A women's magazine quote on the back cover promised me The Hypnotist wouldn't leave me cold. It left me cold. So now I feel not only disappointed but betrayed as well.I don't really know how to even start reviewing the book, it was just so... not good. I don't think it was purely bad, some really bad books can go so far over the threshold of badness that it becomes entertaining. This one was just no good, forgettable and boring as fuck.The Hypnotist is a study of human randomness. Or perhaps it's a study of Swedish randomness. Those Swedes are weird. The story is told from several points of view, in present tense no less, and yet I couldn't get even a passing hold on any of the characters. Apart from the consistently dull Linna they were all over the place. Hot, cold, shouting, screaming, blaming, crying and generally not seeming like (adult) people at all. Most of their logic was lost to me as well. I get it that the crazies act all cuckoo, but practically everyone? Not very credible in my opinion. Oh and the Swedish police force - highly incompetent and unprofessional, if this book is to judge by.Plotwise - I don't even know. First there's this one thing, then there's this other completely different thing, then there's this exhaustingly long flashback of a third thing, then it's the second thing again, and in the end the first thing isn't even seen through. Plot twists are great, but swapping your story from 50 Shades to Schindler's List mid-book just won't do. (Sorry guys, no BDSM or nazis in The Hypnotist, I was just emphasizing the relation between the two major plotlines.)Why two stars instead of one then? Because I managed to wade through the ~600 pages in just a couple of weeks. It wasn't a pageturner, but there was something to keep me interested enough to not go looking for something else to read. Something other than just stubbornness and morbid curiosity I mean. I liked the book overall, I seem to be one of the few people who liked Erik Maria Bark even though his drug use could have been handled better, but I just can't get used to this trend of writing in present tense. The story was very tense and had me on the edge of my seat, Joona Linna was ok even though he got on my nerves sometimes - I just don't really like those kind of "superman" type of characters who are always right and have only flaws that are made up to make them even more appealing. I'm going to give the next instalment a try.
What do You think about Hypnose (2010)?
Liked it a lot. Going to see if I can find anything else by him.
—Trisha
Mystery thriller that keeps you into the story, easy-quick read.
—maryoom
