The Redbreast

By: Jo Nesbø

Narrated by: Robin Sachs

Length: 16 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's summary

1944: Daniel, a soldier, legendary among the Norwegians fighting the advance of Bolshevism on the Russian front, is killed. Two years later, a wounded soldier wakes up in a Vienna hospital. He becomes involved with a young nurse, the consequences of which will ripple forward to the turn of the next century.

1999: Harry Hole, alone again after having caused an embarrassment in the line of duty, has been promoted to inspector and is lumbered with surveillance duties. He is assigned the task of monitoring neo-Nazi activities; fairly mundane until a report of a rare and unusual gun being fired sparks his interest. Ellen Gjelten, his partner, makes a startling discovery. Then a former soldier is found with his throat cut. In a quest that takes him to South Africa and Vienna, Harry finds himself perpetually one step behind the killer. He will be both winner and loser by the novel’s nail-biting conclusion.

The Redbreast won the Glass Key prize for the best Nordic crime novel when it was first published, and was subsequently voted Norway’s best crime novel. The Devil’s Star, Nesbø’s first novel featuring Harry Hole to be translated into English, marked Nesbø as a writer to watch in the ever more fashionable world of Nordic crime.

©2007 Jo Nesbo (P)2011 Random House Audio

History and Mystery

This was an excellent Harry Hole story that is laced with neoNazism of current day Norway and the real Nazism of WWII. The book provides a hard look at the actions of Norway citizens and royalty during that era. The mystery is always intriguing in a Jo Nesbo offering. I highly recommend it.

Not as good as "Snowman"

I read Snowman first. Perhaps a mistake. The Redbreast was not quite as good (I thought Snowman was perfect.) However, without the comparison, this is an excellent mystery for those who like the dark and human detectives of the Scandinavian genre.

This is the one that got me hooked on Harry Hole

But what's going on with the pronunciation of Harry's last name?

This review is a little retrospective. It was the first Harry Hole I listened to, and I have followed up with all the others produced by Audible.com to-date.

This book, and its excellent narration, set the hook for me. Harry Hole is a lot like Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch, who was my previous favorite hard-boiled cop/ex-cop. Having now read all but the second in the series (not yet available at this writing), I can say that this book is essential for any fan who loves Scandinavian crime-noir. A much tougher character than Henning Mankell's Kurt Wallander, he is nonetheless every bit the introspective man. Harry's life is indeed a well-examined one. Above all, he is just a basic policeman at heart, no matter what the situation or conflict.

Now, about that pronunciation of Harry's last name. Robin Sachs renders it exactly as if it were the English word "hole", like a hole in the ground. Does that sound a little jarring to you? It did to me. Robin Sachs narrates the majority of the Harry Hole novels, and in each he pronounces the name the same.

Then along came (in order of Audible.com releases) "Nemesis" narrated by Thor Knai. Thor pronounces the name "Hole" as "hOO-la". No dissonance there, sounds a lot more Scandinavian than Robin's pronunciation of the name. "Hole" apparently is a Norwegian word or name. Google Translate has a pronunciation feature, and if you enter "Hole" as Norwegian it is pronounced just like Thor said it. Maybe with less stress on the second syllable, what the dictionaries indicate with an upside-down "e".

OK, so who knows? Then, along came the first Harry Hole novel, "The Bat". It's the first in the order that Jo Nesbø wrote them, but the most recent in order of production by Audible.com. In the opening of that book Harry makes it clear that his name is not pronounced like a hole in the ground. Here's the passage, as it appears in the print version (Random House Canada paperback, ISBN 0307361012):

"The arrivals hall was crowded with travel reps and limousine drivers, holding up signs with names on, but not a Hole in sight. He was on the point of grabbing a taxi when a black man wearing light blue jeans and a Hawaiian shirt, and with an unusually broad nose and dark, curly hair ploughed a furrow between the signs and came striding toward him.

"'Mr Holy, I presume!' he declared triumphantly.

