” and now his latest translation
Lindqvist is in the same boat, “Let the Right One In” was perfect in every way, and both “Handling the Undead” and “Harbour” are wonderful novels on their own. But trying to forget “Let the Right One In” while reading them is difficult to say the least. “Harbour” is a good solid novel, with some fantastic parts in it. Lindqvist does a great job conveying the coastal Swedish culture, as well as what it is like growing up in a small tourist town. His sense of teenage alienation that never quite goes away is wonderful, and the concept of two ghosts roaming around speaking in Smiths lyrics is fantastic. The plot moves along, and the sense of foreboding is well written. Lindqvist has a real gift for using the supernatural aspects of his work to focus in on basic human emotions and foibles. Both “Harbour” as well as “Handling the Undead” do a great job discussing grief and what we do to not let go. This is very good book and one that I would recommend, but with the caveat that this is not “Let the Right One In”. But comparisons between the two is my failure and not Lindqvist’s fault, it just is a compliment that his masterwork was so good, nothing else will live up to it.
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“Harbour”. And I have found that I have trouble rating both novels, because of the brilliance of the first. I hearken it to Orson Welles, in that Welles burst on the scene with a masterpiece in “Citizen Kane”, and then everything after inevitably failed to live up to it. Welles made some fantastic movies in their own right in films such as “Touch of Evil”, “The Magnificent Ambersons” and “The Stranger”. But because Kane was so perfect, everything else paled in comparison. Lindqvist is in the same boat, “Let the Right One In” was perfect in every way, and both “Handling the Undead” and “Harbour” are wonderful novels on their own. But trying to forget “Let the Right One In” while reading them is difficult to say the least. “Harbour” is a good solid novel, with some fantastic parts in it. Lindqvist does a great job conveying the coastal Swedish culture, as well as what it is like growing up in a small tourist town. His sense of teenage alienation that never quite goes away is wonderful, and the concept of two ghosts roaming around speaking in Smiths lyrics is fantastic. The plot moves along, and the sense of foreboding is well written. Lindqvist has a real gift for using the supernatural aspects of his work to focus in on basic human emotions and foibles. Both “Harbour” as well as “Handling the Undead” do a great job discussing grief and what we do to not let go. This is very good book and one that I would recommend, but with the caveat that this is not “Let the Right One In”. But comparisons between the two is my failure and not Lindqvist’s fault, it just is a compliment that his masterwork was so good, nothing else will live up to it.
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LibraryThing member austcrimefiction
I say I'm not much of a fan of paranormal books, but as with all of my absolute declarations on reading matters, there is an author out there who is destined to blow my prejudices out of the water. John Ajvide Lindqvist is one of those authors. Since the first of his books LET THE RIGHT ONE IN
What starts out as a seemingly innocuous trip across the ice to the local lighthouse, ends with the vanishing of six-year-old Maja. Seemingly in the blink of her parent's eyes, she was there and now she's not. Despite extensive searches she's vanished. No footprints in the snow, no sound, no sight, no sign. Anders, her father, falls apart. His marriage fractures, his life stops. And two years later, he returns to the island to attempt to confront the despair, to drag himself out of spiralling downward trend of alcohol and hopelessness that his life has become. He returns to an island seemingly unchanged, to his grandmother and her partner, to a small, sheltered, enclosed community with secrets.
The paranormal aspects of HARBOUR surface fairly quickly after Anders returns to the island, and again I've found myself wondering what it is about this author that makes that work for me. Partially I think it's a lot to do with the suspense that Lindqvist builds into the story that he's telling. There are definitely aspects of a thriller about this book, as Anders tries again to discover what happened to his beloved Maja. There's also a wonderful ability to simply tell a story. This book weaves the tales of Maja, Anders, his grandmother and her magician partner into the story of the island community seamlessly. There is also a breathtaking sense of raw and honest human emotion, mixed up into the paranormal. There is profound emotion in Anders - regret, sadness, recrimination, grief, resentment and anger, but most of all unconditional love. Other characters often reflect or contrast aspects of his emotional state - but the islanders also demonstrate secrecy, protectiveness, deceit. Through it all, even through the realisation that perfection is often in the eye of the beholder, the pace of the story builds as does the pace of Anders' discoveries, understanding, and ultimately acceptance that his daughter may not have been all that he chose to see, but she remains exactly who he chooses to love.
