I didn't like the book at all. There did seem to be a translation issue.. then there was all of the dated technological references and then all of the violence that seemed like an attempt to make the heroine look badass.. but somehow didn't.
I haven't seen any film version. I'd like to, to see if that is what made it so popular.
read the book and agree that the first 150 pages or so is long for the 'setup'. Basically, a very long winded gothic-style who-dunnit based on a very unfortunate but real premise. Also, it never really gave me a sense of place like I thought it would. 'Smilla's Sense of Snow', at least the movie, of course is all about the long winter and the light up there was magnificent. I expected/hoped 'Dragon' would have that magic. Not for me, it didn't.
I thought the first Swedish film was mildly entertaining fluff. It seemed like an exploitation film for people who consider themselves above watching exploitation films.
I like David Fincher a lot, too, but after Panic Room, I can't see him as infallible.
Skipped the book (my rule : never trust a communist crime writer, unless he is Hammette). The Swedish trio of screen adaptations was rather mediocre. The main actress Noomi Rapace is OK, though. But overall impression - exploitation for easy to please European liberals (spoiler : can you believe, that good guys from the government save the day?) Speaking of Fincher - it looks like after "Fight club" he is trying to apologise for that movie and makes only inoffensive (but well-done, of course) mainstream fare.
Haven't seen the films, but read the books. I didn't particularly like them - it seemed like there must have been a lost in translation issue with all the political stuff, and I was distracted by how some of the situations with the heroine just seemed to be...written by a man. I don't know how else to describe it.
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I haven't seen any film version. I'd like to, to see if that is what made it so popular.
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I like David Fincher a lot, too, but after Panic Room, I can't see him as infallible.
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Speaking of Fincher - it looks like after "Fight club" he is trying to apologise for that movie and makes only inoffensive (but well-done, of course) mainstream fare.
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