Coconut Library

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo :: review

 
 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

By Stieg Larsson

paperback, 590 pages. Vintage. $14.95

published 2005

 

I don't like scary, I don't like creepy, and I hate anything related to sexual abuse... but, strange enough, I liked this book. In all fairness, I didn't think it was actually very scary though I can see how others might. It was definitely creepy with a capital C. In fact certain parts were cover-your-face-I-can't-believe-I'm-reading-this creepy. Don't let that deter you from reading the book, however, just be warned. In fact, I highly recommend this book. The mere fact that this is not my typical cup of tea but I gulped it down in almost one day is witness enough to its level of entertainment factor. 

Though others have remarked on the bad translation or Larsson's lack of writing skills, I have to wonder: how many people pick up a crime mystery expecting Hemingway? If you are one of them, might I warn you not to do that? Perhaps because of translation there are words that I haven't seen since Shakespeare, such as anon which is used frequently throughout the book. And it helps to know that this was translated into British English instead of American English. Did that interfere with the plot? Not at all. I was too busy trying to figure out the mystery to worry about the wording. And I venture to say that you will be too as I have not met a single person who figured out the details of this book before it was told to them in the pages. Honestly, if someone had, I would be worried about them because figuring out who is behind the main mystery is not as difficult as figuring out why it happened (which is the crux of the story anyway). Along with the engaging story (which others have said takes a good 100 pages to get into, but which only took me about a chapter) I enjoyed the characters. Lisbeth and Erica were two of the most interesting women I've read about in awhile and I actually found myself liking Mikael. 

Take note that there are a lot of characters (I read this on my Kindle so wasn't able to flip back to the family tree very easily). Also, there have been discussions about who was supposed to be the protagonist (being that it was named after Lisbeth but seems to follow Mikael more closely), so that could have been clearer (maybe just with the title, which they ended up changing from Men who Hate Women to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo). And the fact that Lisbeth is supposed to have Asperger's Syndrome is farfetched -- and also seems to be an irrelevant point -- unless they bring it out more poignantly in one of the following novels . But I'll forgive that considering I haven't read the rest of the series and I have to factor in translation. 

I'm absolutely looking forward to reading the next book and have already bought my copy. An absolute page turner that I recommend for anyone who enjoys a riveting tale!

Going Rogue

 Let me preface this review by saying I did not read this book with any political agenda. I read this book because I like to hear gossip, but would rather read a book than an US Weekly. I am pretty much purple in the political arena, so I did not buy this book to bash Palin nor to become a bigger fan... I simply wanted to be entertained. That said, I did hide this book between the others that I was checking out at the library. With all due respect to those of you who love her, I wasn't exactly flaunting the fact that I was reading her book in the same fashion that I take off the covers of young adult novels when I read them in public. I'm vain that way. 

So onto the review! Like some have said in reviews that I've read, I actually like Sarah Palin as a person more but would be a lot less likely to vote for her after reading this book. I like hearing her stories of Alaska, close family, tomboy antics, and a driven and strong spirit. I didn't like hearing her talk about important political issues in a pedestrian and colloquial manner. Each time she did this she solidified my vote for her opponent whenever she decides to run again (which she will, mark my words, and I am betting on the Tea Party to back her). 

I gave this book four coconuts because it read like fiction. I couldn't put it down, and I stayed up late to finish it before I had to return it to the library the next morning. For anyone who likes a bit of politics, outdoorsy life, close-knit family sagas, and plenty of juicy gossip, you will like this book. And you will have to remind yourself that you are, in fact, reading about someone who ran for VP of the United States. You are likely to think you are reading a chick-lit novel with a political twist (by the way, for those of you who do not care for politics, or feel that some of the issues are over your head, it is very easy to surpass full pages of this book, where Palin rants about her political agenda, and still be totally in the loop with what's going on). 

I say set the People magazine aside for a few days and pick this book up in its stead. And then let's all take a trip up to Alaska for a snowmobiling vacation, because more than anything that I got from this book is a travel urge to take a vacation up to the state of the Northern Lights where you can (literally) see Russia from Sarah Palin's 'hood.
Four Coconuts

xo,
The Coconut Librarian

Harry Potter

 I have finally finished the Harry Potter series. As I have mentioned before, I bought book seven (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows) when it first came out, but have been unable to read it. I just didn't want this series to end. However, the other night, I realized I must read it before I can no longer remember what happened in book six! So, here I am -- having finished the series and wanting to weep because it's over. I cannot believe what a creative mind J.K Rowling has. Her prose makes you feel like you did when you were a kid reading your favorite books, yet she has the ability to keep adults interested because of the fast pace and intricate plots. Believe me, I have read much children's literature (and am still reading it for a particular class), and I love it. But there are few authors who can keep me as engaged as the children are. Most of the time I read the books to students, or others in my care, because I want to share the experience with them. With the Harry Potter books, I read them for me. If you are one of the, what? 2%, of people in this world who have not read this series... what are you waiting for??? Honestly, if you are looking for a good book (or series for that matter) that will pull you in and have you reading a 700 page book faster than the two-hundreder (just made that word up) you read last month, you have no excuses... these are your books. 

