Ragde’s Berlin Poplars receives critical acclaim in France
Anne B. Ragde’s acclaimed novel Berlin Poplars was published in France last autumn and has received excellent reviews by French critics.
The renowned paper Le Monde wrote:
“Even though Berlin Poplars is first and foremost a page turner, a book you devour, you need not dig far to discover its intensity and complexity (…) the author’s prose is simple and precise, and she has a great nose for composition (…) The reader is soberly taken care of from beginning to end, guided by the narrative tension solely based on secrets revealed. (…) Berlin Poplars definitely deserves to become a long-lasting success”
Le Nouvel Observateur stated:
”This extremely well written novel, with so much inherent darkness, is a wonderful portrayal of a family that is stuck in the unspoken”
The critic in Le Quotidien wrote that:
”Berlin Poplars’ great strength is undoubtedly Anne B. Ragde’s flair for combining elements from the traditional family saga with techniques reminiscent of tv and film dramas. She constructs the intrigue and describes the psychology behind the confrontation between traditional values and our modern ways piece by piece like a jigsaw puzzle. Her prose is radiant, the mood just as dark as one hopes for.”
Luxemburger Wort wrote:
“Berlin Poplars is an enigmatic and thrilling novel that at the same time is fuelled by a wicked sense of humour, giving the book its literary strength. One is constantly touched emotionally (…) as well as seduced by this great novel about passionate family ties”
Femmes d’ajourd’hui stated that:
”Anne B. Ragde manages to create an exciting read of unglamorous subjects like pig breeding and the act of placing a body in a coffin, all the way to the last and completely unexpected final scene”
Anne B. Ragde (b. 1957) made her literary debut in 1986 with the children’s book Hello! Here’s Jo! Since then, she has written several books for children and young adults, among them a biography about Sigrid Undset, for which she was awarded the Brage Prize. Her first novel for adults, A Tiger for an Angel, was published in 1990. She has since written several novels, crime novels and short story collections. Her Neshov trilogy - Berlin Poplars, Hermit Crabs and Pastures Green - received a warm welcome from both readers and critics, and has so far sold more than 1 million copies in Norway, 300 000 copies in Sweden, 250 000 in Denmark and 250 000 in Germany. The trilogy has also been made into a TV series, which had more than 1 million viewers when showed on Norwegian Television. Anne B. Ragde’s books have been translated into 21 languages.
Read more on Anne B. Ragde here