Kalle Blomkvist and Pippi Longstocking are two popular creations out of Astrid Lindgren's books written for kids. Astrid is a Swedish author who has been featured amongst 25 most translated writers of all times. I presume she had an effect on childhoods like what Enid Blyton had on many of ours. And it is that apparent inspiration that made Stieg Larsson create Mikael Blomkvist & Lisbeth Salander for his Millennium series books. I just got done with book 2 of the Millennium series, The Girl Who Played with Fire. In its website, Stieg has been told to have been inspired to imagine these two characters in a grown-up version for his book, with similar morals and behaviours, with his own additions to them, of-course. I read up a little on Kalle and Pippi and i could see the reflection of the investigative traits of Blomkvist and gifted and self-moralled Lisbeth. There is a lot more to the book though. But having evolved his childhood influences into these books would have certainly given enormous creative satisfaction to Stieg Larsson, who ran out of luck to live to see his books become outright bestsellers.
I cant help but refer to another bit i read about how Stieg had discussed writing these books to a friend and had thought of spicing them up with sex, a strong ingredient to any popular novel. And ironically, for all the excess coffee infatuation that i used to describe a lighter aspect of book-1, I can't begin to tell you the number of sexual encounters and descriptions that fill the first 170 pages of book-2. I am hoping you have made the coffee & sex connection :). It seemed as if all the caffeine was now coming into play. Jokes apart, the first 170 odd pages have been devoted to paint a very broad world with multiple events and characters that prelude a very methodically created murder mystery. I almost hit vague-ness wondering when the detailing would end. For those who appreciate it i presume it would be interesting. I however could not see the sense in it. Only once the plot thickened and the book reached the point of un-put-down-able did i see the sense. The best i can thus do to explain to all who suffer from low vague-ness threshold like me, is suggest imagining someone leading you further up a hill only to make the ride down a mega-slide more and more interesting - the higher you go, more fun the slide down becomes. Kiddish but creates a picture.
Once the 170 page of experiences and lives of all are covered, this 650 page book (100 more than book 1) becomes very focused and interesting read. The plot is very well created. It may seem like any other crime fiction, but i do think there are elements that separate this one from most. The novel is more visual (some credit will have to go to that 170 pages i mentioned earlier), the central plot moves linear and consistently throughout the book, and it systematically creates a maze of links that push the readers capacity to remember without taking away the interest.
The story portrays the investigations through the experiences of at least three different groups of people/individuals at any point in the book. As a reader i felt like watching a race with multiple handicaps and selective information given out to all its participants. And on that imagine allowing one team working with the other, selectively again. And in all this, not once did the focus shift from the central theme, the key murders. It is linear and systematic. I could probably give the credit for this to Stieg Larsson's love for math (there is glimpse of that in the book). Words like linear and methodical make sense therefore.
One thing i personally admired (for obvious reasons), is their discipline with food. I have rarely come across plots that have a certain character biting on an apple in a cabin in the middle of a jungle which one has broken into to find clues (and not the apple they found, but the one they carried from home). Or having a sandwich packed and eaten before deciding on the final assault. Even taking a large swig of water before heading to help a friend in need. I found that interesting. Except the last example where i may not like it if i were the friend in need.
The sequel also has enough interesting links back to the prequel. I would not be surprised if i start confusing smaller details without knowing which book was it a part of, 1 or 2. It also helps the interest levels if there is not much of gap between the two books. In my case i read the two one after another. Though i will have to wait a couple of days for book-3, which would be currently lying in some godown waiting to be picked up by the real people belonging to the virtual world i ordered from.
Unlike book-1, book-2 does not taper into smaller details to make the reading complete like i explained in my previous blog. Mystery is solved nonetheless. The events end on a very high note, making the third book as desirable as the author would want them to be.
Steig Larsson had planned to write a series of 10 books in Millennium series. He had completed three and written halfway through the fourth. Had he lived, it would have probably been the only series of books by any author that i would have read, entirely. While it would still stand true for the three he finished. I would have interest enough to finish 10. That though would not happen. For now i just wait for book three - The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest.
