LOB Book Club -- The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Chapters 1 through 4 set the characters up in a very intriguing tale. We have Mikael Blomkvist, the disgraced journalist who has just been found guilty of libel against a high-flying financial speculator, Hans-Erik Wennerstrom. We have a spiky goth-girl private detective Lisbeth Salander employed by Dragan Armansky, who seems a bit infatuated with her. She's also the girl with the Dragon Tattoo. We have Erika Berger, Blomkvist's love interest and colleague at the journal he writes for. She's with Blomkvist, but also married to another man and their arrangement is one of those Scandanavian things where she can go with either of them and no fists are thrown, no bullets fired. And finally, there's Henrik Vanger, the patriarch of the Vanger company who has hired Blomkvist to investigate the disappearance and possible murder of his niece Harriet, 40 some years ago.
So far, the first 4 chapters have simply outlined the characters that I expect will propel this story further. But did anyone else find the depiction of Salander's outre-ness a bit overcooked? Many of the girls in my son's schools have taken to the chilly, goth-style that Larsson has written for Salander. I look at these girls and think, "eh." Don't you think it's a fairly comfortable and normal choice for a young girl to present this way?
What do you all think and what did you notice about the beginning of this book?
posted by gooner71 @ 4:55 PM
6 Comments:
Well done with the assignment, Gooner, as the first four chapters set up the mystery quite well and leave us perched on the edge of it. After reading the last few pages of Chapter 4, I'm now assuming that - although he's not named - Henrik Vanger is "the 82 year old birthday boy" in the Prologue and that the "Case of the Pressed Flowers" has something to do with Harriet Vanger's murder. Agreed?
I picked up on the same thing that you did about how Lisbeth's character is portrayed in Chapter 1 - "pale," "anorexic," short dark hair, tattooed. It is a bit much and it also struck me as a bit dated. Granted Larsson wrote this one in the early Noughties and published it in 2005. Still, the "goth" thing was a bit played by the time that Joe Lieberman was blaming Columbine on "the goths" back in 1999.
Still, she does pop off the page, partially because some of the other characters - particularly the protagonist Blomkvist - are ciphers so far. And Larsson did a nice job adding some nuance and softness to her initial spikiness with a brief scene in a nursing home with her mother on pp. 60-1. Lisbeth reminds me of a character in one of my favorite current TV shows - "The Good Wife." Calinda is an investigator for a law firm, an Indian American, likes to wear black leather, is a pretty hard-boiled and reserved, perhaps for good reason (the show hints that she's a lesbian).
I can't say that I'm an expert in Scandinavian mysteries. The last one that I can remember reading was Peter Hoeg's "Smilla's Sense of Snow" back in the early 90s. Yet, this does strike me as quintessentially Scandinavian in terms of structure and pacing. In an American mystery, you'd probably have a body right up front in the first few pages. Harriet's murder is only mentioned finally on page 75. I know that you (Gooner) are a fan of those international mysteries that PBS runs, many of which seem to be Northern European. Does this story strike you the same way?
I'm having lots of fun with this one. Looking forward to the discussion.
I barely noticed the physical description of Lisbeth. What I noticed most was her lack of emotion - her self control. Mikael and Dragan seem to be more emotive than she is. Erika, also, seems to be able to compartmentalize her feelings rather well, balancing two men at the same time. Interesting!
I agree with Bob that I was surprised at the "slow" start to the novel. I say "slow" because I am, indeed, used to a body showing up by page 3.
Can we read on? Please??
It's notable that both of you have mentioned the Mikael/Erika relationship as somehow uniquely European. Is that because of the openness of the arrangement - the way that Erika has informed Gregor that she'll be staying the night with Mikael - or something else about it?
Yes, we should definitely read on. What's the next assignment, Gooner?
Another 4 and chat Saturday. Is that a good enough pace? If yeah, get to it.
Sounds good to me. I'm up through Chapter 6 right now and enjoying every page.
I don't so much think of Erika's approach as European, but definitely Gregor's acquiescence (sp?). How many red-blooded American "guy"s do you know would put up with their woman schtupping another man - and seeming to be okay with it?
Another 4 chapters by Saturday. Good thing I'm taking the bus tomorrow!
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