The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo

It is hard to say what is so compelling about this story.

I got wind of it when surfing through movie previews, and noticed that there was a trilogy in print already. So I quickly reserved all three from the library and read through them. Stieg Larsson has compiled a very interesting tale about a very unusual and unlikely duo. While it is often gritty and even horrific, the realism only drew me in further. This is a key part to what I really valued from the movie rendition as well.


So, the books. I learned that Larsson unfortunately passed away. Fortunately, he worked on and completed all three books before his demise. It is interesting to note that he draws from his experience as a magazine publisher; one wonders where his inspiration for Lisbeth Salander comes into play. The story is very well done; complicated, with excellent character background, intrigue and an exploration of what is right and what comprises ones identity. I really appreciate how Larsson had a definite beginning and a definite end to his tale, and did not bother to meander along the writer's landscape that some authors are prone to do.


To be honest, the Swedish setting actually lends itself to the realism as well. As an American reader, the Swedish tongue is foreign enough to be just barely alien and thus set the stage for a fictional story - I have a hard time explaining why that makes it more believable to me. =) Maybe because it helps suspend my disbelief? However, the key point I really want to make is that the original film from Yellow Bird and Music Box was extraordinary in this regards; local cast, locale and language all make this film authentic and true to the story. I cringe to think what the American version is going to be like. It hearkens me back to Nightwatch, a Russian film with Russian actors based on a Russian story; trying to Americanize that piece would utterly kill it, IMO.


The film, true to the book, is gritty, raw, and downright disturbing. My hat is off to the awesome job the actors did in this film. Perhaps that is another element which makes this story more believable - none of the actors are well-known in the US. They are completely new faces to me, and utterly believable with their phenomenal performances. But the things they are asked to do are genuinely horrible. There is an interview with Noomi Rapace on the DVD that was also eye-opening; she worked extremely hard to get into character, and I am amazed at her dedication. Peter Habar also won my respect for such a wide dynamic of portrayals - he scares me. =) However, I felt he was much more savage and reprobate in the book, and I am sort of glad the movie did not go that far.


The technical manipulations with the Apple laptops was quite fascinating as well. To be honest, when I read the books, I was thinking about Sweden which is not necessarily known to be the hi-techno, gee-whiz gizmo center of the planet. But the film did a small turn of justice to technology with some of the visual displays, better than I expected a Swedish film would pull it off. Kudos to them.


Some notable exclusions between book and movie. No physical connection between Blomkvist and Cecilia Vagner, very little romance between Blomkvist and Erika Berger, very little picture into the glory of Millenium and what it does and the character development of the folks who work there. Likewise, very little attention given to Milton Security, with only a passing look at Dragan. In order for the next films to work, I can only imagine how those subplots will be built up.

My Name is Asher Lev, by Chaim Potok

Reading this right after "The Chosen", I fooled myself into expecting some kind of parallel story, or some connecting thread, some bridge between the two. And really, there is none other than the backdrop of the religious Jewish background (which is significant, surely, in and of itself).

What I did enjoy was how Potok took the reader on a journey through an artist's eyes. And not just any artist, but a genius. I love how the little child has no idea how his works affect others, that he just does what he does because that is all he knows. Hence, the very understandable lapse while Asher was away at school, not really missing that piece of his life yet.

And that is where I stopped reading. =) I know, I am a bad person. I'll go back and get it from the library again. Some day. But with what I had read, I was just not pulled into it like I was with Potok's first book.

Alembical, by Lawrence Schoen and Arthur Dorrance

Not much to say about this piece. I realize it is a small collection of novellas, but the first two I just could not get into at all (didn't even finish them), so I gave up on the rest.

The Road, by Cormac McCarthy

One reviewer compared this piece to a "lyrical epic of horror", in which I must whole-heartedly agree. And I am tempted to leave it at that. The story itself is horrible; grisly, ghastly, inhumane, indecent, morose, decadent. The writing richly delivers this phantasm with a powerful vibrance - hence my strong reaction to it. The sharp detailed storyscape is punctuated by a lame dialogue consisting mostly of "keep moving", "I don't know" and "Okay"; make no doubt, the stark contrast between the two accentuates the narrative unbelievably well.

I also picked up the audiobook, read by Tom Stechschulte. At first I was worried, but the narrator's thick gravely voice fit perfectly to paint a brooding stark picture that flirts with disaster this side of death.

