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Harbor
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?
500 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
About the author
John Ajvide Lindqvist
70 books3,925 followersJohn Ajvide Lindqvist (John Erik Ajvide Lindqvist) is a Swedish author who grew up in Blackeberg, the setting for
Let the Right One In
. Wanting to become something awful and fantastic, he first became a conjurer, and then was a stand-up comedian for twelve years. He has also written for Swedish television.
His Let the Right One In was a bestseller in Sweden and was named Best Novel in Translation 2005 in Norway. He also is the author of Handling the Undead and Harbor .
http://us.macmillan.com/author/johnaj...
Russian profile can be found here: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
His Let the Right One In was a bestseller in Sweden and was named Best Novel in Translation 2005 in Norway. He also is the author of Handling the Undead and Harbor .
http://us.macmillan.com/author/johnaj...
Russian profile can be found here: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 816 reviews
March 18, 2013
Umm ... wow.
In many ways, this feels like a conclusion to a trilogy rather than a standalone book. A trilogy that folds back in on itself and maybe, that's where the true horror lies. No, you don't have to read his previous two books (The famous Let the Right One In and generally misunderstood Handling The Undead) to enjoy Harbor. In many ways,for people looking for a book to start with, this is the one that should be the first John Lindqvist. I only wish I read it sooner ... but, like so many of my books, it sat on my shelf patiently biding its time, knowing I wouldn't resist for too long.
I don't normally summarize in these reviews. I figure, you're all avid readers out there, you can read the book on your own (and there's a summary above), but this is one of those books that begs the question, "What is the real story?"
So at first, we glimpse a normal family. Normal in that we have a child who is misbehaving, and two adults who love each other despite the strain the child puts on them; as opposed to the everloving family with two adoring children who always play nice and a dog that bounds in happiness before their every movement. Right here, Lindqvist twists what has become almost cliche in horror novels (the completely good ... and I understand, being a fan of horror, why the completely good is important) and then creates a supernatural event that will end up being the catalyst for so much. Simply, the child, a little brat named Maja, disappears "into thin air" (which is only barely appropriate) and the parents are left alone, worried, and shattered.
Like Peter Straub's Ghost Story, this beginning works only to introduce the reader to the town. This town takes most of a small island and has a storied past. The population focuses on fishing for most of its income, and recently on tourism. It looks at the tourism business with a "one hand out, one hand clutching a knife" mentality, but for the most part lives along with the summer tourists (this recalls Shirley Jackson's "The Summer People", but from the reverse side). The story then blends past and present in a wonderful mixture. We are always one foot in the past and one foot in the present. Even without the dates (only there during the first 100 pages ... just to help the reader at the start), we soon get a firm enough knowledge of the island's history to know when we are looking at the past and when we are looking at the present. So much of this book is set-up for the last 200 pages, but what a set-up it is.
But then the question pops up ... "What is the real story here?" Is it the search for a lost child? Is it the healing of a community? Or, as I contend, is it how do you let go? And that's also where this acts as the closing of the trilogy begun with Let The Right One In.
To go much further into this book would create numerous spoilers. And yes, the last 50 or so pages barely hold up to the wonder before them. Frankly, the opening few sections sets up a lyrical myth that, as we get closer to the end and the darkness rises to the forefront, would be too difficult to close. So while I was gripped during the first 400 pages (entranced, mesmerized, possessed at times ... the like only happened when I read House of Leaves a couple years back), the last 100 pages slogged through ice and knee deep water. It was sad to see it end that way.
And yet, I feel that if I return to this book, I will look at those last few pages with new eyes and read the whole thing in a different way. And maybe, looking at this book as the closing of a trilogy, it will take on brand new meanings as I return to Let The Right One In and Handling The Undead (both of those also about different stages of loss).
But Harbor is one of the few horror books that I recommend to non-horror readers. It is one of the few books that I have blabbed about to numerous folks as I walk with the book in my hand. This may be the best written book I've read this year ... and possibly longer. You won't understand until you get lost in the prose yourself and find yourself trapped on an island with horrible ghosts and decent, flawed people trying to make the best with what they have and not lose their souls along the way.
In many ways, this feels like a conclusion to a trilogy rather than a standalone book. A trilogy that folds back in on itself and maybe, that's where the true horror lies. No, you don't have to read his previous two books (The famous Let the Right One In and generally misunderstood Handling The Undead) to enjoy Harbor. In many ways,for people looking for a book to start with, this is the one that should be the first John Lindqvist. I only wish I read it sooner ... but, like so many of my books, it sat on my shelf patiently biding its time, knowing I wouldn't resist for too long.
I don't normally summarize in these reviews. I figure, you're all avid readers out there, you can read the book on your own (and there's a summary above), but this is one of those books that begs the question, "What is the real story?"
So at first, we glimpse a normal family. Normal in that we have a child who is misbehaving, and two adults who love each other despite the strain the child puts on them; as opposed to the everloving family with two adoring children who always play nice and a dog that bounds in happiness before their every movement. Right here, Lindqvist twists what has become almost cliche in horror novels (the completely good ... and I understand, being a fan of horror, why the completely good is important) and then creates a supernatural event that will end up being the catalyst for so much. Simply, the child, a little brat named Maja, disappears "into thin air" (which is only barely appropriate) and the parents are left alone, worried, and shattered.
Like Peter Straub's Ghost Story, this beginning works only to introduce the reader to the town. This town takes most of a small island and has a storied past. The population focuses on fishing for most of its income, and recently on tourism. It looks at the tourism business with a "one hand out, one hand clutching a knife" mentality, but for the most part lives along with the summer tourists (this recalls Shirley Jackson's "The Summer People", but from the reverse side). The story then blends past and present in a wonderful mixture. We are always one foot in the past and one foot in the present. Even without the dates (only there during the first 100 pages ... just to help the reader at the start), we soon get a firm enough knowledge of the island's history to know when we are looking at the past and when we are looking at the present. So much of this book is set-up for the last 200 pages, but what a set-up it is.
But then the question pops up ... "What is the real story here?" Is it the search for a lost child? Is it the healing of a community? Or, as I contend, is it how do you let go? And that's also where this acts as the closing of the trilogy begun with Let The Right One In.
To go much further into this book would create numerous spoilers. And yes, the last 50 or so pages barely hold up to the wonder before them. Frankly, the opening few sections sets up a lyrical myth that, as we get closer to the end and the darkness rises to the forefront, would be too difficult to close. So while I was gripped during the first 400 pages (entranced, mesmerized, possessed at times ... the like only happened when I read House of Leaves a couple years back), the last 100 pages slogged through ice and knee deep water. It was sad to see it end that way.
