Reviews - Băng Cướp Thụy Điển (Made in Sweden #1)

Anger, greed, domination and aggression.
I heard so much hype about this book and I love Nordic Noir, so I decided to read it. The Father is not fiction, it is inspired on the true story of three brothers who committed various bank robberies in Sweden in the nineties. Allegedly none had committed a crime before, they were all young, under 24. The book opens with a gruesome scene of domestic violence, when the father, having been banned from the house, enters and almost kills his wife. The boys grow up, scarred by that event. None of them remembers who opened the door, but each one secretly takes the blame nonetheless. The father is an alcoholic, immigrant, angry man with a chip on his shoulder. Fast forward to the bank robbery period. And it is all planning and deceit, and robbery after robbery. Cleverly done. I was engaged by the writing, but I felt slightly detached from the characters, 592 pages long, I was expecting to get a bit more substance. The characters didn’t feel fully fleshed out to me. It could have been 100 pages shorter, there were parts that dragged on. Maybe I just didn't get it, or maybe I just don't care about these kinds of stories/characters anymore. All I can say is prepare to embark into a feast of extreme toxic masculinity.

lkvistad's review against another edition

3.75

adventurous dark emotional reflective tense fast-paced

ashesmf's review against another edition

2.0

dark sad slow-paced

scrollsofdragons's review against another edition

5.0

I legit cant express how much I loved this book.

I cared about the whole crazy ass family, except the mother because I feel she cared more about taking herself out of any situation while the father, yes he was abusive but he put his children first in his own depraved way. Thats why I loved the father Ivan in a way, he went too far but his love for his sons was as clear as day. They are the most fucked up parents I have ever read about though

Spoiler

When the father grabs the sword and holds it over thier three year old son after his wife threatens to leave with half of everything and the mother stands there, cool as anything and is casually like you wont do it you were the one who ran downstairs barefoot when you saw that knife-you were afraid of losing one of our sons, you wont do it because I know you love him and then she walks off while he is still standing over thier son with a fucking sword before he collaspes and cries. They are some crazy ass motherfuckers.

Leo, he was such a good son and brother, I love how he always stood up to the fact that he would never force anyone aganist thier will to do something, how making sure his brothers were okay was tne most important thing. Aw Vincent, as a three year old he was hilarious I swear and as a eighteen year old as back then he was still so precious. And Felix, the middle son, always wanting to do the right thing. Even Jasper, who just wanted to belong, who would jump off a mountain if Leo asked him too. The brother bond was one of the strongest I have ever read about, and my favourite thing about it. Never snitch, stay together and always have each others backs.

Also loved the parallels that went on. Like the detective and his childhood situation being so similar to the robbers he is hunting down. The older brother willimg to do anything for thier younger. Then the detective hell bent on nothing but those he is hunting with his boss, the family man who strives for the balance between work and life. Their talk on christmas eve was so amusing.

Spoiler

John is like I can finally catch them and his boss is like do you know how to make a christmas mumma and starts explaining how to while John is like its them, everything fits. Both of them talking over each other on the most opposing thing. So funny

The best novel about a criminal family ever written, an utter thrill with emotional punches, and an electric charged pace all the way to the final page.