The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

I know, I know, I'm INCREDIBLY late to this party. But I just don't really like reading trendy books, so this was not on my list when everyone else was diving in. I only read it now because there was no waiting list to get it on my Kindle from the public library. It was too easy. Also, after I read The Red Breast, I was intrigued by the Scandinavian murder mystery genre (is that a real thing? Guess it is now.)

It seems to me that a huge amount has already been said about this book, and its two sequels, and its two movie versions.  I haven't even seen the movie and yet I pictured Rooney Mara and Daniel Craig as the main characters. But still, with all the hype, I wasn't exactly sure what the book was about when I started it. I had heard there's a lot of financial stuff to follow (there is) and a lot of violence (yep) and a really messed up girl (that too). So I was sort of surprised that the plot is in many ways straightforward: Mikael Blomvkist is an investigative financial reporter who experiences a professional humiliation, takes a year long job investigating a family murder mystery on a fictional island in north Sweden, meets up with the very disturbed but very smart PI/hacker Lisbeth Salander, and solves the mystery. Check.

So really, what's the big deal? Two words... Lisbeth Salander. I think she is the most interesting, multifaceted character I have ever read.  I'm struggling here to even put it into words. Bear with me: she is a genius who was labeled mentally deficient by the legal system at a young age, had a mysterious but obviously horrifying childhood, is confused by and refuses to adhere to societal norms, is mostly silent on the outside but very contemplative, and wouldn't hesitate to kill someone but is so endearingly innocent in some ways.  I think the psychology of Lisbeth makes the book. The wrongs that are done to her match the horrors of the outcome of the murder mystery--it sets the tone for the book. In fact, I read that the Swedish title for the book translates as "Men Who Hate Women." Lisbeth and the object of the murder mystery are like case studies--really the book is about why society lets men get away with hurting women. And there are real answers to that question.

Here's the thing about the violence, though--it was so much the focus of everything I've heard about this book and the movie, that even though it is truly awful, it didn't faze me. I don't know what more horrifying acts I could have been expecting. These are really terrible things that seemingly normal people are willing to do to another human being. It's unspeakable. Yet. We speak of it. We read about it, in fiction and in the news. And I didn't find it so bad that I wouldn't read the sequel or see the movie. I guess millions of other readers agree, so I don't know what I expected. I mean, my mom liked this book. But it's a harsh reality for me. I'm so accustomed to hearing about violence against adult women (children are a different soft spot for me) that I'm not disturbed by one of the most violent books of the decade.

Vacation reads

Packing up for a lakeside vacation with my family can be a tremendous amount of work, and when the truck is finally loaded it probably looks to the neighbors like we're moving--Pak n Play, kid size table and chairs, fishing poles, suitcases, my favorite coffee mug....and books. Lots and lots and lots of books. I have started to pack mine in a laundry basket, because the sides of my suitcase are looking a little weepy. And of course, it's fewer actual books than it used to be due to my occasional Kindle use, but I still like a good hardback from the library. Oh, and then there's the magazines. I definitely read my share of celebrity gossip magazines while on vacation. With all that reading, it's amazing I got in the lake at all. 

Here's what I read:

I finished Books 4 and 5 of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. They are super engaging and I feel better prepared to teach my Honors Social Studies class, since all those brainy kids have read these books and know all about the Greek gods because of it. But darn Rick Riordan went and wrote a series about Egyptian mythology so now I've got to read those, too. Good thing they're pretty enjoyable (and quick). 

I also read Explosive Eighteen of the Stephanie Plum series. She did NOT choose between her two ridiculously attractive boyfriends in this installment, so I absolutely REFUSE to read number nineteen. Unless I have nothing else to read, or it just sounds good, or.... ok, maybe I'll read it. They're fun. Also, my mother in law says I really need to read the first one because it just sets the tone for the others, even though I saw the movie and they all seem kind of the same to me. We'll see.

Because I like to know what to expect when I read, especially on vacation, I brought three other books by authors I already knew. The first one I picked up was Then Came You by Jennifer Weiner-- a vacation favorite of mine. But actually, this wasn't the typical story I've come to expect from her.  For one thing, it was about multiple characters rather than one main female character. Also, it didn't seem to follow her stages-in-life style of writing: her first few books were about single life, then marriage, then kids. Maybe the kids stage is lasting so long that she needed to branch out. This one was about four women--an egg donor, surrogate, adoptive mother, and step-daughter of the adoptive mother. The interaction between them is interesting, and there is a poignant ending, but it didn't feel very real or relatable. I think Weiner's attractiveness in her earlier writing is that every woman has at one time felt the way her characters feel. These women just weren't as well rounded as her other characters, maybe because there were more of them. However, I usually really like a story with multiple intersections of characters, so even though it wasn't classic Weiner, it was still good read, especially on vacation.