Interestingly, unlike other books in this category that I've really struggled with, the paranormal aspect in this one appeared integral to the story - supporting the environment; part of the emotion, the culture, the area, the people. There was no sense that the paranormal was the "story" in its own right.
It is really that overwhelming sense of a story being told that works so well in HARBOUR, supported by raw, glorious emotion. Regardless of the hows, wheres or whys of what happens to the characters in the book; how they interact with the places, what sense of the "other" is bought to the reader's experience; there is a story underlying this that talks about humanity. Unconditional love in a struggle with the need to understand, explain, justify and absolve. The way that grief can control some, and is a catalyst for others. The nature of faith and love and meaning, and the consequences of all of them. Regardless of how much of the paranormal you are comfortable with, HARBOUR is a stark, beautiful, moving, confronting, sad, lyrical and emotional book.
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became an all-time favourite of mine, I've looked forward to each new release. HARBOUR, released last year, is a book I've been champing at the bit to read, but it should come with a warning - once picked up, mesmerising. I couldn't put it down. And it's a big book at 500 pages, so you might want to make sure that you've got supplies in before you start.What starts out as a seemingly innocuous trip across the ice to the local lighthouse, ends with the vanishing of six-year-old Maja. Seemingly in the blink of her parent's eyes, she was there and now she's not. Despite extensive searches she's vanished. No footprints in the snow, no sound, no sight, no sign. Anders, her father, falls apart. His marriage fractures, his life stops. And two years later, he returns to the island to attempt to confront the despair, to drag himself out of spiralling downward trend of alcohol and hopelessness that his life has become. He returns to an island seemingly unchanged, to his grandmother and her partner, to a small, sheltered, enclosed community with secrets.
The paranormal aspects of HARBOUR surface fairly quickly after Anders returns to the island, and again I've found myself wondering what it is about this author that makes that work for me. Partially I think it's a lot to do with the suspense that Lindqvist builds into the story that he's telling. There are definitely aspects of a thriller about this book, as Anders tries again to discover what happened to his beloved Maja. There's also a wonderful ability to simply tell a story. This book weaves the tales of Maja, Anders, his grandmother and her magician partner into the story of the island community seamlessly. There is also a breathtaking sense of raw and honest human emotion, mixed up into the paranormal. There is profound emotion in Anders - regret, sadness, recrimination, grief, resentment and anger, but most of all unconditional love. Other characters often reflect or contrast aspects of his emotional state - but the islanders also demonstrate secrecy, protectiveness, deceit. Through it all, even through the realisation that perfection is often in the eye of the beholder, the pace of the story builds as does the pace of Anders' discoveries, understanding, and ultimately acceptance that his daughter may not have been all that he chose to see, but she remains exactly who he chooses to love.
Interestingly, unlike other books in this category that I've really struggled with, the paranormal aspect in this one appeared integral to the story - supporting the environment; part of the emotion, the culture, the area, the people. There was no sense that the paranormal was the "story" in its own right.
It is really that overwhelming sense of a story being told that works so well in HARBOUR, supported by raw, glorious emotion. Regardless of the hows, wheres or whys of what happens to the characters in the book; how they interact with the places, what sense of the "other" is bought to the reader's experience; there is a story underlying this that talks about humanity. Unconditional love in a struggle with the need to understand, explain, justify and absolve. The way that grief can control some, and is a catalyst for others. The nature of faith and love and meaning, and the consequences of all of them. Regardless of how much of the paranormal you are comfortable with, HARBOUR is a stark, beautiful, moving, confronting, sad, lyrical and emotional book.