And yet, I feel that if I return to this book, I will look at those last few pages with new eyes and read the whole thing in a different way. And maybe, looking at this book as the closing of a trilogy, it will take on brand new meanings as I return to Let The Right One In and Handling The Undead (both of those also about different stages of loss).
But Harbor is one of the few horror books that I recommend to non-horror readers. It is one of the few books that I have blabbed about to numerous folks as I walk with the book in my hand. This may be the best written book I've read this year ... and possibly longer. You won't understand until you get lost in the prose yourself and find yourself trapped on an island with horrible ghosts and decent, flawed people trying to make the best with what they have and not lose their souls along the way.
December 17, 2022
Lo comprai quasi a scatola chiusa, sapendo pochissimo della trama e poco dell’autore (all’epoca avevo letto solo il bellissimo “Lasciami entrare”) ma finii con l’innamorarmi di Lindqvist e di questo meraviglioso libro.
La bellezza del romanzo risiede nella sua dualità: semplice all’apparenza, di una profondità devastante nei fatti. La trama può essere strizzata in poche parole: una bambina scompare nel nulla durante una gita nei pressi di un faro, la cosa distrugge i genitori, che si lasciano, ma il padre, tempo dopo, decide di non essere pronto a dire addio per sempre alla sua piccola.
Da qui ha inizio un viaggio, materiale e molto spirituale, in un abisso di tormenti, orrori, personaggi decadenti, situazioni sospese a un passo dall’impossibile e deliri degni del più folle degli incubi. Oltre che convincente, a tratti onirico ma al tempo stesso ben piantato per terra, trovo che Il porto degli spiriti sia un raro esempio di narrativa in grado di mescolare il dramma umano e intimo a una storia più ampia legata all’horror, a eventi inconcepibili con lontani rimandi Lovecraftiani (sempre lui, ma forse sono io che sono fissato e lo vedo dappertutto) e suggestioni quasi metafisiche.
Ogni volta che rileggo questo libro mi sembra di fluttuare in una bolla, una sorta di microverso onirico in cui sofferenza e bellezza si fondono, in cui la morte e la vita non sono opposti ma parti della medesima materia primordiale, e ciò mi riporta sempre a un senso di originalità: ecco, forse interpreto inconsciamente questa storia assurda ma toccante come una specie di viaggio spirituale verso le profondità dell’anima, una discesa in un limbo dal quale non è affatto facile fare ritorno e che, anche in caso di riuscita, ci vedrà per sempre cambiati in qualcosa di migliore o forse semplicemente diverso.
La bellezza del romanzo risiede nella sua dualità: semplice all’apparenza, di una profondità devastante nei fatti. La trama può essere strizzata in poche parole: una bambina scompare nel nulla durante una gita nei pressi di un faro, la cosa distrugge i genitori, che si lasciano, ma il padre, tempo dopo, decide di non essere pronto a dire addio per sempre alla sua piccola.
Da qui ha inizio un viaggio, materiale e molto spirituale, in un abisso di tormenti, orrori, personaggi decadenti, situazioni sospese a un passo dall’impossibile e deliri degni del più folle degli incubi. Oltre che convincente, a tratti onirico ma al tempo stesso ben piantato per terra, trovo che Il porto degli spiriti sia un raro esempio di narrativa in grado di mescolare il dramma umano e intimo a una storia più ampia legata all’horror, a eventi inconcepibili con lontani rimandi Lovecraftiani (sempre lui, ma forse sono io che sono fissato e lo vedo dappertutto) e suggestioni quasi metafisiche.
Ogni volta che rileggo questo libro mi sembra di fluttuare in una bolla, una sorta di microverso onirico in cui sofferenza e bellezza si fondono, in cui la morte e la vita non sono opposti ma parti della medesima materia primordiale, e ciò mi riporta sempre a un senso di originalità: ecco, forse interpreto inconsciamente questa storia assurda ma toccante come una specie di viaggio spirituale verso le profondità dell’anima, una discesa in un limbo dal quale non è affatto facile fare ritorno e che, anche in caso di riuscita, ci vedrà per sempre cambiati in qualcosa di migliore o forse semplicemente diverso.
July 7, 2019
Just finished Människorhamn by John Ajvide Lindqvist and this was the very first book I've read by the author, and I really, really like this book. I both listened to the audio version (read by the author himself) and read the book, sitting outside in the sun (far away from water). This is a perfect book for those that love reading books with a paranormal angle.
April 25, 2019
Probably one of the best books I've ever read. A. Lindqvist writes horror stories in a weirdly realistic way. Even though you know it couldn't be true, he puts his monsters and unreal creatures in a real environment and makes you feel like it actually could be this way in our world. The feelings for family and nature are strong and you will easily sink into the story of the main characters. READ THIS BOOK!
November 4, 2011
Harbor was an intriguing novel. When I started it, I was a little apprehensive, as I was afraid I would be too scared – remember, I'm a wimp when it comes to reading horror – but while thrilling and frightening, it didn't give me nightmares. Instead its horror started with a creeping feeling of unease, of something off and, slowly, the true threat only becomes fully clear towards the end. I found myself eager to return to its pages each night and read until I had to turn off the light due to my eyes falling closed.
One of my favourite elements of this novel were the narrative structure and Lindqvist's prose. The book is set up in a double narration with switching points of view between Anders and his grandfather Simon, with interspersed breaking of the fourth wall by an unknown narrator and short pieces from the point of view of other Domarö inhabitants. I love these kinds of twined narratives, as they provide not just a way for the author to give us more information about what's going – as the saying goes: two heads always know more than one – but they also provide opportunities for miscommunication or non-communication between characters, where the reader knows more than the protagonists. Coincidentally, it can also lead to a frustrated outcry of "Why don't they just talk to each other?", but Lindqvist never falls in that trap. Yes, there is non-communication, but he allows Simon to decisively put an end to that. Lindqvist's prose, through the translation of Marlaine Delargy, is clean and clear; no purple prose here, though his descriptions of the stark and isolated landscapes and the small island community are lovely, if at times chilling.
