If I had not been provided a copy of
The Lion’s Mouth by the publisher I
doubt I would have purchased another Anne Holt mystery.
I had plodded through 1222 wondering all the way why the book
had gained such praise and an Edgar Award nomination.
I loved The Lion’s Mouth and could barely wait to see how the story
unfolded.
Because of the quirks in the
publication of translated books The
Lion’s Mouth was written before 1222
but is only now appearing in English in North America.
I liked Hanne better in The Lion’s Mouth. Her sour disposition in 1222
overshadowed her deducting talents. In The
Lion’s Mouth she is an outgoing vital woman enjoying life. I can understand
the change in her personality because of the shooting that has left her
crippled. However, she is a dispiriting character in 1222.
Hanne has a better supporting
character in The Lion’s Mouth in
BillyT. The huge Oslo detective is emotionally candid and a powerful character.
In 1222 she is aided by Geir Rugholmen.
While a good man he does not fill out the pages like Billy T.
I found the victim in The Lion’s Mouth made for a more
compelling story. It is hard to come up with a victim who commands your
attention more than the Prime Minister.
Each involves questions of who could
have committed murder in a closed setting. The resort hotel of 1222 and the Prime Minister's office of The Lion's Mouth.
What is unusual is that in each book Hanne is not really acting as a police officer. In 1222 she attempts to shun the investigation preferring to sit in her wheelchair waiting for the storm to end. She grudgingly helps in the investigation. In The Lion's Mouth she is not on duty having gone for an extended leave to California. She returns to Norway to help Billy T. but has a significantly secondary role.
They had profoundly different endings.
Hanne in 1222 , intentionally or not gives a strong Nero Wolfe impression, having the suspects assembled for her and then revealing the killer. The impression is heightened as Wolfe always conducts those meetings seated behind his massive desk.
In The Lion's Mouth the ending unfolds in a series of climaxes as investigators put together what happened. It is far more emotional and realistic.
I remain unsure if I want to read more of the "new" Hanne when I liked the "old" Hanne better.
Hanne in 1222 , intentionally or not gives a strong Nero Wolfe impression, having the suspects assembled for her and then revealing the killer. The impression is heightened as Wolfe always conducts those meetings seated behind his massive desk.
In The Lion's Mouth the ending unfolds in a series of climaxes as investigators put together what happened. It is far more emotional and realistic.
I remain unsure if I want to read more of the "new" Hanne when I liked the "old" Hanne better.
What an interesting comparison, Bill. It certainly shows that characters don't always evolve in the way we'd like. Sometimes, they evolve in just the opposite way. In Hanne's case, we can see how she might changed as a result of the shooting, and that's realistic. But it doesn't mean we have to like it.
ReplyDeleteMargot: Thanks for the comment. Sometimes I feel guilty about not liking a character. I wished I liked the "new" Hanne better but that is not the case.
DeleteI've read through both your reviews and now this piece - very interesting. I liked 1222 somewhat more than you, I should say, but you have really sold me on Lion's Mouth, which sounds excellent.
ReplyDeleteMoira: Thanks for the comment. A lot of people have liked 1222 more than I liked the book. Good reading with The Lion's Mouth.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Moira. I liked 1222 because it was unusual. Hanne was complicated and interesting and solved the murders because of her criminal justice background and experience. But she was bitter and it's understandable why. And I liked reading about an unusual character and someone who is disabled. Detectives or other crime solvers are rarely people with disabilities, and like everyone else, those with illnesses or who are not able-bodied are not always pleasant, kind and caring. So, a real character was portrayed.
ReplyDeleteBut I have liked the books with Hanne before the accident that changed her life. I'll get through the series eventually as Hanne's evolution is interesting.
Kathy D.: Thanks for the comment. Neither the able nor the disabled are always nice people. For leisure reading my inclination is to read about characters who are not bitter. I get enough reading at work of angry people being difficult.
ReplyDeleteI get it about being a lawyer and having to deal with angry people, so you want low stress and pleasant characters.
ReplyDeleteMy experiences with people I know is that when people are very tired or don't feel well, they are much crankier and sometimes, impossible. That's when escape to a movie, TV show or good work of fiction, usually a mystery, is necessary.
V.I. Warshawski having a bad day is a lot easier to deal with than stressed-out, exhausted humans. Even Nero Wolfe or Salvo Montalbano, curmudgeons as they are, are easier to deal with than their human equivalents.