tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502323779636210957.post6817869832686250259..comments2023-09-30T10:13:32.255+01:00Comments on Chatnoir: A Mumbaikar in Melbourne: The girl with the dragon tattoo: genius or a cartoon?globalbabblehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03943342464554767429noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502323779636210957.post-2891133371759024162010-09-15T12:40:54.046+01:002010-09-15T12:40:54.046+01:00Smilla's Sense of snow was awesome. And the mo...Smilla's Sense of snow was awesome. And the movie turned out well. hope you have finished all the 3 books of Larsson's Millenium series. Really enjoyed them, and then there was the sudden news of him having died of a heart attack. The books have been converted into movies - but I have seen only 1 of them, and it was nice. Remained faithful to the narrative in the book.<br /><br />Another Swedish author you prolly have heard about being in UK is .. Henning Mankell, the guy who created Kurt Wallander, from the TV series. Managed to download and watch Season 1 - again, these are true to the original narratives in Mankell's books. Mankell's work takes darker turns at times - given his extreme dedication (supposed) to projects in Africa. His newer books are not about Kurt Wallander though. <br /><br />The most popular 90s/early 2000s book out of Scandinavia was weird - a book on pop philosophy by Jostein Gaarder. <br /><br />Sorry for the random comments. Just going through some posts and typing at leisure.zaphod beeblebroxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06514547179026407905noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502323779636210957.post-80514650963900404372010-09-03T15:35:56.204+01:002010-09-03T15:35:56.204+01:00No, I had never heard of Pipi Longstockings, thoug...No, I had never heard of Pipi Longstockings, though I see the book at Helsinki Airport when I was passing through. <br /><br />That's the thing with Scandinavia - we know so very very little about. Everybody knows it is there - but nobody really knows what goes on there. <br /><br />The other big bestseller to come out of Scandinavia was Ms Smilla's Feelings for Snow. Don't know if you read it. But it too had a supremely clever, confident, emotionally scarred, athletic heroine following a murder mystery with life-changing results. <br /><br />Though she was not a genius computer hacker. She was an expert in snow - really! Go figure!<br /><br />Do I see a pattern here?globalbabblehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03943342464554767429noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502323779636210957.post-70399880686461040422010-09-03T15:24:41.114+01:002010-09-03T15:24:41.114+01:00I loved DaVinci code :P. I'm your average read...I loved DaVinci code :P. I'm your average reader and I make no claims to superior discernment :D. On that note, I thought The God of Small Things was like the Frieda Pinto of books. All style and no substance :) I hate pretentious books, I get all Amir Khan-like and go "Appan public hai public, kuch bhi bol sakta hai, jisme apna paisa vasool nahi, uska dubba gul!" :D<br /><br />Read more about Larrson? God, never. Especially if you think he's like Blomkvist! zzzzz....<br />Apparently Lisbeth was like a grown up Pippi Longstocking. Since I never read that, that doesn't mean much to me. But may check up on that later, when life permits :)VeeGeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15898145287940750166noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502323779636210957.post-12334219653222666192010-09-03T15:04:03.208+01:002010-09-03T15:04:03.208+01:00I agree with the "torture porn" bit. Wha...I agree with the "torture porn" bit. What a perfect word to describe the book.<br /><br />Perhaps I really dislike extraordinary characters, so I didn't care much for her. I love ordinary characters doing extraordinary things - I feel there is something identify with. They are also tougher novels to write. <br /><br />Though I agree Blomkvist was quite boring. Which is why I don't think anything got lost in translation. I think Larrson didn't have a good sense of humour. There was something juvenile about his writing and humour - the extreme posturing, the torture, the silly moralising. <br /><br />Perhaps if I had to choose between Lisbeth and Blomkvist, I too would choose the first. <br /><br />What really surprises me is that with so much really really good writing around - it is the Da Vinci Codes & Dragon Tattoos that become worldwide bestsellers. Tch Tch!<br /><br />You should read more about Larrson himself - I am sure Blomkvist is his alter-ego - lone, serious journalist fighting the system. That is how he saw himself. And Lisbeth was is fantasy heroine.globalbabblehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03943342464554767429noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502323779636210957.post-67859688168734048312010-09-03T14:49:07.459+01:002010-09-03T14:49:07.459+01:00Aww c'mon, Lisbeth was the best character in t...Aww c'mon, Lisbeth was the best character in that snoozefest of a book. I would fall asleep in the other parts but only wake up whenever the narrative mentioned her. <br /><br />I thought she was an unusual underdog that I couldn't help rooting for. One of those tough exterior, soft insides characters. I loved her, she was interesting. So I guess I'm Steig's target audience for her :) <br /><br />Michael was zzzz-inducing. And the book as a whole was what americans refer to as "torture-porn". I didn't intend to read parts 2 & 3, but I lately read some reviews that said Lisbeth has a big role, so I'm tempted. :)<br /><br />About the jokes - perhaps some humor was lost in translation?VeeGeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15898145287940750166noreply@blogger.com