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LibraryThing member Phlox72
The book starts with an engaging mystery, but the number of twists and turns the story takes before the resolution are tiring and irrelevant to say the least. It often seems like the author just didn't know where to go with the plot so he wrote scene after overwrought scene of the protagonist's
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unnatural suffering as he attempts to discover the fate of his missing daughter. The events are fantastic and preternatural, yet the characters in the story react to them with an "oh yeah, that just happened" kind of attitude and blithely move on with their banal lives until the next weird event. An utterly stupid book in my opinion, and unfortunately, an example of what seems to be a trend in the horror/thriller genre. Overwritten (probably to meet a word quota), melodramatic, lacking direction, wholly unbelievable hence impossible to connect with emotionally. A waste. Show Less
LibraryThing member VirginibusPuerisque
John Ajvide Lindqvist never fails to surprise. Action packed and full of a cast of human beings with their grief, their weaknesses and strengths laid raw. This novel along with its predecessors has completely redefined the horror/thriller genre for this reader and raised the bar. I can't wait for
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the next one. Show Less
LibraryThing member tigermel
I finished this book last night and really liked it. I also read it very quickly, tearing through the last 300 pages yesterday. The novel starts with Anders' daughter, Maja, disappearing into thin air on the frozen sea surrounding the island of Domaro. Then, about 3 years later, Anders returns to
I loved the characters, especially Simon and Anna-Greta. I think the characters and the setting, by being so realistic, allow the horror/supernatural elements to feel more real. The writing is so descriptive; i can picture the island, taste the salt and feel the wind. I know it is a cliche but the writing style did remind me of Steven King. is that the writer or the translator? I'm so glad i got the early copy!
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the island, an alcoholic and in despair. He becomes more aware of the supernatural forces on the island with help from Anna-Greta, his grandmother, and Simon, an elderly stage magician who may hold some true magic in his hands. Simon and Anna-Greta have their own stories and sorrows too; i think their flashbacks are really some of the best parts of the book. As Anders begins to believe he may be able to contact his lost daughter, the dark entities that took her begin to fight back.I loved the characters, especially Simon and Anna-Greta. I think the characters and the setting, by being so realistic, allow the horror/supernatural elements to feel more real. The writing is so descriptive; i can picture the island, taste the salt and feel the wind. I know it is a cliche but the writing style did remind me of Steven King. is that the writer or the translator? I'm so glad i got the early copy!
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LibraryThing member Maggie_Rum
Although I can't compare it to Let the Right One In (it's on my nightstand though) I enjoyed the book. There were certain parts that scared the daylights out of me, and the story was imaginative and creepy.
LibraryThing member magentaflake
A man and his wife take their 6 year old daughter for a walk from their home on an island across the frozen sea to the lighthouse. No-one else is around, They turn their backs for a second to admire the view amd when they turn around their daughter has vanishe. There are no holes in the ice and no
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place for her to hide. Well written with lots of superstitions and stories woven in. Very enjoyable, couldn't put it down. Lindqvist is being hailed as the new Stephen King. He has some imaginations and has included history, folklore and traditions built over the centuries. Recommended Show Less
LibraryThing member SonicQuack
Lindqvist's style is not the most accessible within the horror genre, so readers hoping for a quick fright-fest should probably look elsewhere. The pace is almost glacial at after the opening and intriguing early chapters. There are a few moments of real tension, where the horror is built slowly
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and surely, expertly crafted. However the all to frequent time-skipping creates a lack of momentum which fatally flaws this clever and original story. Fans of the style will lap it up, for the characterisation is deftly handled and the scares genuine, however readers looking for a pacey and easy going yarn may be disappointed. Show Less
LibraryThing member taletreader
First of all, I really enjoyed the story. I wouldn't necessarily classify it as "horror," although it does intertwine a bit of the supernatural with fantasy into the realm of general fiction. Secondly, I was so surprised (pleasantly) that there were VERY few grammar mistakes--it seemed like the
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only mistakes I found were probably because the ideas were lost in translation. Finally, I have not read a book where the author uses so many metaphors to display ideas, descriptions, etc. of ordinary strength while turning them into something miraculous, something that can only make you shake your head at the clever wit of the author. One of the metaphors which really grabbed me had to do with absentmindedly admiring your fingers and how at point, you stare at them so long that it is not unlike being possessed. I really didn't have any flaws with this book except for the fact that it was 500 pages--I think Lindqvist could have told the story in about 300 pages and it still would have dealt the same blow. Speaking of which, the ending was what I expected to happen and for once, I was glad of that, even if I did hold my breath the entire time. Show Less
LibraryThing member lpmejia
With Let Me In, John Lindqvist reinvigorated the vampire novel, managing to create a vampire character that simultaneously evoked both sympathy and terror. In Harbor, the author has done it again, creating a dark, spooky atmosphere, while also managing to capture the heartbreaking terror and panic
It's nice to read a horror novel without feeling like the writer is searching for ways to appeal to purely visceral frights. Without a doubt, Lindqvist should be counted among the great horror writers working today.
