Comments on: The Quiet Girl by Peter Høeg

By: Pate'

Pate' — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 18:12:22 +0000

I am hardly disappointed in this book – am re-reading because I loved it so much and sought out this chat to help clarify a few confusions.

I think this is indeed a taut thriller, that the other characters are left purposely half drawn as that is how Kasper sees them. He’s so involved in himself – having hearing like his would make someone a little too inwardly focused, don’t you think?

A complaint: those USELESS maps. Too often streets or locations cited aren’t even on the map so why bother with them? I wished they were better so you could follow Kasper’s roving.

By: Nicholas in Wales

Nicholas in Wales — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 15:33:30 +0000

Dee, I look forward to reading your observations.

By: Dee Derbyshire (UK)

Dee Derbyshire (UK) — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 18:33:43 +0000

I have just discovered this talented author through Miss Smilla – I love the character,the plot is fascinating and I cannot wait to read more and see the novel.

By: Nicholas in Wales

Nicholas in Wales — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 10:30:32 +0000

Dear Dr G,

It’s good to know someone is still reading this page. I agree that the ending didn’t really tie up the loose ends and it wasn’t really a conclusion. But then, it wasn’t a conventional story. I enjoyed the journey and didn’t really mind the fact that the journey’s end was a bit of an anti-climax.

By: DrG

DrG — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:56:53 +0000

Interesting with fascinating techniques of language etc, BUT, what happens in the end remains the biggest mystery of all to me. I’ve re-read the ending also; I still have no idea what may or may not have happened somewhere beneath the streets of the city. I think the author was indeed playing silly buggers with the “conclusion”.

By: Nicholas in Wales

Nicholas in Wales — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 15:22:35 +0000

I agree about the work of the translator. There are so many unusual and delicate descriptions in this book that the translator needs to be a writer of exceptional talent. This is clearly the case with Nadia Christensen.

For me, the storytelling spell was occasionally broken in the early part of the book by the appearance of some American words. I find American English works well in books or subtitled films from, say South America. In books or films with a European culture though, American words seem jarring and disruptive. Rather like the small foreign bodies in the groove of a vinyl record that cause the stylus to jump.

I have been reading this book in small doses over a couple of months and have about 30 pages left to read. It is not the sort of story that runs like a stream; it is more like tides that ebb and flow, washing over the reader with images, events and thoughts.

I don’t usually like ‘difficult’ novels but this is an exception. All the difficulty is entirely justified; it’s not just the author playing silly buggers.

By: Shirley Walden

Shirley Walden — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 06:13:55 +0000

I have just finished ‘The Quiet Girl’and was fascinated by its brilliance. If it hadn’t already been overdue at the library I’d have read it again immediately. I did re-read bits for clarity near the beginning but soon decided to just flow with the strangeness. I think the ending was good. It didn’t cross every ‘t’ or dot every ‘i’ but let the reader’s imagination embellish the author’s words.

By: DrJ

DrJ — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 23:23:56 +0000

Fascinating book. Yes, it’s confusing, takes effort to follow. As I read it at first, I thought most of it was fantasy. Then I realized nearly everything was literal. (I still wonder about the scene when Kasper confronts Stina in the sauna /steambath.) So I went back and re-read so I could grasp the characters and the chronology accurately. Though I am still uncertain about some things, most of the pieces fell into place…And very much worth it! I’ve never re-read a novel while still reading it. Also worth looking up (e.g YouTube) characters like the famous clowns Kasper talks about. I started a map in Google (under drjonmack). Contribute if you feel interested.
By the way, I read a review that said the ending tied everything up neatly. That surprised me as I was as confused as everyone else. So I re-read and it began to make more sense.
I think it’s also largely irrelevant whether or not it’s a thriller. No, it certainly isn’t a typical page-turner. It’s something else: A novel. So was Smilla, though it certainly had a more classic conclusion.
I love a book that opens up a world and set of characters to explore that have some depth to them.

By: Simple Meditation

Simple Meditation — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 05:39:43 +0000

Excellent content and style…keep up the good work!

By: Clyde

Clyde — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 18:36:28 +0000

I’m about half way through this great novel. Its a mystery in many senses. There is so much to admire. You can really get lost in layer after layer without understanding everything that’s going on. It would be good to have comments from the author to throw some light on the mystery that this novel is.

