The end of The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest was both very satisfying and bitter sweet. The satisfaction comes from Larsson’s brilliant winding up of all the story threads in what has been called The Millennium Trilogy (the trilogy is comprised of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest).
It is bittersweet because after turning in the manuscripts of all three novels to his publisher, Stieg Larsson succumbed to a massive heart attack. He never lived to see the international phenomenon his work has become. For us readers it means we will never again travel with Liz Salander and Mikael Blomkvist.
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest is a five star work. First, it ties up all of the story lines created in the first two novels. It does so in a page turning thriller and in a believable way that leaves the reader cheering. The book starts were The Girl who Played with Fire left off. We find ourselves in the emergency room of a local hospital waiting for a life flight arrival of a girl who has been shot in the head.
From the start a secret section inside Sapo, the secret police, moves to protect the secrets surrounding Zalachenko affair. They manipulate the prosecution of Salander, cutting her off from everyone except her lawyer and doctor. They will stop at nothing to hide their secrets including, covert surveillance, intimidation and even murder. Their plan is to have Salander found incompetent and committed to an institution for the rest of her life, thereby discrediting her story as the ravings of a mad woman.
Arrayed against this group is Mikael Blomkvist together with Armansky and others who are fighting to free Salander and expose the truth behind the Zalachenko affair. But first he needs Salander’s help and he must contrive a way to communicate with her.
The story starts out as first rate spy thriller and develops into a legal thriller. The pacing is relentless and there are no real slow spots in the story. The novel should be read in great chucks and savored. The trial will warm the hearts of Salander fans and has one of the most devastating cross-examinations since Scott Turow’s Presumed Innocent. But the story does not end with the trial and there a few more twists and turns. The end hits just the right note and will find approval of most fans.
Larsson, a liberal journalist, also made these novels into a social commentary. It is an indictment of a self proclaimed liberal socialist state’s failure to take action to stop acts of violence against and exploitation of women. Larsson also takes on Swedish society, which is supposed to be enlightened, for chauvinism and downright misogyny.
Larsson continues his social criticism pointing out how a social democracy has failed to protect the its must vulnerable members. Finally, the books are an analysis of how secret police can, without proper oversight, create a group that is paranoid, self important, and view their mission so important that the ends justify the means to the point that their actions destroy the very thing they profess to protect.
In Summery if The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo rates four stars, then The Girl with who Played with Fire gets 4 and half stars and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest gets a full five stars.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Book Review: The Wrecker by Clive Cussler and Justin Scott
There have been some complaints about the more recent Dirk Pitt and the NUMA files series that Cussler has become formulaic. As far as the Dirk Pitt novels go I think there is some validity to the criticism. However, Cussler and Scott have hit it out of the park with the introduction of Isaac Bell.
Bell is the best detective in the fabled Van Dorn detective agency, whose motto is “We never give up, never”. Set in the beginning of the 20th century, the authors integrate history with good old fashion storytelling to make a great page turner. Both the first book, The Chase, and the second, The Wrecker, are laced with historical events that are so tightly woven into the story you enjoy the history without it pulling you out of the book.
None of the main cast or primary supporting characters are two dimensional. Bell is richly developed. He comes from money but has chosen the life of a detective. He is self-confident, intelligent and rather crafty. He thinks both strategically and tactically. He can organize a fleet of Van Dorn agents yet is just at home in a gun or knife fight.
In The Chase he tracked down a cold blooded killer and bank robber. In The Wrecker Bell faces an even more cunning and dangerous villain. Known as the Wrecker, this shadowy figure moves through both the hobo camps and the world of railroad barrens. His goal is to sabotage the Southern Pacific Railroad. He is ruthless, derailing trains, setting disastrous fires, and even more heinous plots. He indiscriminately kills innocents and if Bell does not stop him he will kill many more to reach his goal. Bell has met his match in the Wrecker who carefully plans for contingencies, some set in motion years before he started his overt acts of sabotage.
This is one of the best thrillers I have read in a long time. I can find no faults with it and give it a full 5
Bell is the best detective in the fabled Van Dorn detective agency, whose motto is “We never give up, never”. Set in the beginning of the 20th century, the authors integrate history with good old fashion storytelling to make a great page turner. Both the first book, The Chase, and the second, The Wrecker, are laced with historical events that are so tightly woven into the story you enjoy the history without it pulling you out of the book.