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of losing a child. Interspersing the present day with lots of back story provides the reader with a thorough and unique portrait of the characters while simultaneously holding the readers interest with well-written suspense.The final reveal doesn't fail or feel like a let down. It's nice to read a horror novel without feeling like the writer is searching for ways to appeal to purely visceral frights. Without a doubt, Lindqvist should be counted among the great horror writers working today.
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LibraryThing member NickKnight
I must admit I wanted to read this book simply because "Let the Right One In" was such an awesome film. The book has scenes of brilliance that are creepy as hell. For these elements alone I'd say the book is worth consideration. I can't wait to read his other novels.
LibraryThing member carmelitasita29
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Lindqvist did a good job of slowly introducing the supernatural into this story, making it more believable than if he had hit us over the head with it at the beginning of the book. I enjoyed the pace of the book and found that even with 500 pages, the read was fairly
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quick. It is reminiscent of a Stephen King with the way it entwines reality with mysterious and unexplainable happenings. Show Less
LibraryThing member GCPLreader
The sea is the monster here. And the sea demands much of the inhabitants of a quaint Swedish island. Although some plot elements were perhaps silly, this Stephen King-like thriller really delivered, largely thanks to fantastic character development. There's the depressed Anders, who returns to the
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island two years after the inexplicable disappearance of his young child, his grandmother,the matriarch of the town who knows the dark secret history of the sea, and her old boyfriend Simon, a former magician, who comes across a mysterious, worm-like, saliva awakened "Spiritus" that.. (no, I won't tell you!) The many backstories are each fascinating and often heart-wrenching and the novel moved at a brisk pace. -- quite a good read Show Less
LibraryThing member Aerrin99
This is easily my favorite of Lindqvist's novels so far. Here, he finally perfects the skill of using fantastical elements (in other books zombies, vampires; here, sea monsters) to highlight human relationships and the things that make us work or not work, while still maintaining an interesting and
Some of his other books suffered a bit from being too 'conceptual' - the ideas were neat, but not a lot happened. In Harbor, he fixes that problem. The story remains compelling even as we explore sacrifice (ourselves, that of others), tradition, danger, love, and a million other things that make us human.
I really recommend Harbor, even if you weren't thrilled by his other works.
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forward-moving plot. Some of his other books suffered a bit from being too 'conceptual' - the ideas were neat, but not a lot happened. In Harbor, he fixes that problem. The story remains compelling even as we explore sacrifice (ourselves, that of others), tradition, danger, love, and a million other things that make us human.
I really recommend Harbor, even if you weren't thrilled by his other works.
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LibraryThing member MrsMich02
Lindqvist is quickly becoming one of my favorite suspense-horror writers because just like Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Peter Straub and John Saul, he gets you to invest emotionally in his characters. Another unique idea. I look forward to what he'll create next.
