Ik had hier meer van verwacht. Het leest wel makkelijk weg maar kon me nergens echt grijpen.

Grim, like a modern day Grimms tale.

Amazing sense of place in this novel about a father who declares his daughter dead while hiding her amongst the junk that he collects. I'll be doing an event with Riel at Waterstones in Winchester on 8th August, so I'm sure I'll be saying more then. https://www.waterstones.com/events/an-evening-with-clare-fuller-and-ane-riel/winchester-high-street

Tämän lukeminen kesti kauan, ensimmäinen puolisko tylsistytti ja tuntui epäkiinnostavalta. Onneksi en jätä kirjoja kesken, koska koko loppuosa oli mielettömän hyytävä, kamala, houkutteleva eikä päästänyt otteestaan. Kaunis mutta surullinen ja lähes ällöttävä tarina.

The novel paints a disturbing picture of a family’s descent into madness.

Initially the Horder family living on an isolated homestead had a charm to it. But once the head of the family passes away only one son decides to stay on, marrying a shy local girl to the disapproval of his mother. The turning point comes when the newly married couple lose their infant son, leaving his twin sister the only child in a house that slowly starts losing its grip with reality.

With a bed bound mother and a mentally ill father, Liv takes comfort in talking to her long dead brother and scavenging for supplies at night. Other than Liv’s nightly thievery she is completely isolated from the rest of the world. But her father’s irrational fear that Liv will be taken away, leads to him staging an accident so he can report her as dead to the authorities.

His fear of losing his daughter also manifests itself in irrational hoarding behaviour. With piles of junk multiplying in and around the house, the atmosphere is one of claustrophobia. Things deteriorate to the point that it felt as if time loses all meaning.

The atmosphere created was very well done but I think some of the magic was lost in the translation as I never felt the emotions I think I was supposed to. But I also realise that I have always had trouble with the horror genre, so it could be a case of its me not the book.

Den här grep mig - hårt! Den känns så verklig och möjlig och samtidigt helt verklighetsfrämmande för mig. Att hitta och följa gränsen mellan integritet och att lägga sig i/bry sig, den är inte enkel, men så viktig!

Holy smokes! Dette var helt fantastisk! Jeg ble dratt til det gruselige bokomslaget, som lovet grøsser atmosfære. Det fikk jeg så det holdt.

Liv er blitt dødforklaret. Ingen vet at hun fins. Hun bor avsides på en øy sammen med sine foreldre. Mor Maria som er blitt så stor og feit at hun ikke kommer seg opp av sengen. Far Jens som alltid vært en manisk samler, men som det slått helt slint for etter en ulykke med Livs tvillingbror Carl. Farmor Else kommer på besøk, det skulle hun ikke ha gjort.

"Det var mørkt i det hvite rommet da far drepte farmor".

Det er åpningssetningen! Fortellingen snur litt frem og tilbake på tidsaksisen. Det fungerer. Det fortelles fra flere personers ståsted, men det er Liv som er hovedpersonen og det meste blir sagt gjennom hennes øyne. Hun som ikke aner hva normalt er.

Dette er en virkelig fantastisk spenningsroman. Troverdig, ekkel - og litt magisk, på grunn av Livs perspektiv. Måtte jeg velge en genre å sette dette i så hadde det vært grøsser. Det er ikke noe overnaturlig her, men menneskelig ondske - også når den ikke nødvendigvis er tilsiktet - er nok. Anbefales!

Om eerlijk te zijn viel het me een beetje tegen tov alle goede dingen die ik erover gehoord had. Desalniettemin een goed boek, verschillende personages die het verhaal vertellen en de constante dreiging is voelbaar door het hele boek.