Any time I pick up a book originally written in a foreign language, I expect some confusion to come with it.
My first memorable experience was with Stieg Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy, which I read with virtually none of my normal recollection of locations, because they all were spelled something like Vittangigatan and Bellmansgatan.
When I picked up Jo Nesbø’s new release “Midnight Sun” I expected more of the same, as Nesbø is a Norwegian writer and this book takes place in his native country.
I was right, as the book starts off assuming the reader has a basic knowledge of the geography of Norway and its history.
I had neither.
Despite the rocky start to the novel, I fairly quickly oriented myself to the setting and people Nesbø glossed over: the main character arrives in an extremely northern village, Kåsund, and encounters the deeply religious Laestadian people who live there.
Jon, who goes by the alias Ulf, is on the run for reasons that are not immediately apparent.
Nesbø flawlessly uses the flashback/flash-forward method throughout the book to piece together this puzzle.
Jon had been working for The Fisherman, a big-time drug dealer in Oslo, but fled the city after his boss discovered Jon had betrayed him and kept money for himself.
Why Jon had kept the money, as he had been a fairly honest and hardworking employee, is not clear until even later in the novel.
Nevertheless, Jon seeks refuge in a place so remote and north that the sun never sets, hence the title “Midnight Sun,” and finds companions in a local woman, Lea, her son, Knut, and the conniving Mattis, a local drunkard.
Despite the fact the novel was relatively short, the story was bursting with detail.
When I finished it, I felt sufficiently schooled on northern Norway.
Nesbø weaves in seemingly minor details throughout that later crop up as major plot points, while also perfectly balancing secondary storylines with the main character’s plot.
The action was fast-paced but left room for some comedic relief and character development.
My favorite character was Knut, the 10 year-old whose main purpose in the story was to guide Jon around the village and tell knock-knock jokes, if that gives any credence to Nesbø‘s abilities as a character-builder.
While Nesbø does many things well in “Midnight Sun” it’s clear his strengths lie in creating thrills and painting a picture of Norwegian life, not complicated storylines and romances.
The novel held my attention, but I admit the plot was not very original.
Drug dealer double-crosses his boss and then has to go into hiding — we’ve all heard that one before.
Nesbø also felt the need to throw in a completely unnecessary love story between Jon and Lea.
The romance had me banging my head on the book when Jon professed his love in the midst of the most intense moment of the novel.
Overall, I enjoyed “Midnight Sun” as an engaging, quick read.
Nesbø’s book also served as a great introduction to one of the mystery and thriller genres of most prolific writers this century.
I plan on checking out more Nesbø‘s books soon with high expectations and an eagerness to learn more about Norwegian culture.
rarosens@indiana.edu
