The Abominable Man by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö
One of 10 police novels with a strong sense of suspense, this one is set in Sweden in the 1960s and 1970s. In the 1970s, I first read THE ABOMINABLE MAN. Since then, I’ve read it multiple times, including this summer when I got a fresh book. Although the story takes place in 1971 Stockholm, I believe it still holds up well in 2015. Its central theme is the theme of an alienated and somewhat dysfunctional person losing control and turning homicidal while the police, under the direction of veteran homicide detective inspector Martin Beck, work frantically to identify the killer before he kills again.
The Abominable Man by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö
Amazon.com
- A superb rendering of the police force within a decaying
- society, and a frightening portrait of madness rooted
- in respectability -Saturday Review
The police inspector who was fatally hacked to pieces with a bayonet was the murder victim in the book. This story’s subplot is on police brutality towards civilians in Stockholm and how it had a negative impact on both the public and the police. A senior uniformed police officer who had committed and covered up acts of police violence against Swedish residents for more than 20 years was killed. The victim had previously served as a career army sergeant who was well-known in the Swedish Army for his cruel and inhumane training techniques.
When Sweden felt it may be invaded by Nazi Germany during the Second World War, one of the police detectives in the tale served under the victim as a young conscript (draftee) enrolled soldier during the early 1940s.
This Swedish book’s English translation does a good job of conveying the concepts and vocabulary of the characters to the reader. As the book’s conclusion approaches, it is both fast-paced and extremely readable, with lots of action.
In his hospital bed, a guy in critical condition is murdered. He turns out to be Chief Inspector Nyman, a police officer known for being severe on drunks, troublemakers, criminals, and regular people who he misidentifies as any of the aforementioned.
This book by Sjöwall and Wahlöö, who invented the technique of incorporating social commentary into crime fiction, focuses on police violence.
The narrative introduces us to many police officers. Martin Beck is a well-behaved man who rarely carries a gun. Kollberg, his closest buddy, disarms out of moral propriety. Gunvald Larsson was a guy of action, a man with a decent heart but a nasty temper. And Nyman and his associates, who frequently abuse their position of authority and provide cover for one another.
When the book first came out in 1971, people were still turning records and winding clocks, and nonviolent protests didn’t always result in peaceful resolutions. Sjöwall & Per Wahlöö paint a fascinating portrait of Sweden during this time.
Despite the book’s obvious political message and pretty straightforward plot, I found The Abominable Man to be a really gratifying read. The part with Nyman’s doctor is incredibly humorous, and the conclusion is nonstop excitement. Overall, the novel blends seamlessly into the series’ overall plot.
I suggest reading the Martin Beck mysteries chronologically, which is what I’m now doing. This influential series is where many crime fiction conventions got their start. Sjöwall and Wahlöö’s wit, profundity, and influence irrevocably altered the genre…
