Today’s
guest blog is by Norwegian author Gunnar Staalesen. He is the author of over 20
titles, which have been published in 24 countries and sold over four million
copies. Twelve film adaptations of his Varg Veum crime novels have appeared
since 2007, starring the popular Norwegian actor Trond Espen Seim. Staalesen,
who has won three Golden Pistols (including the Prize of Honour).
Twenty-five
years ago I read a Swedish crime novel that was written in the early 1950s; I
was told it had a very surprising ending. While reading it, various conclusions
sprang to mind, until I was certain I had the answer. Lo and behold, the ending
was completely different to what I had imagined it would be. Ever since, and
over many long years, I kept in mind the solution that I’d come up with –
certain that mine was better than the original – and I kept it in the back of
my mind for later use.
It
wasn’t until I started to plan the book that was to become We Shall Inherit the Wind that the idea sprang to mind again, and it
was enough to encourage me to write this particular book. With my ending in
mind, I also set out to write a crime novel that involved one of the most
controversial topics of debate in Norway over the last ten to twenty years – a
debate in which groups of environmental activists even oppose one another. How
environmentally friendly are wind turbines? On one hand, there is an important
argument about renewable energy; on the other, these are installations that
kill seabirds, create significant noise pollution, and, in the opinion of many
people, destroy the natural landscape where the wind farms are built. Where
there is debate, there is conflict – and conflict creates good crime novels.
An
idea can brew for a long time before it matures in an author's head. In fact,
while this particular idea was steeping, I put the manuscript aside and wrote
another Varg Veum novel instead – Cold Hearts. I returned to We Shall Inherit
the Wind, whose ending was about to take yet another turn! Many readers were shocked
by the dramatic events that struck Varg Veum and his girlfriend Karin Bjørge in
this book and I can honestly admit that I was too. One of my Norwegian editors insisted upon the
ending to the novel, and I needed more than a little help from my old friend,
Varg Veum, to solve this particular mystery and reach the conclusion we’d
agreed.
I've
lived with Varg Veum for nearly forty years. I am often asked about how much of
me can be found in his character, and the simple answer is ‘not much’. But I
know him well. I know how he thinks and reacts, and I wish that I was the
master of repartee that he is. Of course, this is a privilege that authors
have. In real life we seldom respond as quickly or as wittily as we might like,
while on paper, we can spend hours creating the perfect comeback.
We Shall Inherit the Wind is a good example of the type of
crime novel that I have always enjoyed reading, and therefore tried to write
myself – a combination of an engaging and current theme with a classic crime
mystery that drives the reader to read on; a page-turner, if you like. It’s
certainly an effective way to send an important message, to address and even
unveil pertinent societal issues through entertainment. It’s unlikely that a
feature in a newspaper or even online would have the same impact.
Crime
literature is entertaining, and the modern crime novel that we Scandinavian
crime novelists have become known for since Sjöwall & Wahlöö debuted in the
1960s, has made a very specific contribution to the genre – providing a sharp
and often critical image of the society in which we live. Modern crime
literature has, in this way, found its natural place in the literary landscape
– a tradition that stems from Dickens and Hugo to Hemingway and Chandler, and
the many authors who have since refreshed and revisited the genre. I am
delighted to be a part of this tradition, which has carried through the
seventeen Varg Veum novels I’ve written to date. Soon, I’ll be ready to start
on the eighteenth, as the earlier novels slowly make their way into the English
language. Next up for English readers is We
Shall Inherit the Wind. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed
writing it.
We Shall Inherit
the Wind by Gunnar Staalesten
1998. Varg Veum sits
by the hospital bedside of his long-term girlfriend Karin, whose life
threatening injuries provide a deeply painful reminder of the mistakes he’s
made. Investigating the seemingly innocent disappearance of a wind-farm
inspector, Varg Veum is thrust into one of the most challenging cases of his
career, riddled with conflicts, environmental terrorism, religious fanaticism,
unsolved mysteries and dubious business ethics. Then, in one of the most
heart-stopping scenes in crime fiction, the first body appears... A chilling,
timeless story of love, revenge and desire, We Shall Inherit the
Wind deftly weaves contemporary issues
with a stunning plot that will leave you gripped to the final page. This
is Staalesen at his most thrilling, thought-provoking best.
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