The Stonecutter

No wonder the Ikea furniture is so easy to assemble; it's the Scandinavian writing. Direct + uncomplicated = male-friendly. Repetitive and S-L-O-W, this novel alternates between the assorted miseries of contemporary Fjällbacka, Sweden which includes a tragic drowning, and the assorted miseries of yesteryear Fjällbacka, Sweden, starting with the experiences of a titular stonecutter in 1923. Läckberg's workmanlike characterizations reflect the stolid characters of Fjällbacka's citizenry, like the new mom who feels like "…she was just two huge walking breasts" and who "…had never in her entire life felt so miserable, tired, angry, frustrated, and worn out…." Readers will soon find, however, that this is a 560 page assburner that alternates between 'slow burn' and 'hopeless mess' with a needlessly repetitive plot. The entire pathological mess has at its roots in a sexy, man-eating socialite named Agnes whose conniving heartlessness traces an ugly path to current day Fjällbacka, Sweden. There two dedicated policemen boil down a shitstorm of activity into four rather prosaic cases including a pedophile ring, a drowned girl, and someone feeding ashes to babies. While both story arcs are monotonous, the contemporary portion's plentitude of characters often make it feel like a soap opera.