Review of “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” by Stieg Larsson and Reg Keeland

I’ve long heard how great this trilogy of books is, and I couldn’t help but cheating by watching the Swedish trilogy of films first.  But I know books are usually better, and this one was no disappointment. 

The reader is introduced to the lead character, a veteran journalist of a controversial magazine that is ruined professionally and financially by losing a lawsuit.  During his time of loss, he is hired privately by a wealthy man of a large but obscure family to solve the disappearance of his sixteen-year-old girl missing since the 1960’s. 

Enter the title character, a girl that lives outside of a world of editing newspapers, company parties, wealthy people who is eccentric but extremely intelligent, and if nothing else, deliberate in everything she does.  For a woman victimized by society on one way or another her entire life, by no means is she a victim.

By the time the journalist and the title character meet, together they begin a complex journey to solve a series of atrocities committed against women for decades.   The story twists and turns enough to show that all is not what it seems; therefore, the ending to me is not the predictable “whodunit” template.

Afterwards, the girl with the dragon tattoo begins to grow within herself, realizing she can trust other people.  As she tries to change her life, it may be immediately as she planned, but she knows there’s good out there and she’s on the way to finding it.  All around, this is a mesmerizing read that’s entertaining, with an excellent backdrop for violence against women.  Five stars!

On Factual Fiction

"The Tudors"

Since the cable series “The Tudors,” we’re continuing to see ongoing viewing of historical series as the ongoing “The Borgias.”  As I’ve written before, I have a preference for fact over fiction when it comes to crime reading and to some extent, I do like biographies of historical figures over novels or series based upon them.

However, like many others, I find myself succumbing to the 21^st century on demand small screen at home, finding myself lacking in time for reading and watching is easier for a migraine patient than reading.  I admit “The Tudors” wound me in unexpectedly a year after it ended, though it seemed over-sexualized at the time, I’m not so sure after “Game of Thrones.”  To be clear, I liked the series, didn’t love the series, which means, I’ve seen the episodes twice at the most.  Once I’m addicted to something on screen, it truly takes a large number of views before I’m done.  I studied “The Dark Knight” carefully probably fifty times.

Why did I like “The Tudors?”  What did it have other than women taking off heavy dresses rather quickly and Henry VIII’s desires to be fleeting and frustrating for him.  When the heads began to roll (literally) it did bring other elements than sex to the story.  But elements of this over-stylized cable drama did happen historically.  And despite his pettiness, his immaturity, and his disloyalty, Henry VIII did historically change England forever by splitting from the Catholic Church and forming the Church of England.  The series did carry out this important part of Henry’s life well, and included his daughter Mary, who remained a devout Catholic, for history buffs to follow what happened later with “Bloody Mary.”

So now I’m on “The Borgias.”  I admit I’ve not been quite the study of Italian Renaissance period other reading “The Prince.”  Like “The Tudors,” it’s stylish, fairly sexualized, with almost every weird abomination of this family I’ve seen on documentaries and read about.  But something’s missing, and it certainly isn’t the lead actor.  I like Jeremy Irons in just about everything.  They lie, cheat, extort, steal, with some incest thrown in (yuck!) so the dreadful Borgia goodies are all there.  What’s my problem?  Why do I consider the fiction cable series “Boss” a better characterization of the Machiavellian philosophy, when the original writing is based on Cesare Borgia?

I think what happens in history-based fiction has a lot to do with the history itself.  Henry VIII was not a rose, but in the minds of non-historians “The Borgias” carry an extra-ugly reputation.  Is this deserved?  This is what’s good about historical dramas; questions are left open for us to ponder and read more about the historical events.  I suspect there’s plenty of good and bad to go around in those dangerous times, and if these dramas bring remembrance to those days, maybe we can appreciate these days more.

Layered Concepts: Review of “Mildred Pierce” by James M. Cain

Like many others, I saw the recent Kate Winslet mini-series “Mildred Pierce,” and finally saw the film starring Joan Crawford on Mother’s Day weekend, so I decided to read the book to further explore this story that deviates from many clichés of men, women, and children’s interpersonal relationships.

First, I like period stories that take in as a whole the economic effects, which is expected during the Great Depression.  Mr. Cain not only explained it from the viewpoint of the lead character Mildred, but it was done well enough to dread opening the mailbox for the incoming bills.  Such realism adds richness to the book and is applicable today.

Stories and marriage deviate as much as marriage itself.  The relatively benign ending of Mildred’s first marriage isn’t typical, but some marriages do end without a love/hate firestorm of verbal abuse and/or worse.  By the book’s end, the message rings clear that married couples sometimes find more in common with each other than anyone else they meet in the future.

The relationship of Mildred and her dreadfully snobby daughter Veda I found to be difficult to take in; I’ve never witnessed such in a child.  But in fairness to the author, it’s a deviation away from a cliché that children always want to please their parents.  That isn’t always the case; here the parent is desperately trying to get approval from her child.  In a woman as smart and independent as Mildred a logical thinker would say she should throw that ungrateful kid out of the house; however, motherhood isn’t necessarily logical when it comes to love and protection of children.

