I know I'm technically cheating, writing about two books in one posting, but they're part of a series and this is easier :) I never would have picked up these books if it hadn't been for Nate, Pam, and Trish. Pam and Trish have been going on and on about how greeeeat the series is, and I more or less pooh-poohed both of them. Truth is, I hate mystery/suspense. I don't know why that is; I like espionage and whodunits in movies and TV shows, but I've just never been into those kinds of books. However, then Nate came home talking about a series he'd heard about on NPR that he really thought I would like. And the times Nate has mentioned a book to me have been so few and far between that I was like, "alright, already! I'll read the flippin' books!" Two weeks later, I've finished the first two installments and am eagerly awaiting the publication of the third (and last), The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest.
Allow me a two second synopsis: Mikael Blomkvist is a journalist who has been hired in the first book to uncover a mystery. He ends up hiring a researcher--Lisbeth Salander-- who becomes a friend, lover, and who eventually saves his life. In the second book, Blomkvist and Salander have gone their separate ways, only to come together when Salander is accused of murdering one of Blomkvist's friends. He tries to prove her innocence and catch the bad guys for the remainder of the novel.
So why did I enjoy these novels? For one, the main characters, Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander, are intriguing as all get-out. Blomkvist is a bit of a lady's man, but not in a threatening, creepy way. Rather, he's just more than happy to make himself available to any woman who needs him. He's constantly wooing women, but also remaining their friends. He is dogged, loyal, and highly intelligent. And best of all, he doesn't try to be something he's not. This infuriates some of his lady friends, but it's also what makes Lisbeth trust him. And Lisbeth is a woman who doesn't trust many people. She possibly has Asperger's and is a ward of the state-- learning about Sweden's social welfare system is another benefit of the book. She's prickly, occasionally violent, and completely uncommunicative. But she's also extremely moral, loyal, and crazy smart. The two make an awesome duo, and you can't help but hope they'll end up fighting crime together one day, happily ever after. This may never happen though, because the author, Stieg Larsson, died after sending off the thrid book in what was SUPPOSED to be a five book series. Grr.
I said the characters were the first reason I liked the books, so I guess I should briefly mention the second reason as well, and that was the plotline. Both of these books run over 500 pages, but they're page-turners. Come to think of it, maybe that has something to do with why I don't typically like mysteries-- you can't put them down and linger over them the way you can other books... but regardless, in this series, I enjoyed being compelled to read and wanting to rush to the end. I had a bit of free time on my hands, so it didn't seem stressful being glued to a book-- instead, it was sheer pleasure.
No comments:
Post a Comment