PS: Till the third book arrives, i can surely cover on some sleep i missed.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Friday, February 12, 2010
About 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - by Stieg Larsson'
Fiction read is not my cup of tea. But every once in a while you come across a book that gets a certain word-of-mouth and reaches you in a manner that's as good as destiny. And eventually lives up to its promise of thrill. I just got finished with The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo, by Stieg Larsson. Its a best seller. That overly abused word. Though the good part is if most people like it, there is a strong chance that you will like it too. I did. It could have been tough to live up to all the anticipation, but it was not disappointing at all. In fact it was quite complete. Not a word i thought i would use to describe a book - complete. But it seemed like that in the end.
Firstly this book evaded me a lot. I have never had a previous experience of walking into two bookstores and being told that the book i am looking for is out of stock. This is after a certain person i met hyped it up with stories of how this book,which is part 1 of 3 books written, was published after author died and then it went on to become a best seller. All of which is true. Eventually a quaint book store, and not the first choice commercial store, is where i managed to find it. Ironically i had turned this book down few months ago at the very same "first choice commercial book-store" because i found the title and cover too sleaze. Which i guess still holds true. The trivia around it that i discovered later took me back to looking for it. And that i mentioned before.
By the virtue of being written originally in Swedish itself, it presents a certain freshness in approach. I was looking forward to that - world from the eyes of a non-American. And it was refreshing . I was not sure how well the title justified the story. The girl is important, more than her tattoo, which does not get more than two mentions in the entire 550 page book. My trivia source had also added how he wished to have a girlfriend like her - Lisbeth Salander (one with the dragon tattoo).
But there is more to it that that. That too got answered when i later discovered that the literal translation of the Swedish title was - Men who hate women. That, mind you, is what captures the essence of the book. I agree with that title it would not have been a very exciting book to lift up a bookshelf . But it did summarise the book. Men, i never imagined, could be that twisted, even in imagination to treat women in a manner that they have been depicted in this story. Quite rare, and difficult to imagine. But for as many Saints there must be as many Sick....and how.
That apart, there was also an element of detailing in the lives of every character. Not your common stereotype of people but from some very unique back-grounds,or at times even no back grounds. It's interesting how these complex characters are created in the book even without delving much into their pasts. It is probably the quality of any good fiction, going into details of every character. For my lack of much fiction experience i would say this book created very elaborate descriptions that went beyond the plot and yet kept the interest to the levels of being un-put-downable. It had a TV series like quality to it, with some equally interesting sub-plots within the key plot. Not much of a TV series buff i am, so its heartening to see that this came as a book before the TV guys caught hold of it.
Eventually every crime-fiction will have a culprit and after an age of reading its really difficult to come to the end of these books not having once guessed it right. After all you almost put them all under the scanner. And then there are the obvious ones that are pushed up as likely culprits who we smartly rule out, playing right by the author's plan. And in all this, if the plot still throws in a surprise, you consider it money's worth. I did too, find this a worthy buy.
The book grows beautifully into your imagination and curiosity. Though i could not get accustomed to the number of times they drank coffee. There is even one mention of overdoing it, but the context is not exactly the same. More of something that invokes - "i thought you were used to so much coffee by now!?". There must be a thing about Swedes and coffee. Need to check that. Another thing one could not help but notice is Author's infatuation with Apple computers. This better not be another paid form of advertising. Trust me, i can write an award winning Advertising case of how "the features of the brand were seamlessly (& innovatively)integrated into the story to make the brand come alive and communicate to multi-profiled consumers". His detailing of benefits and configuration have left me wondering on the intent. Either this is his passion or the marketers of Coffee Board and Apple computers have made path breaking ventures in Advertising.
While i agree with the adjectives that have been use to describe the book like - intelligent, complex, gripping and intriguing characters, all of which seem to be true, specially the last one. What i wanted to add to that is it was rather complete. And this in spite of the fact that there are two sequels to it. Complete would be a difficult word to define, but probably easier if i explain in the context of what others don't do or what we mostly yearn for. It is more. This book does not end after it ends, it goes on to show some more. Like how we wish after a movie, to see some more of happy ending, to not just leave us on a high, but spend a little time celebrating or just little closures here and there. This book does that. It completes it. It slowly brings you back to normal without getting you bored. And i liked it for that.