Mildred’s taste in men appears to leave something to be desired, but again, she never appears to be looking for “perfect” love.  She wants companionship and equality during a time when such is in rare quantity.  While her marriage to her disloyal “boy-toy” Monty was a bad choice, nothing about his behavior before the end suggested that he would be anything else than what he turned out to be:  A non-working, formerly wealthy man dependent on women as long as he remained entertaining to them.  She never respected him and he resented it.

Last, but not least, is the character Mildred herself.  While being smart, strong-willed, and unpretentious, she makes misjudgments and mistakes.  The flaws in her character is what makes her seem all the more real to the reader.  She’s an inspiration for independent women and a cautionary reminder that even the most headstrong lady can fall to the oldest tricks that men do with women:  The opposite sex and money. 

“Mildred Pierce,” is an excellent, entertaining read.  It’s an alternative look into the life of a woman whose struggle isn’t raw emotion, abuse, or low self-esteem.  Instead, it reveals a woman who rises out of hard financial times on her own terms and hits the stumps of life that she can call her own.  Five stars!

Hunger is No Game: Review of “Escape from Camp 14: One Man’s Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West” by Blaine Harden

Going back to my recent comparison of true crime vs. fiction crime, the same can be said for most any horrors humans have experienced.  With the hype of “The Hunger Games,” with “Escape from Camp 14” the readers are jerked back into reality into the sobering, sickening events that occur in today’s world.  There is really no comparision.

The author did an excellent job in pointing out how this man’s story about his life since birth in a North Korean camp can be scrutinized; this man changed his story several times.  Skeptics can say he’s lying.  He was raised in an environment to trust no one, no even his own family.  We readers (vast majority of us) have not visited North Korea, and I haven’t seen field reporters on location in that country, and their closed society is well known.  While none of us were there, it’s up to us whether or not to believe this story.  I believe the author carefully sifted through the details until we as the audience has as much truth as we can handle.

The first half of the book is the back details the background of North Korea and the man’s life in the camp.  The second half is about his escape and his difficult assimilation into Western society.  The story is harrowing, disturbing, tragic, but for this man, heartwarming.  He did make it out and shared with the world what an entire nation will not. 

This book is superb, not for the faint of heart, but highly recommended for anyone that understands true events hit our hearts in a way fiction never can.  Five stars!

Self as Child

 As told from a child:

I love staying with my Daddy’s parents.  My Momma let me come over here more after I fell off rail carrying the eggs in the chicken house.  Everybody laughed because I was covered with eggs!  Mom didn’t think it was so funny though, because she says the whole cart could’ve crushed me, and lightning in a chicken house last year already hurt my sister.

My Grandparents have a really nice house down a gravel road a few miles from our farm.  They have a farm too, but their chickens are biddies.  That means baby chickens.  But the rules are different with Grandmother, she doesn’t let me near that chicken house, though I like to watch biddies.  Everything is the same everyday. My job is to do the biscuits. She does get upset if I eat a little dough and I’ve got to wash my hands to get the flour off.  I didn’t have enough clothes, so she made me these cool little dresses with pockets out of the flour sacks!  I don’t really like dresses, but I like these. 

Everybody visits my grandparents every day!  It’s usually to see my Grandaddy, because he’s a Judge, the kind that lives in the country.  He doesn’t wear a robe or have a courtroom like on Perry Mason.  His office is right here in the house.  One day I found this cool thing to press into paper and make the American Eagle.  But I must’ve done something wrong, because I got locked out.  My uncle Martin stops by on the way twice a day.  Joe the Constable stops by too.  He’s real nice, but Grandmother says to stay away from him because he wears a gun.  Grandaddy’s gun hangs right over his bed.  He says it’s a shotgun, but I don’t touch it and it’s big, not like the little one Joe has.

I like it when people get married at my Grandparents’ house.  But it’s usually in the middle of the night, so my Grandmother yells at my Grandaddy for letting strangers inside. So he opens the door, she holds the shotgun, and I’m in the back, all dressed down to my shoes.  Then it’s just a couple of nice people, Grandaddy reads them something from a paper and they’re married!  My Grandmother sits on the couch, and I sit on the heater, unless it’s winter.

Momma’s here to take me back home.  I don’t want to go back.  Daddy’s mad all the time when he’s home.  When he’s gone it’s not so bad.  He’s never at his own Momma and Daddy’s house when I’m there.   But Grandaddy told me to tell the school if I wanted him to pick me up so I can stay with them whenever if I want to.  

Plum Tree Books Youth Tube

http://www.wix.com/niamhclune/youth-tube1 

 I invite readers and writers to Plum Tree Books and Youth Tube for inspiring stories, music, and poetry promoting creativity for children.  Every Child Is Entitled To Innocence.

 http://www.amazon.com/Every-Child-Entitled-Innocence-ebook/dp/B0077E6F60/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1336095681&sr=8-1

 

On Dark Fantasy and Other Genres

"Midguard Serpent"

As I post my book reviews, I note how many of them are not the genre I write, which is medieval dark fantasy.  As much as I like fire-breath dragons, swashbuckling battle scenes, a magic goodie or two, I find with reading I like almost everything.  But that’s part of the joy of reading, it allows our minds to open up and expand, thus fulfilling the human experience. 

