The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Alright, I will be honest. I avoided this book for the longest time. I do not read books that are written or talked about the most, so eagerly and early. I like for the drama to have died down and then I opt for it, if I do, and that’s what happened with TGWTDT (hate using abbreviations, however will do with this one). And when I started reading it, I could get by only the first 70 pages and then it went back to the shelf. I did not touch it. After all it was a slow read, till Deens ( a dear friend and great reader of good books) highly recommended it and almost ordered me to finish reading it.

With great trepidation and fear, I picked up from where I left and to my utter dismay, I enjoyed the read. What is the book about?

Well Stieg Larsson was a Swedish writer and I am glad that he wrote the book in Swedish and the fact that it had to be translated. Anyway, that is a different story all together. What is the book all about? To simply put it, it is about the disappearance of Harriet Vanger – great-grand niece of the Vanger Industries’ CEO Henrik Vanger who hires the services of Mikael Blomkvist – a finance journalist whose career is in the dumps as his magazine, Millennium is about to shut down (hence the Millennium Trilogy). And here enters Lisbeth Salander who helps Mikael solve the assignment.

Now nothing happens in the book till Page 285, so you better be prepared to endure a bit.  After that the book moves at top-notch speed with it’s usual twists and turns. The whole world has heralded this book and I love the way it is written, though my only issue is that it drags no end sometimes. I like how other mystery writers like Dorothy Sayers and Christie feature in the book. It is gripping, towards the end and yes the revelation leaves you flabbergasted! A must read for all crime who-dun-it lovers.

Books to Movies

They say that a great book can never be made to a great movie. I beg to differ in some cases. There have been times when great books have come alive so well on the big screen. It’s amazing to see what some directors have done with these books. Here are few of my favourites:

1. Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell: Vivien Leigh as the playful, bashful, and headstrong Scarlett O’Hara took my breath away. It was after watching the film that I read the book and it remains to be one of my favourite books and movie. I mean how can anyone forget Vivien picking up a handful of dirt in her hand and looking to the sky while saying, “I will never be hungry again”, or for that matter the famous, “Tomorrow is another day” as made famous by the on-screen Scarlett as Rhett Butler (played brilliantly by Clarke Gable) leaves her on the staircase of her house. This is one movie no one should miss.

2. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov: I am referring to the 1962 film version directed by the genius – Stanley Kubrick – the black and white imaging and play of light and shadow was brilliant. It was the component that propelled the story further. With James Mason as Humbert Humbert and Shelley Winters as Charlotte (played to the hilt) and not to forget Sue Lyon as Dolores Haze, the story was etched and controversial – of course only because of the book. How in the world could a man do this to a young girl? What I loved about the movie was its unfolding – Kubrick cleverly changed the order in which the events unfolded by moving what was the novel’s ending to the start of the film. Brilliant I say!

3. The Shining by Stephen King: Yes the book was longer. Yes the book was creepier. Yes we all loved the book. However, how can one discount the film? Jack Nicholson was brilliant. The past and future conjoined with what the child saw. I for one could not sleep for two days after watching this one.

4. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: I am certain that if there is another adaptation of this book, no one will go and watch it. I love the story – makes me think I am reading Indian fiction for some strange reason – I mean come on – five daughters who need to get married – an intrusive mother, a doting father and the class and moral system of early Georgian England. The intelligent and spirited Elizabeth Bennett is one of my favourite heroines and I wish every girl their very own Darcy. The Lawrence Olivier version rules!

5. The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje: Ralph Fiennes as the wounded soldier. Juliette Binoche as Hana the nurse who looks after him. Naveen Andrews as the enigmatic sapper Kip who loves Hana, a thief with chopped hands and the story of the english patient’s life. All the action takes place in a run-down war-torn Italian villa. The book had to be brilliant, but the film touched every single note right. Superb!

I don’t think one post will be enough for this. I have to come back with more…for sure…