Norwegian by Night

De: Derek B. Miller

Narrado por: Sean Mangan

Sheldon Horowitz - 82 years old, impatient, and unreasonable - is staying with his granddaughter's family in Norway when he disappears with a stranger's child. Sheldon is an ex-Marine, and he feels responsible for his son's death in Vietnam. Recently widowed and bereft, he talks to the ghosts of his past constantly.

To Norway's cops, Sheldon is just an old man who is coming undone at the end of a long and hard life. But Sheldon is clear in his own mind. He'd heard the boy's eastern European mother being murdered, and he's determined to protect the child from the killer and his Balkan gang. With an endearing combination of dexterity and daring, Sheldon manages to elude the police in what is hostile, foreign territory for him. But what he doesn't know is that the police and the gang both know where he's heading.

Norwegian by Night is the last adventure of a man coming to terms with the tragedy of his own life as he tries to save another's. It combines laconic, deadpan humour, moral seriousness, visceral grief, and narrative tensions in a remarkable way - and Sheldon, in particular, is about to become a famous fictional hero.

©2012 Derek B. Miller (P)2013 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Norwegian by Night ‘may just be the Australian publishing coup of the decade, for this is a very powerful novel indeed, and Sheldon Horowitz is an absolutely unforgettable hero....A novel that will last and, soon enough, will be added to that canon of those finer works that transcend mere genre." (Jonathan Dawson, Sunday Tasmanian)

"To say this is an enigmatic read would be the understatement of the season." ( Courier Mail)

Great Listen!

This was one of the most original, engaging and entertaining stories I've listened to.
I have over 300 books in my library so I've heard a wide range of stories. This is one of my top 20. I wanted to listen again as soon as it was done.
Well worth the time and credit/money.

An unexpected surprise

I think I purchased this audio book from one of the Audible sales, and when I first started listening I couldn't imagine why. But later, I knew it was something special.

This isn't a funny book, although at times I laughed aloud. It was sad, suspenseful and heroic. The main character, an elderly man who may or may not be suffering from dementia, performs one last act of heroism. Maybe as penance for what has gone before, maybe just because it's the right thing to do. The author paints the picture so well that you know the next step, maybe.

The plot has twists and turns, and fortunately the author believes the reader is intelligent enough to let us draw our own conclusions and doesn't feel the need to make the ugly even uglier. We already know, it doesn't need to be illustrated further.

Norway is as much a character as the human characters in the story, If I immigrate to another country, I'm heading to Norway.

Derek Miller: Get thee to an editor

Was Miller in a rush to close off the last page? had he ever spent time with a toddler? or traveled with one? I think not. Excellent humanizing of the antagonists, not cardboard or cliche...but ended book with tired USA style guns and ammo blast-out - author is badly in need of a more skilled editor to help even out the otherwise very good ideas...enjoyed some of the historical snippets on being a Jew in the USA

Grabbed me from the get-go!

Sheldon is an 82-year old American Marine Corps vet who now lives in Oslo with the granddaughter he raised, her Norwegian husband, and a host of other people from Sheldon's past, who are now alive only in his head. When he finds himself involved in a murder he calls on them, and his military training, to help him figure out what to do. Miller has written a well-built story with just enough suspense, told from several points-of-view by characters who are mostly sympathetic. I enjoyed Mangan's narration. He did a great job of reading in various, very believable accents. This is one of the few books I've read that I didn't want to end.

Love it 82 year old Jew and an 8 year old

Grumpy old man, Korean War veteran, widower, in Norway, finds himself on a mission of heroic proportion.
Wonderful. Entertains, unusual

Words Cannot Describe -- Magnificent

I can't remember what drew me to this book, but I am so glad that something did!. The book touches upon so many subjects and feelings: multi-generational and other relationships, parenting, aging, loss, the impacts of war(s), patriotism, redemption, expectations & duties, cultural differences, political and religious stereotypes, and more -- told mostly through the words, deeds, memories and nightmares of Sheldon, an 82-year old widow believed to be suffering from dementia. These considerations sneak up on you, much as they do on Sheldon. They never get too heavy, however. Humor--sometimes dark--keeps them from being too overwhelming or ponderous.

Beautifully crafted story.

Discovered this book by accident and was thoroughly entertained. Miller developes complex fascinating characters, well done backstories for these characters and a believable plot. his writing is at times economic,, never wordy or boring. Hilarious, pithy dialogue drives the story and connects us emotionally with his realistic characters. I love his writing style.

Enjoyable but has some shortcomings

For a book whose focus was so centered on the internal conflicts of the main character, an irascible, elderly, NY Jew, more effort should have been made to find a narrator who was better equipped to embody this guy. The story was interesting and it was well paced, but the narrator just couldn't capture who this person was. Perhaps coming from a Jewish background causes me to more critical. I had also finished listening Phillip Roth's Sabbeth's Theater where the narrator really nailed it.

excellent

Where does Norwegian by Night rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

thoroughly enjoyed this book. the main character held my attention and interest all of the way through... well done

Confusing

This story was very confusing. It skipped around in time and characters. It felt like I had dementia. The ending left me feeling that too much was left hanging.