Jo Nesbo: books
Jo Nesbo is a prolific Norwegian musician and writer, known for his chilling and gritty crime novels. The most Westerners have come to refer to him as the Stephen King of the thriller, that is to say: this is the type of genre author that should be read if what you want is to delve into a particular trope, in this case, the Black. This, of course, given the narrative quality of his books.
Despite what it may seem like now thanks to the fact that she has become a reference for many readers, Jo Nesbo did not begin her professional career within letters. In fact, He was a man from the world of finance, but he always maintained a creative streak within him., which he explored through music, along with his rock band, Di Derre. However, literature captured him strongly some time later.
Biography
Jo Nesbo was born on March 9, 1960, in Oslo, the capital and most populous city of Norway. After finishing high school, Nesbo enrolled in the Norwegian School of Economics, where he graduated in Economics and Business Administration. Later, he worked for several years as a stockbroker and freelance journalist, demonstrating his passion for writing with this last job.
As a very personal anecdote within his literary career, Nesbo says that he has been inspired by three great authors in particular: the controversial Vladimir Nabokov, Norwegian Nobel Prize winner Knut Hamsun and Jim Thompson. Jo has admired them since he read Lolita (1955) Hunger (1890) and The killer inside of me (1952), respectively. These titles marked the author forever, and prompted him to create his first work.
This is how Jo Nesbo debuts in the world of letters with Flaggermusmannen —The bat, for its translation into Spanish—. This, your debut, not only won the Riverton Award for Best Norwegian Crime Novel, as well as the Glassnøkkelen Award for Best Novelty of the Nordic countries, but also opened the door to an entire universe of subsequent titles, thus creating the Inspector Harry Hole police series.
As a crime novel writer, the author has been translated into more than 40 languages. It is not known with certainty how many books she has sold, but it is estimated that at least around 20 million copies have been sold. Most of his bestsellers belong to the Harry Hole series, although Jo Nesbo has also ventured into other literary genres, such as children's.
Regarding the latter, the writer He has published several children's and young adult novels, in which he tells the adventures of the eccentric Doctor Proctor.. Likewise, some of his most popular books have been brought to the big screen, as is the case of The Snowman y headhunters, For example.
Works by Jo Nesbo
Commissioner Harry Hole Series
- Flaggermusmannen — The Bat (1997);
- Kakerlakkene — Cockroaches (1998);
- Rødstrupe — Robin (2000);
- Sorgenfri — Nemesis (2002):
- Marekors — The Devil's Star (2003);
- Frelseren — The Redeemer (2005);
- Snømannen — The Snowman (2007);
- Panserhjerte — The Leopard (2009);
- Gjenferd — Ghost (2010);
- Politi — Police (2013);
- Tørst — Thirst (2017);
- Kniv — Knife (2019);
- Blodmåne — Eclipse (2022)
Doctor Proctor Series
- Doktor Proktors prompepulver — Doctor Proctor and the pulverizing powders (2007);
- Doktor Proktors tidsbadekaret — Doctor Proctor and the Bathtub of Time (2008);
- Doctor Proktor og Verdens undergang. Kanskje — Doctor Proctor and the end of the world. Or not. (2010);
- Doktor Proktor og det store gullrøveriet — Doctor Proctor and the Great Robbery (2012)
Oslo Hitmen Series
- Blod på snø — Blood in the snow (2015);
- Mere Blod — Blood Sun (2015)
independent works
- Stemmer fra Balkan/Atten dager i mai (1999);
- Karusellmusikk (2001);
- Det hvite hotellet (2007);
- Headhunters (Hodejegerne 2008);
- The heir (2014);
- Macbeth (2018);
- El reino (2020)
Most relevant works by Jo Nesbo
Kakerlakkene — Cockroaches (1998)
It is evident that the title of this work is a metaphor about corruption. Cockroaches is the second volume in the Harry Hole series. He thriller takes the protagonist to Bangkok in order to cover up a scandalous murder about which no one wants too much to be known. Why? To prevent the important people involved from coming to light.
The Norwegian ambassador appears dead in a brothel in the Thai city, but the higher-ups seem to want the reasons not to be known. So they send in an addict Hole, who appears to be the only one interested in knowing the truth, although he must deal with his demons in the process. Could a man addicted to alcohol and vitamin B12 solve another complex case?
Politi — Police (2013)
This is the tenth volume of the series. Harry hole. In it, the protagonist must face a sequence of murders committed against police officers, his closest colleagues. A mysterious character prowls the streets of Oslo, and kills agents in the same places where crimes were committed that they could not solve.
Mass deaths spark mass hysteria in Norway, and now that he has lost so many of his own, and that others are in extreme danger, Harry Hole is not sure he can defend them from the tragedy.
Snømannen — The Snowman (2007)
The Snowman It is, perhaps, Jo Nesbo's most popular book, his greatest reference. This is the seventh volume of the series Harry hole, and if it is in last place on this short list it is only to save the best for last. The plot begins when a boy from Oslo wakes up. Besides him there is no one at home. His mother has disappeared.
It has started to snow, but the young man cannot enjoy the whiteness of the environment. Desperate, he walks through his house until he reaches the garden, where he finds his mother's favorite scarf hanging from a snowman. When the investigations begin, Harry Hole and his team discover that this is not an isolated case, as other wives and mothers have died under the same circumstances..
