Stefan Spjut

Verano de 1978. Durante unas vacaciones en los bosques de Dalecarlia, Suecia, un niño desaparece sin dejar rastro. Su madre insiste en que un gigante se lo llevó. Pero nadie le cree.1987, Parque Nacional de Sarek, LaponiaUn fotógrafo naturalista toma una extraña foto desde su avioneta. La imagen muestra a un oso corriendo por la llanura con una criatura agarrada a su espalda. A un primer golpe de vista, se diría que es un niño, pero una observación más detenida muestra algo desconcertante: su cuerpo está cubierto de pelo y luce una larga cola. Se asemeja a un mono, pero está claro que no lo es. No es un ser humano, pero tampoco un animal conocido.2004, Kiruna, LaponiaSusso dirige una página web sobre criptozoología dedicada a la búsqueda de seres cuya existencia no ha sido probada, como el Yeti o el monstruo del lago Ness. Pero Susso tiene una obsesión: los trolls, una obsesión que heredó de su abuelo, un conocidofotógrafo. Cuando una mujer afirma haber visto a una criatura inquietante frente a su casa observando a su nieto de cinco años, Susso toma su cámara dispuesta a resolver el misterio.… (mere)

Dual review with Swedish first and then English!

SWEDISH REVIEW

Stalpi är uppföljaren till Stallo som kom några år sedan. 10 år har gått sedan barnarövaren Lennart Brösth åkte fast i första boken, nu har han rymt från psyket och Gudrun är orolig att han kommer ge sig på Susso då hon var den som gjorde att hans sekt förintades. Susso däremot har dragit sig undan från världen och lever i en lite stuga lång från allt och alla. Men så stöter Gudrun på Sussos barndomskamrat Diana och Gudrun ber Diana att åka och checka Susso. Tyvärr lyckas Diana åka dit vi absolut fel tidpunkt...

Stalpi är en intressant om än komplex bok, Jag måste erkänna att trots att det bara var några månader sedan jag läste Stallo var början av boken en aning osammanhängande och det tog ett tag för mig att komma ihåg vilka alla dessa människor vad och vad som hände i Stallo. Det hjälpte inte att att de norska karaktärerna pratade norska i boken. Jag gillar språket, men läsa det hejdar tyvärr bokens flyt. Till skillnad från Stallo kändes dock denna bok mycket strukturerad utan en massa onödiga detaljer. Dock, var jag inte så intresserad av Anders berättelse i denna bok. Föredrog at läsa om vad som hände med Susso och Diana.

Stalpi läses bäst efter att man har läst Stallo, då har man en bakgrundsbild och det är lättare att hänga med i handlingen i denna bok. Jag tycker dock att man inte riktigt fick svar på allting i denna bok, fick en känsla av att detta är bara början...

Tack till Albert Bonniers Förlag för recensionsexemplaret!

ENGLISH REVIEW

A wolf is captured and transported south. But, the car never reaches its destination and the men who come into contact with the animal will it end badly for. Anders is undergoing a transformation that scares away his family and one day is a strange woman is in his bed. She speaks of a village in northern Lapland, which has been devastated by lots of suicides. Now other people have moved in there and she wants them to go. But, of course, they can come empty-handed.

Susso and Diana were once close friends. Then, they drifted apart. Diana moved to the coast and became a doctor, Susso stayed and became nothing. Besides troll hunters of course. At least that was what the newspapers wrote. When Diana's travels to her old friend who has isolated herself outside of Vittangi doesn't she suspect that she gets into something she can never get out from and that it will have devastating consequences for those she loves.

Sussos mother Gudrun has for years know that the fragile peace will one day be broken and when she learns that child abductor Lennart Brösth has escaped and she is sure that he will come for Susso who was the one behind his arrest and the end of his sect.

Stalpi is one of the Sami languages, many words for wolf and it's on the tracks from this gray creature that plot revolves in Stefan Spjuts new novel. This stand-alone story is connected to Stallo and it's a second part of the Norrbotten legend of Susso Myrén and the curse that hangs over her family.

If you believe in trolls then you are just weird, but if you know that they exist, then you are cursed.

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Stalpi is the sequel to Stallo that came a few years ago. Ten years have passed since child kidnapper Lennart Brösth was caught in the first book, now he has escaped from and Gudrun is worried that he will attack Susso when she was the one that destroyed his sect and the one behind his capture. Susso however, has withdrawn from the world and lives in a little cottage far from everything and everyone. But, then Gudrun encounters Susso's childhood friend Diana and Gudrun asks Diana to go and check Susso. Unfortunately, Diana manages to get there in the worst time possible.

Stalpi is an interesting albeit complex book, I must admit that even though it was only a few months ago that I read Stallo was the beginning of the book a little disjointed, and it took a while for me to remember who all these people what and what happened in Stallo. It did not help that the Norwegian characters spoke Norwegian in the book. I like the language, but reading it stops, unfortunately, the books flow. However, contrary to Stallo did this book feel much more structured without a lot of unnecessary details. Nonetheless, I was not so interested in Anders story in this book. I much preferred Susso and Diana's storyline.

I think that Stalpi is best read after you have read Stallo, then you have the background, and it is easier to keep up with the plot of this book. However, I did feel that not everything was answered in this book and it feels like this is just the beginning...

Thanks to Albert Bonniers Förlag for the review copy!… (mere)

Stallo is a large human-like creature in the Sami folklore and since the book is about giants that kidnap children is the title quite logical. I listen to this book while working and since it's 600 page long was the book around 25 hours long to listen to. However, by accelerating the speed to max did I manage to finish it a bit faster. And, I had a pretty good reason to wanting to speed up the story. I have never before had the speed to max before, but it was the only way for me to finish the book. Not that it was bad. The story in itself was good. However, it could have easily been cut down around 200-300 page by just taking away all the tedious uninteresting stuff that had no bearing on the story. I mean as much as I like board games am I not that interested in listening to how some of the characters playing one on Christmas day. Or, when Susso at work etc. If I had read the book would I have skimmed a lot, unfortunately, I had to listen to most of it. It was just the last 100 pages or so that I read and that I was thankful for since I could finish the book quite fast.

As for the story, I found it intriguing, and I liked how the author manages to connect the story to John Bauer and Sven Jerring. And, the whole Stallo thing with the kidnapping of children reminded me of the tv-series Jordskott and it was one of the reasons why I wanted to read this book. I liked this book, I just didn't love this book and that's because the story would have needed to trim down a bit and making it more flowing. And, it's too bad since I liked finding a Swedish paranormal book about giants.

So, all and all, not a perfect book, but still interesting to read. I do recommend reading it, and not listening to it since you can skim the less interesting parts.

Read this review and others on A Bookaholic Swede… (mere)