In US Bookstores on Oct 11

For discussion of John Ajvide Lindqvist's novel Människohamn
Post Reply
User avatar
danielma
Posts: 1057
Joined: Mon Dec 07, 2009 10:38 pm
Location: Sydney, Australia
Contact:

Re: In US Bookstores on Oct 11

Post by danielma » Wed Aug 24, 2011 12:23 am

Am I the only one who did not want this book to end? Once again, I've read tons of negative feedback about "Harbour" , but I had a great time reading it.
I totally "got" the novel, bonded with the characters and seriously wanted it to go on and on ...and on ....and on...
The only problem I ever had with Harbour came from the establishment of the History of Domaro itself. Which is somewhat of a double edged sword cause on one hand, I really liked the rich history enfused into the island, but at the same time felt it kind of dragged in setting up for the core story of Anders. I felt the first half of the book was a little draggy (if I had to be really honest)...but this was forgiven once the connections all came into play and you started to realize why JAL had spent that time setting these things up. Nothing he sets up in the beginning is redundant, it all ties together and the slow opening pace was very much forgiven on my behalf.

I will admit, I found the opening a little slow at first, there did come a point where I sat there and thought "I don't necessarily care, just get back to the core story of Anders and his daughter", but to its credit, as the book progressed I really got hooked into it and I started to see why he spent that time setting it up. Its kind of the one flaw that I shared with LTROI, that I felt the middle of LTROI was quite draggy and bogged down, but yet once you got past that, it picked up something brilliantly and came together. Same deal with Harbour in many regards.

I like the book very much, and yeah I didn't want to see it end...if anything it just left me thinking "S**t, now I have wait till next year to get my hands on Little Star"
My Blog: Toxic Culture
Neon Maniacs: Link

User avatar
Nightrider
Moderator
Posts: 3546
Joined: Thu Mar 03, 2011 6:02 am
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Contact:

Re: In US Bookstores on Oct 11

Post by Nightrider » Wed Aug 24, 2011 12:59 am

I like the book very much, and yeah I didn't want to see it end...if anything it just left me thinking "S**t, now I have wait till next year to get my hands on Little Star"
That's almost exactly what I thought after I finished reading the book.

As far as slow parts of the novel...I did not get that impression. Every bit of information in "Harbour" appeared justified to me. Surprisingly I did have a bit of trouble traversing "Handling the Undead" which is a much smaller book. I also agree that LTROI had it's draggy moments...but just like "Harbour" those two titles worked out in the end. Good stuff.
Vitaly
http://www.aspca.org/

Visit our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/WeTheInfected

Nobody understands...and of course...how could they?

User avatar
Nightrider
Moderator
Posts: 3546
Joined: Thu Mar 03, 2011 6:02 am
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Contact:

Re: In US Bookstores on Oct 11

Post by Nightrider » Tue Oct 11, 2011 4:27 pm

10-11-11
"Harbor" is officially released in US .


Image
http://www.aspca.org/

Visit our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/WeTheInfected

Nobody understands...and of course...how could they?

User avatar
EEA
Posts: 4739
Joined: Mon May 24, 2010 5:53 pm

Re: In US Bookstores on Oct 11

Post by EEA » Tue Oct 18, 2011 1:00 am

Just finish the book today. I found the beginning a littl tedious since I felt that nothing was happening but then as the story advances I started to want to know what was going to happen. It reminded me of the short story "The Lottery" in which people do not know how the ritual started anymore and just go through the motions. My favorite characters were Simon and Ana-Greta. I just did not feel that much for Anders and his quest. I like that the story goes into the past and present.

User avatar
Bustedstuff15
Posts: 115
Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2011 7:23 pm
Location: Syracuse, NY

Re: In US Bookstores on Oct 11

Post by Bustedstuff15 » Wed Oct 19, 2011 2:47 am

I honestly found the book incredible. It pulled at my heart strings, although in a very different way as LTROI, and proved to me once again how incredible JAL is at combining fantasy and real life situations. I though every character was perfectly developed including Maja, who I seemed to have a real fondness for even though she wasnt in the book all that much. Yes, maybe some parts had dragged on a bit but I find that the case in most good books. It makes the exciting parts more exciting. Some times non stop action is overdone in books and can make them over the top.

