So, being the follower I sometimes am I buy them. All three of them.
I'm stuck 1/2 way through book number 2.
Here are my thoughts:
I had trouble keeping my eyes open until page 109. It got a little better then. Still hard to read though.
About 3/4 of the way through I really began to enjoy it. Glad I read it, but wish Stieg Larsson had asked me to serve as his editor. I believe about 50% of the book could have been cut out without diminishing the quality of the work. Actually, it would probably have improved the quality.
Here, let me give tell you what I'm talking about. This isn't really in the book, but this made up bit is pretty much an accurate example of what one has to endure while reading these books:
Why do I need to know minute details about which school bus someone rode to school in elementary? Versus another person who's mother drove them to school. This never again comes up in the story. These people are rarely mentioned. BUT...for some reason we need to know this?
Clearly just a trumped up example, but 2-3 pages of this every chapter makes for very sleepy reading.
This book starts out quite good! I thought that perhaps it was because I was familiar with the characters. But alas...that is not the case. About 1/4 of the way through the book I start skipping pages. Not that the general story isn't good. It is! There is just too much useless information inlcluded to make it a "page turner". It's almost as if someone said "Mr. Larsson, each book needs to be exactly 500 pages long". And then Mr. Larsson wrote a story. And then he went back and wrote a bunch of nonsense boring stuff to fill in between the story to drag it out to 500 pages.
Does anyone else feel this way? Or am I just a Negative Nelly?
I haven't even started this one yet. But I will. And I'll finish it. I will finish them all. And then I will say I did it. Just like I did with Twilight. Even though the last Twilight book took 5 months for me to finish. Because by that point I didn't care anymore. Bella was annoying me by being such a martyr. And really, after she became a vampire what was there to be inticed by anymore? It's like on sitcoms when people "like" each other, but never end up together. Or, when they do end up together and the show tanks because it isn't clever anymore. Who's The Boss anyone?
Sorry, I'm straying from the point.
The moral of this story is that I have chosen to edit the way I read these books. When my eyes get heavy I skip 3 pages. I realize I may be missing something, but who cares? At least I'm still awake :)
Anyone else having this problem?
T
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9 comments:
I haven't read this series yet and I actually don't intend to because now you're the third person who has said that it was a bit of a slow read. Sometimes, details are nice and totally necessary. Sometimes, they take away from the story and make a book hard to read. That's not right.
And, I'm with you on the final Twilight book. I couldn't stand Bella by that point. I actually went back and re-read the series and it turns out I didn't like Bella throughout the entire thing. She was too clingy, too desperate. Not a likable character, in my opinion!
I totally understand where you are coming from. Dragon Tattoo is ROUGH until around page 100. Then it picks up. There were parts in #2 that dragged on a bit and I had a harder time with #3 than I thought I would but overall I still love the books and Lisbeth Salander. You should watch the first movie and let me know what you think! -M
Everyone keeps telling me to read them but I've heard three other people say that those books are unbearably slow reads. I'm the weirdo that absolutely has to finish a book once I start it and within a week or two. There's no way I'm subjecting myself to that now that I've heard this.
I have been SO curious about these books. I have heard opinions from both ends of the spectrum. I was going to give it a go, but after this post, I am not so sure.
umm... i feel the same way about who's the boss. and thank you for the candid review!! everrrrryone and their mother (literally) has been telling me to read these books, and i just don't want to, simply because i'm told to!
I don't read much anymore, other than blogs. Every time I try to read a book I get through a couple pages and can't keep my eyes open any more. I just gave up trying.
I've been thinking about starting that series but I'm not sure if I can make it through the books after some of the recent reviews I've heard. We'll see what happens.
I got the gourds at Dollar Tree. They had a decent selection when I went there a few weeks ago so hopefully you can find some. Hope that helps!
Have a great night!
I Totally Agree...... I love the story in the books (I too am about half way through the 2nd) and will maintain that the first was a heck of a mystery... However like you said there are parts of both that are filled with mundane details that are not needed and make it a little tedious! Definitely worth reading but not one of those soul satisfying books that leave you wanting more! (I do disagree about twilight though.... those books got me lost in their story and I COULD NOT PUT THEM DOWN!) I was useless until I finished them and was a bit sad when I finished the last book. I am still waiting for that next AMAZING book..... the search continues!
Hmmm... we will have to agree to disagree on these :-) I could NOT put them down! Just starting The Help for a "book club" i just joined that I have realized should more accurately be called wine/whine/gossip club. I may be the only one who is actually reading the books!
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