The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
discussion
Did Anyone Else Hate This Book?
message 151:
by
Emily
(new)
-
added it
Oct 24, 2012 09:04AM
i had a hard time getting into the book, but once i got into it i could not put it down. i have not gotten into the second or third as i feel they need my full attention.so they will be a winter read.
reply
|
flag
I love Scandinavian crime fiction but I really was not impressed with this series. All three books were too long and could have used a really good edit (backing up my opinion on this was that the Swedish movies were much better stories than the books). But I think the major problem was that I truly could not bring myself to care what happened to Lisbeth Salander or Mikael Blomkvist. In my opinion the best character in Scandinavian crime is Mankell's Wallander (but there are many that are close seconds - Indridason's Erlendur, Nesbo's Hole...)
I liked all three books, they kept my interest all the way through. I agree they could have used some editing, maybe enough to turn them into one book. But what's an editor to do when the author drops off the manuscript and promptly dies?
I've read all three books, but I must admit, I skimmed a lot. I skimmed parts where Lisbeth would go into too much detail about her computers or her motorcycle. I mean it's like, SERIOUSLY? Just say it's a damn computer and a damn motorcycle. I don't need to know what harddrive it has and how she souped up her Kawasaki. Eyeroll. -_-'
Oh and when she bought that apartment or whatever, PAGES of detailing on what she put in to it. Larsson even added in PRICES of all the furniture and appliances. I about fell asleep when I was reading that part.
On a good note, I really enjoyed Lisbeth as a character, she was really interesting to learn about throughout the books.
Oh and when she bought that apartment or whatever, PAGES of detailing on what she put in to it. Larsson even added in PRICES of all the furniture and appliances. I about fell asleep when I was reading that part.
On a good note, I really enjoyed Lisbeth as a character, she was really interesting to learn about throughout the books.
Emma wrote: "I have to be honest; I hated this book.I found the first third of the book clunky, slow and bogged down with jargon and pointless detail.
I found it disturbing and hard to read (which is not nec..."
The first book was hard to swallow at the beginnig, the initial 50 or maybe even 70 pages were terrible. Too much data, too many paralell stiroes and no action. But having done those I started enjoying it a lot. I was on an editing job for the second and the third book when they were translated to my language so I had to read the first one too. If it wasn't for that, I may have never discovered the beauty of the trilogy altogether. So it was definitely worth it.
I think there's a dull, 54 word opening sentence. Enough to put anyone off anything; there's simply not enough time in life to read such under edited warbling on about nothing. The American movie was only worth watching because of the actress, but, even though I have a long attention span, I just didn't find it interesting enough to carry on with. I didn't even bother to read the blogs to find out what happened; I simply didn't care. I'd rather read 4 interesting books than one of these, but each to their own.
I've read them all and thoroughly enjoyed them. Yes the first book starts out mundanely slow with way to many facts about a country no one cares about but once you catch onto the storyline it's a great mystery with several twists.
Linda wrote: "I think there's a dull, 54 word opening sentence. "Linda, that's a perfect way to put it. It does seem odd that there is a lot of forgiveness with this novel. Even those who loved it seem to agree that they didn't enjoy the first 50-100 pages and were either the sorts to not give up or were told it was worth continuing. Personally (although i did persevere myself) I think its a bit much raving about a book which you loved a section of. Seems a bit strange to me.
Turgid, boring pointless book
I hated the disturbing rape scenes of Salander, it made me lose my appetite. I wish she was a more developed character.
Aliyah wrote: "I hated the disturbing rape scenes of Salander, it made me lose my appetite. I wish she was a more developed character."If you haven't seen the movie then you would see something just as bad. It unnerved me.
Ann wrote: "Turgid, boring pointless book"You are so right. It is amazing what gets published and sells, sells, sells. At least there won't be more.
I only read the book, because I thought that it would be like a Swedish version of the Jason Bourne series. And yes I watched the movie, and the rape freaked me out. The US film. I don't get why Salander and Blomvist hooked up.
Alex wrote: "I've read all three books, but I must admit, I skimmed a lot. I skimmed parts where Lisbeth would go into too much detail about her computers or her motorcycle. I mean it's like, SERIOUSLY? Just say it's a damn computer and a damn motorcycle. I don't need to know what harddrive it has and how she souped up her Kawasaki. Eyeroll. -_-'Oh and when she bought that apartment or whatever, PAGES of detailing on what she put in to it. Larsson even added in PRICES of all the furniture and appliances. I about fell asleep when I was reading that part."
Everyone I've talked to in real life who loved the book(s) skimmed vast portions of the story. One even said that my criticisms of those sections and how incredibly boring and banal the writing was said they weren't even in the book. We had to get her copy of it out so I could prove they existed, and she just sort of airily dismissed it by saying, "Oh, I must've skipped those parts." Yeah you did. But that's like half the damn book.
