Book review: The Spark
When I’m sent an email on spec urging me to try a new product or book or whatever I tend to be a bit cynical. What do they want from me? Are they faking their words of praise for my blog and work? Can I really be bothered to test/read whatever it is they are touting? Being a nice sort of person I normally give folks a chance. I’ll check out the product and their background to see if I think they are genuinely promoting something worthy. On this occasion a book called The Spark was gifted to me on Kindle by a writer called O H Robsson – and I am delighted I followed it up and read it.
Robsson contacted me via email and said he followed my blog and would be keen for me to read his new novel. He is based in Norway and reckons he likes my Scotland outdoors blog. He suggested that if, at any point, I became bored by his book I should stop reading but he would value my opinion.
What Is The Spark about?
This book weaves together the main character Kristoffer’s appreciation of Norwegian scenery (on the breath-takingly beautiful west coast), running, photography, his Jack Russell, family, friends and his ultimate true love, Eva. He describes all with sensitivity and emotion and really paints a picture of a stunning country where he enjoys living and working as a photographer. I am not sure how much of the novel is based on true life but you get a true sense that Robsson is familiar with his topics.
The focus of the story is Eva, whom Krostiffer met and fell in love with in his younger years while working in a hotel. They both felt an immediate true love/I’ve met my soul mate attraction but for some reason Eva disappears to marry another man and lives in Monaco for years. Kristoffer enjoys a series of relationships with women but none ever match the 10 out-of-10 feeling he had/has for Eva.
One day, a decade or so later, she comes back to live in their local town and they bump into each other by chance. (A lot of things happen by chance in this book!). Kristoffer immediately knows he has to rekindle the relationship. All this falters and stutters and in addition there is something bubbling underneath; some terrible thing that Eva has done during the missing years. The reader is left hanging on, wondering what on earth this can be that Eva feels Kristoffer won’t be able to forgive despite his obvious true love feelings for her. Murder? Rape? An atrocity? What can it be?
I kept reading, ever more quickly to find out this awful misdemeanor could be and while the “thing” isn’t a good thing I don’t actually think it was really a relationship breaker. Perhaps other readers will disagree but I’m not sure the weight given to this “terrible” deed matches the power and build up that it’s given in the book. No matter though because the book is hugely enjoyable and well written.
A great feeling of love
It is unusual to read and wholeheartedly agree with a man’s view of love and the “perfect one”. Several times I broke off while mid-story to read out a section to the G-Force because what had been written seemed to so beautifully sum up true love. This might sound like a slushy thing to do but the way that Robsson writes is not slushy, just love affirming. I’m pleased to report that G agreed with me! On occasions I felt some sections were a little too wordy and slightly repetitive when talking about the ultimate true love but this is no reason not to read this delightful story of love, hope and realisation.
Other gems include a few hilarious descriptions of the characters and silly events. I greatly enjoyed the description of the Norwegian landscape and how much both Kristoffer and Eva loved the great outdoors. I have wanted to go to Norway for many years and now I have my mind made up.
The Spark review conclusion
This is a book to savour and enjoy – and one that is both heart warming and well written. Because it brings the great outdoors to life with a good dose of love and romance I consider it worthy of a blog review on this site. If you read it and think I’m a hopeless romantic you’ll be right!