None of the main cast or primary supporting characters are two dimensional. Bell is richly developed. He comes from money but has chosen the life of a detective. He is self-confident, intelligent and rather crafty. He thinks both strategically and tactically. He can organize a fleet of Van Dorn agents yet is just at home in a gun or knife fight.
In The Chase he tracked down a cold blooded killer and bank robber. In The Wrecker Bell faces an even more cunning and dangerous villain. Known as the Wrecker, this shadowy figure moves through both the hobo camps and the world of railroad barrens. His goal is to sabotage the Southern Pacific Railroad. He is ruthless, derailing trains, setting disastrous fires, and even more heinous plots. He indiscriminately kills innocents and if Bell does not stop him he will kill many more to reach his goal. Bell has met his match in the Wrecker who carefully plans for contingencies, some set in motion years before he started his overt acts of sabotage.
This is one of the best thrillers I have read in a long time. I can find no faults with it and give it a full 5
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Things Being Raised in the Military Did Not Teach Me
I lived on Air Force bases between the formative ages of two and thirteen. I attended school on base and all my friends were military dependants. Almost all our shopping and entertainment was had on base as well. The time frame was between the late 50s and 1970. This means I was a milarty depentant at the height of the cold war, thus there was a tangible separation from civilian society. Add in the fact that everyone was more isolated than we are today; there was no internet, no cell phones and if you were lucky you had four TV channels. All of this means I was raised in the insulter hot house of the military. As such there were a number of things I did not learn about life growing up, such as:
1. That Real Life Is Not a Meritocracy: The military more than any other institution in the U.S. is a meritocracy. It is not a perfect meritocracy, but is the closest there is. Thus, I grew up believing that if you worked hard and did your job well you will always be rewarded with recognition and advancement.
2. That Real Life Is Messy: On a military base everyone in your life, parents, friends, neighbors, teachers etc. are generally focused on the same goals and work for the same employer. This means there is a built in common ground for community. Life is regimented with clearly expressed expectations. Military dependents learn from an early age that there numerous rules that constituent acceptable behaviors and failing to meet these regulations has tangible consequences. Everyone has a certain dress code, lawns and homes are kept neat, cars are washed, one shows respect to everyone, and more deference to higher ranked personal.
3. That Honor and Duty Are Not Universally Held Values: Dismiss it as trite if you want, but in the military there is a true belief in Honor and Duty. Personal integrity and the drive to accomplish the tasks assigned, even to the risk of one’s life, are generally accepted values. While individuals in civilian life abide by honor and duty, they are not inculcated into society and you cannot expect members of it to act on them.
4. That There Is Not One Correct Way to Do Everything: You have heard the slogan “There is the right way, the wrong way, and the Army way." This is a very true statement. There may be three ways to do something and obtain the same good result, but in the military if there is a set procedure for doing something then it is not enough to obtain the correct result. You have to do so using the approved method.
5. That Overt Racism Exists: In the 50’s and the 60’s the military was the most integrated entity in the U.S. While there was certainly racism, the overt expression of it was strictly forbidden. I grew up in a society that had integrated schools and institutions. I had friends that were many different races and creeds and thought nothing of it. In fact I can remember only one time my mother ever said anything about my friends and that was to watch out for the Mormon family as they would try to convert me.
6. There Is No Free Medical Care: I grew up in a socialized medical system that seem to work. There are problems with the system now, especially when it comes to Vets. But at the time I was a military dependent the free medical care I received was comparable to that available in the civilian world. And in some respect it was better. I have had very few cavities due in part to receiving some of the first fluoride treatments given to children.
7. People Do Not Move Every Few Years: During the time I was a military dependent most families were on a two or three year rotation from base to base. The longest I lived in one place before my dad retired was in England, for three years. When you factor in the fact that other families were on different rotations I would make friends who would be rotating out six months after we rotated in. This meant that it was important to make friends quickly, yet you did not have time to develop the “best friend” relationship that develops in the civilian world where kids know each other starting in kindergarten or even younger and grow up together.
8. That Not Everyone is a New Kid: One of the hardest adjustments I had to make when my dad retired was that I was a new kid and that most of the other kids were not. As mentioned above families were different rotations so when school started almost all of us were new kids and a lot of kids joined the class during the school year.