When I’m writing the Gastar novellas, I think about story elements that would add to the plot and what inspires me other than the usual dark fantasy takers (Tolkien everlasting, still Frankenstein and Dracula these days in stories I’ve read).  How can other genres enrich Dark Fantasy?

Non-fiction (not exactly “genre):  Anything based on true stories, as I’ve written recently can add powerful elements, especially when dark fantasy writers use historic backdrops.  The bestselling writer Anne Rice comes to mind when I think of history.  But it need not be limited to that; one could use wartime examples (some say WWII inspired Tolkien) or known individual events (true crimes or historic families).

Romance seems to be expected and present in almost every fiction novel I review.  With its absence in “Act of Redemption,” I got criticism for leaving it out by some readers and by my Mom.  So, love is eternal and romantic elements powerfully drive the actions of characters.  If Harlequin can do romance, so can I, so I’m still learning.  Erotica can go in any story (example: “Game of Thrones, very R-rated).

What about intrigue, as seen in psychological and legal thrillers?  Sure.  Characters can lie to each other, cheat, play tricks, plan conspiracies, break laws and go to trials in Dark Fantasy.  These elements can deepen a story and breakaway from the “kid grows to be tough to kill his father’s killer” cliché so often seen in Dark Fantasy.  Gangster templates can either make clever enough protagonists to survive or evil antagonists to be eaten by dragons or ghouls in whatever gratifying way like a gangster would do, Dark Fantasy-style.

The everlasting serial murderer fiction has almost replaced the old-fashioned “whodunit” Agatha Christie style, but could either of these mystery templates add to Dark Fantasy?  Of course! Who killed the King?  Or Princess?  Or last evil High Priest? (Shevata, who got her soul removed for it).  Having your characters figure out by investigating a murder or stealth can again bend away from the clichés of rescuing a damsel in distress from a fire-breathing dragon.

Last, but not least, what about women’s literature? How can my recent review of “Love and Other Impossible Pursuits” inspire a Dark Fantasy story?  A woman’s child dies by natural causes her first day home in the book.  A woman’s child is taken from her and raised by a magician named Merlin (sound familiar?)   A mother had to save her baby by making a small boat and floating it down the river and the King’s daughter picked up the child and raised him (from Moses story in the Bible).  So in Dark Fantasy these powerful emotional tools can move a plot and develop a character’s background, be it the child, the mother, or a story told by a sage. 

New authors, writing a genre need not limit inspiration from that genre.  Dark Fantasy may influence other genres; “Twilight” is probably the best well-known example of teen romance with nice vampires in a modern day backdrop.  Though Edward sparkled, was sensitive, and the werewolf guy never put his shirt on in the films, to give credit to Meyer, the story was creative.  Maybe not for everyone, but that’s OK, books aren’t supposed to be for everyone.  Now go write something great.  Make the story sparkle in our minds. 

On Why Ned Stark’s Die

Ned Stark in "Game of Thrones"

Like others late to the news of George R. R. Martin’s huge hit “A Song of Ice and Fire,” it took me a while to warm up to the HBO series “Game of Thrones,” and didn’t really get into it until I read all five tomes of this massive epic.  When I watched the first episode, I was happy to see Sean Bean in a starring role, happy to see dark fantasy on a cable series, and happy to see Bean play a protagonist, a nice take after the 90’s “Patriot Games.”

Then Ned lost his head.  I was not happy.  Dang it, as much as I like “The Imp” I thought the story needed a stronger protagonist instead of the young naïve Dany and Jon Snow.  Instead, we’re left with a bunch of people that hate each other almost as much as they hate the powerful Lannister family (paraphrasing Tyrion).

Reading the book didn’t help much.  I was still ticked off.  I decided not to throw my Nook, as bad as I wanted to.  Why did Martin kill off the only likable strong character?  Grr!!  So I kept reading, hoping to find a reason to forgive the writer for killing Ned.  Now it’s like I’m talking about a neighbor (meaning Martin).  In the second book, cute merciless Jaime enters closer to center stage.  His quote:  “Poor old, dead, Ned.”  Nice.  But what the Kingslayer did explain is that the noble protagonist did everything possible to get himself killed in a known corrupt merciless world.  Stark didn’t bend to the corrupt leadership of his buddy Robert, and paid the price.

So for some analysis:  Why do “Ned Stark’s” die?  If you build a world, a lead character, or a society that functions via corruption and murder, sooner or later a compelling character would stand up for what is noble and just, by the law.  When such a character does this, he/she must risk it all, ruin, imprisonment, or death.  The result of that action sets of the chain of events that carry the plot.

I think of characters like Ned Stark as “levers” to a story.  The writer pulls the lever, and the rest turns a corner, such as a war starting, a city falling (as when Shevata killed without a death order in the Gastar novellas), or a chain of character “accidental” deaths occur (gangster stories). 

Many methods effectively move a plot in fiction.  The “lever” is one of many, and when I think about it that way, I can almost forgive Martin for the death of Ned Stark.  However, the epic is still outstanding.  Good for him.  Bad for Ned.