I loved the character of Anders and I found the way Lindqvist describes his dealing with the loss of his daughter fascinating. The idea of losing one of my children – I'm already counting B2 as such, even if she isn't born yet – or my husband is my biggest nightmare and I thought Lindqvist dealt with both the madness of grief and the reshaping of memories beautifully. Anyone can picture what grief can drive someone too, whether drinking, like Anders, drugs, depression or self-harm. But I found Anders' reshaping his memories of Maja far more poignant, especially his inability to realise that he's done so until he's confronted about it by his grandparents. I think it's also something a lot of people don't realise—both that this is a natural reaction and that they've probably done the same with some of their own memories. All of this combined makes it hard to figure out whether what Anders thinks he's experiencing is true or whether they are delusions he's suffering due to too much alcohol consumption or grief.
The other main narrator is Anders' sort of grandfather. He's been together with Anders' grandmother Anna-Greta for fifty years, though they never got married and is as much a grandfather as Anders has ever known. Despite having lived on Domarö for over half a century and being partnered with the unofficial leader of the island, Simon is still an outsider in many ways, as he finds out when he discovers the island's secret. But Simon is also more than just an old, retired stage magician, he has real magic, though what kind and how he came by it, is something best left for the reader to discover themselves. I really liked Simon, he is kind, strong and tenacious and I loved his relationship with Anna-Greta.
Domarö and the sea are characters in and of themselves and are maybe the most frightening things in the book. Water can be the most destructive force on earth. It is everywhere and can penetrate everywhere. Water is patient and we humans cannot live without it. The Dutch have learnt to live with the fear of the encroaching water, to literally dam it out and in some ways to harness its amazing power, but we also know that water cannot be tamed and must always be respected. The inhabitants of Domarö respect and fear the sea in the same way, but in their need to placate the sea, they takes desperate and gruesome measures.
Harbor is a stunning story, which made for compelling reading. If you are looking for an intelligent, spooky and mostly non-gory horror tale, this third offering by Lindqvist is just the ticket. I know this first taste of his writing has left me curious for more. I have already read Niall's review of Lindqvist's latest book Little Star and that sounds as good or even better as Harbor and I look forward to checking that out in the future.
This book was sent to me for review by the publisher.
One of my favourite elements of this novel were the narrative structure and Lindqvist's prose. The book is set up in a double narration with switching points of view between Anders and his grandfather Simon, with interspersed breaking of the fourth wall by an unknown narrator and short pieces from the point of view of other Domarö inhabitants. I love these kinds of twined narratives, as they provide not just a way for the author to give us more information about what's going – as the saying goes: two heads always know more than one – but they also provide opportunities for miscommunication or non-communication between characters, where the reader knows more than the protagonists. Coincidentally, it can also lead to a frustrated outcry of "Why don't they just talk to each other?", but Lindqvist never falls in that trap. Yes, there is non-communication, but he allows Simon to decisively put an end to that. Lindqvist's prose, through the translation of Marlaine Delargy, is clean and clear; no purple prose here, though his descriptions of the stark and isolated landscapes and the small island community are lovely, if at times chilling.
I loved the character of Anders and I found the way Lindqvist describes his dealing with the loss of his daughter fascinating. The idea of losing one of my children – I'm already counting B2 as such, even if she isn't born yet – or my husband is my biggest nightmare and I thought Lindqvist dealt with both the madness of grief and the reshaping of memories beautifully. Anyone can picture what grief can drive someone too, whether drinking, like Anders, drugs, depression or self-harm. But I found Anders' reshaping his memories of Maja far more poignant, especially his inability to realise that he's done so until he's confronted about it by his grandparents. I think it's also something a lot of people don't realise—both that this is a natural reaction and that they've probably done the same with some of their own memories. All of this combined makes it hard to figure out whether what Anders thinks he's experiencing is true or whether they are delusions he's suffering due to too much alcohol consumption or grief.
The other main narrator is Anders' sort of grandfather. He's been together with Anders' grandmother Anna-Greta for fifty years, though they never got married and is as much a grandfather as Anders has ever known. Despite having lived on Domarö for over half a century and being partnered with the unofficial leader of the island, Simon is still an outsider in many ways, as he finds out when he discovers the island's secret. But Simon is also more than just an old, retired stage magician, he has real magic, though what kind and how he came by it, is something best left for the reader to discover themselves. I really liked Simon, he is kind, strong and tenacious and I loved his relationship with Anna-Greta.
Domarö and the sea are characters in and of themselves and are maybe the most frightening things in the book. Water can be the most destructive force on earth. It is everywhere and can penetrate everywhere. Water is patient and we humans cannot live without it. The Dutch have learnt to live with the fear of the encroaching water, to literally dam it out and in some ways to harness its amazing power, but we also know that water cannot be tamed and must always be respected. The inhabitants of Domarö respect and fear the sea in the same way, but in their need to placate the sea, they takes desperate and gruesome measures.
Harbor is a stunning story, which made for compelling reading. If you are looking for an intelligent, spooky and mostly non-gory horror tale, this third offering by Lindqvist is just the ticket. I know this first taste of his writing has left me curious for more. I have already read Niall's review of Lindqvist's latest book Little Star and that sounds as good or even better as Harbor and I look forward to checking that out in the future.
This book was sent to me for review by the publisher.
April 16, 2018
La historia es sobre un padre que busca a su hija que desaparecida cuando tenía 6 años de una manera inexplicable.
Es un libro que mezcla un poco de fantasía, misterio, horror y thriller, pero todo esto en pequeñas cantidades xq justamente aquí lo que más va a resaltar es lo humano y realista que se siente el libro. Definitivamente John Ajvide tiene un talento maravilloso para describir personajes, escenarios y lineas temporales. Hermosa prosa debo decir aunque me pareció que la historia se desarrolla muy lentamente, hay que leer este libro con paciencia y sin apuros. (Pudo tener algunas páginas menos igual creo)
No es un libro que recomiende a todo el mundo y menos para comenzar a leer a este gran autor. Primero lean Let The right one in que en mi opinión es superior a Puerto Humano(título en español) y, uno de mis libros favoritos en el universo
Es un libro que mezcla un poco de fantasía, misterio, horror y thriller, pero todo esto en pequeñas cantidades xq justamente aquí lo que más va a resaltar es lo humano y realista que se siente el libro. Definitivamente John Ajvide tiene un talento maravilloso para describir personajes, escenarios y lineas temporales. Hermosa prosa debo decir aunque me pareció que la historia se desarrolla muy lentamente, hay que leer este libro con paciencia y sin apuros. (Pudo tener algunas páginas menos igual creo)
No es un libro que recomiende a todo el mundo y menos para comenzar a leer a este gran autor. Primero lean Let The right one in que en mi opinión es superior a Puerto Humano(título en español) y, uno de mis libros favoritos en el universo
September 10, 2016
Two things I often hear repeated about Lindqvist are that he's "Sweden's Stephen King" and that although his novels may make for excellent reading they're not scary. Regarding the first claim, I always felt that this was a combination of reviewer laziness and marketing wishful thinking . . . until Harbor. Harbor is very, very much in the style of King. A small town with secrets, a sizable supporting cast from every social strata, a seamless integration of pop culture references, and a strong sense of place and local colloquialisms, all of these attributes that I associate strongly with King are present here. Better yet, Lindqvist pulls it off.
