An Extra Word on The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

So it's come to my attention that several (as in enough that it was discussed on the Today Show) people have had trouble getting through the beginning of the book. I really did not experience this, but I wanted to put it out there that you should FORCE yourself to get through the first 100 pages. It will be worth it. If you this task is too much for you but you do it anyway (because I told you to and you always do as I say) and are NOT satisfied, I'll gladly take the book off your hands. For free. And display it on my own shelves where it can feel the necessary love and affection it deserves.

Oh and since most books seem to leave wishing that I live in another world, time period, etc, etc. You should know this one did not. I wanted to clarify. When you read the book you'll know why clarification was required. Happy reading and good day.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

   So I am pretty sure you've heard the hype or at least recognize the cover or title of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, so I am here to reaffirm what people literally around the world have been saying. This book is good. Suck you in, forget about life, ignore your baby good. As you know I tend to do a lot more listening and less reading than the typical person. Actually I am going to correct that because I bet in a "bad reading year" for me I read at least triple (probably more like 10 times. minimum) the average number of books as the majority of Americans. Forget that. I listen a ton and read read a little less. This book I bought (kindle edition) last Wednesday and finished it tonight. Like I said, ignore the world good. Often I avoid the crazy popular titles and then eventually give in to see what the fuss is about and am usually happily surprised. Think Twilight series, Harry Potter. There's probably more. And occasionally I read a book just prior to the craze and make sure everyone knows. Yes. It IS important to me that I read a "great book" before everyone else had ever heard of it.

I'm not really going to say much about the plot of the book because I went into it knowing pretty much nothing other than the title. I did find the title to be an interesting choice because it's pretty eye (ear?) catching but Stieg only refers to that specific tattoo like once. But, yes, there is a girl with a dragon tattoo. I will put out the disclaimer that there are some graphic/disturbing scenes. Depending on your personal level of tolerance, extremely graphic portions. Other than that the last book I was so thoroughly sucked into was the 1980 publication Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel. A "prehistorical" novel whose follow-ups digressed from the highly interesting (someone did their research) and entertaining first book (Cave Bear) into the interesting but less and less realistic, almost romance novel, The Valley of Horses. I didn't make it past that one (mostly because I borrowed the first 2 and made no effort to seek out the last 2). Anyway, the dude was about 6 weeks old at the time (so time frame was almost exactly 1 year ago) and let's just say there was a LOT of feeding/holding/laying next to sleeping (maybe crying) baby with book in hand.

World Without End

I used up my amazing middle ages descriptive skills on The Pillars of the Earth so take what I said in that post, spring forward two hundred years, change some characters, add the plague and WHA-LA! you have World Without End, Ken's second masterpiece. Seriously not fair that he has two masterpieces. Most people don't even get ONE. I don't have a masterpiece yet so I hope he didn't steal my one chance.

So far I have made it sound like WWE is awfully similar to Pillars, but it's not. It is in the sense that it rocks and I was sad when it was over, but different in that it includes THE PLAGUE. I don't know about you guys but throw a crazy deadly epidemic in and I'll read just about anything. Ok. So I am seriously not doing this one justice. Pretty much my sentences trying to make it sound great are making it sound lame. So if you have not a good impression so far, think the opposite. Although, after listening to both books back to back, I might recommend reading something in between so you don't get confused. For example, in Pillars there is Alfred and in WWE there is Alfric. Practically the same name with practically the same personality. Overall, it's a solid read and I am glad it was there to pick me up out of the bumbling depression that set in when The Pillars of the Earth ended.

Ooh ooh! I almost forgot to mention.... I was pretty much addicted to this book. If I was awake I was listening to it (thank goodness the kid doesn't quite understand all the English language yet or his innocent little ears would've been in for a special kind of treat). I mentioned the plague runs rampant through Europe...Well one night after falling asleep with Ken I dreamed the plague had wiped out most of the population. I had plans to live in a van with a couple other chicks. Things were dark and pretty desperate since we were afraid to raid the grocery stores because of the dead plague victims lying in the aisles. Back to real life. Did you know the plague still exists in some areas of the U.S.? Not really a problem since an easy bacteria to treat, but in the western states there are (groundhogs?) with the type of flea that can potentially carry the plague. According to college epidemiology professor some of them do. So if you want the full middle ages experience....