I have an empty feeling now that its over honestly.
There’s a darkness upon me that’s flooded in light

User avatar
lombano
Posts: 2993
Joined: Sat Jul 11, 2009 9:56 pm
Location: Xalapa, Mexico
Contact:

Re: In US Bookstores on Oct 11

Post by lombano » Wed Oct 19, 2011 3:37 am

Bustedstuff15 wrote:Maja, who I seemed to have a real fondness for even though she wasnt in the book all that much.
Hmmm, I found Maja a bit of a nightmare kid - don't get me wrong, she didn't deserve what happened, and she clearly wasn't 'horrible' in the way Henrik and Bjoern were, and so on, but I wouldn't want to have a daughter like that.
Bli mig lite.

User avatar
Bustedstuff15
Posts: 115
Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2011 7:23 pm
Location: Syracuse, NY

Re: In US Bookstores on Oct 11

Post by Bustedstuff15 » Wed Oct 19, 2011 4:59 pm

lombano wrote: Hmmm, I found Maja a bit of a nightmare kid - don't get me wrong, she didn't deserve what happened, and she clearly wasn't 'horrible' in the way Henrik and Bjoern were, and so on, but I wouldn't want to have a daughter like that.
Yes she may have been a nightmare kid but she was a KID. She reminded me a bit of myself when I was a kid. But as the book stated she was very imaginative and full of life. If Anders hadnt thought she would one day grow out of it and grow up to be a very special person then he wouldnt have felt so guilty about her dissaperence. You have to remember she was only 8 and really seemed pretty smart for a 8 year old, as seen in her conversation with Anders about God. I think when your 8 years old and think like that, it may be frusterating to get your thoughts out clearly, thus making a kid act out at the things around them.
There’s a darkness upon me that’s flooded in light

User avatar
EEA
Posts: 4739
Joined: Mon May 24, 2010 5:53 pm

Re: In US Bookstores on Oct 11

Post by EEA » Wed Oct 19, 2011 7:29 pm

I was ok with Maja. She was just a troubled kid. By the end of the story I think she has changed. I just did not like Anders that much because partly he was to blame. He was living his own fantasy and making Maja the kid she was not.

User avatar
lombano
Posts: 2993
Joined: Sat Jul 11, 2009 9:56 pm
Location: Xalapa, Mexico
Contact:

Re: In US Bookstores on Oct 11

Post by lombano » Thu Oct 20, 2011 3:50 am

Bustedstuff15 wrote:
lombano wrote: Hmmm, I found Maja a bit of a nightmare kid - don't get me wrong, she didn't deserve what happened, and she clearly wasn't 'horrible' in the way Henrik and Bjoern were, and so on, but I wouldn't want to have a daughter like that.
Yes she may have been a nightmare kid but she was a KID. She reminded me a bit of myself when I was a kid. But as the book stated she was very imaginative and full of life. If Anders hadnt thought she would one day grow out of it and grow up to be a very special person then he wouldnt have felt so guilty about her dissaperence. You have to remember she was only 8 and really seemed pretty smart for a 8 year old, as seen in her conversation with Anders about God. I think when your 8 years old and think like that, it may be frusterating to get your thoughts out clearly, thus making a kid act out at the things around them.
Yes, she was clever and so on, but still. I like that JAL made her like that, otherwise it would've been melodramatic.
EEA wrote:I was ok with Maja. She was just a troubled kid. By the end of the story I think she has changed. I just did not like Anders that much because partly he was to blame. He was living his own fantasy and making Maja the kid she was not.
But it was good that to get Maja back he had to accept her as she really was, not an angel and not someone like Henrik and Björn. That's a recurring theme with JAL, the need to accept someone as s/he really is.
Bli mig lite.

User avatar
Bustedstuff15
Posts: 115
Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2011 7:23 pm
Location: Syracuse, NY

Re: In US Bookstores on Oct 11

Post by Bustedstuff15 » Thu Oct 20, 2011 4:03 am

lombano wrote: That's a recurring theme with JAL, the need to accept someone as s/he really is.[/spoiler]
Yes I completely agree that he is very big on that. i think another theme is the sacrafices we make for the people ( or things) we love.
There’s a darkness upon me that’s flooded in light

Post Reply

Return to “Harbour”