Smilla's Sense of Snow met with both critical and popular praise upon its publication in Danish in 1992 and in English in 1993. In addition to being on many bestseller lists, the novel was reviewed in all major newspapers and magazines in the United States. Most critics hail the book as one of the most important novels to emerge at the end of the twentieth century. Indeed, reviewers commonly compare Høeg to such major writers as John Le Carré, Martin Cruz Smith, Graham Greene, and even Joseph Conrad. While critics agree generally that the novel is of exceptional quality, they nonetheless find that quality in different places. For some, the success of the novel rests in Høeg's construction of the character of Smilla. For others, the plot itself drives the novel. For still other reviewers, the political ramifications of the relationship between Denmark...