The Buzz...About Books

Unless you've been living on under a rock you will know that author Stieg Larsson’s "Millennuim Trilogy" is this year's publishing phenomenon and a great summer read. Sadly, Larsson died before he could enjoy all the hoopla and before someone could ask him about the tattoo thing.

In his trilogy Larsson explores many of today’s social issues making the novels a little long.  Still, how can we object to his desire to expose corporate greed and corruption, white supremacists, evil Secret Police and men who hate women.  There are perhaps too many characters with difficult Swedish names but his main characters are highly likable and intriguingly flawed.

“The Girl…” books are so popular that bookstores have devoted large sections to their display.  Naturally, critics can’t agree on whether the books are good or bad but all agree that Larsson weaves a compelling, if somewhat lengthy, tale. He really hit the big time this month when writer and humorist, Nora Ephron, wrote a parody of the series in The New Yorker magazine and called it "The Girl who fixed the Umlaut”.

It seems that the world just can’t get enough of the girl, aka Lisbeth Salander, and her tattoos. The Swedes have made a TV series and movies of all three books.  Two of which are in North American'theatres now. Hollywood has its own version in the works with Daniel Craig rumored to be playing the lead.  If they have to do a remake wouldn’t Kenneth Branagh be better?  And wouldn't our own Ellen Page would make a great Lisbeth.  But would she get real tattoos or fake ones…  what if she already has a tattoo or two?

After reading the first two books I found only a hint as to why our brilliant, strong willed and somewhat silent heroine, Lisbeth [pronounced Lizbet], has so many tattoos.  There was nothing that I remember, about why she has a dragon on her back.  Each tattoo has to mean something, doesn't it? 

In the first book, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo [original title:"Men who hate Women"], Lisbeth gets a new tattoo just after she has she has a violent encounter with her new so-called guardian and just before she takes her revenge on him! 

In the second book, The Girl Who Played with Fire, Lisbeth actually has one of her tattoos removed.  Is she growing up or are we just finding out more about her?  Towards the end of the book Blomkvist calls Salander the woman who hates men who hate women. 

I've just started the final book, The Girl who Kicked the Hornets Nest, which may reveal more about Lisbeth's tattoos… or not.  I’m not sure that it matters much now… and the whole "tattoo thing" may have been a publisher’s ploy.   I can’t help thinking that tattoos are just something Pippi Longstocking would've done when she became a teenager and then lost interest in when she grew up.  

What do you think?
 
– Jane