The Local
Glenn Folkvord
Glenn Folkvord
09:24 CEST
Whodunit? Guest columnist Glenn Folkvord explains Norwegians’ obsession with crime fiction – and why the genre is an Easter favourite.
They extend winter, invented modern crime fiction, and celebrate Easter by reading about murder. Who? The Norwegians, of course.
One would think that after a long, dark and bitter winter, Norwegians would welcome spring, sun and the promise of summer.
That is probably true for the cold-challenged, but many Norwegians choose to extend the winter by spending the Easter holiday in their mountain log cabins, armed with mutton, eggs and chocolate wafers.
However, one more ingredient is needed to really get into the spirit. To some it is the highlight of the holiday. Murder. Preferably many of them, safely experienced between two book covers. Between shovelling snow or skiing on it, Easter for Norwegians means wallowing in crime fiction. In Norway, you can’t avoid it that one week of the year.