The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo has become a household name both in Sweden and in America. The crime story has brought many followers to the crime genre and movie genre.
The book and movies are split between two main characters. Mikael Blomkvist is a publisher of the Swedish political magazine Millennium who is hired by Henrik Vanger to find a long lost grand niece (long believed to be dead). The second main character is Lisbeth Salander (the Girl) a computer hacker with great researching skills. Together they work to clear their names, find missing people, and get revenge.
So with the American movie coming to theaters what do I have to say about the book and the Swedish version of the movie? Also, my thoughts for the American version and my expectations.
The book: I do not like crime stories. I find reading crime/mystery stories long winded, dull, and their endings to be fantasy based.
Pros: However, Dragon Tattoo opened with a true mystery-hook. Meaning that it pulls you in right away. It's fresh take on crime and mystery makes me want to go read crime/mystery stories. I love Salander, she is a strong willed twenty something year old who can take care of herself. She is limited to things because of her past and many people hold her to it. But she is not mentally incapable, she only has a high school degree but writes and reads at a high college level.
As for Blomkvist, I've never read about a man-whore like this before and I love it. Blomkvist has a married business partner who is also his lover. He hooks up with three women total through out the book but when it comes to his work he is focused and determined.
As for Blomkvist, I've never read about a man-whore like this before and I love it. Blomkvist has a married business partner who is also his lover. He hooks up with three women total through out the book but when it comes to his work he is focused and determined.
Cons: As I stated, I don't like crime stories because of the long and detailed information. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo can be like this but, based on your taste and reading level, it depends. The middle portion of the book, when Blomkvist is looking for the long lost niece, gets heavy with information and dull story line. It picks up after a while so don't put it done right away. There are curse words, sexual matters (rape, sexual debasement, gender hate and casual sex), and violent scenes. The original title of the book is actually Män som hatar kvinnor which translates into "Men who hate women". This was done so that the book could be sold in America to avoid controversy.
Overall: Read the book, that's all I'm going to say about it.
The Movie (Swedish Version): Of course, do to some of the things in the book a few things have been left out. Such as Blomkvist's sexual partners, actions and family background (in the book he is divorced, movie it is unknown). Salander was the redeemer of the movie for me; I thought Noomi Rapace captured the persona of Lisbeth Salander and I wish she was in the American version. Personally, if the American version doesn't suit my fancy, I will stick to the Swedish movies. The problem there is I Love the Swedish version movies and will buy them, but that leads us back to the American version.
The Movie (American Version): I hope Danial Craig does the same that Michael Nyqvist did in the Swedish version, and makes Blomkvist come alive. I'm also concerned about Rooney Mara performance. I haven't seen her in anything else and I'm hoping that she can do the same Rapace did. Because America is careful not to offend people and wants to avoid a higher rating than 'R' I am sure that the rape scene, the background information and casual sex partners may be limited if not removed. Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm sure it will stay in the story line but it will not be shown. A locked door with screaming coming from it? Yes. Hinting at past lovers? Yes. The other dark stuff in the book/first movie? ....That's where I get concerned. I'd hate to go see it and feel that half the story isn't being told but that won't stop me from going to see the movie.
My Verdict:
Read the book, watch the Swedish version of the movie and wait before seeing the American version.
Do so in this order and you can appreciate the story more. If you decide to go backwards or in any way out of order, you may be disappointed.
Signed, The Carnivorous Rabbit
The Movie (American Version): I hope Danial Craig does the same that Michael Nyqvist did in the Swedish version, and makes Blomkvist come alive. I'm also concerned about Rooney Mara performance. I haven't seen her in anything else and I'm hoping that she can do the same Rapace did. Because America is careful not to offend people and wants to avoid a higher rating than 'R' I am sure that the rape scene, the background information and casual sex partners may be limited if not removed. Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm sure it will stay in the story line but it will not be shown. A locked door with screaming coming from it? Yes. Hinting at past lovers? Yes. The other dark stuff in the book/first movie? ....That's where I get concerned. I'd hate to go see it and feel that half the story isn't being told but that won't stop me from going to see the movie.
My Verdict:
Read the book, watch the Swedish version of the movie and wait before seeing the American version.
Do so in this order and you can appreciate the story more. If you decide to go backwards or in any way out of order, you may be disappointed.
Signed, The Carnivorous Rabbit
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