General Chat

I'll be back tomorrow to do my reviews.

Thanks Tess

Hi Ann, quick reviews (my grandsons are in bed now).

The Widow Ginger Pip Granger.

Although it isn't a book to rave about, I enjoyed the story told by Rosie.
A very different life from the one I lead as a child, I would think that she was at times hard done by. Rosie however, had a positive view of her own life and felt that she was much loved, an example to those of us who feel sorry for themselves at the drop of a hat.
I will look out for Rosie's previous story "Not all tarts are Apples" just because I would like to more about her. Also wondered if her Mum was given a voice in the first book.


Travels with my Aunt.

Not at all what I was expecting (although I don't really know WHAT I was expecting!).
Found it interesting at first and guessed that Aunt was probably his mother (once she her told him that his late mother wasn't his real mother).
Somehow I had expected to feel compassion for and liking of the main charecters. However the more I read about them (especially aunt) the less I liked them.
I felt that Miss Keene had a lucky escape. That poor Wordsworth was shabbily treated (even before they murdered him.
A sleazy set of people leading sleazy lives.
The thought that poor Maria, daughter of the Chief of Customs, would have to marry the horrid Henry when she was sixteen made my flesh creep. Thank goodness they are not real people.


Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

A marvelous story, well told by Stieg Larsson. The Charecters were interesting. I felt quite maternal towards Lisbeth and wanted to keep her safe.

Mikael Blomkvist was the person I want to track down my illusive ancestors. I cared about him too.

The Vanger family were obviously odd. I just didn't realise how odd, till the story developed.

I thought that Harriet was still alive and had engineered her own disappearance, just had no idea at all about the whys and hows etc.
So there were alot of surprises, almost till the final page.

I had thought that there was a connection between Lisbeth and Harriet ... okay I was wrong!

I will be reading Stieg Larssons other books, and will throughly recommend them to friends (both male and female)
Would also like to learn more about the author, who died aged 50.

This was by far the best of the three GR Books for this month.

OK Tess I will put the suggestions thread up or else you will miss it. I did say the date would be 31st did you forget.

Ann, just seen this. Going away for a few days tomorrow. Also expecting visitors (any minute) They will probably stay overnight. Don't know if I will be able to get back to you this evening, but will try my best.
Tess

The Widow Ginger I read a couple of years ago and enjoyed it but there was a first one in the series (can't remember the title) which I preferred.

Review The Girl with the dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

This was one book that I had no inclination to read, I had seen it on the shelves and though ‘no, not for me, not my type of book at all’. I had also read all the reviews in Amazon, or rather a lot of them, too many to read them all. Some of them confirmed my idea that it was not my type of book. Then I saw it in tesco and bought it.
Picked it up and read it, all 533 pages of it in six days.
I was right, it is not my type of book at all, it is violent, it is a complex detective type story, it is clumsily translated in places (anon for eventually), the names of the characters are difficult to pronounce but goodness it is gripping and well written.
The characters are complex, Salander is believable, just, I suppose there are people like her with photographic memories who can hack into all sorts of computers. That is frightening in itself. And I am sure there are people like Martin Vanger and Wennerstrom in the world. Blomkvist with his failings is also very believable.
The search to find if Harriet is alive or dead was well thought out and covered a wide area. Either Larsson knew the areas visited or did his research well.
So, yes a good book, I didn’t enjoy the violence but it was part of the story and not gratuitous and the fact I couldn’t put it down probably means that on one level I enjoyed it. I am not sure whether I want to read the other two books in the trilogy.
But what a loss to readers was Stieg Larsson’s death.

From May as she is on holiday. She has just reviewed Travels with My Aunt

The Widow Ginger and Travels with my Aunt . At the beginning I thought I would like an aunt like her but as the story progressed and I realised it was his Mother and all she had been up to, I thought "No thank you".

Ready for tomorrow:

Please review
the Girl with the dragon tattoo

The Widow Ginger
Travels with my Aunt.