Book review: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

[eowyn_315]

Boy, am I ever glad I don't have a Whedonesque account, because I'm pretty sure I'd get banned today. :) Instead, I will be channeling my rage into another really disappointing pile of crap. Read on for the review

Comments

[blackfrancine]

Hmm. I was just about to start The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I didn't read your detailed review--just skimmed for your main opinion since I'm planning on reading the book soon. But I'm gonna bookmark this for later, after I've finished it.

But I've read very polar opinions about it, as well. Meh. I guess I'll see soon enough which camp I fall into.

[eowyn_315]

I will be curious to see what you think!

[flake_sake]

I come to the conclusion that I love you doing book reviews

[eowyn_315]

Well, I agree with you that I don't think it was meant to be titillating, so maybe torture porn isn't the right phrase. But I definitely do think it was intentionally sensationalized, and that made it seem exploitative in a way I'm not really comfortable with. I absolutely don't think it's necessary to be so disturbingly graphic in order to get his point across, and let's be honest - shocking violence is going to sell more books. It's no different than James Patterson or Law and Order: SVU. They're always trying to top themselves with an even more gruesome crime. It may be repulsive, but audiences love that kind of violence in the same way they can't look away from a car wreck.

I've never seen Kill Bill, but I think the huge difference between this and BtVS is that Buffy didn't get her power from being a victim, and doesn't use it for revenge. She fights to protect others, not herself. Salander is portrayed as being incredibly passive for most of her life - the only time she acts is in reaction to being victimized. And if

[flake_sake]

Sensationalized yes, and also missing the point about every day monsters and so on, yes I agree with that.

Buffy thanks god got a more complex over the years but the starting premise Joss bases her own is the screaming blond female victim of horror movies. Buffy is the victim that hits back and fortuantely she grew to be more than that, but it's still this Pippy Longstocking like motive of a girl just being strong enough not to have to take all the shit.
The bluntness and the need for unrealistic powers to overcome the victim role is something I don't like about that way of depicting empowerment.

[snickfic]

So what of she of the dragon tattoo? Is she interesting at all?

I never even heard of this book until it was all over the airport when I flew a few weeks ago. I guess that's what comes of not watching TV. Did Oprah pick it up or something? (Not that it really sounds like an Oprah kind of book...)

[eowyn_315]

Well, I didn't like her at all. That's not to say she's poorly written; I just thought she was incredibly unsympathetic, which meant I didn't care to probe her neuroses

[snickfic]

Wow. That... does not sound even remotely promising. Bleah. And here I thought she'd be, you know, cool. Dragon tattoo, and all.

[eowyn_315]

Heh, I know. I thought the same thing...

Fortunately, I read a review that mentioned the graphic violence and the total unfeminism of Salander, so I was prepared - though, oddly, the people who recommended the book to me described it simply as a really great mystery/thriller.

[penny_lane_42]

I love this. I haven't actually read the book because I've read many, many reviews/reactions to it and I have arrived at the conclusion that I would feel exactly as you do about it. THANK YOU especially for the bit about misogyny and subtle sexism.

[eowyn_315]

You know, I read a lot of reviews - most of which either called it feminist for portraying violence against women as a bad thing, or misogynist for portraying violence against women at all. But I didn't see anybody really commenting on how Larsson seems to have completely MISSED THE POINT of feminism, if all he's focused on are misogynist serial killers.

Matching icons FTW!

[penny_lane_42]

I know there was a review on TigerBeatdown, and if the actual review didn't address that aspect (which it might have), then I know the comments did. So clearly some people out there agree with you.

Yay!

[eowyn_315]

Just read it. Tiger Beatdown = awesomesauce.

[brunettepet]

Oh, man, I was laughing at the protagonist's disinterest in his own story and the info dumps and then I was angered by the sexual violence and the way this book has been touted everywhere as a feminist statement.

I'm afraid I'll still have to red it in order to refute friends' claims that I will love it. My reading list has so many more compelling books, but this one is triggery and is till discussed at Happy Hour. I hate homework.

[eowyn_315]

Ugh, you have my sympathies...