Peter Hoeg

Smilla's Sense of Snow! A poetic name. Like a line in a poem. Lyrical lines, observations galore. Bits of illuminations about human behaviour, observations about human nature. It is a delight to read this expansive novel.

The story is large, in the true sense of the term. It encompasses not only the events in the death of a small boy, Isaiah, but his death and aftermath through the life events of Smilla Jaspersen. It is a story about Smilla and her downstairs neighbour Peter, as well as Isaiah's mother. It is the story of Smilla's parents, how one day her mother disappeared. It is also about the Cryolite Corporation of Denmark.

But throughout, above everyone and everthing else, is snow. The look, feel and characteristics of snow. The desolateness that snow creates, the cold and the colour of snow. The mood of snow, and the dangers it entails. Hunting in snow, and walking on snow. Endless observations about snow delights and enlightens, expecially people who have never seen snow.

For those populations whose life centers around snow, it is a reliving of their life through the eyes of Peter Hoeg, and reexperiencing the beauty and the difficukties of nthat lifestyle. The countries of Denmark (Copenhagen) and Greenland, as well as Inuit culture are woven intricately into the story.

Hence this is a novel about snow, and cultures, about science (the Cryolite Corporation of Denmark), about people, about love, muder and mystery.