LibraryThing member skstiles612
This was a strange book. It starts with the disappearance of Maja. Then the majority of the book is told not as a flashback but as back-story. I mean we look back at the past with the present interspersed. It is an effective way to tell a story. They have listed this as a horror story but I thought
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of it more as a mystery or thriller. The book is about a Swedish island that is full of mysterious secrets known by a few. It includes a former magician that has bonded himself to a Spiritus, which is a centipede like creature. When he allows his saliva to touch the body of the Spiritus they have formed a bond and he has obtained some of the powers from the Spiritus. This is definitely one of those books that you can say nothing is as it seems. The story is not written in the usual chronological way, which adds to the mystery. It is told in a way that holds the reader. The people on the island love the sea and at the same time, you can tell they fear it on some level. The question is, why? For the answer to this, I would suggest you read the book. Maybe then you will find out why and how people, have for years just vanished. Perhaps you will find out the true power of the sea. Show Less
LibraryThing member klarsenmd
I received this book as part of the LT early reviewer program. After a long, angst filled wait to receive this book, I dove in and was smothered by the darkness of this unbelievable well written work of terror. Anders is a man who has lost his daughter and with her his will to live life. After 2
I felt many chills and tremors as I tore through this wonderfully written tale. I had a hard time putting it down as the pacing was just wonderful. Written with the same attendtion to spine tingling detail as Let The RIght One In, Lindqvist proves he is a master story-teller. A definite must read for fans of the thriller.
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years he decides to return to the small island where she vanished. as he begins to unravel the mystery of what has happened to her, the horror of life on the island that it long time residnets are trying to keep hidden slowly comes to light.I felt many chills and tremors as I tore through this wonderfully written tale. I had a hard time putting it down as the pacing was just wonderful. Written with the same attendtion to spine tingling detail as Let The RIght One In, Lindqvist proves he is a master story-teller. A definite must read for fans of the thriller.
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LibraryThing member jlparent
Very uneven - perhaps due to translation or not-yet-completed edits (I read an ARC)? The background on the island where the story takes place is fairly interesting, as are the inhabitants but I found the ghost story part dull and incredibly hard to wade through. The ending was also a little too
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...unrealistic and unacceptable. Not a fan. Show Less
LibraryThing member ccourtland
Each character is provided with a backstory, so you're getting several stories within the story. This can work in character development, but in this particular book, the original plot is dragged under and seemingly lost. The twists are slow to develop and after 300+ pages I really needed more to
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happen. Perhaps, because the intent is horror and suspense, but I became rather bored and disinterested. The pacing, like the island, is isolating and distant. For me, it created a detachment with the plot and I had no problem putting the book down, but soon found it difficult to pick back up. The gap between current bizarre happenings and long back story fractured the experience, making reading choppy and awkward. Frankly, what should be intriguing became boring and uneventful. By the end, the pages themselves were killing me and I had little motivation to read on. Show Less
LibraryThing member GingerbreadMan
This epic, scary and moving book is about Domarö, a fictive island in the Roslagen archipelago in Sweden, the people living there and their relation to a very cruel and very living sea. Lindqvist paints a very broad picture here, starting with legends and pacts made hundreds of years ago and
It's been a while since I read a page-turner like this. From the opening chapters where a child disappears from where it shouldn't even be possible, this book had me hooked. But not only is it scary, moving and thrilling, following the main character Anders in his numb refusal to accept his daughter's death and idealisation of her memory also has something pretty profound to say about parenthood. This book really got to me as a father as well as a reader. I highly recommend it.
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leading up to the present generation of inhabitants, all with the secret truth about the sea as a major factor in their daily lives. This Lindqvist's fourth book is much more like Handling the Undead in scope and flavour rather than Let the right one in, but in my opinion it's much stronger. Where Handling the Undead didn't quite work once the action moved to a mythical level, Människohamn presents a sea more resembling a Lovecraftian god than anything - and pulls it off.It's been a while since I read a page-turner like this. From the opening chapters where a child disappears from where it shouldn't even be possible, this book had me hooked. But not only is it scary, moving and thrilling, following the main character Anders in his numb refusal to accept his daughter's death and idealisation of her memory also has something pretty profound to say about parenthood. This book really got to me as a father as well as a reader. I highly recommend it.
