kiniasobieczyta's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
vela_the_great's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
thebooktrail88's review
5.0
Visit the locations in the novel
There are some writers who have that innate skill of mixing comedy, horror and that close to the knuckle, tongue in cheek characterization and yet still manages to bring the unexpected. There have been books about Finnish beaches, flamingos, mushrooms and..well now we have a UFO in the sky above a small Finnish village….
Could I love Antti Tuomainen any more? What writer not only reshapes genres and expectations but smashes them and remoulds them himself? This is one funny and dark twisty read and I loved it!
This is one of those books where it’s so hard to say much as you don’t want to spoil anything or give anything away. What I can say, is that the writing is as sharp and spot on as usual, the turn of phrase witty and smart.
This read like a film in the vein of Fargo. Minimal setting – and what we did see was fictional – but it’s so real, so vivid, and so claustrophobic that you feel sucked in from the start. From the moment that white light appears in the sky, I was transfixed.
What would happen if a meteorite fell to earth? What would your reaction be? Who would be interested in getting a piece of it? Who would be interested in trying to get some publicity for their find? Could the village make money from this remarkable event? Some want to captilize on the event and others don’t. It’s put in a museum under the protection of a priest. Sounds crazy right? Oh but that’s just the start of a wonderful ride through the Fargo Finnish landscape.
That landscape is dark, compelling and claustrophobic. The cover illustrates the book well – but what there is to see is a village in the middle of nowhere, with only a few characters, thoughts in their heads providing the only path ahead for the reader. It’s a deadly dark and dangerously good reading experience!
Ah the joy of this novel still makes me feel the goosebumps now! What a fine and very funny novel that was. As for the ending! – haha hear that slap? That was me slapping Antti on the back and high-fiving him. Deliciously dark this one but what a treat! A Finnish treat of dark, black comedy wrapped up in fantasy and folklore. It also raises some very interesting questions – what does drive a person to keep a secret or want to reveal it? How much are we interested in ourselves and don’t see how things can affect others? Most of all, when one event begins, how can we be sure it’s not going to snowball?
Mr Toumainen – I need more of your quirky unique reads. They defy expectation, genre and are out of this world.
x_tora's review against another edition
I didn't really like the main character and couldn't connect with the plot.
cat80324's review against another edition
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
emilymsimpson's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
nomikis's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
shortthoughts's review against another edition
3.0
This is contemporary Finnish fiction. The book is a dark humor suspense novel. The plot is well constructed with elements of mystery, such as red herrings. Not my favorite genre, but it was an enjoyable read.
yvo_about_books's review against another edition
4.0
Finished reading: October 9th 2019
"It seems that the turning points in our lives are always associated with a strange combination of the banal and the extraordinary, like watching a spaceship land in a perfectly everyday landscape."
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Anne Cater and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
Spoiler
The first thing that people seem to mention when it comes to Antti Tuomainen's recent books is the way he is able to introduce dark comedy more than successfully into an already solid crime thriller. Nordic noir with a healthy dose of blacker-than-black humor? You can definitely count me in for that! I've been looking forward to finally discover his work for some time now, and while I thought it was going to be my pink and fabulous copy of Palm Beach Finland, I'm more than happy my first introduction has been Little Siberia in the end. I definitely understand all that buzz around this Finnish dark comedy magician now!
So, dark comedy. Humor is basically a tricky element to introduce in any story, as it is extremely hard to get the tone and type of humor just right. Not everyone likes the same kind of humor, and black humor can go wrong real fast and even become offensive to some readers in a blink of an eye... I'm personally all for dark comedy and sarcasm when done right, and there is one thing for sure: Antti Tuomainen knows how to handle his humor. Sharp, hilarious and blacker than those seemingly endless Finnish nights... Oh yes, Antti Tuomainen's humor is definitely right up my alley. He is not only able to make me chuckle with his wittily wicked comments, but somehow he is also able to combine it flawlessly with one of my favorite genres. Humor and crime are not exactly natural partners, no matter how dark that humor might be, but Little Siberia makes you realize just how well both work together when someone who knows what he's doing takes the reins.