I have a hard time grasping the idea that Cormac dedicated this work to his son. True, the writing is phenomenal, but the story is black. I cannot put the innocent luminosity of childhood next to this thing. It is a thing that should not be done.

The Chosen, by Chaim Potok

It has been about 20 years since I first read this book (am I dating myself or what? =) It was suggested as a prelude to "My Name is Asher Lev" which I just started today.

So, anyway, Reuven Malter and Danny Saunders. I love the look inside the Jewish culture; I have taken a class in Hebrew so I have the tiniest of ideas what the culture is like; I was the only non-Jew, but I believe they were not that religious - heck, at the time I was growing a full beard and earlocks for no good reason so I looked more jewish. =) Anyway... the sheer pressure that these kids were under is just amazing. All the time spent studying, the heavy expectations, the strict ritualts, all these things together are just so different than my own upbringing, my own experiences and observations.

I appreciated how the author helped me slip into Reuven's shoes, but at the time I felt it quite distracting to be reading at such an intellectually advanced level for a 15-year old. Is the author trying to project that these kids actually perceive and think along such mature and wisened lines, or is that merely a by-product of the author's style? I enjoyed the flow of the story, the onrush of the baseball game and the near cataclysmic accident, the waxing and waning of excitement, of the relationship between the two boys. The father's almost come across as devious chess-masters using their kids to manuever around a playing board.

So while I had an extremely hard time believing the story and stepping into that universe, I did find myself rooting for Reuven and perhaps a stirring of pity mixed with awe. Perhaps some children do go through such stringent practices.

From A to X: A Story in Letters by John Berger

This book was the result of a completely random experiment; I was trolling the "New" section of the incoming books and grabbed a few sci-fi books, and purposefully pulled one that was neither Sci-fi or Mystery. This book is an absolute gem!

Perhaps my long journey in the science fiction genre has dulled my literary senses somewhat. Perhaps I become desensitized to bad writing. I dunno - maybe it is just that the genre is a niche, and I needed to get out of that niche. Perhaps this author is just brilliant!

The raw yearning is characterized in such a powerful way - it is not immature, not the flippant "Oh, I miss you so much!" puff.

[T]he day does not begin with your absence. It begins with the decision that we took together to do what we are doing.

Every night I put you together - bone by delicate bone

There are many phrases that I would love to quote from this book; the author has a very distinguished and fresh perspective of life that I found myself waiting for the next surprise every time I turned the page.

The book is written from a female's point of view, and I wonder how it would be different if the author were female. Regardless, the intimate details are the stuff of real life; melancholy, private thoughts, reminiscence, longings, and personal discoveries. The characters are intelligent, witty, full of life and driven by hope. This is the kind of book that I want to read again, just for the inspiration and expressiveness that Berger buries into his work, a work that provides fertile ground for a strong crop.

The Chronicles of Master Li and Number Ten Ox, by Barry Hughart

The chronicles actually include three pieces by Barry Hughart; this review will cover the first two, "Bridge of Birds" (1985) and "The Story of the Stone" (1988). I'll read and review the last of the trilogy later.

I loved these books! They are extremely witty, alive with fantastical ancient stories of China ("that never was"), and full of adventure. Just very pleasant and satisfying reads.

Master Li is a hoot. I enjoy that the stories are told from the prospective of Number Ten Ox, his "esteemed former client and current assistant". Number 10 tells a great, epic tale; for a simple peasant, he has quite wonderful understanding of the world around him, yet he belabors his point with very simple language. I love how Mr. Hughart spins a very crafty web using these two eclectic characters, and manages to pull in various supporting characters who are strong in their own right. The supporting cast really helps to give the story a sense of depth while at the same time providing plenty of comic relief; Barry Hughart weaves both these elements together with mild suspense plot twists into an excellent story-telling extravaganza.

Not being familiar with any Chinese mythologies, I have no idea how important the "August personage of Jade" is, but Hughart conveys a clear sense of awe for the local gods, and their interaction with the various folks running around China. In the "Bridge of Birds", we get a taste of that divine interplay with some interesting results, often humorous, and always dramatically showing how mankind yearns for the beuatiful, the wonderful, the fantastic, the excellent. "The Story of the Stone" takes a slightly darker twist on the same story, dealing more with death and the afterlife, yet still sprinkled liberally with Master Li's gunslinger style and Number Ten's ... oxish, yet innocent charm. I really enjoyed the descriptive elements Hughart writes with; not so much the attention to detail about the environment, but rather the incredibly lucid insight into various thought processes that allow the reader to dive into the character's heads. Master Li is my hero! =)

I eagerly look forward to reading the third installment, but right now I am taking a break with something completely different.

