Usually when I recommend books to my blog family, they are young adult books. That's what I write so I spend a lot of time reading books from that particular genre. However, I am actually a voracious reader. I'll read anything that will hold still long enough. I can honestly say that up until this point, I had never read a foreign book/translated book- for pleasure I mean. I've read loads of international stuff for academic purposes and usually I felt like a blithering idiot.
Maybe that's why it took me a while to read Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy. I had heard about The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and knew that it was a translation of a Swedish work, so in my mind it went into the not-gonna-read-it pile. And then...Caitin read it and its sequel, The Girl who Played with Fire. She was so impressed by them that she talked me into reading them. I figured I'd have to muddle through them, maybe read about 1/2 of Dragon to placate her and then move on.
Twenty pages into it and I was hooked. Larsson's characters are so cool because they are flawed people. The hero, Mikael Blomkvist, and heroine, Lisbeth Salander, are not actually what you would think of in terms of hero and heroine. Both of them are broken people because of things that have happened to them in their respective pasts and both are literally trying to overcome their pasts- in Lisbeth's case that means kicking ass and taking names. And that's just the backstory! All three books are mysteries with Blomkvist and Salander trying to figure out whodunnit while battling their own demons.
I literally flew through Dragon and Fire and waited with baited breath for The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, the third book in the trilogy, to come out just so I could find out what Lisbeth was going to do next. You would think that by now I would have learned to listen to Caitlin. *shrugs*
I do have to give you this one little caveat in my otherwise glowing recommendation of the trilogy though. If you are looking for happy little tales or some light reading, skip the Millennium Trilogy at this point. None of these books are exactly what I would call easy reading. They are set in Sweden and you just have to smile and nod at the fact that the characters eat some of the nastiest stuff and the fact that a 20 degree day is short-sleeve weather for them. Go into it with the knowledge that unless you have been to Sweden, you aren't going to recognize the places Larsson describes.
But, believe me, if you take the time to read the Millennium Trilogy, you will be so glad you did.
You're right... you need to listen to me more often, but these books are GREAT
ReplyDeleteI bow to you oh great and powerful Caitie Bug!
ReplyDelete:) Caitlin, you crack me up with the whole "the great one" deal. Every time I see it I smile. These books look really neat. Are they easy to find?
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, they're all at Wal-Mart. The first two are out in paperback (the big trade sized ones) and the 3rd one is in hardback because it just came out about a month ago.
ReplyDeleteSo good, SOOOOO GOOOOOOOD. But keep in mind what I said...they aren't 'easy' reading and just smile and nod like you know where all the Swedish places are.
And before you ask, they are definitely worth the trouble. I've read all 3 of them multiple times and I don't do that unless a book is really good!
:) I saw them the other day when I went to Wal-Mart. I'm broke at the moment, but it made me think of you. I told Mom about them.
ReplyDeleteOMG- we watched the Swedish version of the 1st movie the other day. I don't like subtitles (it gives me a headache trying to keep up with them and the action- but honestly, this is one foreign film that I'm going to buy when I get the chance! It really was THAT good!
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