I read the original Nordic Noir

I just finished the book Roseanna. It was written by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö in 1967. The book was the first of a brand new genre: Nordic Noir.

According to Henning Mankell, who wrote the introduction, the authors “wanted to use crime and criminal investigations as a mirror of Swedish society… They realized that there was a huge unexplored territory in which crime novels could form the framework for stories containing social criticism.” This genre has grown so popular that even Netflix is creating a Nordic Noir series.

This particular book stood out to me not only because it was the first of it’s kind, but also because I was looking for something G-rated in a sea of graphically violent options. I’d read something in this genre a long time ago. I can’t remember which book it was, but the violence and emotional trauma was so intense that I had a difficult time with it. Without the violence the rest of the book was great, but it was a recurring theme since it was pivotal to the plot. It made the book a little difficult to stomach.

Americans are considered sheltered in many respects. I understand that violence is a part of life. It’s not healthy to shy away from it. But I don’t think you need to go running after it, either. 

The social commentary aspect of Nordic Noir is insightful. I enjoyed seeing the everyday world of the characters; their regrets, their shortcomings, their humility and need for reassurance. And I appreciated that most of what brought the case to fruition was out of their hands. It seemed like patience was romanticized in this novel. And hard work. And gut feelings. Those are things everyone can do. “They showed people evolving right before the reader’s eyes” says Mankell. And yet, “[t]here is nothing at all heroic about them.” A true everyman as the hero. What could be more Nordic?

What did I learn from this?

Seeing a project through to the end, being tenacious, is lauded in the Nordics.