Reviews

Where Ovid writes his lament in Latin to and for his friends at the centre of the glittering Empire, Kallifatides writes in his adopted language, holding up a comical mirror to his new fellow-citizens, to whom these letters are really addressed.

The idea of a Swedish disaster story is interesting in itself. The Hollywood output of scare stories is mind-numbing, but something about setting this story in rural Sweden makes it more unsettling than the most imaginative zombie invasion; we expect the Swedish countryside to be safe and uneventful.

Thörn and Persson parody our fascination with crime and play with the conception of what is real by creating a sort of reality fiction.

The Börjlinds’ huge experience as scriptwriters – 25-odd Sjöwall & Wahlöö film and TV series, goodness knows how many Arne Dahl and Henning Mankell ones, and a large number of their own contributions – tells at every turn and twist.

A fusion of fictionalised reportage and interpretative biography.

An anti-hero for our time.

A masterly portrayal of small, frightened teenage souls trapped in growing, awkward, sweaty bodies.

The powerful mixture of fantasy and grim social realism works well in this haunting novel.

This book simply had to be reviewed here: not only is this what could quite fairly be described as the definitive book to date on Scandinavian crime fiction in the English language, but it is a work which strongly features the theme of translation itself.

Orrenius is a smart journalist with a keen eye for paradoxes in legal systems and widely held beliefs. He lets people talk freely while he interviews them and, rather than ending an article with his own conclusions, he lets the reader draw their own.

Reality is a manifold concept, but we take it for granted.

New poems, interlaced with older ones – old favourites.

The historical setting of the story is as important as the investigative aspect of it.

The author’s personal and frankly partisan account of a period as a Member of Parliament.

Essays on entomology.

Arra has never spoken a word, but has learnt to recognise and sing all the songs of the trees and the river.

This picture book for three to six year olds is a welcome addition to any child’s bookshelf but to their parents’ coffee table as well.

Who in their right mind would speak up for a paedophile island?