Everyone's mileage is going to vary in regards to fear factor, but Lindqvist is often more concerned with the horror of social breakdowns and fear of the unknown than with the adrenalized horrors of a slasher movie. I found myself more troubled by the largely harmless zombies of Handling the Undead precisely because figuring out what to do with mindless loved ones trying to reenact their old lives is more difficult than making the decision to blow the head off a shambling meat bag that's trying to eat me. The horror in Harbor is similar. Concern over how such sensible people could abide with a secret that puts all of their loved ones at risk is a greater source of worry in the novel than the question of whether an ominous force is going to "get" one character or another.
The Harbor contains a masterful, ever growing sense of dread, cleverly delineated characters, and it mines a vein of horror that most authors never even attempt . . . soooooo . . . why the two stars?
The ending.
Everyone's mileage is going to vary in regards to fear factor, but Lindqvist is often more concerned with the horror of social breakdowns and fear of the unknown than with the adrenalized horrors of a slasher movie. I found myself more troubled by the largely harmless zombies of Handling the Undead precisely because figuring out what to do with mindless loved ones trying to reenact their old lives is more difficult than making the decision to blow the head off a shambling meat bag that's trying to eat me. The horror in Harbor is similar. Concern over how such sensible people could abide with a secret that puts all of their loved ones at risk is a greater source of worry in the novel than the question of whether an ominous force is going to "get" one character or another.
The Harbor contains a masterful, ever growing sense of dread, cleverly delineated characters, and it mines a vein of horror that most authors never even attempt . . . soooooo . . . why the two stars?
The ending.
February 6, 2012
Harbour is a very impressive novel but ultimately failed to hook up to my emotions. It starts out beautifully. A child disappears on the frozen harbor during the winter. The father returns to the island and the harbor after two years. He is divorced and driven to alcohol. It is not really clear why he returns but it soon turns into not only a search for his child but also an investigation into the small community that lives on the island. The author contructs his tale by moving from present to past and the stories of the past takes on the feel of legends and folk stories. It is the back stories of this novel that hold the most interest. The book build up tension yet there is too much filler that takes us away from the father and his two friends to hold our attachment to the characters. Lindqvist continues to develop into a sort of Swedish Stephen King and he is almost there. Harbour is a a nice steppingstone to the probable future Lindqvist novel waiting to knock me over. Three and a half stars.
November 27, 2012
Bahf.
Quick summary: Man investigates his daughter's abduction from a small Swedish town with one huge disappointing secret.
I'm not much for horror novels, but even I thought this book wasn't scary. The plot floated on the surface of the water. It was as interesting as watching someone fish for hours.
SPOILERS AHOY AHOY
If you like books where the main character mopes a lot (Catcher In the Rye, Snow, anything by Jonathan Tropper) then pick this book up right away! The main character calls his ex-wife often. He hangs out at his grandparents house wanting to talk about the past. He's haunted by two kids he knew when he was a teenager. He wallows in self-pity for most of the book. Which is understandable, having had his only daughter taken from him. It's just that you have to read 400 pages before he gets to doing anything about it.
If you like books that have glimmers of good ideas that never pan out (The Magicians, The Submission, KMN Mrs. Dalloway), ooo-wee do I have a book for you! The Elin character was fascinating and should have been her own novel! But she gets killed right after we figure out why she's uglifying herself. That was a let down. The chapter where the main character realizes his daughter was a brat and that the pattern of brats being taken away by The Sea could have led somewhere meaningful. The other "brats" that were taken were barely mentioned and mostly were in there to support their brattiness. The magician background of the grandfather could have factored more into the plot and not in any ultra-powerful bug kind of way. The scene of the escape and the first reader inclination that the sea was inherently evil was genuinely. The idea of a blood hungry force of nature is compelling, especially in this day and age of superstorms, hurricanes, and droughts.
The presence of Spiritus bothered me. It seemed way too easy for the author to give a human dominion over the nefarious character. It came out of nowhere and seemed only to be manipulated when the author wrote his way into a corner, plot-wise. The only way I would forgive its role in this plot is if Spiritus is some kind of well-known Scandinavian folk tale. Also, the fact that it was named the Latin word for air and breathe seems contrived.
To me this book read as an underdeveloped cautionary tale of environmental changes. And that's where I'll leave it.
Quick summary: Man investigates his daughter's abduction from a small Swedish town with one huge disappointing secret.
I'm not much for horror novels, but even I thought this book wasn't scary. The plot floated on the surface of the water. It was as interesting as watching someone fish for hours.
SPOILERS AHOY AHOY
If you like books where the main character mopes a lot (Catcher In the Rye, Snow, anything by Jonathan Tropper) then pick this book up right away! The main character calls his ex-wife often. He hangs out at his grandparents house wanting to talk about the past. He's haunted by two kids he knew when he was a teenager. He wallows in self-pity for most of the book. Which is understandable, having had his only daughter taken from him. It's just that you have to read 400 pages before he gets to doing anything about it.
If you like books that have glimmers of good ideas that never pan out (The Magicians, The Submission, KMN Mrs. Dalloway), ooo-wee do I have a book for you! The Elin character was fascinating and should have been her own novel! But she gets killed right after we figure out why she's uglifying herself. That was a let down. The chapter where the main character realizes his daughter was a brat and that the pattern of brats being taken away by The Sea could have led somewhere meaningful. The other "brats" that were taken were barely mentioned and mostly were in there to support their brattiness. The magician background of the grandfather could have factored more into the plot and not in any ultra-powerful bug kind of way. The scene of the escape and the first reader inclination that the sea was inherently evil was genuinely. The idea of a blood hungry force of nature is compelling, especially in this day and age of superstorms, hurricanes, and droughts.
The presence of Spiritus bothered me. It seemed way too easy for the author to give a human dominion over the nefarious character. It came out of nowhere and seemed only to be manipulated when the author wrote his way into a corner, plot-wise. The only way I would forgive its role in this plot is if Spiritus is some kind of well-known Scandinavian folk tale. Also, the fact that it was named the Latin word for air and breathe seems contrived.
