"Beautiful ghosts" är den fjärde delen i Eliot Pattisons deckarserie om kinesen Shan som lever bland illegala munkar i Tibet. "Beautiful ghosts" inleds med att ett otillåtet firande av Dalai Lamas födelsedag i ett raserat kloster avbryts av att en gammal munk dyker upp alldeles nedblodad och säger sig ha dödat en person. Shan hittar ett underjordiskt rum med en stor blodfläck, men inget lik. Jag gillar Pattisons långsamma berättarstil och hans väldigt sympatiska beskrivning av tibetanerna och deras kultur. Han lär ut massor om Tibet utan att tonen blir undervisande eller mästrande. Personskildringarna är också fina. Människor tillåts vara mångfasetterade och inte bara onda eller goda. Shans vänskap med en amerikansk och en kineisk utredare, samt hans trevande försök att närma sig sin son är också bra beskrivna. Den här boken har dock fler konventionella deckar-/thrillerinslag än de tidigare böckerna i serien, vilket jag tycker är lite onödigt. Det blir också lite för mycket av hemliga koder, underjordiska gångar, lönndörrar och dolda skatter. Spännande i och för sig, men det gör hela historien mer verklighetsfrämmande och därigenom mindre berörande. Betyg: EEEE
P.S. De tidigare böckerna heter "Dödsmantrat" ("The Skull Mantra"), "Stenkällan" ("Water touching stone") och "Bone Mountain".
Jag läste den första delen i serien, Dödsmantrat, för ett bra tag sedan och eftersom jag gillade den förstår jag inte riktigt varför jag inte fortsatte med de andra böckerna. Tack för påminnelsen i a f!
SvaraRaderaI don't know how to say it in Swedish, but you have been TAGGED!
SvaraRaderahttp://www.sophieonmymind.blogspot.com/
xx~
I’ve been tagged by Di! Because it’s in English and not about books I’ll publish my answers here as a comment. For the same reasons I’m not sending it on to anybody else. I hope you don’t mind, Di.
SvaraRadera1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Paper. I like brown paper with red ribbons.
2. Real tree or artificial? Real! This year will be the first time I get a tree since I left home, so I’m really looking forward to it! My father-in-law will cut it himself at their country house.
3. When do you put up your tree? I guess we’ll put it up on 23rd December.
4. When do you take the tree down? On 13th January, when Christmas is over according to Swedish tradition.
5. Do you like eggnog? Never tried it…
6. Favorite gift received as a child? A blue jacket of a popular (and expensive) brand that I got from my grandparents when I was 13 or 14. (The age when it’s so important to have the “right” clothes in school.)
7. Do you have a Nativity scene? No.
8. Hardest person to buy for? My grandmother who is over 90 years old.
9. Easiest person to buy for? My husband.
10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Probably some second hand ice hockey gear our grandmother gave me and my brother once when we were kids. None of us played ice hockey.
11. Mail or email Christmas cards? A few (very few!) of each.
12. Favorite Christmas movie? Love Actually. We watch it every year at this time of year!
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? As early as possible… I try to do most of my Christmas shopping on the internet.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Do you mean give it to someone else? I don’t think I have done that. But I have thrown meaningless things away or given them to charity.
15. Favorite things to eat at Christmas? Swedish sausages, Swedish meatballs, marinated salmon, pickled herring and many other traditional Swedish dishes that are compulsory on the Christmas table.
16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Clear and absolutely not blinking. I am very traditional about the Christmas tree! To us in Sweden colored, blinking lights are very American (and not in a good way!).
17. Favorite Christmas song? There are a lot of beautiful Swedish songs. I like “Gläns över sjö och strand”.
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Home!
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Nope. In Sweden Santa comes on foot! The reindeers must also be an American invention.
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? I’ve just bought a simple star made of straw.
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas Eve is the big day in Sweden and of course the day to open the presents.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? The crowds. I hate crowds! That’s why I try to shop early and buy a lot on the internet.
23. What is the "corniest" family tradition you do, or miss doing? Every year my father says: “We are not going to have any Christmas presents this year, are we?”. Nobody has ever taken him seriously and I think he says it only because he’s so bad at buying gifts. Nowadays he usually takes everybody out to a nice restaurant instead of buying us things.
24. Ugliest Christmas Decoration ever invented? Something American, I’m sure… ;)
25. Which looks the best, theme trees or homey trees? I’ll try to keep my tree very traditional with decorations made of straw and wood and nothing glittery at all. I don’t know if that’s a theme or homey?
26. What does Christmas mean to you? Coziness, good food and family.
Love it Emma!
SvaraRaderaVery interesting too!
xx~
Di
That's great Emma! And very interesting too!
SvaraRaderaxx~
Di
Lät som en bok för mig - kanske värt att teste dem. :)
SvaraRadera