The Chinaman (novel)
Encyclopedia
The Man from Beijing is a novel by Swedish writer Henning Mankell
first published in Swedish
in 2007 under the title Kinesen (The Chinaman). The English translation by Laurie Thompson
was published in February 2010.
. The protagonist
Birgitta Roslin, a district judge from Helsingborg
, realises she has a family connection with some of the victims. Roslin's curiosity is raised by clues found at the scene and leads her to unofficially investigate the massacre. The narrative also chronicles the lives of several characters living during the mid-19th Century in China
and the United States
, whose experiences are somehow also connected to the mass killings. As the plot unfolds, extending across three continents, Roslin unintentionally becomes embroiled in a web of international corruption and political intrigue.
have acquired the TV film rights for the Swedish publication and as at February 2010 are planning the filming of The Chinese (working title) for the German
broadcaster ARD
.
Henning Mankell
Henning Mankell is a Swedish crime writer, children's author, leftist activist and dramatist, best known for a series of mystery novels starring his most famous creation, Inspector Kurt Wallander.-Life and career:...
first published in Swedish
Swedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
in 2007 under the title Kinesen (The Chinaman). The English translation by Laurie Thompson
Laurie Thompson
Laurie Thompson is a British academic and translator, born in York, England, and lived in northern Sweden for a few years, noted for his translations of Swedish literature into English...
was published in February 2010.
Plot
In January 2006 the police make the gruesome discovery of the bodies of 19 people who have been brutally murdered in the remote hamlet of Hesjövallen in northern SwedenSweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. The protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
Birgitta Roslin, a district judge from Helsingborg
Helsingborg
Helsingborg is a city and the seat of Helsingborg Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 97,122 inhabitants in 2010. Helsingborg is the centre of an area in the Øresund region of about 320,000 inhabitants in north-west Scania, and is Sweden's closest point to Denmark, with the Danish city...
, realises she has a family connection with some of the victims. Roslin's curiosity is raised by clues found at the scene and leads her to unofficially investigate the massacre. The narrative also chronicles the lives of several characters living during the mid-19th Century in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, whose experiences are somehow also connected to the mass killings. As the plot unfolds, extending across three continents, Roslin unintentionally becomes embroiled in a web of international corruption and political intrigue.
Adaptations
Yellow Bird German ProductionsYellow Bird (company)
Yellow Bird is a Swedish film and television production company founded by best-selling novelist Henning Mankell and film-producers Ole Søndberg and Lars Björkman. The company was founded to produce films based on Mankell's Kurt Wallander novels. Yellow Bird was sold to Danish media house Zodiak...
have acquired the TV film rights for the Swedish publication and as at February 2010 are planning the filming of The Chinese (working title) for the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
broadcaster ARD
ARD (broadcaster)
ARD is a joint organization of Germany's regional public-service broadcasters...
.