Stieg Larsson was a brilliant writer. And his Millennium trilogy is nothing but a masterpiece.
As I write these words, there is hardly a single bookworm who have not heard about, or read these books. Should you happen to be one of the few who hasn't read the books, I can just say one thing: The Millennium trilogy is one of the most important happenings in the crime genre, written in recent times.
The writing style is definitely not dazzling, bad choice of word, weak formulations which sometimes seems childish and a hopeless sentence structures marring the books. My review goes for the Danish version of the books, so of course it might be possible that we are just talking about a poor translation from the original language, unfortunately I think this is not very likely.
What remains, is the ingeniously conceived plot that is so eminent that it outshines Stieg Larsson's literary shortcomings. Another strong side is his choice of characters and the description of them.
After reading the last pages of 'The girl that kicked the hornet's nest', I was almost left with a panicky realization that there would be no more reunion with Michael, Erika and last but not least, Lisbeth Salander. It was almost unbearable. Those strong personalities deserves to live on, but would they be able to do that without Stieg Larsson? Hardly. Therefore, unfortunately the conclusion has to be that the characters are better off, leaving this world with their Creator.
Here is the plot in brief description: The journalist, Mikael Blomkvist, are hired by an old man named Henrik Vanger who want to clear up an unsolved murder mystery. Detours are Mikael Blomkvist introduced to Lisbeth Salander - a highly controversial researcher.
What begins as a simple task, where skeletons from the past are let loose, suddenly turns out to be Pandora's box, where all the horrors of the world are hidden. And once you have let them out of the box, you have to capture and kill them all - or perish.
My best recommendation. This trilogy will haunt you for a long time. And that's what reading is all about, right?
It's hard to find a more fascinating character than Dr. Hannibal Lecter. Thomas Harris are able to unite the sympathetic with the vile.
Is dr. Lecter criminal? Of course. Cannibalism, no matter how sophisticated it is performed, is definitely illegal. But Dr. Lecter's complex nature makes it impossible for you to see him as the real enemy. There arises a peculiar understanding between the reader and Dr. Lecter.
Some chooses to catch criminals and putting them in jail or let the state execute them. Hannibal prepares delicious meals of them. As Barney, a supervisor who took care of dr. Lecter in six years while he was imprisoned, once said: "He (Hannibal) once told me, that if it was possible, he'd prefer to eat rude people. 'Free ranging uncivilized', he called them." - Hannibal P. 85.
Are we really able to hate a man, seeking perfectionism while defending himself and the high culture in the world? Can you really hate a man who admittedly kills, but only in self-defense or to curb corruption and decadence?
Thomas Harris does a wonderful job, portraying a complex man that really appreciate and love the beauty of music, architecture and food and at the same time cultivate his dark tendencies, should the opportunity arise - and in some strange way, at the same time, are able to unite these diametrically opposite sides of his personality.
Read 'Hannibal' if you want a deep insight into culture and extravagance mixed with cynicism and merciless revenge. And... by the way...Enjoy your meal.
"Look
for the image in the picture., It is not always easy to see, but it's
always there. And if you miss it, you risk missing the world ..." - Stephen King (Duma Key)
I just read 'Duma Key' - twice to be exact. It is not the first time I have read a book several times, and certainly not when we're talking Stephen King. Among the novels I have read several times, I can mention 'The Green Mile' and 'Bag of Bones'. But
this is the first time that I, after having turned the last page in the
book, just flipped the book and instantly started all over the very same day.
'Duma Key' is a very special book! I shall return to that subject shortly. The
story is basically about a contractor, Edgar Freemantle, who are involved in a very violent accident on a construction site when a
construction crane runs into (and over) his car. Quite miraculously he saved his life, but unfortunately he loses the right arm, his pelvis gets crushed and he has got a serious skull fracture. After
the accident, his wife, Pam, decides to leave Edgar because of his
violent tantrums when his aphasia prevents him from expressing
himself correctly. As
a therapy for the trauma, Edgar's doctor suggests that he should move away
from the familiar surroundings in a while and spend some time with his relaxing hobbies. The new location is an island, 'Duma Key' to be exact, and Edgar begins to paint - and it shows that he is a surprisingly talented painter.
I will not reveal more of the plot. I will not spoil your reading experience! Just let me mention that Stephen King manages to create a gallery that you really are going to care about. I came to like Edgar Freemantle and his friends as much as I did with
Sheriff Pangborn, who appears in several of King's earlier novels including 'The Tommyknockers', 'The Dark Half' and 'Needful Things'. The characters in 'Duma Key' became so vivid and so important to me, that I almost had a physical pain inside me when the story ended.
'Duma Key' contains some really funny passages and dialogues. And the switch between the really scary part and the funny part is subtly balanced. 'Duma Key' are never going to be a funny book, neither are you going to meet the horror in a sudden event. Instead the horror develops slowly until it consumes the reader. It is really brilliant. Unconditional. But the most ingenious part of the book is what I am going to describe to you now...The book's ending is nothing short of astonishing and extremely surprising. In fact, I searched the Internet to figure out if there was a sequel to 'Duma Key'. There was not. That was the main reason why I immediately had to read the book over once again.
To quote Stephen King's own words in paraphrased form: "Find the story in
history. It is not always easy to find, but it is always there. And if
you miss it, you risk missing the world ..." That's what 'Duma Key' is all about. This story is written in several layers. You read it, but you do not understand the depth of the story - yet. Not until you read 'Duma Key' again ... and again ... and again. Every time you read 'Duma Key', the story shows another layer and the incomprehensible becomes understandable.
Dear Mr. King. 'Duma Key' is not a book - it is art itself...
