Almost 20 years since he first appeared in Henning Mankel's novel Faceless Killers, the sad Swedish detective Kurt Wallander has become a worldwide success story. Mankel's compelling books about the idealistic police inspector - who is even more miserable that Morse - have sold more than 30 million copies in 43 different languages and inspired more than 25 film adaptations. In Europe, readers took instantly to the troubled, lonely cop with his horrendous health problems and catastrophic home life. The nine Wallander novels became runaway bestsellers all over Europe, but in Britain and the United States success was slower to take off. But now, since Kenneth Branagh has taken on the central role in the acclaimed and award-winning BBC series, British and American fans have really taken Wallander to their hearts. The popularity of the character has turned the small Swedish town of Ystad into one of the country's top tourist attractions and many British and American visitors are joining the queue to visit murder scenes and immerse themselves in the bleak landscape made famous on screen. Yet Wallander is much more than just another TV crime series. Henning Mankel invented the caring policeman as a vehicle to write about the disturbing increase in violence and racism that was undermining the comfortable social democracy of Sweden. Those problems are as international as Wallander's appeal.
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Stafford Hildred is one of Britain's best-known television critics and showbusiness writers, with a long career in the media. He has previously written and co-written an array of bestselling biographies whose subjects include John Thaw, David Beckham, Roy Keane, Rod Stewart and Jamie Oliver.
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful
By S. Morris
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I had a feeling that this was going to be disappointing. And for me personally, it was.
The book takes a whistle-stop tour of each of the Wallander novels, as well as a (very)brief look at the Branagh/BBC series. Fans of the books or the series will learn nothing new - pretty much everything comes from already available sources. There is some attempt at 'analysis' of the Wallander character, but it is generally very simplistic stuff.
The Swedish version of the series is almost completely ignored, apart from a few lines in the introduction, where the author states: "Krister Henriksson has built up a significant following in Britain thanks to the BBC4 screenings of some of his Wallander films. His action is certainly more convincing than his improbable hair colour". Actually Mr Hildred, the BBC have screened ALL of Henriksson's Wallander films.
Wallander fans will almost certainly want to pick this book up because there is little else out there. But don't expect anything very deep or much in the way of originality or even extensive research. Because it isn't there.
This joins a lot of books from the same publisher (check out "The Man Who Left Too Soon - The Biography of Steig Larsson", a misleading title if ever there was one) - little more than lazy cash-in's.
The book takes a whistle-stop tour of each of the Wallander novels, as well as a (very)brief look at the Branagh/BBC series. Fans of the books or the series will learn nothing new - pretty much everything comes from already available sources. There is some attempt at 'analysis' of the Wallander character, but it is generally very simplistic stuff.
The Swedish version of the series is almost completely ignored, apart from a few lines in the introduction, where the author states: "Krister Henriksson has built up a significant following in Britain thanks to the BBC4 screenings of some of his Wallander films. His action is certainly more convincing than his improbable hair colour". Actually Mr Hildred, the BBC have screened ALL of Henriksson's Wallander films.
Wallander fans will almost certainly want to pick this book up because there is little else out there. But don't expect anything very deep or much in the way of originality or even extensive research. Because it isn't there.
This joins a lot of books from the same publisher (check out "The Man Who Left Too Soon - The Biography of Steig Larsson", a misleading title if ever there was one) - little more than lazy cash-in's.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
By Derby fan
Format:Hardcover
At Last.
I've thoroughly enjoyed reading some of Henning Mankel's Wallander crime stories but I've often been confused because the books came out in such a confusing order. One moment the miserable detective was mourning the sudden death of his father and the next the old boy was alive and well again. Now this absorbing companion to the Wallander stories makes everything clear and provides lots of fascinating background information. I'm going to start again with the books and go through them in the right order and I'm sure this time I'll get lots more enjoyment. Thanks very much.
I've thoroughly enjoyed reading some of Henning Mankel's Wallander crime stories but I've often been confused because the books came out in such a confusing order. One moment the miserable detective was mourning the sudden death of his father and the next the old boy was alive and well again. Now this absorbing companion to the Wallander stories makes everything clear and provides lots of fascinating background information. I'm going to start again with the books and go through them in the right order and I'm sure this time I'll get lots more enjoyment. Thanks very much.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Mr. D. Pyke
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Having read some of the novels (out of order due to the stupid way in which they have been published in the UK) this book has been invaluable in filling the gaps in Wallander's timeline. As soon as I can acquire the entire series I will read them again, this time in order. In the meantime, this book will do to keep me going.
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