Why Soren Sveistrup’s Darkness Feels So Deeply Human
When I read crime novels, I am not only looking for the killer.
I am looking for the silence inside families.
For the secrets people bury.
For the quiet fractures that grow over the years.
That is exactly what I found in the books of Soren Sveistrup.
The Chestnut Man – More Than Just a Thriller
When I first read The Chestnut Man, I expected a classic Nordic crime story — cold weather, a brutal crime, a troubled detective.
And yes, it had all of that.
But what stayed with me wasn’t the violence.
It was the motherhood theme.
The vulnerability of children.
The feeling that evil doesn’t come from monsters — it grows quietly inside damaged homes.
Later, when I watched the Netflix adaptation of The Chestnut Man, I noticed something interesting.
The series was visually stunning — dark forests, grey skies, that heavy Scandinavian silence. But the book felt more intimate. More psychological. I could feel the characters breathing, doubting, breaking.
Sometimes books whisper.
Series show.
And in this case, the whisper was stronger.
The Night of the Cuckoo – The Disturbing Game of Hide and Seek
Then I read The Night of the Cuckoo (or Hide and Seek).
This time, the story felt even more psychological. The “hide and seek” motif is not just a childhood game here. It becomes something symbolic.
Who is hiding?
Who is pretending not to see?
Who learned to survive by disappearing emotionally?
As a woman in my fifties, I read these stories differently now.
I no longer focus only on who committed the crime.
I ask:
What shaped this person?
What silence was ignored?
What pain was left untreated?
Sveistrup doesn’t only write about murder.
He writes about inherited trauma.
About families that look normal from the outside.
About children who grow up carrying invisible weight.
And maybe that is why his stories feel so unsettling — because they are not unrealistic.
They are disturbingly possible.
What Connects Both Books?
In The Chestnut Man, a small chestnut doll becomes a haunting symbol.
In The Night of the Cuckoo, a childhood game turns dark.
Childhood innocence — transformed into something frightening.
Maybe that is Sveistrup’s real signature.
He reminds us that evil rarely appears suddenly.
It grows quietly. Slowly.
Behind closed doors.
Final Thoughts
If you are looking for fast-paced, action-heavy thrillers, these books might feel slow at times.
But if you enjoy:
- Psychological depth
- Complex female characters
- Family secrets
- Nordic noir atmosphere
Then both novels are worth your time.
For me, they were not just crime stories.
They were reflections of how fragile families can be — and how deeply the past shapes us.
And maybe that is why I couldn’t stop thinking about them long after I finished the last page.
One thing that often disappoints me when I watch adaptations is how different the characters feel from the ones I created in my mind while reading. When I read a novel, I build the faces, the gestures, even the silence of the characters in my imagination. And more often than not, the screen versions don’t match that inner picture. But this time, with The Chestnut Man, I was genuinely surprised. The main characters felt incredibly close to the ones I had imagined — their energy, their emotional weight, even their quiet intensity. Instead of feeling disconnected, I felt relieved. It was one of those rare moments when the series didn’t replace my imagination — it respected it.
Another thing I love about Scandinavian or other European series is that the protagonists aren't superheroes, but more natural, down-to-earth characters. They have problems and fears that we all experience. While watching, you feel closer to them.
About the author
Søren Sveistrup is a Danish screenwriter. He became known for the series "Nikolaj and Julie" and the multi-part TV thriller "The Killing," which was adapted for the US market and won numerous awards. His thriller debut, "The Chestnut Man," was an international bestseller and reached millions of readers.
© Author photo: Les Kaner
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