This one takes a lot of effort to read, as you'll no doubt stumble over the cumbersome translation. Perhaps that was what detracted so much from the story, as I could not make myself care about the characters or the plot. Hopefully, you'll have better luck.

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One of the best books I've read this year. It's literate, unique, and has a fascinating heroine, Smilla. The only detriment are the several technical descriptions (ships, biology, construction of snow, etc.) which I felt could be cut down. But that's my opinion; another reader may enjoy these descriptions. The essential story is about a repressed woman who is determined to find out why her 11 year old neighbor was murdered. Even though the authorities state his death as an accident, Smilla can tell by looking at the tracks he made that he was murdered. Her pursuit of the truth leads to attempts on her life and eventually to a sea voyage where she gets the (surprising) answers she seeks. The movie is very good too.

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Though it probably has the potential to be a good mystery, I just couldn't get into it. Since it was originally written in another language, it may have just lost something in the translation.

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Suspenseful and facinating. A Danish suspense novel in the vein of John Le Carré--A thriller with moral relevance and political insight.

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Book really is a lot better than the film, and I liked the film.

Juxtaposing the sensibilities of Greenlander and Dane gives some depth to the suspense. Engaging narrative voice. If a book can be at once serious in tone and a light read, this is it.

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This is an unusual premise for a mystery and Peter Hoeg does a good job of making you feel the snow. Recommended highly and rated it a 5 star.

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This book was not an easy read - but it was fascinating, even if difficult to follow at times. Smilla Jaspersen is a Greenlander living in Denmark. Her neighbor and friend, 7-year-old Isaiah, is found dead one day, apparently having fallen off the roof of his home while playing. Despite the police's official verdict, Smilla doesn't believe it is an accident as she knows Isaiah to be afraid of heights, so she starts investigating - and slowly opens up a can of worms. I was fascinated by the setting and culture of Denmark and Greenland, so unfamiliar to me, but the story at several points bogged down and I found this a bit of a slow read for me. However, the language is haunting and eerie, weaving an atmosphere of quiet and mystery. There were several sections as the story progresses toward its climax when I felt that Smilla's survival in her encounters with the villains becomes a bit contrived, but it was still overall a good read. My actual rating is 3.5 but I rounded up to 4 for the intriguing characters.

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A superb thriller with a combination of suspense narrative, Hemingwayesque prose, exotic setting and spellbinding central female.

She thinks more highly of snow and ice than she does of love. She lives in a world of numbers, science and memories- a dark, ecotic stranger in a strange land. And now Smilla Jasperson is convinced she has uncovered a shattering crime....

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I found this a particularly exciting and engaging story by an author that was new to me when I first read the book 15 yr ago. I have recently re-read it and still find it a very good book. Unfortunately, the books available in the US are slightly different from those published in Europe right after it was translated into English. That book had a blue cover with a dark silhouette on it. The later editions changed the cover and, I think, a few parts of the story for a different audience.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants to be captivated for several hours.

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