9. That Most People Have Home Towns: The old saying goes; you can never go home again. For military dependents this a not a proverb, but an actual fact. I can never go back to the home town, since I never had one. Some of the bases I lived on have been closed. Even if they are not, they are secure facilities and not readily accessible Even if they were accessible there would be no one living there that was there when I was a child. All the personal would have been transferred or retired.
1. That Real Life Is Not a Meritocracy: The military more than any other institution in the U.S. is a meritocracy. It is not a perfect meritocracy, but is the closest there is. Thus, I grew up believing that if you worked hard and did your job well you will always be rewarded with recognition and advancement.
2. That Real Life Is Messy: On a military base everyone in your life, parents, friends, neighbors, teachers etc. are generally focused on the same goals and work for the same employer. This means there is a built in common ground for community. Life is regimented with clearly expressed expectations. Military dependents learn from an early age that there numerous rules that constituent acceptable behaviors and failing to meet these regulations has tangible consequences. Everyone has a certain dress code, lawns and homes are kept neat, cars are washed, one shows respect to everyone, and more deference to higher ranked personal.
3. That Honor and Duty Are Not Universally Held Values: Dismiss it as trite if you want, but in the military there is a true belief in Honor and Duty. Personal integrity and the drive to accomplish the tasks assigned, even to the risk of one’s life, are generally accepted values. While individuals in civilian life abide by honor and duty, they are not inculcated into society and you cannot expect members of it to act on them.
4. That There Is Not One Correct Way to Do Everything: You have heard the slogan “There is the right way, the wrong way, and the Army way." This is a very true statement. There may be three ways to do something and obtain the same good result, but in the military if there is a set procedure for doing something then it is not enough to obtain the correct result. You have to do so using the approved method.
5. That Overt Racism Exists: In the 50’s and the 60’s the military was the most integrated entity in the U.S. While there was certainly racism, the overt expression of it was strictly forbidden. I grew up in a society that had integrated schools and institutions. I had friends that were many different races and creeds and thought nothing of it. In fact I can remember only one time my mother ever said anything about my friends and that was to watch out for the Mormon family as they would try to convert me.
6. There Is No Free Medical Care: I grew up in a socialized medical system that seem to work. There are problems with the system now, especially when it comes to Vets. But at the time I was a military dependent the free medical care I received was comparable to that available in the civilian world. And in some respect it was better. I have had very few cavities due in part to receiving some of the first fluoride treatments given to children.
7. People Do Not Move Every Few Years: During the time I was a military dependent most families were on a two or three year rotation from base to base. The longest I lived in one place before my dad retired was in England, for three years. When you factor in the fact that other families were on different rotations I would make friends who would be rotating out six months after we rotated in. This meant that it was important to make friends quickly, yet you did not have time to develop the “best friend” relationship that develops in the civilian world where kids know each other starting in kindergarten or even younger and grow up together.
8. That Not Everyone is a New Kid: One of the hardest adjustments I had to make when my dad retired was that I was a new kid and that most of the other kids were not. As mentioned above families were different rotations so when school started almost all of us were new kids and a lot of kids joined the class during the school year.
9. That Most People Have Home Towns: The old saying goes; you can never go home again. For military dependents this a not a proverb, but an actual fact. I can never go back to the home town, since I never had one. Some of the bases I lived on have been closed. Even if they are not, they are secure facilities and not readily accessible Even if they were accessible there would be no one living there that was there when I was a child. All the personal would have been transferred or retired.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
New Posting Strategy
I am going to try a new strategy to keep my blog current. I am going to try to post on Sundays and Wednesdays. I think the posting whenever method leads to procrastination which snowballs and your blog quickly become out of date.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Multigenerational Living - Month 3
Of Lawns and Guest Rooms
Month Three finds the Kids and grandkids enjoying the backyard. They really love the backyard, as we have a 1/3 acre size lot. The grandkids have a portion of the yard filled with toys and they play outside whenever possible. The kids also enjoy barbecuing and spending time outside. This month Christian held his 5th birthday party outside on the lawn, where there was much chaos and play. Fun was had by all. The only problem with the kids having almost exclusive use of the yard is that they are responsible for lawn care and there seems to a lack of exuberance for this task.
