You are right. We were (me in spirit but with equal enthusiasm) with Jo Nesbø this past saturday in Barcelona. On the occasion of your visit to Kosmopolis, the Norwegian writer also participated in a meeting with your readers that organized by means of a contest the page of the publishing house that publishes his books in Spain.

My greatest thanks to Isabel de la Mora, who with her chronicle and together with Hilda Pérez and Araceli Ferrer, colleagues from Hooked on Jo Nesbø, have made this article possible. I recount what Nesbø told in the most relaxed and close tone of a reader / writer. And I end up with a brief review de Thirst which, as I anticipated, has literally lasted two days. With this I finish off a very Nesbø end of the month. By the way, happy birthday for today, teacher. Make it another 57 at least.

Kosmopolis

On Saturday 25 Jo Nesbø was invited to Kosmopolis for a conference with Mark Pastor. With the Catalan writer he was chatting and replying questions. TV series occupieda dystopia, of which he is the thinking head, was one of the themes with reference to the climate change literature. But Nesbø explained that this series went down the paths of recreating the fear of a small country (Norway) of being invaded by a stronger enemy (Russia). A situation that cannot be understood without knowing the Norwegian past.

They also talked about Thirst From a point of view between writers dedicated to the same genre. Pastoras criminologist, took hold of criminal statistics comparing Norway (five million inhabitants) with Catalonia (with seven). And they found that Catalonia, year after year, far exceeded the number of crimes in the Nordic country. Nesbo joked that this is how he looked better in the photo of those statistics.

With your readers

But before the conference Nesbø was in a I find much more informal with a couple of lucky readers who were able to ask him various questions. This is what he told them.

Harry Hole, other characters, political criticism and the media

The more personal thoughts and positions of Nesbø have been seen more and more in his novels. On Thirst in particular for example there is a large review to the way of working of the media. He sensationalism and anything goes they appear well reflected. Here it is in the character of a journalist who does not hesitate to take risks to anything to get the informational bomb on the lurid case under investigation.

La political corruption is another of his recurring themes that is already in previous titles of the Harry Hole series. Masterfully customizes it one of those unscrupulous and ambitious characters without limits that produce both rejection and admiration. The chief of police Michael Bellman It is unsurpassed in its creation and shows again without mercy what can be done to achieve power.

About Harry hole what we appreciate the most here is your difficult balance between moral duty what you feel towards your family and social duty towards his work. Also, as in Police, He continues to feel happy and that for someone like Hole is difficult to assume and carry. Nesbø stressed that happiness scares him and constantly has doubts about how to keep it or how long it will last. Or, as it is well known, how long will it take him to spoil it so they don't spoil it. And this time he verifies it very directly.

They also asked him about another character that readers miss, Sos Hole, Harry's sister. Nesbø replied that Søs has so much emotional charge which took up space from Harry, in the sense that it would be too much for both of us. And he decided to put her aside in the last books.

He also talked about how sometimes cannot "control" character evolution. This is how he told the case of one of the most interesting that he has created, Truls Berntsen, the gray and creeping cross of the coin that is he and Mikael Bellman. His plummeting into hell during the last few titles could only imply redemption. And Nesbø openly confessed that he had not foreseen that turn but there it was.

Macbeth and The Snowman

La version of Macbeth for the initiative Hogarth shakespeare Apparently it already has 500 pages that it has not finished yet. It is planned for 2018. It is a version very free of Shakespeare's play. Nesbø puts the main characters in a European city in the worst time of the  70 years. And there are neither princes nor kings, but a SWAT and an upstart cop fighting for the post of the police commissioner who is about to retire.

About The Snowman they did not notice it very enthusiastic. Said I had not participated in the script nor in the choice of actors. I had not seen anything in the movie (although it has a cameo). And when they told him they didn't see Michael Fassbender much as Harry Hole, he laughed conspiratorially and said that as far as he knew, let's not expect the movie to look like the book. And going back to Shakespeare he commented that since his work has not been respected much, he has done the same with that of the English bard although, of course, saving the distances. Anyway, we'll see in October.

Your working method

What is to write about 5 or 6 pages with a little synopsis y 6 months for research, documentation, structure and everything clear (start and finish). When it really gets down to the first chapter it already has the plot and even some little dialogue. He uses this resource to take the characters where he wants.

The most important thing: that the first chapter comes out round because that way in the second you can be wrong. And looking back he remembered the failures that I had above all by racord when they barely checked his works. Now, with 5 editors, things have changed a lot.

Thirst

I will limit myself to my impression: another novel round and shiny. Misleading situations, subplots, conclusion that does not conclude, important scares and unexpected or surprising events, and macabre scenes trademark. In The leopard we had Leopold's creepy apple, here, a creepy iron teeth. So blood everywhere. But also, perhaps to make up for Macbeth, there is a tribute to Shakespeare in the figure of Othello, since jealousy has an important role in this new story. And a final sentence that ... Anyway, that there will be more Harry. For now

Anyway, another genius from the master of Oslo. "We need you, Harry"his most ardent enemy once tells him. And if he needs it, we even more. To continue enjoying the Hole bullion. His literary hangovers are absolutely memorable. I certainly don't get tired of them.

And as a last scoop: it is possible that Nesbø is in the Book Fair in Madrid next year. It was time for his return to the central plateau. From today I already have open arms.