Sample of literary figures
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Barlach
Male
Although he only features in two (short) novels by Friedrich Dürrenmatt, Inspector Barlach – no first name is ever mentioned – is one of the most famous policemen in literature. He is old, worn out and unmarried, works in the police force in Bern and has stomach cancer, which he knows will lead to his death within a year. With his great knowledge of human nature and his intuition, he works on his investigations.
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Embla Nystrom
Female
Former Nordic champion boxer (light welterweight), now a county police officer in the west of Sweden. She is about 30 years old and muscular, with curly reddish-brown hair and blue-green eyes in a somewhat round face: cute but not pretty, according to her creator Helene Tursten. Having grown up with three brothers, Embla Nystrom knows how to put lads in their place. The man in her life is little Elliot, the son of her ex-husband Jason.
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Fleming Stone
Male
He is most happy in his well-stocked library – that is where private detective Fleming Stone retires to when he ponders over a difficult case in the novels by Carolyn Wells. And there are a lot – more than 60. And he looks very ‘learned’ too, has an extremely good general education and is also silent, correct and friendly with a ‘sympathetic’ face. It is usually the police who come to him and ask for help.
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Kurt Wallander
Male
Wallander lives and works in Ystad, southern Sweden. But it does not prevent him from leading investigations of especially difficult cases, chasing serial killers and international criminals. Through Henning Mankell’s books as well as adaptations for film and television, he has become a popular figure and one of Sweden’s best-known fictional characters worldwide.