One downside of multigenerational living is the lack of room for the 4th generation. My wife no longer has a guestroom for her mom and step dad to stay in. When they come to visit they have to make other arrangements.
Despite the downside created by the lack of a guest room . There is a silver lining to this multigenerational living . We do not have to mow the yard, or at least we think we will not have to mow the yard.
Month Three finds the Kids and grandkids enjoying the backyard. They really love the backyard, as we have a 1/3 acre size lot. The grandkids have a portion of the yard filled with toys and they play outside whenever possible. The kids also enjoy barbecuing and spending time outside. This month Christian held his 5th birthday party outside on the lawn, where there was much chaos and play. Fun was had by all. The only problem with the kids having almost exclusive use of the yard is that they are responsible for lawn care and there seems to a lack of exuberance for this task.
One downside of multigenerational living is the lack of room for the 4th generation. My wife no longer has a guestroom for her mom and step dad to stay in. When they come to visit they have to make other arrangements.
Despite the downside created by the lack of a guest room . There is a silver lining to this multigenerational living . We do not have to mow the yard, or at least we think we will not have to mow the yard.
Monday, September 21, 2009
What Kinds of Fiction Do I Like
Another blog I follow asked the question “What is your favorite KIND of book?”. I stared to write a reply then realized it would be a very long reply post so I thought I would answer it here and just link my answer as a reply.
I am thriller/mystery/fantasy fan:
Thrillers: These would be works by such authors as Alistair MacLean, Robert Ludlum, Frederick Forsyth, Tom Clancy, Clive Cussler, Dan Brown, Michael Crichton (most of his novels do contain some science fiction but I would argue that only the Andromeda Strain and Terminal Man are pure Sci-Fi); James Rollins and Lincoln and Childs.
Mysteries: There are many subgenres of mysteries:
1. Classic Mysteries: Arthur Conan Doyle; Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers; Dashiell Hammett; Raymond Chandler and Harry Kemelman (The Rabbi series) I would argue to include Kemelman in the classics.
2. Straight Mysteries: These are the whodunits that can have police officers (that are not police procedurals) , private eyes, psychologists or even dog mushers as their protagonists: Authors would include: Stieg Larsson (my current favorite author); Dana Stabenow; J.A. Jance ( Some of her early Beaumont books might be considered police procedurals ) Jonathan Kellerman; Sue Henry (Jessie Arnold series) ; Nevada Barr; Robert B Parker; James Patterson ( The Alex Cross and Women’s Murder Club series); and Tony Hillerman ; Ridley Pearson ( Walt Fleming series); Elizabeth Peters; Jeffery Deaver and Janet Evanovich
3. Police Procedurals: I don’t care for the classic police procedural, al la Ed McBain and Joseph Wambaugh. I do like a few of what might be classified as procedural, works by John Sandford (both the Davenport and the Flowers series); Michael Connelly (the Harry Bosch series), Elizabeth George; P. D. James ; Sue Henry (Alex Jensen series) and Linda Fairstein
4. Forensic Science Mysteries: Kathy Reichs; Patricia Cornwell (her early works, the later books are weak) Ridley Pearson (his stand alone works and Lou Boldt series have a lot of forensics in them, though they could be considered police procedurals); and Aaron Elkins (who is writing again!)
5. Cozy Mysteries: This is a harder category to describe – there a number of definitions. Most cozies take place in small towns and usually do not involve a lot of gory details or explicit adult situations. Most of my favorite cozies involve animals these include: Sue Henry (the Maxie and Stretch series); Susan Conant; Donna Andrews and Rita Mae Brown
Fantasy:
Pure Fantasy: Tolkien; Raymond Feist; Robert Jordan ( the first 4 Wheel of Time books for sure, maybe up through 7 then they really begin to drag) ; Weis and Hickman (the Dragon Lance series); Piers Anthony (Xanth series) and Elaine Cunningham (Song of Swords series)
Alternate reality: Kim Harrison; Jim Butcher (Dresden Files series) and Laurell K. Hamilton (her early Anita Blake works – the later ones devolved into soft porn)
I am thriller/mystery/fantasy fan:
Thrillers: These would be works by such authors as Alistair MacLean, Robert Ludlum, Frederick Forsyth, Tom Clancy, Clive Cussler, Dan Brown, Michael Crichton (most of his novels do contain some science fiction but I would argue that only the Andromeda Strain and Terminal Man are pure Sci-Fi); James Rollins and Lincoln and Childs.
