Hello crapness, my old friend...

[infinitemonkeys]

I have had today off work, but I just got a bit fed up of the day at around 2pm and went back to bed until it was time for Spooks. I realise that this constitutes unacceptable sloth, but it is the sole advantage of living alone. I was fed up of dealing with conscious thought, and so read a Marian Keyes book.

*Warning: This is going to be about

Comments

[infinitemonkeys]

The Erlender books, described below. I've only read two but I loved the way the mindset felt entirely different. I can't tell whether that's my brain seeing weird intimacy where there is none because I am unused to no surnames.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnaldur_Indridason

My dad and a friend at work speak highly of Henning Mankell, though I have a pile of Ian Rankin stuff and a couple of Val McDermid's books to get through before I get to it.

[angstville]

As soon as you equated Keyes' book to Love Actually in the first sentence, I started laughing and said.."Oh, this isn't going to be pretty"...since I know how much you *love* that movie...heeheee!!!

Mwah!

[infinitemonkeys]

Oh, well, it's possible I am a bit hard on Love Actually because the bit with Emma Thompson is amazing and the author could do so much better. Grrrr etc.

If you want to read fine chicklit, read her previous book. That one is grand

[corianderstem]

Oh, I do love me some Marian Keyes. Pity to hear her latest is crap. I didn't know she had a "latest." I just finally found a used copy of This Charming Man, since apparently we don't get her books here in the US stores anymore. :-(

[infinitemonkeys]

Oddness. I thought she had some kind of publishing deal in the US. I really liked "This Charming Man" -- it was funny and sad and in places, even a little creepy. The latest one, not so much.

[corianderstem]

This Charming Man was the first book I was unable to find in the bookstores, and when I went online, I didn't find any info about a US release. BOO.

Maybe it's changed now - I obviously stopped looking after I found a used copy online!

[infinitemonkeys]

You're right about Salander, she's a great character because she's believably unpredictable, particularly in the first book.

I think that Larsson's aim was to show the pernicious influence of misogyny -- in the second and third books that's explicit, occasionally to the point of bludgeoning obviousness. You're right about Blomkvist though. I hadn't really thought about it that way, but I do remember rolling my eyes when he went to bed with the older Vanger woman (can't remember her name). In books two and three (which are really one long police procedural/conspiracy thriller) it only gets worse.

Then at the end it just about gets better.

[lilydale]

Because I am bringing laziness to a new height, I will not fill out the whole poll but just say that I always like mail from you. I will also say that you should write your own novel. JUST SAYIN' (AGAIN).

[infinitemonkeys]

There will be mail from me (if you can send me your address again pls)

[lilydale]

You got me to fill out the poll. :-)