The Nordic Noir fiction genre, which is also known as the Scandinavian Noir or Scandi Noir, is a genre that has gained in popularity Stateside throughout the early 2000s. Perhaps the most popular series Stateside is Steig Larsson's Millenium trilogy, specifically The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo, The Girl who Played with Fire, and The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest. The popularity of his series led to more Scandinavian fiction writers having their work published and promoted here in the States.
These books are most often categorized as part of the mystery genre but includes more complexities than your standard whodunit type of mystery. The settings seem rather ordinary and mundane, but hold dark undercurrents of violence, racism, and sexism thematically as a form of social critique of an otherwise "polite" society. The main character is typically a detective or police officer with a dark past, definitely morally flawed. And the storylines themselves tend towards complexity and slow, methodical pacing. So, it's best to be patient with you're reading in this genre, because some of the more subtle details can be lost at first. Stay with it and the darkness will unfold.
Nordic Noir Booklist:
Nordic Noir Movies:
Final Thoughts:
- If you enjoy police procedural dramas, this type of genre fiction is definitely worthwhile to explore.
- A lot of this genre relies on the "slow burn" technique, so you may have to reread certain parts to reveal the darker aspects of the story. It's not immediately obvious.
- When Steig Larsson's trilogy gained in popularity Stateside, I would jokingly refer to myself as "the Girl who....shelved in the fiction section", "the Girl who... has a pet Bunny", "the Girl who....changed the lightbulb in the bathroom in the middle of the night.", etc.
- I'm fairly certain that the above mentioned "The Girl Who...." selections are the unwritten sequels to Larsson's series (which he was unable to finish since he passed away in 2004).
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