Rated of 5
by Norma Peter Hoeg's The Quiet Girl
This is the story of Kasper Krone a circus clown from Denmark. The book is set in the present time and centers around Krone's special gift. He is able to "hear peoples' music" and know what they are thinking and feeling. The plot has many twists and turns and I found the story difficult to follow. It follows the kidnapping of several children and Kasper's attempts to rescue them. There are some very touching scenes but I found that the book did not have a smooth flow.
Rated of 5
by Dorian Lost in translation
As a musician I had great hopes for this book, and especially for the main character. There were moments of real insight, but I felt that the plot was very difficult to follow. After a while I just wanted to get to the end, not to find out what happens, but to just finish! Not one of Peter Hoeg's best efforts.
Rated of 5
by Heather Ambitious, but unsatisfying
Ahh, this was a baffling and disappointing novel. Reading it reminded me of James Joyce's Ulysses (and I loath James Joyce). The main character, Kasper Krone, debt-ridden Danish celebrity clown, is clever, physically adept, and blessed (or cursed) with extraordinary hearing. But he is not endearing, and with his fits of violence, particularly toward the woman he allegedly loves, is not even particularly likable. The mysterious children are shadowed figures and mostly unnamed, save for the oddly self-possessed KlaraMaria. Classical music, especially works by Bach, are endlessly referenced in the novel, and I had the sense that Hoeg wrote the novel -- or composed it -- the same way a composer would write a score of music. It does have a lyrical sense to it. But if I had to describe the novel in three words, I'd say: Ambitious, but unsatisfying.
Rated of 5
by Diane The Quiet Girl
As expected with a Peter Hoeg book, the story line is complex and unusual. Normally, I enjoy the quirky and unexpected, but this was just too strange and didn't draw me in at all. The constant jumping between present and past; the use of musical references to describe characters and set tone (which really would only work if one were familiar with all the pieces referenced); and the fact that at times it felt somewhat like an improbable superheroes adventure, made it a struggle for me to finish the book. I would classify this as disappointing.
Rated of 5
by Leann Worth the Effort
Peter Høeg’s The Quiet Girl is not an easy read. The shifts between present and past are sometimes difficult to follow and the plot is, in my opinion, over complicated. But then, Høeg is not known for simplistic writing or “dumbing down” for broader audience appeal. He has high expectations for his readers and expects to be met half-way and then some. So, there is some work necessary; one must pay attention while reading and trust in the journey. The reader must be willing to follow where the author leads. Fortunately, the main character, Kasper Krone, is so charming, his mystical abilities so fascinating, and the writing itself so lyrical, that the journey changes from perilous to pleasurable fairly quickly.
Rated of 5
by Julie A Mystical Thriller
After reading only the first few pages of this book, I doubted I'd be able to hold on to the end....however, once I continued on, I began to really get into it. The story reads like a dark, mystical, multi-faceted dream. It moves around unexpectedly to different times and places in the main character's experience, which at first bothered me, but then once I found the rhythm of the book, I was able to follow along without any trouble. Surprisingly, because this is not the usual genre of book I read, I found myself quite involved right through to the end. I'd say, in a broad sense, the book is about the psychic struggle between good and evil, light and darkness. I found it quite enjoyable.
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British Parliament asks Amazon to clarify why it pays $9 million in income tax on $23 billion of UK sales.(May 20 2013) Amazon will be called back to give further evidence to members of the British Parliament "to clarify how its activities in the U.K. justify its low corporate...
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of 5
by Diane 
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by Leann 