"Harry Hole considered his options. He had decided to spend the first days in Australia correcting the pronunciation of his surname so that he wouldn't be confused with apertures or orifices. Mr Holy however, was infinitely preferable."

Well, you tell me. From Harry's mouth (via a translator) to your ears, or eyes if you read the printed version.

To confuse the matter further, Nesbø spoke at an authors' breakfast in New York earlier this year and, speaking in English, pronounced Harry's name as "hole"! As this is so inconsistent with his own (translated) words in "The Bat" I expect he, like Harry, gets a little tired of correcting people who mispronounce the name. As a single datum, my Swedish friend Pettersson when, in America, pronounces his name as the English name "Peterson". In Swedish, however, it is far different, more like "Pedder Shown".

Anyway, you'll learn to roll with the different pronunciations. Robin Sachs is great, the book is great, and there is still at least one untranslated Harry Hole book out there to look forward to. You'll love them all.

Robin Sachs is the voice of Harry Hole.

I love the Harry Hole series. May I have more please and if you can have the books narrated by Robin Sachs. The other narrators suck.

Wonderfully well written book

If you could sum up The Redbreast in three words, what would they be?

Twisting, excellent plotting

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Redbreast?

The whole book is memorable because it is so different than the regular rubbish sold in airports across the nation. Jo Nesbo gives you a thought provoking plot with twists and turns that are completely unanticipated. You can't miss one page or you will loose the story. Excellent writing and a very complex storyline. I loved it and wished more authors, including myself were able to tie things together so well.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

Any additional comments?

Americans will be shocked at how well this novel is written.

Awesome story with perfectly manipulated narration

I've been attracted to Jo's Harry Hole series since the first contact with Snowman. One who enjoyed jo's books will feel right at home in this one. This is the first audiobook in the series I purchased. I could hear the effort the narrator made to assign unique, accurate voices for different characters. To my surprises, the narrator also pronounced the Norwegian names and places in native ways.

A unique but effective undertaking

A unique story if compared with others in the Hole series. Nesbo is a brilliant storyteller and I have yet to find a flaw in his craft. He knows his characters. He breathes such life into all of them and I have enjoyed getting to know Nesbo's Oslo.

Fast-paced thriller

What did you love best about The Redbreast?

Complex, believable plot with a lot of twists and turns.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

After a slow start, it's very fast-paced.

What does Robin Sachs bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He brought the characters to life

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, too involved, need a break to digest the plot

Any additional comments?

I particularly enjoyed learning about Norway's WW II history and the involvement of some of its citizens with the Nazis. Nesbo's writing puts the reader into the middle of the action and gives the story an immediacy not often achieved by authors.

Jo Nesbo is a new favorite!

This is my second book by Jo Nesbo (read The Snowman earlier), and I am just blown away. It is rare to add an author to my all-time favorites list. I love to listen to thrillers and smart mysteries during my commute to work. Jo Nesbo provides all that I require and so much more. If you enjoy characters like Lisbeth Salander, Harry Bosch and Jack Reacher, you will love Harry Hole. I can't wait to get to know him better with more audible books. I even had several chuckles when Harry would think or say something that I thought was so witty, clever and "spot on" for the occasion. I wouldn't have minded if this book had been twice the length.

Now for the story -- wow. I definitely did not know much about Norway's history of fighting alongside the Nazi's on the Eastern Front during the war, and Norway's recent events with a re-emergence of neo-nazism among a segment of its population. The pacing of the "mystery" was so well done. I can't remember the last time I couldn't wait to get up and go to work so that I could listen to more of the audiobook.

Robin Sachs is "Harry Hole" in my mind. No one else could do it better. I love his delivery and enjoyed learning the Norwegian pronunciation of locations and names.

Please Mr. Nesbo, keep up the excellent writing. I can't wait to devour your book. I have already bought several books for friends with the same reading interests as me. I want my friends and family to associate me with their introduction to Harry Hole.

Well done!!

Slow burn

This was very slow for the first half of the book, but worth the patience for the second half. Good story.