Recent Reading

While I’ve been using my Nook Tablet for general email and web consumption purposes, I’ve also put it to use with some reading as well. Rooting it and installing the Kindle app has paid dividends because the Wife had some interesting books that I’ve read. Or should I say, some books I was interested in reading, both because they recently were made into high profile movies.

The first was The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo. It was a fast read, but the subject matter is extremely dark. Stieg Larson is not very charitable to his homeland with the story, as he gives the distinct impression that a majority of men have serious misogynistic tendencies. His descriptions of the violations visited on the women in his stories are brutal and unforgiving, like he wants the reader to cringe. So to, was the second book The Girl Who Played With Fire. Although on the whole, the second book was weaker than the first, as the ending is extremely weak. Larson ventures jumps right across the believability line with the final sequence his heroine is subjected to. In fact, it ticked me off so much I’ve put off reading the 3rd book because I felt the 2nd book should have just continued and it was such an obvious ploy to create a 3rd story. Unfortunately, I likely relent and read the 3rd book to see how the story finally resolves. I’m sure it will involve even more serious depredation of women, which frankly is something that can only be read so much before I choose to look away for awhile- another reason I’m taking a break from the story.

Another story with a dark plot line is the more recent The Hunger Games. It too is a fast read- I sat and read it yesterday in it’s entirety. It’s clearly geared towards teens. One thing I found interesting is that from all the movie reviews and previews I read, I was expecting a lot of minor character development for the likes of, for instance, Cinna and Haymitch. But the reality is the book really doesn’t develop them much because the story is told through the first person account of Katniss. Therefore, the only real character development in the book is Katniss- everything is told through her eyes and her perception of her world. Also, as I was reading I felt I was really reading a screenplay. When compared against a story like Game of Thrones, there’s not much in the way of picture painting. The story basically develops a plot and keeps it moving. Of course, with a target audience of teens that makes sense- just get on with the story, who cares about all the minutiae of developing vivid scenes and towns and the like.

But again, the story is based on the abuse of power and the extent that those with that power will go to hold onto it. The Hunger Games are a futuristic Roman gladiator festival in the Colosseum. The difference is the contest pits teenagers from different Districts, all beholden to the Capitol, in a winner-take-all fight to the death. Why does the Capitol do this? Because it can, and each holding of the Games reminds the other Districts of their helplessness against the Capitol. The story tracks Katniss’ preparation for and participation in the Games. In the meantime, the people in the Capitol view it as a version of American Idol. A vicious future society in deed.

Of the three, I definitely wouldn’t let any but the most mature teen read the Stieg Larson novels. Similarly, The Hunger Games are not light fare in terms of subject matter, and should be treated accordingly. I won’t give out ages since kids are all over the map there. Any parent would do themselves a service to read the story, or at least familiarize themselves with it to some extent. If for no other reason than to know what the kids are talking about these days. Suffice it to say, the boy and the lass won’t be reading any of these, or having them read to them, any time soon.