Cosmos Incorporated, by Maurice G. Dantec

This was the second of three books that I experimented with, and it also failed the "first chapter" test. I felt that the author went way too overboard trying to be technical and "computeristic". Some interesting potential, but even I who am into the geeky computer jargon thing got lost with this one. I wanted a semi-believable escape into a surrealistic future, not a reference manual.

Hell and Earth, by Elizabeth Bear

I picked up a few books in the library's NEW section, just to see what I could see. I told myself I would read the first chapter, and if I liked it, I would read it. Only one of the three passed that litmus test. This was not one of them.

The opening chapter was too... pedantic is the only word that comes to mind. It did not draw me in. Where are the faeries? What's the connection? Who is Queen Mab? I do not know what this book was trying to be, but it was not it for me.

The Age of Heros, by Brandon Sanderson

I really like the way Mr. Sanderson wrapped up his Mistborn series. He draws together a lot of loos threads; and for once, the loose threads that he intentionally leaves hanging do not bother me that much. They are not the kind of jangling bits of plot line that inherently shout SEQUEL, which I so hate. Although the 15th and 16th metals are huge open doors....

I again appreciated the running journal entries that preceded each chapter; they added depth and extra back-story. There were some really interesting developments in this last book, and it shows that Brandon had time to think about and mature his story. And I felt that he did an excellent job at it.

It would be sorta kinda interesting to read more about Mistborn, but I fear that it would get ground into the earth, like how Terry Goodkind's "Sword of Truth" series just killed itself by too many sequels, or the Edding's Belgarath series which got to be a bit too repetitive. I am glad Sanderson stopped here - great books.

The Twilight Watch, by Sergei Lukyanenko

The last book of Lykyanenko's series is great! An excellent way to cap off some wonderfully entertaining, intelligent, witty, grisly, epic stories. Imagine how bummed I was when I heard that Timur Bekmambetov is putting off the movie productions because they are too similar to Wanted! What the heck is he thinking!?!? Too similar?!? Is Star Wars too similar to Star Trek? Is Barney too similar to The Wiggles? (Don't answer that last one)

Anyway, Sergei did an excellent job detailing a lot of the backstory. While not always intellectually satisfying (I think I found some loopholes), the explanation of "power" that is available to Others was intriguing. And the author just happened to hit that special nitch of anthropological discussion that was appropriate in a sci-fi setting; I personally find that thrilling. *grin* Call me weird. The movies and books are almost sold as horror/thriller flicks, but that is not the flavor you get after reading the books at all. Even the movie was not "horror" at all. Strange, maybe. Alien. But horror?

The ending was strange. One of the loopholes. We have one of the cast of characters who is suddenly elevated to "most supreme" status and everyone wants to take him down. Yet, he is young, therefore a little immature and inexperienced. Even so, given the what we have learned about Twilight Power, how is it even possible that "everyone" could become Others - the net potential of power would dip, no, rather landslide to a negative rating. No more power.... or maybe that is what they want? Another thing... the spell was supposed to work for everyone in the caster's line of vision? Regardless of many hundreds of miles away they were? Whatever... if that was so, than half the world would have been transformed already.

Anyway, great book, great series. Now I really want to see the movies! And I do not say that often about a book/movie deal. Get off your butt, Timur! *grin*

The Night Watch, by Sergei Lukyanenko

After reading this book, I start to see how the movie relates. So, first off;
Lukyanenko wrote 3 books, in the following order: Night Watch, Day Watch, Twilight Watch. They are all part of the Night Watch series, and are sometimes called Night Watch, Night Watch II and Night Watch III. The movie that I saw (DayWatch) actually takes one small section from Night Watch, dealing with the Chalk of Fate (there are 3 books within each novel). I suspect the movie NightWatch, being a prequel to DayWatch, deals with the other 2 book the precede the Chalk of Fate in Night Watch. Yes, that was quite confusing to me as well. And there are still discrepancies between the movie and the book; ironically, having seen the movie, my mental images of Anton, Egor, Svetlana and the rest of the cast have been permanently affixed.