By: Yvonne

Yvonne — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 13:01:15 +0000

I too, find the book a little hard to follow, and have several times considered giving up on it, but Casper is such an interesting character, and Claire Marie so different a take on the complexities of children in the 21st century, that I keep reading. I am glad that I did. Even though the book is way “out there,” there are passages of great beauty and insight and they make the book worth plowing through.

By: marion

marion — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 06:57:31 +0000

A wonderful read! Almost like living a dream: hopping from the present to the past and back… I like the book very much – as I did with Smilla’s sense of snow!

By: audubon

audubon — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 03:18:39 +0000

I read this immediately as soon as it came out. I’ve been a big Hoeg fan for years and was so excited to find he’d published a new book. Sadly, there was no internet discussion on the book at that time, but I really want to figure out what the heck happened in the end. I sent the novel to a friend abroad, hoping she would shed some light on it, and that was months ago so I can’t remember all the details — all I know is I was very confused, but really want to hear other peoples’ reactions to the ending. I’m at audubon@tapioca.tv — email if you have any insights!

By: Janet

Janet — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 02:00:05 +0000

I’m in the middle too and would love to talk about it when I finish, probably later this week. I’m so confused! This is my first Hoeg book, and I love parts of his prose. He reminds me just a tad of Mark Helprin (who I adore in all genres), and that’s very attractive. But the plot is so all over the place that I’m reeling! It’s a rewarding challenge, and when you consider how banal most modern fiction is, much fun.

By: Pearl

Pearl — Wed, 28 May 2008 23:37:39 +0000

Shelley, I am listening to this awesome book on tape. So far I am enthralled with the author’s ability to combine philosophy and analytical psychology and the notion of archetypes. I am listening to this novel as if it were my dream … the references to the collective unconscious, Kierkegaard, Jung, Nietzsche … wonderful.

I don’t pretend to “follow” the plot but then, who said plot had to be linear??

Could I write more and hear from you once I am finished? I only listen when I drive so …

By: Sarah

Sarah — Sat, 24 May 2008 11:42:18 +0000

Is this response list still active? I’ve just finished the book; I need to talk with a fellow reader.

By: E.J.Zita

E.J.Zita — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 18:12:05 +0000

Hoeg transports the reader with the power of sound in many dimensions, with his clean language and imagery. (There’s too much action adventure for my taste, but I will still re-read this book.) Brilliantly strong women ally with gifted but handicapped men to rescue magically powerful children. Music, spirituality, and art are woven into a rags-to-riches life that is redeemed by communal purpose as much as by love. The protagonist’s near-death analysis (and performance?) of Bach’s Chaconne in D minor is a peak in the book in several ways – classic Hoeg prose.

I am confused by the ending and would like to discuss this with others who enjoyed the book, without ruining it for those who have yet to finish it. Please email me at ejzita@comcast.net

By: Todd Finley

Todd Finley — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 05:03:06 +0000

I am half-way through the book. It takes patience, but my patience is rewarded with cultural insights and an enhanced appreciation for the music of life.

By: Shelley

Shelley — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 02:50:14 +0000

So far I’ve found this latest novel of Peter Hoeg to be potentially fascinating, and in reality very frustrating. He seems to leap from one scene to the next so quickly that the narrative and plot is lost. What is left is a very defined character of Kasper the clown,who is of unique and unusual talents. To me it seems that everyone Kasper meets in the novel are unformed and appear to be only there to accentuate Kasper’s incredible talents. He has an amazing ability of hearing muical tones in anyone and thing and can ‘listen’ so deeply that he can ‘know’ anyone he meets in a very profound way. But I feel I’m on the verge of giving up on finishing this novel eventhough Peter Hoeg is one of my all-time favourite writers, because it lacks fast-paced thrill with a character devopment I can understand. *sigh*

By: Michael Janairo - Books and literature reviews blog - Books Blog: A Conspiracy of Smart People » New books this week - timesunion.com - Albany NY

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 13:53:13 +0000

[...] The Quiet Girl by Peter Hoeg, translated by Nadia Christensen. Hoeg, best known for Smilla’s Sense of Snow, writes in his newest novel about a circus clown who cares for children with mystical abilities. Could be interesting, though the early reviews reflect some struggles with the complicated text. [...]