So, also on my New Years Resolution list is reading...
I finished Steig Larssen's The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. I don't usually choose books like this but I got a recommendation for it from an unlikely source and that piqued my interest.
The book introduces 2 characters, Blomkvist, a journalist, and Lisbeth Salander. Blomkvist who was recently convicted of libel is hired to write a family biography and solve a 40 year old mystery. He takes the opportunity to leave the limelight and lick his wounds. He hires Lisbeth to help with the research. Lisbeth is a mysterious antisocial hacker.
I don't want to give away much of the story but the original Swedish title translated to "Men Who Hate Women." Still, despite some scenes that, well, were pretty uncomfortable to read, once I got into the story and the story-within-the-story, I was hooked.
I read the book with a friend and we both came away with same impression: what is WRONG with Swedish men? This point was underscored by the horrifying statistics on violence against women in Sweden that serve to introduce each chapter. While I have no doubt there are some equally scary numbers related to American women, I have never seen them collected quite like that.
Seriously, some books, like Bridges of Madison County, have a huge positive effect on tourism to any area, but this, quite frankly, makes me want to stay far, far, far away from Sweden.
Still, I would recommend the book to anyone who enjoys a thriller although I'm not sure I have the stomach to watch the movie. The first few chapters contain a lot of background information that was a little slow to get through but be patient.
I have started the next book in the series, The Girl who Played with Fire, and it promises to be equally fascinating.
6 comments:
I was curious about these books and so I picked one up at the bookstore and opened to a random page. It was one of the um "uncomfortable" bits, and I put it right back. I am sure they are good, but I just really didn't want to go there.
Thanks for the tip on Sweden.
LOVED LOVED LOVED The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo & The Girl that Played with Fire. HATED the last one.
Do you know that the author is deceased? That's partly why I hated but did finish the last one. It's very obvious that the last one wasn't written by the original author. It felt rushed & incomplete to me.
Deb, I spent an afternoon on Wikipedia clicking through all the links to read up on the author's life. The story is fascinating, quite the soap opera. The books were never meant for publication, just something he did for his own amusement. (That alone blows my mind.) Presumably he did finish the first 3. There is a 4th unfinished manuscript and outlines for 2 additional books that are part of his estate and he planned a total of 7 books in the series. Unfortunately, his SO has been battling his family over the rights since his death. Due to technicalities in Swedish law, they were never able to be married so she has no legal rights to any of it.
An unlikely source recommended these to me, too, Rose. I have resisted because I'm kind of a book snob, but now I am rethinking. I saw that the movies are available for instant streaming from NetFlix. FWIW, they looked a little icky so I didn't watch.
Inquiring minds (again, just me) want to know what you thought of the series as I'm sure you've finished by now.
I've read the second one and have the third on tap. I'll post something soon.
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