So, anyway, The Night Watch. I like the way Lukyanenko writes. While sometimes dull, the main character's introspection provides a lot of rich background to the story. I did not realize this when I read the book called Day Watch (all along I thought the book was related to the movie, but it is only slightly related). The idea of remoralization is rather interesting, and Lukyanenko starts to build a picture of a kind of "good vs evil" plot. But the "good" guys are not perfect, and the "evil" guys are not all bad. This makes the story seem a little more real, and little more believable. The magic system is a bit far-fetched, but I found it refreshingly so. The Twilight is a huge mystery, and it seems that even the most powerful folks do not fully understand it. I find the various players, their skill levels and individual personalities quite fascinating. In a way I am glad I saw the movie first, because it set the stage for my mind to have awesome special affects preprogrammed! *grin*

Saint Antony's Fire, by Steve White

I have never really been a big fan of alternative history, and this book just reinforced that idea. And the whole thing with the stereotypical alien is just way too over-the-top for me. What is this, a circus?

Jhegaala, by Steven Brust

I was joyed to see a new book by Brust; I have really enjoyed his other pieces, and looked forward to this one. I have to admit, I was at first a bit confused about where this story in the Vlad timeline, but it became a little obvious once we learned he was carrying Spellbreaker. A little.

I really like the way Brust writes. I like Taltos as a character, especially. As mentioned previously, Vlad is a swash-buckling sort of guy. I also like the intrigue the Brust builds into his story and players. One thing that struck me about Jhegaal was that there was not a lot of ton of action involving the super-powers, or even the warlocks, sorcerror/wizzard types ("elves" or Dragaeran). This was mostly about the Easterners, Vlad's homebodies. And Brust does a great job painting this folk as being more alien to Vlad, which sets the scene for a great little mystery/drama.

One thing that is a little jarring to a reader like me is the months-turned-years wait between reading of the various stories. I am glad I got to read the Amber in one monster volume; reading about Vlad in piece-meal, amidst a lot of other sci-fi (not to mention Real Life) contributes to me forgetting about the Phoenix stone and other artefacts that Vlad has picked up on his brief but illustrous journey. To that end, I can easily see Vlad being a D&D character, for better or worse. When does that come to the PC? =)

Last Argument of Kings, by Joe Abercrombie

I really felt that #2 (Before they are hanged) and #3 (last argument of kings) could have easily been combined into one book (before they argue?). Having finished Abercrombie's trilogy, I can say that I am glad I read his work. His English origins peek through his writing at times, and perhaps, unfortunately, contributes to his phallic interests (what do I know). Other than that, I rather enjoyed his writing. To be honest, I was also a bit bothered by the blood and gore - a bit too much for me.

Another thing I found very interesting is the huge stack or layers of lies upon which the characters are built, specifically Bayaz. At first, we think he is a good guy, but by the end, your perceptions may be challenged. Mine were. But that is not saying much; who is the good guy? I was reminded of Vin Diesel's Riddick character, a force of evil fighting evil.

Throughout, Glotka was a very interesting character; an easy-to-hate, deformed, crippled, ruthless torturer who has a spark of conscience and noble mettle.

Another very minor thing I liked was Joe's choices for titles, not only for the book, but also for the chapters. I like the way he thinks, in that regard. Instead of fantastical conjurations that beg a stretch of imagination, Joe just puts it out there; if someone is going to talk about carrying lots of knives, that is what the title says.

Before They are Hanged, by Joe Abercrombie

I really like the small little details that Joe infuses his writing with; all the nitty-gritty details make his story telling come to life. On the other hand, he has a distracting obsession with male genitalia.

I found myself liking and feeling sorry for Logen Ninefingers. He seems to be the most realistic of the cast; ironically, one of his sayings is "you gotta be realistic." The weight of his guilt is heavy, a burden he drags with him everywhere.

I was not all the crazy about the other characters. Bayaz is becoming weak, Luthar is overly pompous (as if Joe is trying too hard to accomplish that). Ms. Maljinn is interesting, bad spirit that she is.

The Blade Itself, by Joe Abercrombie

I really like the style with which Joe writes. And "Joe" sounds like a most unusual author name. =)

Anyway, the book has some good points and bad points, but very little in between. Abercrombie is very descriptive, making the world seem much more realistic and easier to imagine. I like the details. He has a strange fascination with "fruit", and I found that a tad distracting. He also like to sprinkle cuss words lavishly like pepper and salt; on the one hand, it does seem relevant for today's society, but I do not find it that entertaining.

