3 ( )

This is the fourth, and the best, of Jan Guillou's books about the 20th century. This book returns to the main character of the first book, Lauritz and his life as an engineer and patriarch in upper class Sweden around the Second World War.

I have been trying to figure out how come this book suddenly improved on the quality of the series and I have a few theories. First, we're coming to times from which Jan Guillou might have had personal experiences. This was the time when his parent's were young. There is also a war theme, and from other books, it's easy to see how Guillou likes the simpleness of armed conflict. There is no compromise in a bullet. The Nazi and fascist time in Europe also brings forward strong emotions, this long after the end, and that might help composing a good narrative. Finally, Lauritz in this book is not too far off the author's own age. I think that has helped Jan Guillou a lot in the character narrative. I can imagine many of the thoughts or conversations being in Guillou's voice.

So what will come now? Post war? I don't know if the main story will move to a new generation. Maybe. It's about time. There are some interesting persons coming through here. I would have loved to know more about Rosa during the war for instance. ( )

Roman over een Noorse ingenieur getrouwd met een Duitse, wonend en werkend in Zweden waar hij betrokken is bij de bouw van een brug.. Het verhaal speelt zich af tijdens de tweede wereldoorlog in het toen neutrale Zweden.Hoewel de familie zich naar buiten toe neutraal gedraagt kiezen de kinderen voor verschillende partijen in het conflict. ( )

Det går på i samma stil i JG´s serie om 1900-talet. Det är upplysande och intressant att följa historien ur en familjs perspektiv. Andra världskriget och alla nazistvänner i Sverige speglar dåtid och tyvärr nutid. Jag lär mig historia på ett lättsmält sätt och JG har gjort ett gediget researcharbete. Någon större författare är han dock inte. ( )

And once again a good book in the Great Century series.
Imho not as good as part 3, but that has everything to do with the character of Lauritz, who really annoyed me because he is so shortsighted in multiple ways: his wife, the war, the ways his children go.

On the one hand Lauritz is a man of the world: he has lived in different places, worked, sailed, dined with the high and mighty (as they say). On the other hand however, he, a born Norwegian, is so terribly blind to the fact that the Germany he knew no longer exists, that it has been erased, destroyed from within by Hitler.
I felt almost like shaking him, to make him land on his feet again instead of having his head somewhere in the clouds.

But: recommended higly for those that like this genre. ( )