Read in 2025 - 11: Himmel über London

Himmel über London

Håkan Nesser

During our holiday in Austria, I browsed the hotel's extensive book shelves for a paperback to read while relaxing in the spa and in our room, and came across this one. I finished it on the very last evening and returned it to the shelf before checking out the next morning.

Himmel über London ("Sky Over London") is not my first read by this Swedish author. Decades ago, I read his "Kim Novak"-one, and then sporadically one or two of his books featuring detective Van Veeteren, but all this was either before I started my blog or before I started posting reviews of what I've been reading.

"Himmel über London" is a standalone novel, constructed in a way that keeps the reader thinking and wondering almost until the very end, where it all comes together and pieces fall into place.

There are several layers to the story, plus a "meta" layer, which is revealed only very gradually, making it a really interesting read, quite different from other books.

The main character is Leonard, a man who intends to celebrate his 70th birthday in London, where he lived during his youth. Since then, he has become very wealthy. Living in the US with his American wife, he now returns, terminally ill and knowing that this will be his very last birthday. His grown-up step-children are invited to the party, as well as two mystery guests. Only Leonard knows who they are, and why he wants them there.

While he continues with his preparations, a serial killer is on the loose in London, but what does this have to do with the story?

Chapters alternate not only between the main characters' perspectives (Leonard, his wife, the two step-children who have very special problems of their own, and one of the mystery guests). They also alternate between Leonard's present and his past, but it is always clear where and when we are, and who the narrator is. Add the meta layer, ultimately holding all the strings together.

It was a very intriguing read, seemingly straighforward at first, and becoming more and more complex - never to the point that I "lost the plot", but complex. I enjoyed it and really found it unputdownable at times. With one exception, I didn't like or relate to any of the characters, and when things turned out well for that one character in the end, I was relieved.

The author is very popular in Germany. Some of his books have been adapted for TV, and one of his first novels has become part of the reading curriculum in Swedish schools, according to the German wikipedia article. You can learn more about him on his own website.

Horse Market Parade

As promised (or threatened...!), I am now going to show you the pictures I took last Sunday at the Horse Market parade.

You can find more posts about past parades on my blog, for instance here. Anyway, this is the one tradition in connection with the Horse Market I really enjoy - when it comes to the other elements of this annual event (such as the actual market, the shows and the fairground), I feel rather indifferent about those.

But the parade had me fascinated from when I was little; mainly two things always stood out for me: The marching bands making music (especially the big drum - I could feel its beat in my tummy), and the big, beautiful horses - the bigger, the better! To this day, my heart beats faster when the Shire horses approach. They are my favourites; gentle giants that walk with dignity and beauty.

(Unfortunately, the pictures are in reverse order. This keeps happening when I upload pictures from this computer, but not on my mobile devices or my other computer.

It doesn't really matter, but especially the start of the parade is supposed to be in somewhat chronological order about Ludwigsburg's history.)

Right, here we go:

There were a few more groups after this fluffly little pony, but I didn't find them all that picture-worthy, and therefore the first one is the last one I took:

Students from India and Germany were doing a Bollywood-style dance:

Part of Ludwigsburg's Croatian community in traditional costumes, performing traditional dances:

A colourful group from the Portuguese community of Ludwigsburg.

The Greek community of my hometown was there, too:

The group before them were folks originally from an area that used to be the very far East of Germany but - if I remember correctly - became part of Czechoslovakia and/or Poland after WWII:

A group honouring the Ukraine, I think:

Drums!!

A small group in what used to be the traditional working outfit for farmers in this part of Germany:

An old fire engine, lovingly kept as shiny as when it was brand new:

This is how people used to go for walks in town around the turn of the century (late 1800s, early 1900s):

In the early to mid 1800s, ladies were required to wear a crinolin under their skirts. You can tell how windy it was - the "cages" underneath the fabric were moving about quite a bit!

The lady and gentleman in this carriage are acting as King Karl and Queen Olga of Württemberg (she was a daugther of the Russian Tsar Nicolaus I). She was very popular in this country, and many schools, hospitals and streets still carry her name. I have read a few books about her life and reviewed them here and here.

The lady and gentleman in this carriage are acting as the first King and Queen of Württemberg, Friedrich and Charlotte Mathilde (who was a daugther of King George III of England).

Marching band in the colours of Württemberg:

We're still moving back in time; these are costumes after original models from the late 1700s and very early 1800s:

Click to enlarge and see who's being carried here:

This powdered gentleman was very understated - men of a certain level in society wore quite a lot of make-up back then:

Ladies had to use a special saddle in order to ride like this. To ride like a man was completely inacceptable:

According to the commentator, this old mail coach was still in active service until the mid-1970s in a remote community somewhere in the Black Forest:

Here comes a marching band with just the kind of drum I so loved as a little girl:

The working class dressed very differently - they weren't even allowed the same colours (and probably would have chosen earthy tones for practicality anyway):

Stylish ladies showing off their dresses:

Further back in time, this is what a small hunting party of rich aristocrats could have looked like in the early 1700s:

Quite a jump in time, these costumes are based on what was worn for tournaments and parades in the 15- and 1600s:

My favourites, the wonderful Shire horses:

Yes, the Romans were in this area, too - many centuries before Ludwigsburg began to be built. It was mostly woodland here at that time.

Visiting marching band:

Ponies are always a big hit with the kids, but I could hear some "aaaws" from the adults, too:

This little princess must have felt soooo proud:

Some local politicians:

More local politicians (part of the Youth City Council of Ludwigsburg):

More members of the local government:

The man in the red t-shirt is the top Mayor of Ludwigsburg (we have several Mayors with different responsibilities, but he is the "main" one). He was wearing the sports outfit of our women's handball team, who had just won the German championship a day or so before the parade:

The parage always begins and ends with members of the police force, some of them on horseback, too. I can imagine that everybody who is involved in security and safety for this big event breathes a heavy sigh of relief when the parade is over and there have been no incidents.

Not all the groups that usually take part in the parade were there this year, but there were still 60 of them, and it took about 1 1/2 hours for all of them to walk the entire length of the route through the city centre. 

O.K. was very good to keep me company - it is of course very much something I want to do, not a big wish of his ;-)

See you next year!