- Paperback: 528 pages
- Publisher: Vintage; New edition edition (1 April 2004)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0099455463
- ISBN-13: 978-0099455462
- Product Dimensions: 17.6 x 11 x 3.4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 336,277 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
The Return Of The Dancing Master
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Product Description
Review
'Mankell is by far the best writer of police mysteries today. He is in the great tradition of those whose works transcend their chosen genre to become thrilling and moral literature' Michael Ondaatje 'Sweden's lord of criminal misrule at the top of his grimly engrossing game' Boyd Tonkin, Independent 'Questions of responsibility and morality, of justice and democracy, are explicitly raised. And this is unusual in detective fiction. Superbly translated by Laurie Thompson, I found this book a worthy successor to the Wallander whodunits' Ian Thomson, Sunday Telegraph 'The new cast are introduced with customary brilliance, and the political edge suggests a fine new direction from this immense talent' Scotland on Sunday 'Dancing Master is absorbing, chilling and dripping with evil atmosphere' The Times 'A worthy successor to the Wallander whodunits' Sunday Telegraph 'Mankell is the master of the slow burn, and The Return of the Dancing Master makes us crave more of his misty, haunted atmosphere' Boyd Tonkin, Independent 'Follows the Mankell formula but with a unique twist' London Review of Books
Book Description
'Mankell is by far the best writer of police mysteries today. He is in the great tradition of those whose works transcend their chosen genre to become thrilling and moral literature' Michael Ondaatje
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
31 of 31 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I wasn't overjoyed when I discovered that Mankell's latest novel doesn't feature Inspector Kurt Wallander, but within a couple of chapters I'd forgotten all about Ystad's favourite detective and become fully engrossed in the dark forests of northern Sweden. Apart from Mankell's gripping plots - and this one is as good as any - it is his sense of place that makes his novels so compelling. I don't normally read crime fiction, but like writers like Henning Mankell and Ian Rankin because their well-written, intelligent novels transcend the genre. Prepare to be bleary-eyed in the morning, because this novel is very hard to put down.
51 of 52 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I don't know what it is that has suddenly caused this rise in recognition of foreign writers, but it can only be a good thing. Jose Carlos Somoza, Boris Akunin, Karin Fossum, Carlo Lucarelli, and the Dark Wintry King of them all, Henning Mankell, who is increasingly a phenomena. His books fly off the shelves on mainland Europe, he's mobbed in the streets in his native Sweden, in Germany he apparently outsells J.K. Rowling (it's about time someone did), and half-Swedish Ruth Rendell has taken the trouble to read all the novels in their original language, admiring the fascinating procedural detail, which is just one of Mankell's strengths. He never shies from portraying the dull of aspects of routine police-work, but somehow manages to put such a spin on them as to make them interesting. And although The Return of the Dancing Master is a departure from his ever-better Kurt Wallander series - although it may as well not be, for how similar and ominously gloomy the two different protagonists are, it is just as excellent, and probably even better.
Retired policeman Herbert Molin lives a hermetic existence in a lonely house in the middle of a North-Sweden forest. Whatever he's hiding from, he's eluded it for 11 years, occupying himself with his fears, his jigsaw puzzles, and his dancing. Then, one day he is found beaten and lashed, lying dead in the snow on the edge of the wood. In his house, bloody footprints pattern the floor, marking out the steps of his favourite dance, the tango.
Retired policeman Herbert Molin lives a hermetic existence in a lonely house in the middle of a North-Sweden forest. Whatever he's hiding from, he's eluded it for 11 years, occupying himself with his fears, his jigsaw puzzles, and his dancing. Then, one day he is found beaten and lashed, lying dead in the snow on the edge of the wood. In his house, bloody footprints pattern the floor, marking out the steps of his favourite dance, the tango.
When Stefan Lindman, on sick-leave and obsessed with death having recently been diagnosed with cancer, reads of his old colleagues murder, he ventures north to the forests of Molin's retreat in order to try and find out more about who killed him, and in doing so places himself into a bleak investigation that stretches itself back to the evil acts of the second world war, and forces him to confront uncomfortable truths about his modern-day Sweden.
I can well see how Mankell's books, this one in particular, may not be suited to all. The Return of the Dancing Master - this title has quickly jumped to the top of my "Favourite Book Titles" list - is a dark, bleak and intense book with a heavy, dark atmosphere. There is little sunlight to be glimpsed anywhere, literally or metaphorically. So this is not for people who like their fiction light and happy, but more melancholy and affecting.
