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Post by 47 on Nov 10, 2010 10:56:03 GMT -8
I'm most of the way through the second book. Yow, what a well-plotted series. The prose (at least in the English translation) is made entirely of cliches and never would have got past an American editor - but that would have been a terrible waste. I haven't stayed up all night to find out what happens next since 2007.
The second book loses some of the old-fashioned intrigue of the first, and becomes more of a standard potboiling thriller, but damn if it doesn't boil that pot way past the brim.
This series also taught me a lot about POV. To wit: you don't need all your POV characters to be ignorant of crucial details. Just have them think glancingly off those matters, or think of them in code, or withhold their POV for chapters at a time. Frankly, I should have realized that with A Song of Ice and Fire ("Promise me, Ned"), but better late than never to find that out, I suppose.
If I'd known how lurid these books could be before I picked them up, I would never have started. But it never feels like torture-porn or angst-porn or anything like that, because of the feminist outlook and the complexity of the characters involved.
Damn shame Stieg Larsson died before publication. [PERSONAL ACQUAINTANCE] read me an article that says his father and his brother are getting all the proceeds despite their being total sexist douchebags and despite Larsson's girlfriend having a more likely claim, so... yeah. you can see where Larsson gets his material.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 10, 2010 12:20:59 GMT -8
I just finished reading the 1st book. I don't think the prose are cliched, maybe oversimplified, but on the contrary i think the prose are what makes the novel's plot slide along nicely. but thats just me. For the book itself the first 200 pages were kinda eh, but then it picked up.
This book was the first I had come across that dealt with violence against women as a predominant theme. I was so shocked by that too. I can't say that would have kept me from reading the books ahah. However had it not been for the feminist outlook i definitely would have thrown this book at the wall.
I looked up the issue of sexual assault in sweden. I found that they dont punish sex crimes as harshly (in the states). For example: A swedish court ruled that lifting up a girls skirt while she was sleeping and photographing her is not against the law. Larsson was also an investigative journalist, not as good as Blomkvist but he championed for women's rights which are really lacking in Swedish law ( see above) but in addition to his family you can definitely see where his inspiration comes from.
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Demeter
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You know what you are in the dark...[Mo0:8]
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Post by Demeter on Nov 11, 2010 18:12:26 GMT -8
I kind of want to read them, but I'm going to wait for a while. Maybe until I'm a legal adult so I don't get creeped-out looks at the library.
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Post by 47 on Nov 13, 2010 6:29:52 GMT -8
Done with the second book. I should also note that Swedish sex lives are pretty disconcerting, in the following ways:
1. Only one character seems to experience any sexual jealousy whatsoever. Two, if you count a fairly irrelevant background character who didn't want to admit it was sexual jealousy.
2. Casual sex with buttloads of women is not actually considered misogynist.
3. The only confirmed virgin is physically incapable of experiencing carnal pleasure.
At least we fade to black...
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TrippedUp
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A dreamer forever and always...[Mo0:10]
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Post by TrippedUp on Nov 17, 2010 14:35:38 GMT -8
3. The only confirmed virgin is physically incapable of experiencing carnal pleasure. At least we fade to black...
WHUT. |
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KuroChi
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I'm a presonal text[Mo0:0]
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Post by KuroChi on Nov 20, 2010 11:10:52 GMT -8
I've only seen the movies ( both my parents had red the series) the sex-scenes are a bit of awkward. But I need to say that the movies are good.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 26, 2010 19:37:29 GMT -8
yeah I have seen only the first of the movies, its a pretty decent adaptation even if it does fudge a few details that I felt were important
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Nebbles is quite whimsical
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It's not just a boulder! It's a rock! A rock! A rock! It's a big, beautiful, old rock!
And ponies and ponies and ponies...[Mo0:1][mu:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4akG7V6kbNU]
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Post by Nebbles is quite whimsical on Jan 8, 2011 11:35:52 GMT -8
I'm about in the middle of the second book, and really, I love this series a lot. It's one of the best well-thought out books I've ever read. I definitely want to see the movies when I finish reading, though.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 29, 2011 13:59:48 GMT -8
I love these books! I've finished the first two and I'm about to read the third.
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Post by pandora on Jun 30, 2011 10:44:23 GMT -8
3. The only confirmed virgin is physically incapable of experiencing carnal pleasure. At least we fade to black...
WHUT.
I suppose you're referring to Neiderman? He suffers from congential analgesia and has no nerve sensitivity, he also suffers from hallucinations. If that puts him in perspective a bit.