I am on to reading part two now - The Girl who played with fire. After a point i don't know how much these character will keep my interest. But for the time being it seems worth.
Firstly this book evaded me a lot. I have never had a previous experience of walking into two bookstores and being told that the book i am looking for is out of stock. This is after a certain person i met hyped it up with stories of how this book,which is part 1 of 3 books written, was published after author died and then it went on to become a best seller. All of which is true. Eventually a quaint book store, and not the first choice commercial store, is where i managed to find it. Ironically i had turned this book down few months ago at the very same "first choice commercial book-store" because i found the title and cover too sleaze. Which i guess still holds true. The trivia around it that i discovered later took me back to looking for it. And that i mentioned before.
By the virtue of being written originally in Swedish itself, it presents a certain freshness in approach. I was looking forward to that - world from the eyes of a non-American. And it was refreshing . I was not sure how well the title justified the story. The girl is important, more than her tattoo, which does not get more than two mentions in the entire 550 page book. My trivia source had also added how he wished to have a girlfriend like her - Lisbeth Salander (one with the dragon tattoo).
But there is more to it that that. That too got answered when i later discovered that the literal translation of the Swedish title was - Men who hate women. That, mind you, is what captures the essence of the book. I agree with that title it would not have been a very exciting book to lift up a bookshelf . But it did summarise the book. Men, i never imagined, could be that twisted, even in imagination to treat women in a manner that they have been depicted in this story. Quite rare, and difficult to imagine. But for as many Saints there must be as many Sick....and how.
That apart, there was also an element of detailing in the lives of every character. Not your common stereotype of people but from some very unique back-grounds,or at times even no back grounds. It's interesting how these complex characters are created in the book even without delving much into their pasts. It is probably the quality of any good fiction, going into details of every character. For my lack of much fiction experience i would say this book created very elaborate descriptions that went beyond the plot and yet kept the interest to the levels of being un-put-downable. It had a TV series like quality to it, with some equally interesting sub-plots within the key plot. Not much of a TV series buff i am, so its heartening to see that this came as a book before the TV guys caught hold of it.
Eventually every crime-fiction will have a culprit and after an age of reading its really difficult to come to the end of these books not having once guessed it right. After all you almost put them all under the scanner. And then there are the obvious ones that are pushed up as likely culprits who we smartly rule out, playing right by the author's plan. And in all this, if the plot still throws in a surprise, you consider it money's worth. I did too, find this a worthy buy.
The book grows beautifully into your imagination and curiosity. Though i could not get accustomed to the number of times they drank coffee. There is even one mention of overdoing it, but the context is not exactly the same. More of something that invokes - "i thought you were used to so much coffee by now!?". There must be a thing about Swedes and coffee. Need to check that. Another thing one could not help but notice is Author's infatuation with Apple computers. This better not be another paid form of advertising. Trust me, i can write an award winning Advertising case of how "the features of the brand were seamlessly (& innovatively)integrated into the story to make the brand come alive and communicate to multi-profiled consumers". His detailing of benefits and configuration have left me wondering on the intent. Either this is his passion or the marketers of Coffee Board and Apple computers have made path breaking ventures in Advertising.
While i agree with the adjectives that have been use to describe the book like - intelligent, complex, gripping and intriguing characters, all of which seem to be true, specially the last one. What i wanted to add to that is it was rather complete. And this in spite of the fact that there are two sequels to it. Complete would be a difficult word to define, but probably easier if i explain in the context of what others don't do or what we mostly yearn for. It is more. This book does not end after it ends, it goes on to show some more. Like how we wish after a movie, to see some more of happy ending, to not just leave us on a high, but spend a little time celebrating or just little closures here and there. This book does that. It completes it. It slowly brings you back to normal without getting you bored. And i liked it for that.
I am on to reading part two now - The Girl who played with fire. After a point i don't know how much these character will keep my interest. But for the time being it seems worth.
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