To me this book read as an underdeveloped cautionary tale of environmental changes. And that's where I'll leave it.
February 9, 2021
Very minor grammatical edits, 9 February 2021.
This otherwise quite interesting story came unstuck when one character gets a slug which he puts in a match box.
This is soon after we learn that Anders has lost his six year old daughter, Maja, vanished in the snow.
Here I need to introduce the spoiler early, just in case anyone wants to read John Ajvide Lindqvists’s Harbour.
I’m sure this sort of scenario is not really what it’s like in Sweden. I hope.
This otherwise quite interesting story came unstuck when one character gets a slug which he puts in a match box.
This is soon after we learn that Anders has lost his six year old daughter, Maja, vanished in the snow.
Here I need to introduce the spoiler early, just in case anyone wants to read John Ajvide Lindqvists’s Harbour.
I’m sure this sort of scenario is not really what it’s like in Sweden. I hope.
November 6, 2013
With 89 pages to go, I had to give it up. "Harbor" drifts around like an untied boat. I would guess the editors assumed Lindqvist was infallible from his previous successes so they checked a little grammar and approved the whole book.
The protagonist is a sad and pathetic drunk. His grandmother and her boyfriend were more interesting, but mysteriously they seemed unconcerned when the protagonist told them some of his serious problems. These problems should have been at the center of the story's conflict, but instead they felt like everyday episodes. "Oh yeah, such and such evil entities returned last night. Did you catch the game?"
The book was too long and too unrewarding. It was not scary. By the end I did not give a crap what happened to the characters, so I read the last page. Really a disappointment. Reviewers calling it a "masterpiece" was absurd.
The protagonist is a sad and pathetic drunk. His grandmother and her boyfriend were more interesting, but mysteriously they seemed unconcerned when the protagonist told them some of his serious problems. These problems should have been at the center of the story's conflict, but instead they felt like everyday episodes. "Oh yeah, such and such evil entities returned last night. Did you catch the game?"
The book was too long and too unrewarding. It was not scary. By the end I did not give a crap what happened to the characters, so I read the last page. Really a disappointment. Reviewers calling it a "masterpiece" was absurd.
September 30, 2018
This novel isn’t really a horror novel, to me. It was rather tense a couple times, but I wouldn’t classify it as horror. I’m not sure what I’d say it’s genre is, but it was good...!
This novel varied from incredibly interesting history and knowledge of Sweden and the towns mentioned, to utter weirdness. GOOD weirdness! Usually it takes me two days to listen to an audiobook, or maybe three if I don’t have much time. But with this novel I kept rewinding parts to listen to again. The narrator isn’t Swedish so I wasn’t having issues understanding a thick accent or anything ; in fact, he’s British. I think....lol. The narrator is Julian Rhind-tutt, and easily understandable. Maybe it was just that Sweden and Swedish things are so foreign to me that I had to hear some parts twice (and one part three times) just to get what was happening ‘straight’ in my head. But it was mostly enjoyable.
The only part I didn’t like was the ending. Just BOOM and it was done, and you have no idea what happened next. I hate this. There was also a disgusting part where the main character ate a bug, but that’s no big deal lol.
Anyway, read this book! You might like it.
4 stars, and recommended.
This novel varied from incredibly interesting history and knowledge of Sweden and the towns mentioned, to utter weirdness. GOOD weirdness! Usually it takes me two days to listen to an audiobook, or maybe three if I don’t have much time. But with this novel I kept rewinding parts to listen to again. The narrator isn’t Swedish so I wasn’t having issues understanding a thick accent or anything ; in fact, he’s British. I think....lol. The narrator is Julian Rhind-tutt, and easily understandable. Maybe it was just that Sweden and Swedish things are so foreign to me that I had to hear some parts twice (and one part three times) just to get what was happening ‘straight’ in my head. But it was mostly enjoyable.
The only part I didn’t like was the ending. Just BOOM and it was done, and you have no idea what happened next. I hate this. There was also a disgusting part where the main character ate a bug, but that’s no big deal lol.
Anyway, read this book! You might like it.
4 stars, and recommended.
September 18, 2012
This novel was an epic. Definitely in volume, but also in scope, it covered (in great detail) the lives of generations of residents of a small island off the coast of Sweden. It was very easy at first to become engrossed with their lives, the author does some very good descriptive writing and he really spends a lot of time fleshing out his characters. The horror aspect in this book is less traditional...first it was his take on vampires, then on zombies, but in this story the antagonist is the sea itself surrounding the island, deep, dark and insiduous. I really enjoyed the writing and the characters, there were some genuinely terrifying situations and it was undeniably atmospheric, the main problem with this book was the pacing, it slowed and occasionally dragged making the book downright laborious to read. Recommended, but patience is required.
September 4, 2021
Lento e noioso
September 5, 2011
A real thriller. I disagree with the tag of "horror" genre, I think it will turn some people off from reading this book. Lindqvist has a way of taking a story and drawing you into it immediately. You can smell the smells, feel the textures, hear the sounds, you know the people he writes about as if you've known them forever.
Harbor is about several different people whose lives are intertwined on a small archipelago outside of Stockholm. A little girl vanishes right in front of her parents eyes, a couple whose love still burns as strong as the day they fell in love still live in separate houses next door to one another, a father keeps a tiny insect wormlike creature called a spiritus (spertus Norse mythology) in a box that requires a daily feeding or the consequences are dire and oddly, people just disappear every so often, without a trace and without rhyme or reason.
Product Description
It was a beautiful winter's day. Anders, his wife and their feisty six-year-old, Maja, set out across the ice of the Swedish archipelago to visit the lighthouse on Gavasten. There was no one around, so they let her go on ahead. And she disappeared, seemingly into thin air, and was never found. Two years later, Anders is a broken alcoholic, his life ruined. He returns to the archipelago, the home of his childhood and his family. But all he finds are Maja's toys and through the haze of memory, loss and alcohol, he realizes that someone - or something - is trying to communicate with him. Soon enough, his return sets in motion a series of horrifying events which exposes a mysterious and troubling relationship between the inhabitants of the remote island and the sea.
From the Inside Flap
They only stopped watching her for a couple of minutes. Which was all it took.
On a clear winter's day, Anders took his wife and feisty six-year-old, Maja, for a walk from his home on the island across the frozen sea to the lighthouse at Gavasten. There was no one for miles around, so they stayed to admire the view while Maja struck out alone.
They never saw her again.
