The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
discussion
Anyone finding it hard to get through?
Delicious Dee Challenge Addict wrote: "maybe a recommendation if you are struggling reading, I listened to the audiobooks of all three in the series because it was easier for me to visualize it...i found myself at times, taking the long..."I don't know if you would be interested, but I havn't had anyone come on my live radio show yet, to discuss how this book was as an audio book :) I would love it if you would come on the show and talk about your experience. If you are interested let me know and I will give you more details about how it works.
Thanks!
It was painful to start, but once it takes I couldn't put it down. Thhe second & third were great from the first paragraph
I agree that the second and third were easier but they wouldn't have been nearly as good if you didn't work you way through the first one. Maybe the key word is WORK>nina
Nina wrote: "I agree that the second and third were easier but they wouldn't have been nearly as good if you didn't work you way through the first one. Maybe the key word is WORK>nina"I agree with you there. I havn't read the other two yet, but I can say that I wouldn't have wanted to miss out on the first one :) I was amazing, you just have to get through the boring stuff. I think every book has it's boring points. I don't think I have ever read one book that didn't have a few boring chapters here and there. If books didn't have those boring chapters that I like to call (bridge chapters or informative chapters) I think most people would get motion sickness from all the action LOL.
Nina wrote: "I like your comments.nina"Lol, why thank you :)
I have a live radio show called Kerra's Weekly Book Club if you would like to listen to is sometime :) Last Friday April 1st I discussed "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" on my show and next Friday April 8th I will be discussing it again :) If you would like to listen to the show or would like to come on the show and discuss your opinion of the book or the movie I would love that :D If you are interested let me know and I will send you more information.
I also like your comments too, they are very honest and have some educational aspect behind them as well.
Part of the problem with Stieg Larsson's books is the poor quality of the editing in Sweden. By the time the books came to be edited in English, the editors were constrained by the fact that Larsson was dead already and there was no one to authorize necessary changes.
Part of the problem with Stieg Larsson's books is the poor quality of the editing in Sweden. By the time the books came to be edited in English, the editors were constrained by the fact that Larsson was dead already and there was no one to authorize necessary changes.
Andre wrote: "Part of the problem with Stieg Larsson's books is the poor quality of the editing in Sweden. By the time the books came to be edited in English, the editors were constrained by the fact that Larsso..."Wow, I never thought of it that way. I still think it was an amazing book though. I havn't read the other two yet, but I would love to. Is that why the movie is so different from the book?
I think around 300 pages of the book dont have anything happening.. everything happens in the last 100-150 pages. It is interesting once you get through the first 200-250 pages or so. Warning: If you do get around to finishing the first part, keep the second part ready as you might just want to start reading it immediately.
Kerra wrote: "Wow, I never thought of it that way. ... Is that why the movie is so different from the book? ."The movie was always going to be different from the book. A movie just doesn't have time and space for all the stuff (backstory, dialogue, action, thoughts, in Larsson's case huge digressions) in a book. if you write down all the dialog and action in a *long* movie, it comes to 110-120 pages, far less than even a short book. The only choice in a movie isn't whether the scriptwriter leaves out stuff but *what* he leaves out. He has to choose the main line through the story and pare it back to that so that it fits in 90-150 minutes of screen time, a tough job.
The book is definitely worth it in the end...just get to chapter 5!!!
Carol wrote: "What slowed me down in the first 100+ pages was the unfamiliar names of places and characters. I put a sticky note on the family tree page for easy reference and didn't obsess too much about keepin..."This is totally true! If you just read it, it will come to you. Eventually everything will straighten itself out. I had such a hard time getting through the beginning that I put it down and gave up but my cousin said it was amazing! I guess knowing that I had something good in store for me made me just push through it. It didn't take me half the book like she warned but it almost did. Maybe you just need to put it down and take a break. Go back to it when that kind of book is something your craving.
Parts 2 and 3 make it well worth persevering through the first bit...
I read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Girl Who Played with Fire and I thought both of them were excellent. Maybe I liked the first book better, because that was my introduction to most of the characters. Many of the same characters appear in the second book in the series. There also is some repetition in The Girl Who Played with Fire, because Stieg Larsson spends some time explaining what happened in the previous novel. If I had any problem at all with the novel, it was because of the Swedish names. I thought that the translator also did a very good job of translating the books from Swedish to English. I want to read the third book in the series, but I'm holding off because I'm in the Around the World in 80 Books challenge. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo counts as a book set in Sweden. I haven't seen any of the movies yet, so I can't say if watching the movies would make reading the novels easier. For me, it's usually the reverse. I like to read the book first before I see the movie based on it. People who have seen the films have told me that the actress who plays Salander does an excellent job in the role.
Yes she did! Her name is Noomi Rapace, and I think she did a great job portraying the character of Lisbeth. She is going to be in the next Sherlock Holmes movie, so it will be interesting to see her play someone else.
Did you think she was more attractive than the book's character indicated? I did. nina
I struggled to get through this book. I stuck with it because everyone told me how fabulous it was, however the purpose or intrigue was totally lost on me. I felt it was a waste of my time... too many other wonderful choices out there!
