Ode To The Scandinavian Anti-Hero

She is a willow of a woman
whose books are her lifeline.
They are her light in the darkest of times.
She frequently forgets that illumination
is possible within her own black hole of despair.

She loves protagonists who are broken and complex.
No pretty boy heroes for her, she finds them too two dimensional.
They may offer their services elsewhere to wide-eyed damsels in distress.
She requires and craves imperfection in others,
even fictional others, to sustain her own conflicting psyche.

The world needs more broken heroes
because they understand the gray areas of real life.
There is a hidden truth that lurks behind their eyes.
They know we all cultivate a shaded balance of being,
our demons whisper in our ears while they hang from our necks.

So she chooses to embrace men like Inspector Erlander,
along with his depth of depression over his brother's death,
a failed marriage and the children lost to him due to drugs and recriminations.
She relishes Harry Hole whose intellect and alcoholism keeps him apart
from his own life while he autopsies the lives and bodies of the dead.

The Scandinavians carve their broken heroes from their own winter darkness,
and she loves them for it. They plummet her into a world so bleak, and characters
so tortured, she is always able to leave her demons to fend for themselves
while the detectives grapple with both enlightenment and gloom, their purpose clear,
to sift through the ashes looking for justice and bits and pieces of themselves.

Reviews

[Einstein Noodle]

no one ever broken can not know how to put back together .. despair, loneliness, life's wet blanket can seem to blot out All .. but as long as that thought remains (illumination is possible) one can escape loss of life ...your first line and its verse are done so well ..it helped to look up Harry Hole and Inspector Erlander ...complex indeed ..especially Harry ;) i think this is a sexy and intelligent read for those long dark winter months .. i see you Ms. icey! ..give it to me real says i! :)))
E.

[Lyn Anderson]

This makes me want to find out more about your heroes. As always, beautifully descriptive and crystal clear in your intentions.

[icelandicblue]

There is something haunting in those heroes. I always appreciate your visits.

[emmajoy]

' The Scandinavians carve their broken heroes from their own winter darkness,
and she loves them for it. They plummet her into a world so bleak, and characters
so tortured, ' Brilliant area, this!

UK tv. viewer and reader of the Scandinavian skill of taking ordinary wonderful thinkers and doers, solvers and sad into realm of their very own. Your words really do celebrate that skill; you praise the ugly and dark, the non.glamourous yet luring heroes and not.. You admire the flaws that make characters into folk around the corner, perhaps with a fist or gun..(not jesting, promise) but always there's that admirable win or lose that either way is an adventure wrapped by real people with exceptional thoughts.

And yes, I'm a fan.. and admire thi particular post more than I can express without over.doing..

[Cryingkate]

SYNCH >>>>

Why did I pick this poem second to read?
I just used the word hero describing you for your write I just read and reviewed.
I debated using the word and concluded that it was exactly right.

I want to meditate on this poem today.. I'll return to finish the review.
So far....I'm hearing the words that all your writes are an act of heroism.
I'm not meaning to use the word lightly, But I think I'm seeing something for the first time in your writings.
Hmm... Must be I'm growing.... See you later..... wow I'm awake....

[icelandicblue]

I appreciate that you would like to ponder this one. Thank you.

[.]

-- this is a beautiful piece... -- i think that those of us who have been through some kind of fire are more perceptive and sensitive than those who haven't... -- and... as my WC friend curio arca once told me... painful experiences lead to an enhanced appreciation of art, cinema, poetry, music etc. etc... -- that doesn't mean we should invite pain but i guess that means that those who have been through pain are more perfect than those who haven't...

[icelandicblue]

Pain makes beauty sharper and focused. Without it we cannot be strong. And in my opinion, that is the sad truth of it.

[.]

-- true that... -- it is a sad truth... for it is about the absence of happiness... -- pain is painful...

[Tomás Ó C..]

"The world needs more broken heroes
because they understand the gray areas of real life." - great lines...

Yes, the Scandianvians do have a tough for the strange stories .fo which The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and its sister books are but one example...

[icelandicblue]

Thank you so much Tomás. Perfection is highly overrated. Nice to meet you.

[Tomás Ó Cárthaigh]

It is indeed. We have learned little since the tower of Babylon... have a scout through my verse when you get the chance...

[icelandicblue]

I will most certainly visit.

[An owl on the moon]

What a brilliant, sweeping canvas of light and darkness blended into one. Fascinates me to read of these broken heroes that give voice to the Scandinavian archetype, and bring an edge to the music of their stories.

[icelandicblue]

Thank you so much, your words are beautiful. I am enamored of the Scandinavian detective novel. There can be a sad yet compelling beauty in the flaws that make us human. I think the fact that they are successful in one aspect of their lives despite their struggles makes them more interesting in my view. I really appreciate you reading this piece and giving it such a thoughtful review.

[NoelHC]

An interesting read, and so true. I discovered Henning Mankell's Inspector Wallander series by accident, I thought the book I saw in an airport book store was from The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo trilogy. I read all of Mankell's books, and the Dragon trilogy. Multi-faceted and conflicted characters, indeed.
Mankell passed away 2 or 3 weeks back, a real loss.
You may be interested in an accomplished Icelandic author, Arnaldur Indriðason. Deep and dark mysteries, some have been made into movies and are on Netflix.
Well written, Blue.

[icelandicblue]

Thanks so much! Arnaldur Indriðason is the author of Inspector Erlander. Jar City is one of my favorite books!! Good to see you. Thank you again.

[NoelHC]

I had forgotten about Erlander's name and didn't make the connection to Indriðason. Excellent stories.

[icelandicblue]

Jo Nesbo is another Scandinavian writer that I adore.

[icelandicblue]

I will have to take a look at Mankell. Thank you.

[NoelHC]

http://www.inspector-wallander.org/guide/timeline.html

The Wallander series can be read as stand alone novels, however there is a timeline sequence of the hero's life from a young cop on the beat to his final cases. The one thing I was really drawn into was how his character changed as he grew older. His attitudes, his beliefs, his reactions to situations and people evolved as he matured. Often heroes in series remain static. Not Wallander.

[HipsterPrincess17]

Wonderfully written this is amazing how you can think of stuff like this to write. Your imagination is very large and creative Keep up the good work

[icelandicblue]

Thank you for your thoughts Lia.