Ah, weep, gulp, gasp. Goodbye beloved series... I will miss you and, absolutely-most-definitely, read you again someday.
Five Coconuts

xo,
The Coconut Librarian

Temple Grandin

   I must thank one of my readers, and good friend, JLH. She introduced me to this amazing woman, Temple Grandin (not physically, but intellectually). After hearing the stories that JLH had told me about this Autistic woman who not only made such a difference in the way we interact with animals, but also in how Autistic people lives -- how they are perceived and how ways for them to function -- I had to hear more about her. The HBO movie, starring Claire Danes and Julia Ormond, premiered on Saturday and is running (at least) through the month. This movie is based on two of Grandin's books (yes this Autistic woman is not only an author, but also a Doctor of Animal Science); Emergence: Labeled Autistic and Thinking in Pictures: My Life with Autism. I have borrowed a copy of Emergence from the library (her other books were all checked out), and am fascinated by her story. Her perseverance, intellect, openness, courage, and frank honesty (the last which is a characteristic of Autism) completely have won me over. I am a fan. Hopefully you will give yourself the gift of becoming one too. 

xo,
The Coconut Librarian

picture taken from Temple Grandin's website -- please excuse the fact that the link to the trailer does not work.

Her Fearful Symmetry

Audrey Niffenegger, the author of The Time Traveler's Wife, brings us her new novel, Her Fearful Symmetry. It's obvious that Niffenegger enjoys a theme of loss in her writing -- of phantom limb syndrome in a metaphorical sense. This novel is testimony to that. It, like The Time Traveler's Wife, is a mix of science fiction and general fiction. It centers around twins, two sets in fact, and the somewhat symbiotic relationship that they have - including the beauty/necessity but also the destruction that can happen. While this is a ghost story, it is also a love story with a component of mystery. And its ability to involve the supernatural while being interesting instead of spooky served me well. 

Though the last 100 pages of this novel are impossible to put down they are also incredibly bizarre. It all ends a bit abruptly, with no warning, kind of like a dangling nerve. Lots of wonderful, detailed build up, and then... done. 

However, this book was easy to read, incredibly unique, and thoughtful. I encourage you to read it -- it's worth the little time it will take you to get through it.
Three Coconuts

xo,
The Coconut Librarian

Jane Austen's Emma

 Calling all fans of Jane Austen (or those of you who are potential fans). BBC has created a new three-part miniseries of Emma, which is supposed to be fabulous. Those of you who are lovers of Pride and Prejudice know that there is no comparison to the BBC version, which is truer to the book than any movie I've ever seen (I guess that's what you get with a five hour running time). PBS (the channel on which BBC Masterpiece is shown in Los Angeles) starts airing the new miniseries this Sunday, January 24 (check your local listings for times) and it runs through February 7. So, those of you who have never read it have a chance to get it in before the show finishes its run. In fact, might even be fun to read along. The show is played on three consecutive Sundays; January 24 (2 hours), January 31 (1 hour) and February 7 (1 hour).

I happen to be a very big fan of Austen's. Though she is now considered a writer of classics, she was, in fact the inventor of chick-lit. Her stories were original in the way that they told life from the perspective of young single girls in her time period. She was a visionary -- ahead of her time -- poking fun at the idiocies of society in the late 1700's and early 1800's. She saw, before it was fashionable to do so, how silly it was that a woman's worth was to depend on marrying the well (whether the woman had feelings for the man or not). She was unashamed to be and write about flavorful, independent young women who did not fit the mold that was set for them. Readers loved her then for her exciting novels and we love her now. Austen did see the beginning success of her work while she was still alive, but who knows if she could imagine the impact they would have on readers, and literature, centuries later. 

Emma is a light, wonderful story of a young matchmaker. If you have seen Clueless, you have seen the modern version of Emma, as that movie was based on the classic. Perhaps you have seen the 1996 Gwenyth Paltrow edition. I own it and love it, but will be looking forward to this version very much because, like I said, nobody does Austen like the BBC. I hope you enjoy it, and if you don't get the chance to read the book beforehand read it after! I often find that sometimes it is easier to read classic literature if you've been able to get a handle on the characters and plot. What better way than through a thorough and beautifully made film?