I started and re-started this book several times and finally made myself sit down and read it. This first quarter of the book was difficult but I flew through the rest of the book and the next two books in the series. A lot of people I know, who have read the book, had similar experiences.
I absolutely loved this series but I did find The girl with the Dragon Tattoo really difficult to get through at first. I found it really difficult to wade through all of the detail that is put into the background of each part of the story. I think I got wrapped up in the details. I have to admit that at times I would skip a few pages here and there in order to get on with the story. One I got through the excess details I became addicted and finished the books really quickly.
I did think these books were sleep depriving. nina
Andre wrote: "Kerra wrote: "Wow, I never thought of it that way. ... Is that why the movie is so different from the book? ."The movie was always going to be different from the book. A movie just doesn't have t..."
I think that is a tough job as well. The only problem I had with the movie is that they switched everything around. Not needed in my opinion. They flopped parts together weird. I thought it still got the story across right, but I was just wondering why they would put the events in almost random order in the movie. I did like the movie though, but I thought it could have been just slightly better in portraying Blomkvist's characters personality better.
Nina wrote: "Did you think she was more attractive than the book's character indicated? I did. nina"I kind of imagined Lisbeth to me much prettier in the book that she was in the movie, but I don't think they could have picked a better actor to play her part. She was perfect and acted exactly like Lisbeth in such a way that is was almost scary. It was like the character had come to life.
I don't necessarily agree that its an editing issue - if you've read other nordic noir, as this genre is referred to, you'll notice there are a lot of similarities, the descriptive portions where there doesn't seem to be anything progressing in the case, lots of description of the area etcAndre wrote: "Part of the problem with Stieg Larsson's books is the poor quality of the editing in Sweden. By the time the books came to be edited in English, the editors were constrained by the fact that Larsso..."
Just to remind everyone I am discussing "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" on my live radio show on this Friday April 8th. I would love to hear some of your opinions on my show for other readers to hear :) I would really appriciate the support. If you have any questions about it please let me know and I will post more about it on here. Also to let you know that it is a live radio show online at blogtalkradio. So, it is not a radio station :)
She did play the part exactly like the character. And I thought the male character looked like I pictured him. Having been to Stockholm I loved the scenes from the windows of the waterfront. I thought it interesting to have the books and of course the movies set in Sweden as there are so many in Paris and Britain and Italy. All good and fun to see but how nice to have somewhere different for a change. I didn't even mind the Swedish names. And, instead of being bored with the first part I was impressed that the author was so knowlegeable. nina
Kerra wrote: "I thought it could have been just slightly better in portraying Blomkvist's characters personality better."Blomkvist is passive in Stieg Larsson's novels. That is one of the reasons that the British editor Christopher MacLehose changed the name of the first book from Men Who Hate Women to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, thereby fixing Salander as the main character. The Swedish movie has already boosted Blomkvist's character, and the Hollywood remake is bound to boost it tremendously beyond the books, simply because Daniel Craig has a macho image and is the star. I liked the Swedish production; I don't look forward to the Hollywood remake at all, but you may, if you think Blomkvist's character can stand a boost.
Delicious Dee Challenge Addict wrote: "I don't necessarily agree that its an editing issue - if you've read other nordic noir, as this genre is referred to, you'll notice there are a lot of similarities, the descriptive portions where t..."Actually, the editors have admitted to the issues.
They're so sensitive to the problems that, when I started researching these matters for my book on Larsson, they set lawyers on me.
While I take your point that some of the Nordic Noir can have a slow development and carry more extraneous matter than anglophones would normally see in thrillers, Larsson goes over the top with novella-length digressions. You don't see anything of that size in the other Scandinavian writers.
Nina wrote: "And, instead of being bored with the first part I was impressed that the author was so knowlegeable.."Hey, I'm by training an economist and a psychologist, and many years ago I was briefly a merchant banker, so I'm with you in the minority that thought the opening pages of TGWTDT fascinating. That was pretty expert stuff on Wennerstrom's Polish fraud.
The beginning WAS slow going if I remember......finished the first two books and started #3 but also finding that slow going....
I also listened to the Audio books read by Simon Vance and thought the books were great. Well written, well translated and Simon Vance is in my top 3 readers.
Sometimes it feels like this book didn't have an editor because there is A LOT of unnecessary detail somewhat like a journal. The story starts to pick up around 100 pages in which is a feat in itself but if you can get there it's worth it.. Trust me
Sagal wrote: "Sometimes it feels like this book didn't have an editor because there is A LOT of unnecessary detail somewhat like a journal. The story starts to pick up around 100 pages in which is a feat in itse..."Yes, I agree. If you can get through the boring beginning, you won't regret reading this book. I loved it. One of the best murder mysteries I have read in a long time.