The poor guy died at the top of three flights of stairs, said some last words everyone could identify with, and then had his last book or two come out. That's when the publicity machine really kicked in and away it all went. I want to say good for him, but he was and is beyond hearing; not so the publishers, the movie folks, and his brother and father. For me, he was a journalist first, a crusader second, and a novelist a distant third. As a novelist he needed the glue of sensation, a good cause and a stroke of luck. And publicity! However, it still doesn't make the books particularly good, just interesting, and money makers for everyone, for everyone, but the author and his partner.
It took me several tries to get through this book. But after the first third, I enjoyed it immensely!Fell in love with Salander and Blomkvist! Salander isn't the typical heroine by any means and to care about her without altering her basic character speaks volumes for the author. Can't wait to read the next two books!
Delia wrote: "It took me several tries to get through this book. But after the first third, I enjoyed it immensely!Fell in love with Salander and Blomkvist! Salander isn't the typical heroine by any means an..."
I personally liked the whole series myself.
I didn't hate it, but I didn't think it was the masterpiece others seemed think it was. What I did really hate was the fact that my copy had advertisments as part of the story. She search for so and so's activities online (www.pos-ad.com). There were other shameless plugs for her stupid apple computers, too. This is something I never thought I would see in a book and hope never to see again. I do not intend to read any of the other books.
I loved the first book, loved the second book even more, and thought the third book was OK if you speed-read through the boring middle to get to the "cliff hanger" ending. I started reading these only because, away from home, I ran out of books, and our host family gave me the first one to read.
I bought this book, so I made myself read it. Can't say I enjoyed it and haven't looked for the other two books.Glad to know I'm not the only one who didn't like it.
It is a page 19 book, unfortunately I carried on until around page 160, the reason I stopped was boredom, and also I was reading an average crime novel which had 159 pages beginning to end, and it had been more entertaining.160 pages and nothing happening except some jerk sat in a room writing, so bloody what, I read fiction to be entertained, not bored to death.
The writing is only average at best.
Haha, there was also nonsense about a cat too and too much detail about the cold winter plus the country scenery
Christine wrote: "Yes, I hated it. I was the only one in my book group that hated it. When I asked if they were comfortable with the sexual violence several of them said they skimmed it. Ok, then you can't say yo..."I had the same thing with my book group most went on to read all 3. Seemed like fanboy fiction and the author was the fanboy to himself. Sorry to speak ill of someone who's dead but the hype is over the top.
Thank you for saying this. - Dianne
It starts slow and me too I had to work myself through the first 200 pages, but then it gets interesting. I've read them all now and believe me, they get better and better. I'm always carefull with books that are hyped and it took me some time before I wanted to read them. It's not big literature, but is has a some interesting plots. To be a good book, it would have to grab the readers in the first pages, and that just took too long.
Took me forever to finish this book. Attempted to read the second one and just gave it up about a quarter-way through. Maybe the translation from the Swedish makes it so plodding. I'd like to think that the characters had more dimension, more charm, more something in the original storytelling. But I saw the American version of the movie and they didn't seem any more interesting. Never read a book that had more lifeless sex, either.
It wasn't bad, it just dragged at lot. It could have done with a lot of editing.
I was also not a fan. I did make myself finish this one, but will NOT read any of the others. I really have no idea what happened!
Although I thought it was an alright read, I do agree with you, Emma. It was a clunky, bogged down and slow moving plot. I kept wondering about how much coffee Blomkvist consumed throughout the novel and where did he develop his obsession with Elvis music?I watched the Swedish movie and that helped me to understand the characters a bit more but the story didn't really make sense until a friend from Sweden told me that the original Swedish title of the book is: Men Who Hate Women" and that the author had a deeply personal connection to the very real person upon whom he based the fictional character Lisbeth Salander.
I do have to admit that it took the story about half of the book to really get into it. Lisbeth didn't really come into the book until the half way point. It was a hard read till then.
Okay,I am 14 and i read the series. I loved it, i mean the sexual violence was a bit much without it wouldnt have been so enticing? It felt like it was essential to the story. I loved it a lot!! Plus Lisbeth Salander is wayyyy cooler than any other female characters i have ever read!
I enjoyed the plot of the novel, but I found it like reading an episode of Dragnet. It was not well written and at parts contrived. The characters were not well conceived or explained. I did like the murder mystery, but was less intrigued by the girl with the dragon tattoo. I read the sequel, which I could not stand. It was so contrived that it was ridiculous and the writing was worse. His details were misspent on Lizbeth's brand of frozen pizza and computer hard drives than where they should have been: character development, showing not telling. Ah, what a waste of time.
The first time that I have ever enjoyed a film more than the book.
