The Redbreast: A Harry Hole Novel (Harry Hole Series, 3) Mass Market Paperback – August 30, 2011

I am a therapist in part, because I love people's stories. It is an honor to be an intimate part of someones life struggles. This desire carries over into my theatre choices and my reading. I've discovered that mysteries written by writers from other countries tend to delve deeply into character. Another joy of reading foreign authors is that place becomes another finely detailed character. Reading mysteries chronologically beginning with the first introduction of the character is important. Unfortunately, the USA has not imported the first books by Jo Nesbo. So the series by this Norwegian author begins with The Redbreast. It was voted best norwegian crime novel ever.This series centers around Harry Hole who is brilliant, idiosyncratic, lovable and a massive alcoholic. My experience of many alcoholics is that this combination of traits is common. So Harry seems very real. I would suggest this series could be helpful to "experience" the process of getting sober and relapsing. The beginning of The Devil's Star (the 3rd in the USA) is tough to take because, very realistically, he is willing to lose his job and lovely girlfriend to his first priority the bottle. The author's official website opens with a glass of whiskey and two ice cubes circling together.These novels are very psychologically astute. Nemesis (the 2nd USA book) teaches about the manipulations of personality disorders and gets it right. There are the requisite twists and turns that keep the reader guessing. Harry Hole is so compelling that reading the novels one after another is a delight. I paid too much for the fourth book that won't be out until March in the USA that's how committed I am to this series.I think it's important for those who battle the disease of alcoholism to recognize they are worthwhile and lovable. I believe these books can be put to use in this cause. It's also possible that those who are in love with their alcoholic partners, sons and daughters, fathers and mothers will learn something from Harry about not taking things personally, because everything really is all about the self absorbed alcoholic.It's also easy to see the enabling by Harry's boss, who is at his wit's end by the beginning of the third book and has signed the papers to fire him. He wouldn't feel so bad about it if he went to a good Al-Anon meeting and learned about his codependency. Jo Nesbo creates a remarkably accurate picture of the self-destructiveness that goes along in part from carrying a huge burden of pain, too large for the alcoholic's soul. The author also portrays the obsessiveness that makes Harry an excellent detective and hard to live with. Alcohol is certainly a fast release from the grip of obsessiveness. Harry Hole is truly a three dimensional character who is worth your time.

The Redbreast -- as a story -- is really quite good, especially if you are a World War II buff as I am. But make no mistake, this is not a WWII war-espionage thriller, such as written by Joseph Kanon. Far from it. It is a simple police detective story. There are moments of excellent tension and suspense, however. And as is the custom these days, the reader must constantly switch back and forth from 1944 to 2000 for about the first 200 pages, but here the saving grace is the author's correct decision to make all chapters very short. It takes about 100+ pages to figure out what's going on -- about par for today's novels. It's merely a literary technique, and there is no particular need to be critical of this style.Alas, with the exception of 2 or 3 characters, all remaining characters are somewhat paper cut-outs, predictable and one-dimensional -- either all evil or all good, or 100% superficial. Thus, the reader gets none of the great characters in all of Alan Furst's books; none of the subtleties of Gordianus (a detective) in Steven Saylor's Sub Roma Series; way below any character ever developed by Arturo Perez-Reverte; and even little of the superficial but believable characters in Cara Black's sleuth stories set in Paris and featuring Aimee Leduc. It's not that the story is so short as to prevent character development. The book spans over 500 pages.But, even if the characters are so-so, the story is really very good, contemporary and believable in the main. Some of the dialogue is also quite good. Thus, I gave it a 4 rather than the 3 it would otherwise receive for its poor character development.Don Bartlett, the translator, is British. [...] Thus, the English language translation is unremittingly British, often rather humorous when read by an American. (The word "curb" is spelled "kerb," for instance. The book is replete with British colloquialisms.) While not a deterrent to enjoying the story, the British English is off-putting at times. Worse, however, Bartlett's translation may have down-graded what likely was a more erudite and intellectual manuscript in its native Norwegian. Bartlett's language usage has no nuance.All-in-all, I recommend the book. The story moves along nicely, once you understand most of the features of the tale. I think this author has potential. I would encourage him to get an American English translator to upgrade translations sold in the USA from ordinary spoken British English to what his stories may actually deserve -- something above a 14-year old's vocabulary.