Whatever else this book, Girl With The Dragon Tatoo, series has stirred the pot, so to speak. Lots of comments and isn't that a good thing for Goodreads? nina
At the beginnning of the book, it took forever for me to get thought it. For like the first 6 chapters i read only like 5 pages at a time and took a break. i was even at the point of regretting buying both the 1st and 2nd book at the same time, but after getting more into the story and once it was finally past the set up for the main story it got a lot better
It took me a good hundred pages before I was hooked, however, once in I really enjoyed the book; the second was my favorite, although the third was quite good as well. There are, as someone mentioned, some gruesome bits, but they are integral to the balance of the story.
I loved the Girl with Dragon Tattoo. My only problem is to memorize names and locations. I wrote down all of those to avoid any confusion since I am not familiar with the language....:)
Hello everyone :) I would just like to say that since I have not had anyone volunteer to come on my show and discuss their opinions about this book, I am going to read out loud some of your comments from this discussion. I just wanted to ask and make sure that no one would be really up set about this idea. I am not going to name names at all, but simply say someone made this comment.
I have chosen 3 peoples comments on here to read out loud and they are Catherine, Sandra, and Ben. If any of the following people I just named have a problem with this, please let me know and I will not read them out loud :) Thank you.
Also I would love to hear some more opinions about the movie. And if there are some that I feel that would be good to read out loud on my show, I will also notify the peoples comments I have chosen.
I read all three books and found them to be engrossing and interesting. At first I was a little astounded at the casual sex and the bisexual situations but soon decided that what is said about Scandinavian attitudes toward sex must be true. As I was leaving for a seven week trip I took Hornet's Nest with me, sure that I'd be too tired and busy to read it--but, though I had others with me, I did read it--in a week! I've seen the first two of the movies and will be watching the third this weekend. I read the books first and then watch the movies and I try to see the movies as soon after the reading so I haven't forgotten anything.
I love the cast of the movies--both Lisabeth and Blomvquist are excellent! I simply cannot imagine Daniel Craig in the part and just know that the American versions will spend more time on the sex aspect than is essential. The Swedish movies don't ignore that but they are not the focus of the script.
I have read the series, and I agree it was a challenge to keep up with the characters. When you have to refer to a family tree to keep people straight, it takes away from the story. I liked the other books better. I don't think that the series lived up to all the hype.
In my review of
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
, I have written the following:==================================================
I am currently listening to an audio version of this book and at the same time I'm following along in the book. I find that it helps me to digest the details.
The first two chapters are very dry, dealing with financial fraud details. Hard to get through. (I've read through them twice now.) Things are picking up now, but the only reason I'm staying with it is because I want to find out why the book is so very popular. It does create suspense but so far I don't feel a strong attachment to any of the characters. This type of writing has never been my favorite thing. Too many unnecessary details, too many names.
BTW, even though I know the ending (from viewing the film), there is still an element of suspense. So knowing the ending hasn't hurt the reading for me. In fact, in some ways, it enhances it because I can see where the characters' suspicions are mistaken and also because... (view spoiler).
=====================================================
BTW, Simon Vance is a terrific reader! He dramatizes each part so well, often in a different tone of voice and/or accent.
Kerra wrote: "I would just like to say that since I have not had anyone volunteer to come on my show and discuss their opinions about this book..."Kerra, drop me a note to andrejute at coolmainpress with the dot and the com extension. I'm not familiar enough with Skype to volunteer for your show yet, so do it when you can relax again after your show. I'd like to send you a copy of THE LARSSON SCANDAL to read after you finish The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
i'm glad your enjoying the audio joy - it made it soo much easier for me to love the booksJoy H. wrote: "In my review of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, I have written the following:
==================================================
I am currently listening to an audio version of this book and at th..."
Delicious Dee Challenge Addict wrote: "i'm glad your enjoying the audio joy - it made it soo much easier for me to love the books"Yes, Dee, and it's even better to read along with the audio. Everything registers so much more easliy in the brain, especially with all of Larssons' detailed descriptions and digressions to digest. As I said above, the reader on the audio, Simon Vance, is a pleasure to listen to! He really enhances the reading experience.
yep, simon vance does...i'm going to be looking for him as a narrator in the future when i get audiobooks
Kerra, I don't have a problem with you discussing my comments on your radio show. I also want to say I think they did a good job portraying Lisbeth's life in the movies. There was so much detail from the books to wade through, but they stuck to the most important parts of the storyline to make you understand what happened over the course of her life to make her who she was. Lisbeth had good reason to not trust people, and she went through so much that she had to be very tough on the exterior in order to survive.
Andre wrote: "Kerra wrote: "I would just like to say that since I have not had anyone volunteer to come on my show and discuss their opinions about this book..."Kerra, drop me a note to andrejute at coolmainpr..."
Thank you for your interest :) I will most certainly drop you a line after my show and tell you more about it. Also I would love to read The Larsson Scadal. Thank you for being so kind.
Sandra wrote: "Kerra, I don't have a problem with you discussing my comments on your radio show. I also want to say I think they did a good job portraying Lisbeth's life in the movies. There was so much detail ..."Thank you for letting me use your comments on my show :) I will definately put in the extra info on there.
If you guys cant get through it try harder because i finished it and the ending of this book and the entire second book is really good :)
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Hmmmm, Dee, that's a good idea. Perhaps I'll try to get an audio version at our library. Thank you.