Intriguing

I really enjoyed this well written story, and as an aside learning lots about Norway during the read. I liked not second guessing the plot though it's a straight forward thriller but with flash backs to the Vietnam and Korean wars and Sarajevo. I really enjoyed the old man, whose body and mind are failing him, our tainted hero. The narrative arc from Norway to America, during a chase through Norwegian countryside, is not forced. The characters are well fleshed and I enjoyed the reveals throughout the novel creating even more fully established characterisations. This is not your usual thriller, this has more depth and for a first novel, which I believe it is, it is really rather good.

9 people found this helpful

Captivating on all fronts

Sheldon Horowitz, a Jewish American veteran of the Korean war, lives a tranquil life in the company of his grand-daughter Rhea and her Norwegian husband, Lars. Quiet Oslo, into which he has been absorbed, distant from his traumatic past. [Every now and again we hear mention of the Literaturhuset - a great place to spend hours poring over books (English and Norwegian), hearing a talk or sharing a coffee if you ever ARE in Oslo].

Sheldon, much loved and ageing, is still traumatised by his own war experience and the loss of his son in the Vietnam war. He is constantly struck by what it means to be a Jew in a country which barely knows his people, and in many ways denied complicity with the Nazi occupation and the extermination of more than a third of the tiny Jewish population of just over 2000 people. Sheldon is difficult, obstinate, good humoured and lovable - not necessarily all at the same time...

Their lives are intersected by another divided and traumatised group - both victims and perpetrators among them - Albanian Kosovars, Serbs and others from former Yugoslavia taken into Norway as refugees. Gender, divided loyalties, crime, prior roles and massacres in an ethnic war, influence their violent interactions.

The third group of actors are the Norwegians themselves, represented by sensible but somewhat boring Lars; Sigrid the police commander succesfully breaking the glass ceiling yet still dependant on her father for advice and her not very able male colleagues; and a bunch of simple-minded and ineffectual recreational hunters.

Sigrid is faced with solving a murder, finding and rescuing a young boy, and interpreting Sheldon's behaviour - noble, at times misplaced, and always programmed by memory, experience, trauma and guilt.

Sheldon is always at the centre of this simultaneously incredible but credible story. A delightful book, full of surprises, wit, and wise asides.

A great story, beautifully told, enthralling and inspiring.

5 people found this helpful

You will make excuses to keep listening.

What did you like most about Norwegian by Night?

The main character.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The main character, his depth. I loved him.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Several.

Any additional comments?

The ending was a disappointment at first. I was a bit underwhelmed. However, with hindsight I was actually delighted with it. The story took my hand, led me down the garden path and then slammed the gate in my face.

4 people found this helpful

Excellent, deep and full of suspense

Wonderful story that combines well elements of character, story and historical events.
The story follows an old Jewish American man who recently moved to Norway and his subsequent involvement with "evil".
I enjoyed the flashbacks, the grumpy but lucid and eloquent voice of the old man as well as the fast moving plot. In fact, once I started reading this, I could do little else until I had heard the whole book!
It was time well spent!

2 people found this helpful

Gripping story with an unexpected ending

What made the experience of listening to Norwegian by Night the most enjoyable?

The story contains so many different elements - crime, religion and cultural background, flashbacks, sadness, love, humour. It is a real "page-turner", or whatever the audio equivalent of that is. It is easy to take sides for or against the various lead characters, and almost live their stories with them.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Sheldon - a man in a foreign country, suspected of losing his mind, not blessed with a great deal of tact, but still determined to see right prevail.

Did Sean Mangan do a good job differentiating each of the characters? How?

Some of the characters were easy to distinguish, but others were harder to separate either from other characters or the narrator's 'normal' no-character voice. I felt some of the narrative could have done with a more gentle delivery - rather a lot of the narration is spoken in the same rhythm and spacing (and audible breathing) as Sheldon's character.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Many of the moments when Sheldon and the boy are doing illegal or just silly things together, but the first 'wet' moment in the cupboard is especially moving.

Any additional comments?

The ending seems a bit sudden, and as other reviewers have said, leaves you slightly unsatisfied, but after a while you sort of understand why it finishes like it does. This is a superb book, and as someone with some experience of Norway, I found the places and the people (and their outlook on life) were accurately brought to life through the story. A disturbing listen in places, but well worth it.

1 person found this helpful

Entertaining and Well Constructed

Any additional comments?

I enjoyed this book, particularly the Norwegian setting. The characters were sketched fairly well although not all of them were really three-dimensional.

1 person found this helpful

A multi-layered story - dark, tender and comic

This is confusing to start with but well worth persevering. It asks a lot of the reader but it gives back in abundance. All life's vast questions are here but woven into a story of such wit and wisdom, shot through with compassion and kindness, that it lingers and haunts the mind. Narration makes or breaks audio books for me. This one is beautifully narrated.

A special relationship

Sheldon Horowitz is a wonderful man. Old and frail on the outside but courageous and wise and compassionate inside. His friendship with the little boy and his reflexions on his life and losses are wonderful. This is a very different thriller.

1 person found this helpful

Sorry but the plot just doesn't hold together

I see all the awards and 5 star reviews, but I really don't get it. The writing is often clever and sometimes humourous, but the plot is just a bit of a mess.
The whole premise for an old man setting off with a little boy leaving only a cryptic note is very thin, and the 'chase' through the Norwegian countryside is lacking any real suspense. And there are far too many plot points when you wonder why someone would act in that way - not that it's 'far-fetched', just mundanely stupid. A couple of examples:
A police inspector returns to the 'sealed' crime scene and finds the door to the apartment ajar. Suspecting an intruder she calls for back-up and, instead of alerting the 2 officers on guard in the street outside, enters the apartment alone. Rather than doing a thorough search for the intruder, she starts looking for more evidence and gets hit over the head by the intruder.
And why does the thug who assaulted the police inspector and escapes with the pink box everyone has been looking for, stop at a cafe up the street for a cup of latte only to be captured by the police follow-up squad?
Also there are too many flashbacks at inappropriate times. In the climactic scene (spoiler alert) as our 82 year old hero comes through the door to confront a murderous armed gang (he is armed only with a knife) he notices it is 2:20pm and flashes back to some other past experience that occurred at 2:20pm.
I thought Miller develops some interesting characters but the plot is just too weak to maintain any momentum.
The narrator does a nice job but the material is just not that good.
But this is just my opinion. Lots of smarter people than I have thoroughly enjoyed it.

The book is acceptable but the END.....

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The end! The book ends with a number of unanswered questions and improbable (if not impossible) events.

Would you recommend Norwegian by Night to your friends? Why or why not?

No, it is a book that doesn't give anything to the reader/listener. It is not a bad experience to listen to it, but after doing that you ask yourself: what was the point?

Have you listened to any of Sean Mangan’s other performances? How does this one compare?

It was my first book and probably the last.

Could you see Norwegian by Night being made into a movie or a TV series? Who would the stars be?

It could be a movie because there is some action here and there, as well as a number of interesting flashbacks. But it will not be an Oscar winner. Clint Eastwood could perform as Sheldon.