Next in the pile was a book by Sara Gruen. If you don't know that name, you surely know her bestseller, Water for Elephants, which remains one of my favorite books and top recommendations of all time. This book, Riding Lessons, was actually published before Water and you can kind of tell. The writing is less subtle, the characters not especially endearing, even the main character. When Annemarie's marriage falls apart and her daughter is in total rebellion, she returns to her family and their stable/riding school, only to find her father dying of ALS, which might make you feel sorry for her. But Annemarie is like an older, American version of Bridget Jones. She continuously makes assumptions, speaks before thinking, and attempts to cover up mistakes that have near-disastrous consequences. I was a little annoyed with her at times. But I think Annemarie's saving grace is her relationship with her horse, which is beautiful and intriguing. Interestingly, learning to love a horse is also what saves her daughter. There's the expected happy ending (thank you, Sarah) and though the back of the book talks about a sequel (Flying Lessons), I'm not sure I can handle any more screw ups by Annemarie. I'd rather leave them where they are--happy with their horses.

Near the end of the trip I had two books left (good planning), and I chose House Rules by Jodi Picoult. I used to read everything she wrote but it all started to seem the same--multiple voices (one per chapter, with their own font) telling a story that revolves around a current issue such as repressed memories, school shootings, abortion, etc. I knew this wouldn't be a light read, obviously, but I also knew basically what it would be about. And unlike the previous two, this one met my expectations. Knowing who the narrators are kind of tells you the plot--a mom, a 15 year old boy, an 18 year old boy with Asperger's, a cop, and a lawyer. In other words, the boy with Asperger's is accused of murder. To me it was a fascinating study of Asperger's, which is on the high functioning end of the autism spectrum. I had a student with Asperger's one year, and while he seemed even more adapted to life than this boy (Jacob only wears clothes and eats foods of certain colors on certain days), it made me wonder how much more was going on inside him than I knew. Of course, this is true of all people, and that was the mom's point in the whole book--Jacob is different, but aren't we all? 

So what was the last book, the one I brought home? The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I may be the last person on the planet to have not read this book, but I'm a little scared of it. I couldn't say why. But the library loan on my Kindle has almost ended, so I'd better get reading. 

Scarlet Feather

Novel by Maeve Binchy

I think this is the first re-read I have posted about. And interestingly, I just had a conversation at the library with a woman who didn't want to re-read Jane Eyre for her book club so was looking for something else (I recommended The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell). I actually love to re-read old favorites, it can be such a comfort, but I wonder, can it ever be the same as the first reading?

I decided to read this book again because The School of Essential Ingredients reminded me of it so much, and then The Cookbook Collector  was disappointingly un-foodie-feel good. And that to me is what Maeve Binchy is all about (feel good, I mean, not foodie--Ireland isn't always known for its great food. Cabbage, anyone?) Scarlet Feather is a story of exactly one calendar year, January 1st to December 31st, based on the setting up of a Dublin catering company called after its founders, Cathy Scarlet and Tom Feather. In classic Binchy style, the heart of the story is the interwoven relationships between the characters and their families and in this case their clients. There are Irish class issues, affairs, an interesting subplot about the foster care system, and lots of yummy food.

Second impressions, though, poked some holes in the book for me. Because it was written in 2000, the food isn't as relevant (can food be relevant? I think so) as in The School. And as I read it this second time, the story seems a bit less...feel good, actually. I noticed the jabs at the foster system more, and the failing marriages are a bit depressing. Also, I was particularly attuned to the ups and downs in starting a new business, because my husband is starting one of his own and we are deeply wrapped up in that right now. It's interesting how much of our current life experiences we bring to our reading. I mean, I still enjoyed the book, but it wasn't as first-blush delectable. You can never go back, I guess, but does that make a good book less worth re-reading? I'm not sure.

Also, I have a silly confession:  I am a wee bit susceptible to the language. All week I've been saying meant to rather than supposed to and thinking things are grand and posh rather than great and fancy. I even dream in Irish accents. The worst is Frank McCourt's writing. His written accent is THICK and the cadences stick in my brain.  Does anyone else have this problem? No? Just me then.