That's not the only thing that stands out in Little Siberia though. The remote and small town Hurmevaara up in Northern Finland is without doubt the perfect setting for this story. The descriptions of the setting are thorough, plentiful and really make the story come alive for me. The remoteness, the cold, the closeness to the Russian border... It all plays a carefully crafted role in the plot and Hurmevaara isn't just an ordinary setting that could be swapped with a different town. Instead, Hurmevaara almost feels like yet another character of this story and its existence is basically essential to the plot. That same plot is both highly original, addictive and basically an emotional rollercoaster ride. The basics of this story are actually quite simple, but you soon realize that the finale of Little Siberia is constantly being dangled in front of you like a carrot, while at the same time little plot twist bones are being thrown your way to keep you hungry for more. Less in more in this case, although it is true that we still have quite a cast of characters to juggle.
What I love of this story is that the main character Joel is actually a priest. Quite unexpected and without doubt the driving force behind the successful introduction of humor into the plot... Joel has a fascinating history and his development is undeniably key to the story. Through his character, we are introduced both to the crime element and the more poignant story of his home life. After recent events, Joel is forced to fight for what he thinks is right, and decides to play both security guard and amateur detective to do so. This leads to all kinds of witty, awkward and even dangerous situations, and Little Siberia consequently has a healthy dose of action, suspense and violence in store for you. Things WILL escalate and you will find yourself biting your nails long before the end is in sight... Always having that wicked humor thrown in to ease the tension just when you think you are about to explode. Little Siberia has a very eclectic and well developed mix of characters to enjoy as well, each adding a little something to the plot and the story is all the more interesting because of them. On top of that, Little Siberia most definitely ends with a bang!
Before I stop today's rambles, a big thank you is in place to David Hackston for enabling us to enjoy this fantastic story through his flawless translation. We are so lucky to have fantastic translators out there who make it possible for us to enjoy our dose of Nordic Noir to the fullest! And there is no doubt that Little Siberia is a little gem. If you like your humor dark and your Nordic Noir lighting fast, bloodchilling and touching at the same time, Little Siberia is simply a must-read. It's like a big black bowl of delicious and hilarious crime magic!
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
melaniesreads's review against another edition
5.0
I like things that are offbeat, quirky and with a little bit of dark. Films, people, music, books. If it’s different I’m in. For someone who is an atheist I also really like religious undertones, The testament of Gideon Mack and The Shack being great examples.
Well this book has it all and then some, a great protagonist in Joel ex military chaplain and now sterile priest whose wife is pregnant. (Miracle conception I think not!). A rare meteorite falling from the sky through the car of a drunk lunatic driver and then as if that isn’t enough Antti has added in some highly dubious Russians and a femme fatale.
This was my first Scandi noir and the setting felt so cold and remote I was worried it might set off my Raynauds. So heating on and a hot cup of tea made I settled in not knowing what to expect. Well I certainly did not expect it to start with a suicidal drunk mission and go on to people accidentally blowing themselves up!
This is a little gem, philosophical in nature it questions faith and losing it, how well you know people you see all the time, what lengths people go to for money and what is really important.
If you liked the films In Bruges, Fargo and Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri then you will love this.
I’m now going on the hunt for some more Scandi noir.
Well this book has it all and then some, a great protagonist in Joel ex military chaplain and now sterile priest whose wife is pregnant. (Miracle conception I think not!). A rare meteorite falling from the sky through the car of a drunk lunatic driver and then as if that isn’t enough Antti has added in some highly dubious Russians and a femme fatale.
This was my first Scandi noir and the setting felt so cold and remote I was worried it might set off my Raynauds. So heating on and a hot cup of tea made I settled in not knowing what to expect. Well I certainly did not expect it to start with a suicidal drunk mission and go on to people accidentally blowing themselves up!
This is a little gem, philosophical in nature it questions faith and losing it, how well you know people you see all the time, what lengths people go to for money and what is really important.
If you liked the films In Bruges, Fargo and Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri then you will love this.
I’m now going on the hunt for some more Scandi noir.