Two years later and Anders' wife has left him, he's an unemployable alcoholic, so he returns to what's left of his family on the island. Moving back to the hut where he'd been staying with Maja that last time, he soon begins to feel a presence in the house. Could Maja be trying to communicate with him? Someone - or something - is leaving him messages and he can feel them getting stronger.
Before long, it's not just a feeling and Anders starts seeing people who've been missing for years. Is it the drink or is he going mad?
About the Author
John Ajvide Lindqvist is a Swedish author, born 1968, grew up in Blackeberg, a suburb to Stockholm. He wanted to become something awful and fantastic. First he became a conjurer and came in second in the Nordic card trick championship, then he was a stand-up comedian for twelve years. John has written TV series as well as stage plays and TV drama. Two of his other novels, Let the Right One In and Handling the Undead have been translated into English and published by Quercus.
Harbor is about several different people whose lives are intertwined on a small archipelago outside of Stockholm. A little girl vanishes right in front of her parents eyes, a couple whose love still burns as strong as the day they fell in love still live in separate houses next door to one another, a father keeps a tiny insect wormlike creature called a spiritus (spertus Norse mythology) in a box that requires a daily feeding or the consequences are dire and oddly, people just disappear every so often, without a trace and without rhyme or reason.
Product Description
It was a beautiful winter's day. Anders, his wife and their feisty six-year-old, Maja, set out across the ice of the Swedish archipelago to visit the lighthouse on Gavasten. There was no one around, so they let her go on ahead. And she disappeared, seemingly into thin air, and was never found. Two years later, Anders is a broken alcoholic, his life ruined. He returns to the archipelago, the home of his childhood and his family. But all he finds are Maja's toys and through the haze of memory, loss and alcohol, he realizes that someone - or something - is trying to communicate with him. Soon enough, his return sets in motion a series of horrifying events which exposes a mysterious and troubling relationship between the inhabitants of the remote island and the sea.
From the Inside Flap
They only stopped watching her for a couple of minutes. Which was all it took.
On a clear winter's day, Anders took his wife and feisty six-year-old, Maja, for a walk from his home on the island across the frozen sea to the lighthouse at Gavasten. There was no one for miles around, so they stayed to admire the view while Maja struck out alone.
They never saw her again.
Two years later and Anders' wife has left him, he's an unemployable alcoholic, so he returns to what's left of his family on the island. Moving back to the hut where he'd been staying with Maja that last time, he soon begins to feel a presence in the house. Could Maja be trying to communicate with him? Someone - or something - is leaving him messages and he can feel them getting stronger.
Before long, it's not just a feeling and Anders starts seeing people who've been missing for years. Is it the drink or is he going mad?
About the Author
John Ajvide Lindqvist is a Swedish author, born 1968, grew up in Blackeberg, a suburb to Stockholm. He wanted to become something awful and fantastic. First he became a conjurer and came in second in the Nordic card trick championship, then he was a stand-up comedian for twelve years. John has written TV series as well as stage plays and TV drama. Two of his other novels, Let the Right One In and Handling the Undead have been translated into English and published by Quercus.
November 2, 2011
John Ajvide Lindqvist is an author who always seems to have a new trick up his sleeve, and Harbor is his best trick yet.
He pumped fresh blood into the vampire story with Let the Right One In, he gave new life to the zombie in Handling the Undead. With Harbor, he seemingly does the impossible, blending the characters and natural human conflicts of a good Stephen King novel with the sprawling menace of the stories of H.P. Lovecraft.
Harbor is the story of a distant fishing community, almost ruined by tourism and a brief popularity on travelogues, but still holding secrets only known to a select few. Disappearances, strange magic, visitations, and possession are only some of the strange events in store. While the full story stretches back generations, it begins for us with the disappearance of a young girl on the ice.
This is the real trick Lindqvist pulls off in Harbor, taking an epic story and making it personal. Through the character of Anders we see the effect of the loss of his daughter, Maja, which tears apart both his marriage and his sanity. Through the characters of Simon and Anna-Greta we see the toll of secrets long-held, and the strain of a lifetime relationship. Through these very human and very vulnerable people the story is revealed...and we see how it will change them forever.
There are unforgettable moments of fear in Harbor, from the ghosts who incessantly quote songs from The Smiths to a message scratched into a tabletop: "Carry me." There are moments of unimaginable scale and creeping dread, and moments of sweetness and intimacy.
And there are many, many surprises.
In Harbor, Lindqvist shows a magician's skill, making a seemingly impossible illusion look effortless - the grand vision of horror seen from very human eyes. It's a good trick, and he had me believing it all the way through to the last page.
He pumped fresh blood into the vampire story with Let the Right One In, he gave new life to the zombie in Handling the Undead. With Harbor, he seemingly does the impossible, blending the characters and natural human conflicts of a good Stephen King novel with the sprawling menace of the stories of H.P. Lovecraft.
Harbor is the story of a distant fishing community, almost ruined by tourism and a brief popularity on travelogues, but still holding secrets only known to a select few. Disappearances, strange magic, visitations, and possession are only some of the strange events in store. While the full story stretches back generations, it begins for us with the disappearance of a young girl on the ice.
This is the real trick Lindqvist pulls off in Harbor, taking an epic story and making it personal. Through the character of Anders we see the effect of the loss of his daughter, Maja, which tears apart both his marriage and his sanity. Through the characters of Simon and Anna-Greta we see the toll of secrets long-held, and the strain of a lifetime relationship. Through these very human and very vulnerable people the story is revealed...and we see how it will change them forever.
There are unforgettable moments of fear in Harbor, from the ghosts who incessantly quote songs from The Smiths to a message scratched into a tabletop: "Carry me." There are moments of unimaginable scale and creeping dread, and moments of sweetness and intimacy.
And there are many, many surprises.
In Harbor, Lindqvist shows a magician's skill, making a seemingly impossible illusion look effortless - the grand vision of horror seen from very human eyes. It's a good trick, and he had me believing it all the way through to the last page.
August 11, 2012
No me cabe la menor duda de que Ajvide pasa a ser uno de mis autores favoritos. Igual que con "Déjame entrar", al terminar de leer esta novela me queda la sensación de tiempo bien empleado; en conocer una historia, en dejarme envolver por la prosa del autor.
Personajes atormentados, e indudablemente creibles.
Historia magníficamente hilada. Se nos van desgranando poco a poco los misterios que hacen de la isla un lugar extraño, lleno de malos recuerdos, obsesión por lo perdido...