Sweden is evoked brilliantly, which is important as setting is one of the three necessary factors required in order to make a crime book effective, the other two being plot and character, where Mankell succeeds as well. The vast lonely forests of Northern Sweden contribute effectively to the bleakness (as you can tell, "bleak" is very much a watch-word here) of the book, and it is clear that Mankell has a very good handle on his country, and although is fond of it, shows us the things which worry him about modern Sweden, which he has said he thinks is a "pretty average" society. Here we are treated to bigotry, racism and neo-Nazism in pretty heavy doses, which makes for some disturbing scenes, and along with the atmosphere and the morbidity-obsessed lead character, it all correlates into a pretty dark book. Dark but brilliant, though. Mankell is an incredibly powerful writer, and that gift is on display here right from the beginning. The prologue gives us a vision of the executions of Nazi war criminals in 1945, and then in the first chapter we read terrified yet gripped by the throat as a scared, lonely old man's isolated home is assaulted in the dark, the windows shot out and he himself slaughtered.
The Return of the Dancing Master is bleak, yes, but it is fascinating, chilling, with the traditional flawed-hero (just what IS it about these kinds of people???) and it's refreshingly unformulaic. The plot is not once predictable, and constantly shifts beneath the reader to create a kind of gutsy suspense and a great pace. It's not quite perfect (there are a couple of kinks in the translation, I think, but that's forgivable) but apart from that it nearly is! A dark, excellent story by an incredibly talented writer, and I am absolutely sure that this will end up as one of my favourite reads of the year. If you want to try Mankell, start here. Whatever the price, the experience of this is well-worth it.
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
After so many Wallander novels, I wasn't sure I was going to like readingabout another detective, but you soon get to like Stefan Lindman who goesnorth to think about his mortality after being diagnosed with cancer andat the same time gets more involved in a murder investigation than heintends to.
This novel has all the usual Mankell hallmarks: grislymurders, down to earth detectives, and the landscape of Sweden.
The plot will keep you guessing until the very end. There are plenty ofblind alleys and a whole series of clues that only add together at thelast minute.
As usual, the plot gathers speed dramatically near theend, so you'll need to prepare a little time because once that happens,you won't be able to put it down.
The only mild disappointment is that the character of Lindman's girlfriendis rather underdeveloped, but it's fairly typical of Mankell toconcentrate heavily on his main character.
Overall, one of the best Henning Mankell novels I've read.
This novel has all the usual Mankell hallmarks: grislymurders, down to earth detectives, and the landscape of Sweden.
The plot will keep you guessing until the very end. There are plenty ofblind alleys and a whole series of clues that only add together at thelast minute.
As usual, the plot gathers speed dramatically near theend, so you'll need to prepare a little time because once that happens,you won't be able to put it down.
The only mild disappointment is that the character of Lindman's girlfriendis rather underdeveloped, but it's fairly typical of Mankell toconcentrate heavily on his main character.
Overall, one of the best Henning Mankell novels I've read.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
not Wallander but a splendid read
I was dubious at first in selecting The Return of the Dancing Master because I liked the Wallander series, however, Mankell is such a good author I thought I'd take the risk. Read more
Published 2 months ago by karen compston
Fantastic!
I loved this book. Ordered in error thinking it was part of the fantastic Wallander series I very nearly didn't read it. What a mistake that would have been! Read more
Published 2 months ago by Norbert
Good, but not Wallander
I had previously read two Wallander novels by Henning Mankell, and enjoyed all of the various Wallander TV series. Read more
Published 7 months ago by John Williams
Dancing Master
Henning Mankells usual parallel time line stuff leads to a complex thriller with a bunch of unlikeable Swedes. Hard to find any social kinship with any of these folk. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Camillo
Return of the Dancing Master
Henning Mankell is a master in the art of crime mystery. If you enjoy the Wallander stories, as I do,then you will certainly enjoy Lindman in this exciting book. Read more
Published 18 months ago by A. G. Austin
Great book shame no one proof read the Kindle Edition
As ever a great book from Henning Mankell, but this Kindle editon is one of the worst for annoying spelling mistakes. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Fiona Grant
More than a just a good detective novel
I have read most of Henning Mankell's novels, including all of the excellent Wallander series and have come to appreciate what a very good writer he is. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Bluebell
Good but no wallender
Well written, gripping but the hero is no wallender and the politics is a little heavy handed.
Published 21 months ago by Dr. Steven R. D. French
Superbe dark atmospheric
Not a Wallander book - but something more disturbing
still the country side follows you and makes itself part of the story
Absolutly fantastic
still the country side follows you and makes itself part of the story
Absolutly fantastic
Published 21 months ago by Ms. K. M. J. Gatelet
brilliant - again
No need for a review when it gets this good - simply more of the same high suspense, brilliant story line all coupled with decent prose.
Published 23 months ago by R. Harris
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