Mysteries: There are many subgenres of mysteries:
1. Classic Mysteries: Arthur Conan Doyle; Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers; Dashiell Hammett; Raymond Chandler and Harry Kemelman (The Rabbi series) I would argue to include Kemelman in the classics.
2. Straight Mysteries: These are the whodunits that can have police officers (that are not police procedurals) , private eyes, psychologists or even dog mushers as their protagonists: Authors would include: Stieg Larsson (my current favorite author); Dana Stabenow; J.A. Jance ( Some of her early Beaumont books might be considered police procedurals ) Jonathan Kellerman; Sue Henry (Jessie Arnold series) ; Nevada Barr; Robert B Parker; James Patterson ( The Alex Cross and Women’s Murder Club series); and Tony Hillerman ; Ridley Pearson ( Walt Fleming series); Elizabeth Peters; Jeffery Deaver and Janet Evanovich
3. Police Procedurals: I don’t care for the classic police procedural, al la Ed McBain and Joseph Wambaugh. I do like a few of what might be classified as procedural, works by John Sandford (both the Davenport and the Flowers series); Michael Connelly (the Harry Bosch series), Elizabeth George; P. D. James ; Sue Henry (Alex Jensen series) and Linda Fairstein
4. Forensic Science Mysteries: Kathy Reichs; Patricia Cornwell (her early works, the later books are weak) Ridley Pearson (his stand alone works and Lou Boldt series have a lot of forensics in them, though they could be considered police procedurals); and Aaron Elkins (who is writing again!)
5. Cozy Mysteries: This is a harder category to describe – there a number of definitions. Most cozies take place in small towns and usually do not involve a lot of gory details or explicit adult situations. Most of my favorite cozies involve animals these include: Sue Henry (the Maxie and Stretch series); Susan Conant; Donna Andrews and Rita Mae Brown
Fantasy:
Pure Fantasy: Tolkien; Raymond Feist; Robert Jordan ( the first 4 Wheel of Time books for sure, maybe up through 7 then they really begin to drag) ; Weis and Hickman (the Dragon Lance series); Piers Anthony (Xanth series) and Elaine Cunningham (Song of Swords series)
Alternate reality: Kim Harrison; Jim Butcher (Dresden Files series) and Laurell K. Hamilton (her early Anita Blake works – the later ones devolved into soft porn)
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Driving & Texting - A Thoughts About Technology Post
Most of us have heard news reports about accidents caused by someone texting while driving. There have been news reports showing how inattentive you are while texting. Far more so than talking on the phone without hands free, eating, or changing a CD. Recently I got to see how a person drives while texting.
I was heading up a major 4 lane street, when I got behind a pickup truck being driven by a young woman who was obviously texting. To say her driving was erratic is a major understatement. Her speed varied from over 40, the speed limit is 35, down to 25. She crossed over the lane lines at least three times while I was following her, once cutting off another car who blared its horn, to no effect. She also drove in the bike lane for quite some time. I said to myself then, that I was glad there were no cyclists using it.
Of course there were no cops around so she got away with it. She endangered numerous lives, looked like an irresponsible jerk and since she got away with it she will most likely do it again. Next time the results could be disastrous. More and more states are passing tough laws against driving while texting or using a cell phone without a hands free device. After watching one idiot drive and text I hope all states pass such laws.
I was heading up a major 4 lane street, when I got behind a pickup truck being driven by a young woman who was obviously texting. To say her driving was erratic is a major understatement. Her speed varied from over 40, the speed limit is 35, down to 25. She crossed over the lane lines at least three times while I was following her, once cutting off another car who blared its horn, to no effect. She also drove in the bike lane for quite some time. I said to myself then, that I was glad there were no cyclists using it.
Of course there were no cops around so she got away with it. She endangered numerous lives, looked like an irresponsible jerk and since she got away with it she will most likely do it again. Next time the results could be disastrous. More and more states are passing tough laws against driving while texting or using a cell phone without a hands free device. After watching one idiot drive and text I hope all states pass such laws.
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