Como en todas las novelas de Ajvide, no puede faltar el componente "fantástico", que añade un aliciente para quienes disfrutamos del género. Una atmósfera sofocante. Unos personajes tan reales como la vida misma.
Recomendadísima si te gustó alguna de sus otras novelas. Recomendadísima si quieres conocer al autor.
¿Qué más se le puede pedir a una novela?
Personajes atormentados, e indudablemente creibles.
Historia magníficamente hilada. Se nos van desgranando poco a poco los misterios que hacen de la isla un lugar extraño, lleno de malos recuerdos, obsesión por lo perdido...
Como en todas las novelas de Ajvide, no puede faltar el componente "fantástico", que añade un aliciente para quienes disfrutamos del género. Una atmósfera sofocante. Unos personajes tan reales como la vida misma.
Recomendadísima si te gustó alguna de sus otras novelas. Recomendadísima si quieres conocer al autor.
¿Qué más se le puede pedir a una novela?
October 12, 2016
Supernatural, small town horror. I loved it!
January 5, 2011
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 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.
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.
November 20, 2012
2.5 stars
Anders, a man almost ruined following the disappearance of his young daughter, returns to the lighthouse where she wandered away across the ice, seemingly lost forever.
However, this is only the beginning of an epic, disjointed journey, not only his, but also the other residents of the island.
Weird, dream-like and with some really peculiar surrealism thrown in, I was often confused about where this tale was going, what was 'real' and what wasn't, but the mystery of the island held my attention, and I persisted in finding out what happened to Anders and Maya. Well, I made it to the end, but I'm still not entirely sure I understand how everything actually resolved itself, which is pretty annoying! (In my defense my brain was tired by this point)
Only recommended for Linqvist's most ardent fans, and people who enjoy long, meandering, bewildering epics. Personally I much preferred 'Let the Right One In'.
(I also don't understand why this is marketed as 'horror', it's more mystery with a tiny sprinkling of horror elements)
Anders, a man almost ruined following the disappearance of his young daughter, returns to the lighthouse where she wandered away across the ice, seemingly lost forever.
However, this is only the beginning of an epic, disjointed journey, not only his, but also the other residents of the island.
Weird, dream-like and with some really peculiar surrealism thrown in, I was often confused about where this tale was going, what was 'real' and what wasn't, but the mystery of the island held my attention, and I persisted in finding out what happened to Anders and Maya. Well, I made it to the end, but I'm still not entirely sure I understand how everything actually resolved itself, which is pretty annoying! (In my defense my brain was tired by this point)
Only recommended for Linqvist's most ardent fans, and people who enjoy long, meandering, bewildering epics. Personally I much preferred 'Let the Right One In'.
(I also don't understand why this is marketed as 'horror', it's more mystery with a tiny sprinkling of horror elements)
April 8, 2015
This is a popular horror novel from Sweden. The story is compelling and well constructed. I am not a fan of this genre but this is a better example. Domaro is an island in a Swedish archipelago with a secret. People disappear and residents don't talk about these disappearances. Ander's small daughter becomes one of the disappeared and he leaves the island. Two years later he returns determine to get to the bottom of the mystery of her disappearance. Early on there is a sense of foreboding and tension that is maintained throughout. For me the main drawback of this book is that it is 500 pages long.
January 31, 2016
Muy buen libro, con un aire comparable a los trabajos de Stephen King. No pense que otros autores tuvieran ese estilo de escritura ademas de el.
Mi temor era que el final resultara en un trabajo a las apuradas, pero fue bien logrado, a pesar que se resuelve bastante rapido.
Tiene una o dos escenas bastante asquerosas, ademas de unas cuantas hojas de mas. Creo que si lo comprimiera en un libro de 300 paginas quedaria mejor.
Definitivamente voy a leer algo mas de este autor, cuyo nombre no puedo pronunciar, en el futuro.
Mi temor era que el final resultara en un trabajo a las apuradas, pero fue bien logrado, a pesar que se resuelve bastante rapido.
Tiene una o dos escenas bastante asquerosas, ademas de unas cuantas hojas de mas. Creo que si lo comprimiera en un libro de 300 paginas quedaria mejor.
Definitivamente voy a leer algo mas de este autor, cuyo nombre no puedo pronunciar, en el futuro.
October 25, 2011
This was a pretty good scary story and I liked the characters of Anne Marie, Simon and Anders, but I felt it was too drawn out
March 18, 2016
3.5 The writing is a 5/5, however the length and pace bring the rating down a bit. Still, very good!
July 28, 2020
A really atmospheric book in which the setting is far better constructed than the plot. Highly enjoyable, but the ending is somewhat strained
May 2, 2024
Under en utflykt till Gåvastens fyr försvinner Anders och Cecilias 6-åriga dotter Maja spårlöst. Trots att det inte finns någonstans hon kan försvinna på isen så är det precis det som sker. Livet på Domarö blir aldrig detsamma och skilsmässan är ett faktum. Ett par år senare återvänder Anders till ön, nersupen och deprimerad, men något sker som får honom att tro att Maja fortfarande finns därute någonstans. Anders tänker inte ge sig förrän han hittar henne.
Det här är en gammal hyllvärmare som jag äntligen kommit mig för att läsa. Jag har växlat mellan att läsa den fysiska boken och att lyssna på författarens egna uppläsning. Ajvide Lindqvist är ingen favorit hos mig, även om jag tyckte väldigt bra om hans Hanteringen av odöda. Den här är okej; tillräckligt intressant för att jag ska vilja fortsätta läsa, men inte så mycket mer än så. Det är för många karaktärer för mig att hålla reda på och alla tillbakablickar förvirrar mig ibland. Däremot är de övernaturliga inslagen riktigt otäcka bitvis, med vissa scener jag helst vill glömma! Så skräckmässigt håller den riktigt bra, men för mig hade en hel del av det övriga materialet kunnat skalas bort.
Det här är en gammal hyllvärmare som jag äntligen kommit mig för att läsa. Jag har växlat mellan att läsa den fysiska boken och att lyssna på författarens egna uppläsning. Ajvide Lindqvist är ingen favorit hos mig, även om jag tyckte väldigt bra om hans Hanteringen av odöda. Den här är okej; tillräckligt intressant för att jag ska vilja fortsätta läsa, men inte så mycket mer än så. Det är för många karaktärer för mig att hålla reda på och alla tillbakablickar förvirrar mig ibland. Däremot är de övernaturliga inslagen riktigt otäcka bitvis, med vissa scener jag helst vill glömma! Så skräckmässigt håller den riktigt bra, men för mig hade en hel del av det övriga materialet kunnat skalas bort.