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LibraryThing member JechtShot
A husband and wife take their six-year old child out to the lighthouse across the bay from the island of Domarö, Sweden. Anders, Cecilia and their daughter Maja. A perfect family. A perfect family moment. The proud father takes pictures of his beautiful family, of the lighthouse, of his home and
John Ajvide Lindqvist has crafted a supernatural page turner that will keep you guessing until the very end. The book felt a bit longer than it needed to be, but fortunately the story and setting will keep your curiosity peaked long enough to reach the climactic conclusion. I am not sure that this book has much re-readability value, but I did enjoy my brief stay in the harbor. The book is tagged as horror, but the horror aspect is more that of a ghost story than a gore fest. Recommended for fans of supernatural thrillers.
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then tragedy strikes. Maja is gone without a trace. There are no footprints. There is no sign of struggle. She is gone. The story follows Anders on a supernatural quest to solve the mystery of his daughter's disappearance. He must unravel the secrets of Domarö's history to understand what truly happened that fateful day two years ago.John Ajvide Lindqvist has crafted a supernatural page turner that will keep you guessing until the very end. The book felt a bit longer than it needed to be, but fortunately the story and setting will keep your curiosity peaked long enough to reach the climactic conclusion. I am not sure that this book has much re-readability value, but I did enjoy my brief stay in the harbor. The book is tagged as horror, but the horror aspect is more that of a ghost story than a gore fest. Recommended for fans of supernatural thrillers.
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LibraryThing member suzemo
Disclaimer: I received this for free from St. Martins.
This was my first book by this author. I love good, non-gore horror, so I was excited to read this book.
I thoroughly enjoyed the first third (or so) of the book. The writing is beautiful and the book is wonderfully atmospheric. Both the writer
When the story of the mystery of the island/sea start coming out, I thought it was a little odd, and not very satisfying. The characters are all real, the motivations make sense, but some of the "twists" are just a bit much.
Towards the very end of the book, the mystery/horror got a little crazy and the last few pages were just a jumbled hot mess. There was no explanation as to why the sea "monster" (for lack of a better term) was at that island, how it came to be, what the denizens of the island (who were so intertwined with it) were or anything. There was much made of how the sea was "weak" but no explanations, no resolution.
Beautifully written book, but the end just fell apart, like the author didn't know where he was going.
It's really 2.5 stars. I really, really liked the writing and the beginning, but the end kind of ruined it all for me.
This was my first book by this author. I love good, non-gore horror, so I was excited to read this book.
I thoroughly enjoyed the first third (or so) of the book. The writing is beautiful and the book is wonderfully atmospheric. Both the writer
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and the translator deserve mountains of kudos for it (and for the rest of the writing).When the story of the mystery of the island/sea start coming out, I thought it was a little odd, and not very satisfying. The characters are all real, the motivations make sense, but some of the "twists" are just a bit much.
Towards the very end of the book, the mystery/horror got a little crazy and the last few pages were just a jumbled hot mess. There was no explanation as to why the sea "monster" (for lack of a better term) was at that island, how it came to be, what the denizens of the island (who were so intertwined with it) were or anything. There was much made of how the sea was "weak" but no explanations, no resolution.
Beautifully written book, but the end just fell apart, like the author didn't know where he was going.
It's really 2.5 stars. I really, really liked the writing and the beginning, but the end kind of ruined it all for me.
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LibraryThing member Carol420
How can a child just vanish into thin air? That' is indeed the question surrounding six-year-old Meja's disappearance while visiting the llighthouse with her parents. Three years later a man moves into the village and soon discovers that many strange happenings have taken place before and after
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Meja's disappearance. This book really had atmosphere. You could feel the anguish and fear. A really scary trip. Show Less
Awards
Dublin Literary Award (Longlist — 2012)
Language
Original language
Swedish
Original publication date
2008
Physical description
464 p.; 22 cm
ISBN
9788763811750
Local notes
Omslag: Camilla Jørgensen
Omslaget viser titlen med store bogstaver på en baggrund af natsort hav
Indskannet omslag - N650U - 150 dpi
Oversat fra svensk "Människohamn" af Jesper Klint Kistorp
Omslaget viser titlen med store bogstaver på en baggrund af natsort hav
Indskannet omslag - N650U - 150 dpi
Oversat fra svensk "Människohamn" af Jesper Klint Kistorp
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Pages
464
DDC/MDS
| 839.738 |