It is satisfying that the characters live up to some of their stereotypes, but Abercrombie also tries hard to make sure that some stereotypes are intentionally broken. For instance, the all-powerful wizard is indeed all-powerful. But he's not some old frail guy with a pointy hat and robes. No, we meet this swarthy, bald fellow chopping meat with blood spattered all over his kitchen smock. Ninefingers has a dark reputation, but he comes across as some big dumb brute; his dark side is hidden well, especially since the characters are surprised when they experience it. The nobility is satisfactorily proud and arrogant, the soldiers seem well-trained and able to fight (the King's Own, that is), and the Inquisition is appropriately evil and just rotten to the core. =) The mystery of the older Empire and the elder gods is interesting, as was the walk inside the "Maker's House". Lots of room for exploration, but lots of focus on the main story with a good flow.

The Well of Ascension, by Brandon Sanderson

Another good read by Sanderson. My one biggest complaint is that we still have no idea what the Well of Ascension actually is. I am not a big fan of a story where the climax just gets started on the last few pages.

I continue to like Sanderson's style of writing; there is something about his story-telling that draws me in, that compels me forward. Ironically, I find it hard to personally identify with any of the characters, but I do find them entertaining. The development of the Kandra background is quite intriguing, and the tie to Koloss makes for a very interesting character soup. The various twists are excellently played out.

The pairings of the allomantic metals is a great concept, but there do seem to be some holes. I like how the author allows the characters to discover things and have the reader learn as the characters do. But there are an odd number of such metals, hence not all of them can have pairs. I found it unbelievable that the Ministry knew nothing about Duralumin, and that Zane was able to duplicate and master it so quickly (even with the Kandra's help).

Overall, I like the story. I did not love it, though. I do look forward to the third book.

Mistborn: the final empire, by Brandon Sanderson

Another recommendation by Patrick Rothfuss, and a great one at that! The magic system is very different (using metals in one way or another), and I like it.

There is a very interesting, although rather simplistic, dichotomy between the upper- and lower-class, the haves and the have-nots, the masters and the slaves. First, no middle-class. The slaves are called "skaa", although I am not really sure why. And I am not sure why, after centuries of coexisting (barely), the "nobility" even questions whether or not the "skaa" are more or less human. Sanderson went to lengths to show how self-important and ego-centric the privileged class was, but they are ostentaticiously missing some common sense. The skaa on the other hand, are rather ultra-obsequious; even the rebellions do not really amount to much. If there was one thing I did not like about this world, it was that the white-collar folks were too over-the-top.

The overlord character, a tyrant ruler some call a god, has a very respectable shroud of mystery wrapped around him. The author pulled a very clever trick with the journal, and I have a lot of respect for those kind of tricks. And his little army of zealots (obligators and Steel Inquisitors, not unlike the infamous Crusaders in a lot of respects) enforces the trynanical oppression rather well; the Inquisitors are really interesting, both in their background and their abilities.

The terrismen are also very intriguing, and it will be satisfying to learn more about them in other books. I guess one could say that there are technically two different magic systems employed by different races (or perhaps a third if you count the mistwraiths/kandra). So even though this story did a fairly good job at exploring this little pocket of reality, it left a good number of doors open for other lines of possibilities.

Perhaps one of the better things about this book was that I was drawn in right away, and the author kept me going. I like that kind of book. The character developement proceeded at a very satisfactory pace, as well as the action and tension, not to mention several appreciable twists throughout the story. I get the impression that "book 2" is more of a prequel, based on the title. We will see.

Lilith, by George MacDonald

Poor C.S. Lewis might flip in his grave, but I had a really hard time enjoying this book. Perhaps this speaks more about me than either Mr. Lewis or Mr. MacDonald.

MacDonald creates a fantastic universe (or, to play on words, a "Phantastic" universe); both in its scope and its creativity. The problem is it is just too stinkin' thick. The main character, writing from the first person, is given to spouts of metadata, conveying the difficulty he has conveying to his reader what he is experiencing. I give kudos to MacDonald for his command of the language, but I fear his temporal removal from my own bestows upon his effort a sense of antiquity; he is just hard to read for modern folks. His modes, his grammer (and excessive use of commas and dashes) and depth make reading hard work.

And yes, that means I am a lazy reader. Look at what I read for crying out loud.

The story is unique, in its own right. Even though he wrote the book over 110 years ago (egads!!), he touches upon concepts that others have only copied; a man travels to a new place where the metaphysical becomes, for all intents and purposes, the physical. His own identity is questioned, and must be discovered. The issue of being is put under a magnifying glass. For these I applaud MacDonald. I would just hate to have to read it again. *grin*