I'm a huge fan of this series. I've read them, and I saw all the Swedish films in theatre.
My take on Mikael Blomkvist's sexuality is that it's not misogynist. His partners are willingly consenting and he treats them all as respectable women. Erica Berger is not just a sex buddy to him. She is also a close friend and a valued business partner. In the first one, when he had a short sexual relationship with one of the Vangers, she was the one who changed her mind and he tried actively to remain friends with her many times. Lisbeth herself has many personal reasons for being as standoff-ish as she is. She cares about him though, and he really cares for her. If he didn't he wouldn't help her as much as he does when she's framed for murder. It should also be noted that Blomkvist fully supported Dag Svensson and his girlfriend in their expose of the human trafficking industry, and intended to find a way to publish it and get the information out on it and it's insidious ways despite their murder.
He's definitely one of my most favorite male protagonists ever, and Stieg Larsson is one of my favorite authors.
(Little secret....I'm getting Lisbeth (as played by Noomi Rapace) from the cover poster of Girl Who Played With Fire tattooed on my side, with Blomkvist (played by Michael Nykvist) attached. That's how big of a fan I am.) |
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Post by Lil' Raskol LobLaw on Jul 14, 2011 13:48:15 GMT -8
These books sound pretty fucking amazing.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 22, 2011 11:09:45 GMT -8
I've finished the 3rd one now (: I'm so annoyed that Lisbeth and Mikael don't get together! |
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Nebbles is quite whimsical
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It's not just a boulder! It's a rock! A rock! A rock! It's a big, beautiful, old rock!
And ponies and ponies and ponies...[Mo0:1][mu:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4akG7V6kbNU]
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Post by Nebbles is quite whimsical on Aug 22, 2011 11:12:47 GMT -8
It's a shame the author died. I really wanted to see where else the series could have gone.
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Post by pandora on Aug 22, 2011 20:31:26 GMT -8
It's a shame the author died. I really wanted to see where else the series could have gone. There would have been 10. The fifth one was finished, but not the fourth, so there's not a huge possibility of seeing any more.  |
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Nebbles is quite whimsical
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It's not just a boulder! It's a rock! A rock! A rock! It's a big, beautiful, old rock!
And ponies and ponies and ponies...[Mo0:1][mu:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4akG7V6kbNU]
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Post by Nebbles is quite whimsical on Aug 22, 2011 20:32:45 GMT -8
10 beautiful books ;_; Gah. That makes me so sad.
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Post by pandora on Aug 22, 2011 20:45:10 GMT -8
Me too. But I would rather it be left as it is instead of have someone else try to pick up the story and have it not be Larsson's writing.
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Mia Garossa
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Post by Mia Garossa on Aug 22, 2011 21:54:48 GMT -8
2. Casual sex with buttloads of women is not actually considered misogynist. We're talking about a man who gets dragged into women's beds just for being a nice guy. Quite frankly, it's rare to find a man as harmless and as unassuming as he is. The third book is a real cliffhanger. Mikael's quite the self-insert (I think even Larsson admitted to it), and that's fine. Larsson wrote these based on his profession, which he was really good at. We're going to miss him. |
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Nebbles is quite whimsical
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It's not just a boulder! It's a rock! A rock! A rock! It's a big, beautiful, old rock!
And ponies and ponies and ponies...[Mo0:1][mu:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4akG7V6kbNU]
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Post by Nebbles is quite whimsical on Aug 22, 2011 21:56:53 GMT -8
At the same time, it's also a good enough ending. Open as hell to many sequels, but... at least it works as a closing to a trilogy.
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Post by pandora on Aug 23, 2011 8:48:30 GMT -8
Well, there were supposed to be sequels but the guy up and died so we won't get them. Precisely. Like I said earlier in the thread, Blomkvist considers his partners good friends and doesn't just sleep with anyone for the sake of his ego. In fact, in the second book, it says that the newfound attention from women he didn't even know made him uncomfortable. Not to mention Erica Berger, while yes, a married, sex partner of his, she also is his business partner and friend. Her husband is aware of their partnership in both the bedroom and the newsroom, and he is 100% fine with it. |
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Post by serenadeofhatred on Jan 21, 2012 12:21:25 GMT -8
I've read the first two books. I haven't had so much fun in years.
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Post by EquinoxSolstice92 on Sept 7, 2013 2:36:27 GMT -8
I have the first book of the trilogy and I was hesitant to get the other three. I brought it at the thrift store for about $4.99. I think that it's worth it. I only read the prologue of the series so far.
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