On one level, a study of time and the control it exerts on people. On another level a story of oppression and rebellion in a school for disturbed children.
Borderliners (Harvill Panther)
and over 1.5 million other books are available for Amazon Kindle . Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. Learn more. |
Book Description
Product details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, and more.
Product Description
About the Author
PETER HOEG was born in 1957 and followed various callings - dancer, actor, fencer, sailor, mountaineer - before he turned seriously to writing. He published his first novel in 1988, a book which was acclaimed in Denmark by Information as evidence enough that Hoeg was "the foremost writer of his generation". It is now published in English as The History of Danish Dreams. With the publication of his crime novel Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow he achieved an international reputation and found a settled place on the bestseller lists.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
45 of 45 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
Although this story is more than a rebellion against the system, Peter Hoeg's tender account of life in the Danish Care system thirty years ago is a stunning and emotional journey. The three main characters are not just rebelling against the system, but are fighting everything, even time itself.
Hoeg is one of those writers who seems to capture moments that we all understand and have experienced and uses them to take us into situations that we could never understand or experience.
This is one of the few books that has actually made me cry. The three main characters (all children) are sensitvely written, and the language is so beautiful that you want to wash it around your mouth like a good wine.
Please read this book, it is wonderful, especially as an introduction to Peter Hoeg's writing. I cannot recommend this book more highly.
Format:Kindle Edition
I am surprised that there are so few reviews for this difficult and troubling book. Having read a number of Hoeg's books, I would see this as his finest work.
It's not easy, it's painful but i have read it a number of times and always find it a new and fresh experience. I read it first as a young man back in the 90s and most recently, as a father. Each time it's different.
Hoeg is straining to get to the truth of difficult matters such as time and power particuklarly when exercised between adults and children. Sometimes, it seems taht the words available to him are insufficient. But that only serves to underline the seriousness with which he is struggling to get to the truth.
It's not fun, but it is worth it.
It's not easy, it's painful but i have read it a number of times and always find it a new and fresh experience. I read it first as a young man back in the 90s and most recently, as a father. Each time it's different.
Hoeg is straining to get to the truth of difficult matters such as time and power particuklarly when exercised between adults and children. Sometimes, it seems taht the words available to him are insufficient. But that only serves to underline the seriousness with which he is struggling to get to the truth.
It's not fun, but it is worth it.
By Jamsandwich
Format:Paperback
I read this having enjoyed Miss Smilla. This book is less accessible and, frankly, less enjoyable although it too demonstrates the author's talent for creating a lingering atmosphere of inner tension. The central theme of time, its place in the psyche and its use as a control mechanism in the children's institution described in the book is a fascinating one. The title "Borderliners" (applied to the children in the institution) might just as well be applied to the institution's staff, who also teeter at the brink of the world of the socially acceptable. It causes us to reflect upon the sometimes corrupting influence that institutional life can have on its staff, and the fact that undeniably shocking outcomes have ensued from the actions of those who have come to accept that they (or the system within which they work) must necessarily be acting in others' best interests. Most readers will have experienced some kind of institutional setting even if only as children at a regular school, and will therefore probably find that the book evokes many memories and calls into question many aspects of institutional life that are taken for granted, even in the "nice" places. For those with deeper experience, the book may well be a more disturbing read altogether. Unfortunately, what the book lacks is the "riveting read" factor. It's not bad, but the underlying plot for me was not quite strong enough to hold together the more philosophical musings of the book in a way which retained my attention throughout. Nonetheless as an "ideas" book, it is well worth a read. A word of warning: it isn't particularly cheerful reading as you will have gathered from the descriptions of the plot in other reviews - so don't save it for a day when you're looking forward to a cosy read on the sofa!
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
›
Go to Amazon.com to see all 53 reviews
4.2 out of 5 stars
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Odin's Ravens
Peter Hoeg was born in Copenhagen in 1957, and - despite graduation with a MA in Literature in 1984 - tried a variety of professions before settling on writing. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Craobh Rua
3.0 out of 5 stars
What do you want from a book?
Good story but very emotionally difficult to read in places. If you are expecting more of Smilla you'll be disappointed but if you just want a strange story - read on.
Published on 26 Jan 2010 by Gerard Dagnall
5.0 out of 5 stars
Synopsis
Peter, Katarina, August - three emotionally damaged children in Biehl's experimental school - were all borderliners, that is, they were under assessment by the authorities to... Read more
Published on 13 Oct 2007 by Mary_10
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