Aliyah wrote: "Haha, there was also nonsense about a cat too"About the only character I was interested in. haha
Gabrielle wrote: "I loved it, i mean the sexual violence was a bit much without it wouldn’t have been so enticing?"That's the danger of this kind of sexual violence on screen and in text; its okay to make a point about the characters and paint a picture of the horrendous situation people like Lisbeth find themselves (not as rare as we'd all like to think) but it's worrying when it becomes the draw of the novel/film. And its detail and quantity says to me that the author realised and promoted this with this particular novel...the violence is so extensive, its stops being a plot device and IMHO becomes almost glamorised.
not good. not good at all.
I read the series and would give it a B-, as a whole. I think 2 books in the series would have been much better. I absolutely hated the 2nd book - found it incredibly boring - and think it only existed in order to drag this out as a trilogy. I liked the plot, but thought the writing was too cumbersome.
While I enjoyed the books very much. The sexual violence is as Emma puts not all that uncommon. There is to much such acts in this world. In the book is one thing but on the screen to many young can see it and they are too impressionable for such things.I'm on a soap box I know.
I thought the middle book was actually the one the author really wanted to write. I believe the "novel" aspects were the forum he used to get his research on the Swedish government and the mistreatment of women out to the world. Ah, well for me book one filled a down period in my own writing, two was "read" at the beach, and three filled a long, long international plane ride with volcano-caused delays.
Dan wrote: "I thought the middle book was actually the one the author really wanted to write. I believe the "novel" aspects were the forum he used to get his research on the Swedish government and the mistreat..."Miss treatment of women have been here for a long time. I remember as a kid that I knew a number of women and girls who were mistreated so the movie does ring very true.
I did like them also despite some of things that went on I didn't. I will eventually read them again.
The first one was good but I couldn't even read the sequels
I read the first book and enjoyed it as a visit to Europe where I have lived. I don't analyze novels as a critic might. I rather read them in bed as you would watch a TV program. The book and the Swedish film are complementary. You do have to be forewarned about the violence.
Nope, loved all three books.Though I do understand how people would find it to be a clunky, and slow book. But that's what I liked about it. It could slow down, instead of the fast paced books that you get, that just race from start to finish.
People also mentioned how they didn't like all the sexual violence, and how the characters were unrealistic and excessive. But I thought Salander was a very realistic character, you get people out there who are like her.
It wasn't very good, but I didn't hate it. I started "Dragon Tattoo" and quit after about 40 pages. I received all three Millenium books as presents and ended up taking them to Friends of the Library, where I knew they would find a good home.Then I got sucked in by a lot of chat I read about the books and was surprised to learn how Larson's live-in and co-author got screwed out of any of the money. So I ended up checking all three books out of the library (I just love irony!) and ripped through them one after another.
The mechanics are clunky and the plot is so full of holes you could use it to grate parmesan. Most of the characters are one-dimensional, including Mikael Blomkvist. In fact, the only person in the book who is really interesting is Lisbeth Salander. Still I didn't hate it.
I felt it could have used some serious editing and I dislike books that raise technical procedures just to gloss over them because the author is too lazy to actually research how they work.
On the other hand, most of the dialog actually worked in my opinion. I didn't find it particularly stilted and I thought the overuse of jargon was about par for the course, given the subject matter of the book.
The bottom line is, the story managed to maintain my interest the second time I tried it. And I don't feel like I wasted my time reading it because I was reading it as a time-wasting piece of trash to begin with. If I hadn't been, when I gave up on Dragon Tattoo the first time around, I would have immediately picked up something really first-rate to replace it, like "The Friends of Eddie Coyle," or "The Big Sleep." I didn't.
Emma wrote: "I found the first third of the book clunky, slow and bogged down with jargon and pointless detail."I can definitely agree with you on that. I thought the part about banking and investments could be cut down at least by half.
Hated it as well :)
I read only a chapter. It seemed like the translator was not a native English speaker. I did some research and found out the translation was done by an experienced American, but it was then edited by someone from Great Britain. The result was so bad, the American took his real name off the book and used a made-up name. When I heard about the violence in the book, I had no reason to try again.
It's one thing not to have enjoyed the book, and saying so is your right to opinion, but saying it is poorly written is both incorrect and moronic.Think long and hard people before you make comments like this, it only serves to deny yourself any and all credibility.
p.s. We need to remember that America is not the only country in the world, and that other books written for other audiences in other countries may be something different than we are comfortable with.
I finished this book a couple weeks ago. I did not enjoy it. I found it incredibly boring. One of my co-workers assures me that I need to continue on with this series, but after the comments on here...I am not sure I want to. I realize not everyone will like the same things, but those that seem to agree with my take on the first book, also did not like the others...
all discussions on this book
|
post a new topic
The Book Thief (other topics)
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (other topics)
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (other topics)
Books mentioned in this topic
Smilla's Sense of Snow (other topics)The Book Thief (other topics)
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (other topics)
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (other topics)
