jueves, 6 de julio de 2017

The girl with a dragon tattoo



Stieg Larson

So far, my thickiest challenge: 644 pages for the paperback version. It was supposed to be my reading challenge for this summer, but I quickly got enthralled by the plot and specially by the characters, and I couldn't stop reading it. 

The author unveils the plot in such an ingenious way that he keeps the attention of the reader at any moment. There is no room for any lack of interest, not surely during the presentation of the strong characteres, or the first steps of the plot, the easy part, not even at the end of the book, where I have found so many dissapointing finals. To end an intrigue book is not an easy task, many writers are able to build thrilling plots dressed with interesting characteres that become best-sellers, but totally fail to gather together all the different threads of the plot in an end worthy of being remembered. This is not the case, there are neither loose ends, nor unsolved puzzles: e.g. the framed flowers, the strange absence of defence of Blomkvist during the trial, the fate of the archivillain Hans-Erik Wennerström, and the like

One of the most praised strong points of Larson's novel is his abbility to recreate a crime novel not in the slums of NY, Chicago or LA, but in the land of the champion leaders on gender equality, democracy, working rights and welfare. The bright Sweden looks a little bit darker after reading this story plenty of corrupt bankers, swindling brokers and women abusers as in any other country.
But in my view, the big invention of the author has nothing to do with the plot or the location, but with his heroine, Lisbeth Salander. What is it that makes a character unforgettable? Its good actions, its charm, its leading personality? Whatever it might be it doesn't work with Lisbeth. Lisbeth seems to have been created following to the letter one of House's core ideas: Normal is overrated. Because, there is nothing normal in her. She is a rude, non-social, skinny, withdrawn, and insecure 23-year-old girl. At first sight not exactly the image we would like to see reflected on our mirror. But her resolution to fix her many problems on her own despite her fragility, and her ignorance of social rules, builds an unbreakable bond with the readers eager to see her succeding and overshadows the nice, handsome, self-confident journalist Mikael Blomkvist, even though the story is told by him. 

Not only has not the language been this time a set back, but I have found the translation by Reg Keeland colourful and energetic, full of vivid expresions.

In the beginning I thought to make a break after finishing this thick of a book, but I am not sure anymore, partially because I didn make such an effort to read and also because I was left brooding how the relation between Mikael and Lisbeth will follow.

Lisbeth Salander
Mikael Blomkvist
Erika Berger
Martin Vanger
Henrik Vanger
Cecillia Vanger
Harriet Vanger
Nils Bjurman
Dirch Frode

No hay comentarios:

Publicar un comentario