”Perhaps Tamas’ voluminous book is in fact the great novel about the nation’s development – from the record years of economic prosperity to the shift of political system – that has so long been called for by so many.”
Björn Gunnarsson, Göteborgsposten
For some months during the winter of 1991-1992 Stockholm was a city of fear. An unknown perpetrator, armed with a laser rifle, shoot 11 people in 10 different attacks. One died, several were wounded for life. The only thing that the victims had in common was the color of their skin or hair.
Ten years after the attacks John Ausonius decided to confess to the attacks and to 20 bank robberies. Except for the police, Ausonius spoke only to one other person – the journalist and writer Gellert Tamas.
The documentary novel The Laserman has received several awards and been called a modern classic. It not only depicts the perpetrator but also the society, the public debate and the political climate that he was influenced by – and that he, in his turn, influenced. With more than 200 000 copies sold, The Laserman is one of the most widely read journalistic books in Swedish history. The book has been translated to over a dozen languages, turned into a movie, staged and even ended up in other books. In the Millennium Trilogy, the main character of the author Stieg Larsson, Lisbeth Salander, reads The Laserman.
“Gellert Tamas’ book is an incredibly intriguing and trustworthy journalistic accomplishment: 52 detective stories were published in Sweden last year, many of which treat subjects such as this one, but most of them don’t have even a fraction of the quality of The Laserman.”
Per Olov Enquist, Expressen
“The Laserman is masterfully composed. It consists of two main stories; one is about the attacks and the ultra Swedish leisurely police hunt, one is about the upbringing of John Ausonius. Gellert Tamas cuts between the two with a touch of thriller.”
Bengt Ohlsson, Sydsvenskan
”In many ways this is an incredibly important book. It is also an amazingly intriguing story and it’s not possible to put the book down until you’ve read the last page. Despite the fact that you know all along how it’s going to end.”
Karin Jansson, Resumé
“It is a terrible story, masterly told by Gellert Tamas in a reportage-book that also is a breathtaking pageturner.”
Jesper Högström, Svenska Dagbladet
“Rarely have I read a book where both loneliness and the feeling of being left outside is so tragically described, and what this feeling, in the worst case scenario, can lead to.”
Roland Pettersson, Länstidningen Södertälje
“The Laserman is indeed a fantastic book, impossible to stop reading.”
Cecilia Ingemansson, Kristdemokraten
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