. Book of the Month

Did you read it?

"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" by late Swedish author and journalist Stieg Larsson?

You said you were going to read it. What did you think?

After the first chapter I did not like it at all. The language is boring and ugly (especially after reading Voltaire) and there is way too much guff about financial espionage that no one could possibly give a crap about.

But then the second chapter introduces an actual character (the girl with the dragon tattoo) and Nif was busy with school work, so before long I was half way through the book.

This is a crime thriller. The plot grows as thick and insidious as DreamWorks split-pea soup. But there's just enough dark humour and character development to keep you coming back for more (very much unlike the soup).

In the end it all ties up a bit too neatly, but maybe that's what detective fiction is supposed to do.

There are two more novels in the series - "The Girl Who Played With Fire," and "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest". But shouldn't that be "Hornets' Nest" ? Surely the possessive apostrophe is in the wrong place. Or do all hornets live alone? Anyway, I enjoyed the first one, but I don't think I will read the other two.

Did you know there was a movie?


I'm waiting for the dvd to come out.

And Hollywood is going to make a version starring Brad Pitt.

Oh dear.

Next month we are reading "The Book of Genesis" Illustrated by R. Crumb. (I don't think that one ties up too neatly).

I very much look forward to hearing all of your fascinating opinions.