August 25, 2022
A family of 3 make their way by ski across the ice to a lighthouse; only two of them return, the young daughter supposedly having seen something on the ice that her father couldn’t discern just before she went missing.
Some years before: A man comes across an insectlike creature referred to as a spiritus.
-Here be possessions, ghosts, the impossible return of evil &/or abrasive late islanders.
Small town horror that effortlessly paints a vivid picture of Swedish island life. An island where the locals keep their own counsel and have a centuries old secret pact.
Like Let the Right One In, Harbour also partly serves as a musical time capsule with its throwbacks to Anders’ teen years and the music he & the people he grew up with listened to (Depeche Mode, The Smiths, Madonna, Wham!).
The author has also interestingly incorporated a poem his wife wrote and that does well to pull the story together.
Seemingly a simple story on face value, it does deal with some heavy hitting topics; loss, guilt, repression, the downward spiral of alcohol abuse, bereavement and even the less savory thoughts and feelings a parent might struggle with when dealing with a more than averagely complicated child. I liked ‘Let the Right One in’ a bit better as this story sometimes had an issue of pacing for me, but it’s still more than worth a read for fans of Lindqvist.
Some years before: A man comes across an insectlike creature referred to as a spiritus.
-Here be possessions, ghosts, the impossible return of evil &/or abrasive late islanders.
Small town horror that effortlessly paints a vivid picture of Swedish island life. An island where the locals keep their own counsel and have a centuries old secret pact.
Like Let the Right One In, Harbour also partly serves as a musical time capsule with its throwbacks to Anders’ teen years and the music he & the people he grew up with listened to (Depeche Mode, The Smiths, Madonna, Wham!).
The author has also interestingly incorporated a poem his wife wrote and that does well to pull the story together.
Seemingly a simple story on face value, it does deal with some heavy hitting topics; loss, guilt, repression, the downward spiral of alcohol abuse, bereavement and even the less savory thoughts and feelings a parent might struggle with when dealing with a more than averagely complicated child. I liked ‘Let the Right One in’ a bit better as this story sometimes had an issue of pacing for me, but it’s still more than worth a read for fans of Lindqvist.
August 14, 2020
John Ajvide Lindqvist is known as a Swedish writer of horror novels, before becoming a published writer he was a magician and stand-up comedian. So, naturally my thinking was that his novel would incorporate fun and funny elements but that’s not to be, you won’t find magical fun or humour in this novel, although the blurb does state ‘a cocktail of suspense and bizarre humour,’ haha, I can agree with that, bizarre alright.
I rarely read horror but as this was my international male author challenge book I wanted to read an author from a country other than England and America and this was the only book sitting on my bookshelves (sad, I know).
If I dare to read a horror book I honestly want to be scared silly, I want a story that sends a chill across my skin and, makes my spine tingle, but there was no tingle, no chill, I was only mildly creeped out, nothing terrifying in the slightest which was a bit of a bummer.
Still, the claustrophobic remote island in the Swedish archipelago, the eerie atmosphere, the ominous sea, and the freakish wormwood thingy will keep the reader slightly jittery and transfixed until the final page is turned.
A good thrillery story with supernatural elements. Creepy enough but won’t give you nightmares.
*Book #8 of the 2020 International male author challenge
I rarely read horror but as this was my international male author challenge book I wanted to read an author from a country other than England and America and this was the only book sitting on my bookshelves (sad, I know).
If I dare to read a horror book I honestly want to be scared silly, I want a story that sends a chill across my skin and, makes my spine tingle, but there was no tingle, no chill, I was only mildly creeped out, nothing terrifying in the slightest which was a bit of a bummer.
Still, the claustrophobic remote island in the Swedish archipelago, the eerie atmosphere, the ominous sea, and the freakish wormwood thingy will keep the reader slightly jittery and transfixed until the final page is turned.
A good thrillery story with supernatural elements. Creepy enough but won’t give you nightmares.
*Book #8 of the 2020 International male author challenge
February 17, 2018
Vilken berättare han är, den där Ajvide Lindqvist. Tycker dock inte han lyckas få ihop trådarna lika snyggt som i Låt den rätte komma in. Var besviken på slutet.
Nu har jag drömt mardrömmar flera nätter i rad. Och mitt harhjärta säger tack&hej till light-skräck för den här gången.
Nu har jag drömt mardrömmar flera nätter i rad. Och mitt harhjärta säger tack&hej till light-skräck för den här gången.
February 5, 2012
It's a very different novel than
Let the Right One In
. Not just because it's a different subject and pace, it almost feels like it was written by a different author. Of course it is the same author, but it is a new translator. I had assumed that a translator just took the original text and translated it. Word x becomes y etc. Maybe move them about a bit to correct the grammar, but that was it. Turns out I may have underestimated that role pretty seriously unless Lindqvist is changing his style from novel to novel. While my review of Let the Right One In suggested that I thought the characters came across as a bit clinical, this one is much more character driven. This novel is slower and that seems to give Lindqvist/Delargy more scope to develop the world that Lindqvist has created. Most of the story is explained through flashbacks and exposition provided through one character telling a story from their own past. Lindqvist seems to accept that this can sometimes be an unsatisfactory method of exposition, and even apologises at the start, yet it never feels forced or overly deliberate.
The story itself is about the island of Domarö, a fictional island in a fictional archipelago off the coast of Sweden, and the pact that exists between its residents and the sea. The central character is Anders, an alcoholic, who is drawn back to the island where his young daughter, Maya, disappeared a couple of years before. Slowly, with his grandmother's partner Simon, he uncovers the history of the island and the individual relationships that many of it's residents have with the island and the sea around it. Eventually, Anders hopes, allowing him to find out what happened to his daughter. Although it's a supernatural story, it doesn't feel as dark or as 'gothic' as Let the Right One In, instead the supernatural powers seem more natural, almost incidental.
The story itself is about the island of Domarö, a fictional island in a fictional archipelago off the coast of Sweden, and the pact that exists between its residents and the sea. The central character is Anders, an alcoholic, who is drawn back to the island where his young daughter, Maya, disappeared a couple of years before. Slowly, with his grandmother's partner Simon, he uncovers the history of the island and the individual relationships that many of it's residents have with the island and the sea around it. Eventually, Anders hopes, allowing him to find out what happened to his daughter. Although it's a supernatural story, it doesn't feel as dark or as 'gothic' as Let the Right One In, instead the supernatural powers seem more natural, almost incidental.
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