The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

Snowee says

Should we discuss one book at a time?

Scottie B says

hello

Snowee says

or the series?

Scottie B says

one book at a time

Snowee says

Avoid spoilers or assume people have either read it or don't care?

Scottie B says

Disclaimer, if you don't want it spoiled don't read

something like that

Snowee says

Okay. I'm thinking we should begin with the facts that cannot be argued...

such as the way he guides us up and down streets constantly to tell us she shops at 7 eleven

Scottie B says

agreed

Snowee says

The first book opens with the Wennerstrom affair, right? He spent over 70 pages setting up this story that is a minor plot point.

that's just too long to spend introducing characters.

Scottie B says

basically how he became a prolific journalist by being in the right place at the right time and then introducing the Wennerstrom affair and his pitfalls

Snowee says

Seemed too long and unnecessary. Essentially he's a journalist who has uncovered a corrupt business man. Detailing the corruption seemed redundant if you have *ever* seen a news article about any businessman these days

Scottie B says

That sums it up. Too much detail and back ground on some characters that aren't even essential to the overall story - simply banal rambling to fill pages of the story

Snowee says

Then we move to Hedestad island where he can conveniently get away from scrutiny over the Wennerstrom mess by taking up assignment with some wealthy guy. That was where I started to notice that he would jump all over the place a little bit. He would go along detailing something, then jump back a bit, then go forward. It wasn't obvious, but it happened.

Scottie B says

Yes, he resigns from the magazine for his year, but not really, just a show that he isn't part of the magazine so it doesn't go completely under. That is also where we begin to see minor plot points arise that are completely contrived just so the story can move along. Doesn't always make sense with the current thoughts in the chapter, and undermines any chance of consistency throughout the book.

I mean that we spent 70+ pages to introduce something that didn't affect the main story and then we get several more chapters to setup what the story is really going to be about. With a lot of redundancy.

Snowee says

I didn't really notice it at that point, but it became glaringly obvious as the novels wore on that he believes in a fictional world made up completely of convenience.

You know, I'm still really bothered by the point within the whole introduction to Harriet's disappearance where he covers every minute detail of the day, her disappearance, why she clearly must be dead, and then poses the question ‘could she just have gone into hiding?’ and dismisses it with one sentence. It told me right there that's exactly what happened.

Scottie B says

It did, Which just shows that a weak argument can be made, just to add an air of mystery to the disappearance. I would actually state for me that first contrived point is how well Lisbeth put together the bio on Blomkvist so that he would be hired for the job. It was the first step that would prove that she is ultimately infallible in any way shape or form later on.

Snowee says

Yes. Lisbeth. Perfectly imperfect.

Scottie B says

It sets the precedence that carries the theme of her character throughout the story. Unfortunately this is where I have to admit that I saw the Swedish movie before I read the book and after feeling that I watched a movie with a good story just jaded me for the entire first book. Even during the beginning

Snowee says

Point made. I knew nothing going in except that it is "dark" - a point which really doesn't bother me. A point that is actually appealing to me as I tend to seek out the disturbed stuff. I saw the movie after the book and instead felt like it cleaned up the issues I had.

Scottie B says

While creating most of the issues that I had.

Snowee says

Understandable. Okay, so now he navigates us through the investigation. It was okay - even enjoyable at times - but it does drag on and on because there aren't any major compelling breakthroughs until...

Scottie B says

Yep - you know how - often in real life - you get stuck on a project and can't make any headway and then all of the sudden your estranged daughter shows up out of nowhere (which by this time I forgot that he was even previously married and had a daughter because it was briefly mentioned in the long unnecessary introduction) and solved the clue just to disappear entirely after two sentences?

Snowee says

Ha ha. I knew you'd want to make that point. I agree completely. Prime example of his world of convenience. Now, am I jumping too fast to point out here that right after that, he finds Harriet all tucked away, they solve the crime, get rid of the offending people, and then he bookends the thing with another 70 pages of wrap up that should have taken 15 pages at most?

Scottie B says

That nails it. They do some more foot work and solve the photo issue, get the girl in the end (no amazing sunset) because we have to move on to the boring wrap up - which isn't really a wrap of the main story arc, but a wrap up of the almost completely insane opening of the book.

Snowee says

Oh, right. I kind of liked the photo part, but again he spent pages upon pages. In the movie it was definitely truncated and I felt it improved that portion of the detective work. Yes, the main story was completely over, but he had to get retribution for the whole Wennerstrom affair.

I wouldn't have missed it if it wasn't there because I didn't care by that point.

Oh, and let us not forget the names. How many names can we have that sound similar so as to throw you off whilst reading? In this book, it was just annoying. Later it became almost angering.

Scottie B says

True, the Wennerstrom affair was just the writer’s way of providing redemption to a scorned character.

Berger, Burger, Fries and a shake names are the same

Snowee says

Who wouldn't have been scorned if he could have described Blomkvist better than wasting my time with an entirely separate story. Better writers manage to show that their characters are smart and compassionate and wrongly accused without spending so much time giving me a business class lesson.

Scottie B says

I know that if I wanted a business lesson I would go to school for that (wink)

Snowee says

{smirk} Well, and I had an interest in that subject, so maybe we just know more than the average person? I find that hard to believe.

Scottie B says

Although I think that we can both agree that if we were to rate the overall book on a scale of 5 stars that we would give it a 3 of them?

Don't know, on knowing more than the average person, anyone reading this book has a right to be bored with the opening.

Snowee says

Yes. I would almost tip toward 4 except I really have read a lot of books that are better written. The story might go as high as 4 because it does have its high points. The writing is a 2 even giving kudos to the translator.

Scottie B says

True - overall I did enjoy the main story despite the writing and don't regret reading it. It is always nice to go outside my comfort realm of fantasy and explore something new.

Good character development with Lisbeth and Blomkvist too. At least I think so.

Snowee says

And I know I'm a tough customer when it comes to openings. Even my favorite books get a hesitant 5 stars if the opening isn't awesome. Those authors I go on and on about, I do so because their openings got me right away.

Lisbeth and Blomkvist were both well developed in the first one. It was later I felt they fell apart, but we'll get to that later.

Scottie B says

Yes we will.

Honestly, if you hadn't read the book and then watched the movie and stated all of the obvious problems that the movie cleaned up I may not have read past page 50

Snowee says

I wouldn't have blamed you a bit. Believe me, I know it can be incredibly difficult to make a reader care right away without using cheap tricks, but Stieg Larsson took well beyond 50 pages to make me care and I really think a good author can manage it by 50 pages. It's a good thing I have such a hard time putting down a book once I've started it or I would never have known about the few good things that came from reading these novels.

Scottie B says

That has happened to me on several occasions where I finished a book just because I started it. It has been a more recent phenomenon that I will stop reading a book if it isn't interesting. I can't always say that because I stuck through the entire first Twilight book...but that is for another blog altogether.

Snowee says

Ooh, maybe I should read that just so that we can bitchblog together.

Scottie B says

I don't know if I want you to trespass on that forbidden road.

Snowee says

Meanwhile, I think that might be all I had to say on The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. Do you have any more to add?

Scottie B says

Nope all good