Speaking of Jane Austen... which are your favorite Austen books or movie renditions?

xo,
The Coconut Librarian

Evening Class

Evening Class was my second encounter with Maeve Binchy. I am getting very fond of her. There is something about her way of writing; I don't realize that I am hooked until I've taken a moment away from the book and feel as though I'm missing something! She is so subtle, that Maeve.

I found the main characters likable and entertaining. The way that Binchy combines their individual stories (within the larger story) is wonderful and thorough. I find myself wanting to jump on a plane and join them in Dublin. Each chapter is from a different person's point of view (as it was in Heart and Soul), and that actually suits this sometimes ADD reader more than I thought it would. Although I have found in the past that this is not my ideal for storytelling, something about the way that Binchy includes other story lines in each subplot, and brings them all back to the bigger story makes her writing delightful. 

Once again the author delivered a heartwarming, feel good, entertaining novel.
Five Coconuts

xo,
The Coconut Librarian

 

How to Meet Cute Boys

Months ago I had a book recommended to me called How to Meet Cute Boys. It's fiction-- don't worry. It looked cute, so I put it on my to-read list. A few weeks ago, while perusing the audiobooks at my library, I saw it in CD form. Deciding it would be as good a time as any to read it, I went to the desk to check it out. An older gentlemen librarian was waiting to do me the honors, so I placed the book on the counter in front of him. He picked it up, read the title aloud (I started blushing, but kept my head held high, it's just a book - right? No reason to be embarrassed), and then proceeded to look me up and down, glance back at the book, "how to meet cute boys, huh?" And then look at me again. "Ok," he finally said and swiped my library card. I suppose this meant that although he thought I was crazy, and was trying to determine if I should require help to meet cute boys, he decided to let me utilize my right to check out whatever materials I wanted.

This book was perfect as an audiobook. It wasn't too deep, and it was ok if I had to concentrate on traffic for a moment and missed a line or two. It was very cute and, at times, a bit too close to home -- probably for all twenty-something women (or those who have been twenty-something women) out there who have ever dated (and those of you who are denying it, I've probably listened to too many of your stories to have you shaking your heads like you don't know what I'm talking about). While on a few occasions (especially towards the end), the protagonist's decisions were highly irritating, I can't say that they were entirely foreign to me. Though the moments that she describes in this book wouldn't be anybody's high points, they are all too familiar to my ears (and heart) given the stories that have been confided to them. Again, this is a book that many women would never admit how closely they can relate (at least at one time or another), but most would be lying for shame. Those who have lived past these moments can use it as a path marker and cringe and laugh, while sighing in relief that those days are (hopefully) behind us. 

I would recommend this book as an audiobook, or a vacation book. There is not much meat, and it will not change your life (though will add a dash of humor to situations you wish your psyche would have forgotten), but it will entertain you and not require much brain work in the process.
Three Coconuts

xo,
The Coconut Librarian 

Gift from the Sea

This was my second time reading Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. Lindbergh's book was not meant to reach so many, but (over 50 years later) it continues to spread. She was a woman ahead of her time, not only  in accomplishments, but also in introspection. She was self-aware in a way that many women of her time didn't admit. She questioned the development in her life in a way that was not popular in 1950's American culture. 

It amazes me that some people can reach out and feed generations who live more than half a century after them. The pieces of our lives that she draws in her writing are as relevant today as they were then. I can only imagine they will continue to be relevant, because though times change-- we are still human beings. And though those who have gone before us have figured out their path, the rest of us are still cutting ours. We speak about these topics as if they were new, but reading authors such as Virginia Woolf and Anne Lindbergh, show us that they are just new to us... not the human race. 

This is a short, contemplative, thought-provoking, relevant, important book for women. It takes only a few hours to read (it is gift book size and only 120 pages at that). A wonderful book for a weekend, or a short trip. It will refresh you, inspire you, challenge you. 
Five Coconuts

(This book filled task 5.1 of the Summer Book Challenge)

xo,
The Coconut Librarian

Everyday Calm

I received a little gift book called Everyday Calm: Relaxing Rituals for Busy People from PBS recently. I thought it would give some creative short tips about how to create a relaxing environment, calm down after a stressful day, relax in general. It didn't. It gave tips, and they were short... but not very creative. I learned almost nothing new from this book-- but what did I expect,it fits in my palm 
(I didn't realize that when ordering it). 

I suggest this book for something to place in your guest bathroom, or to add to a bigger gift, or even for a party favor. I would describe it as cute and simple. A gift book with a watered down, meaningful message. 

Two Coconuts

xo,
The Coconut Library