Book Reviews
Sorry I haven't been on here very much but I went on a three day break with my two best friend's at the start of my week and then had to work six days straight, plus I did alot of catching up with friends.
Anyway, as I mentioned earlier, I was reading Steig Larsson's Millenium Trilogy and I have finally finished and want to sum up what I though quickly on here, as well as do a write up of the book Out of a Clear Sky by Sally Hinchcliffe.
Under cut link.
Okay, I honestly don't know what to make of these books. In my opinion they are not particularly well written books, nor do they say much new about crime or thriller fiction. Yes, the themes of investigative journalism, women's rights and citizenship as well as politics were very relevant to today, but no I don't think this makes these books the best crime novels ever.
The first novel was an interesting who dunnit but there was a lot of irrevelent detail and Salandar was far more interesting than Mikael Blomkvist who dominated the novel. The second novel was largely irrelevent and read like a really long journnal article. The entire prolouge with Salandar on an island is COMPLETELY unrelated to the rest of the novel and I began to really dislike the way all of the people in the novel who disliked Salandar were instantly rapists/peadaphiles/homophobes/sexist mysogynistic bastards. Life isn't that simple. The third book began to pick up again and I probably enjoyed it the most of all three books because of my background in history and politics, but having said that what Larsson was saying about The Secret Service was not a new concept; I mean Spooks has been doing it since 2002 hasn't it?
I also was very uncomfortable with the way Larrson wrote Salandar in the latter two novels. Salandar is explicitly presented as having Autism or Aspergers Syndrome. My 18 year old brother has high functioning Autism and I work with a range of Autistic children in my second job. I am very aware of Autism/Aspergers and its traits and though I am glad that people are writing about it, one of the things I hate is when people claim someone has Autism/Aspergers but doesn't take that information anywhere. So Salandar can hack computers and is anti social. Yes, she very well could be on the Spectrum,but just as easily not. Furthermore, Autism is not an excuse for illegal behaviour. Murder is murder. Manslaughter is manslaughter. My brother knows that hurting people is wrong and no one should make excuses for violent behaviour on his part just because he has a disability diagnosis. I don't know. I just really wasn't comfortable with the Salandar characterisation in the end.
In contrast to The Girl Who etc... Out of a Clear Sky, was a very taut, scary thriller and one of the best written books I've read since Mr Philip Pullman. In terms of the BBC audio adaptation, Nicola reads what she has brilliantly (Considering she reads the whole thing I actually rate it as one of my favourite Nicola "acting" roles) but the story was so well written I had to go read the unabdriged version and get the whole deal for myself. I actually think I will buy the book; that's how much I liked it. This excerpt gives an example of how well written this debut is:
Those overcast dawns are the best, the truest light. There’s no false colour, no shadows or glare. People talk about the cold, hard light of day. There’s no escaping what you can see by it. There can be no confusing, in that early morning light, the truth with the wished-for reality of dreams. The body was still there. He was still dead.
Actually guys, I really can't praise this book enough. I am not a thriller type myself and yet, I would rate this as one of the best novels I have ever read. I also thought the truths that the story told were disturbingly and heartbreakingly true.
In other news I have picked up Jasper Fforde again and have nearlly finished The Well of Lost Plots. I've read the Thursday Next series very sporadically and that's a bad move with this erratic, absurdist series. Not my favourite lot of books, but I do feel that they are worthwhile, even if only for the literary word plays. I still like Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy better though. I sometimes think Fforde tries too hard to be funny.
I realize I haven't done any A2A write ups or my Law and Order one. I'll get onto those eventually I promise. Tomorrow I get all of my wisdom teeth out. Kill me now.
Anyway, as I mentioned earlier, I was reading Steig Larsson's Millenium Trilogy and I have finally finished and want to sum up what I though quickly on here, as well as do a write up of the book Out of a Clear Sky by Sally Hinchcliffe.
Under cut link.
Okay, I honestly don't know what to make of these books. In my opinion they are not particularly well written books, nor do they say much new about crime or thriller fiction. Yes, the themes of investigative journalism, women's rights and citizenship as well as politics were very relevant to today, but no I don't think this makes these books the best crime novels ever.
The first novel was an interesting who dunnit but there was a lot of irrevelent detail and Salandar was far more interesting than Mikael Blomkvist who dominated the novel. The second novel was largely irrelevent and read like a really long journnal article. The entire prolouge with Salandar on an island is COMPLETELY unrelated to the rest of the novel and I began to really dislike the way all of the people in the novel who disliked Salandar were instantly rapists/peadaphiles/homophobes/sexist mysogynistic bastards. Life isn't that simple. The third book began to pick up again and I probably enjoyed it the most of all three books because of my background in history and politics, but having said that what Larsson was saying about The Secret Service was not a new concept; I mean Spooks has been doing it since 2002 hasn't it?
I also was very uncomfortable with the way Larrson wrote Salandar in the latter two novels. Salandar is explicitly presented as having Autism or Aspergers Syndrome. My 18 year old brother has high functioning Autism and I work with a range of Autistic children in my second job. I am very aware of Autism/Aspergers and its traits and though I am glad that people are writing about it, one of the things I hate is when people claim someone has Autism/Aspergers but doesn't take that information anywhere. So Salandar can hack computers and is anti social. Yes, she very well could be on the Spectrum,but just as easily not. Furthermore, Autism is not an excuse for illegal behaviour. Murder is murder. Manslaughter is manslaughter. My brother knows that hurting people is wrong and no one should make excuses for violent behaviour on his part just because he has a disability diagnosis. I don't know. I just really wasn't comfortable with the Salandar characterisation in the end.
In contrast to The Girl Who etc... Out of a Clear Sky, was a very taut, scary thriller and one of the best written books I've read since Mr Philip Pullman. In terms of the BBC audio adaptation, Nicola reads what she has brilliantly (Considering she reads the whole thing I actually rate it as one of my favourite Nicola "acting" roles) but the story was so well written I had to go read the unabdriged version and get the whole deal for myself. I actually think I will buy the book; that's how much I liked it. This excerpt gives an example of how well written this debut is:
Those overcast dawns are the best, the truest light. There’s no false colour, no shadows or glare. People talk about the cold, hard light of day. There’s no escaping what you can see by it. There can be no confusing, in that early morning light, the truth with the wished-for reality of dreams. The body was still there. He was still dead.
Actually guys, I really can't praise this book enough. I am not a thriller type myself and yet, I would rate this as one of the best novels I have ever read. I also thought the truths that the story told were disturbingly and heartbreakingly true.
In other news I have picked up Jasper Fforde again and have nearlly finished The Well of Lost Plots. I've read the Thursday Next series very sporadically and that's a bad move with this erratic, absurdist series. Not my favourite lot of books, but I do feel that they are worthwhile, even if only for the literary word plays. I still like Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy better though. I sometimes think Fforde tries too hard to be funny.
I realize I haven't done any A2A write ups or my Law and Order one. I'll get onto those eventually I promise. Tomorrow I get all of my wisdom teeth out. Kill me now.