tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684936771162708210.comments2010-11-09T10:13:49.591-08:00Rock Star's RainbowKevin Glavinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10780578064977162173noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684936771162708210.post-40133193302923231612010-11-09T10:13:49.591-08:002010-11-09T10:13:49.591-08:00I haven't read this book or know anything abou...I haven't read this book or know anything about it, but I will say that "dragons" and "tattoos" are very popular. These concrete words resonate with people and probably prompt them to buy it. Because of these concrete terms, the title is also very easy for people to remember and talk about. <br /><br />Your complaints about this novel sound quite justified considering the cringing examples you provide. I've read more than one popular bestseller of questionable quality. Sometimes I think the concept and first few chapters get approved and then everything is rushed into production with barely a proofreading. I've read books that people rave about and get made into movies that were truly lame. I won't mention them for the sake of not being mean.Tracy Falbehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11123036773665001783noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684936771162708210.post-55953991638294028802010-10-25T03:58:04.608-07:002010-10-25T03:58:04.608-07:00I don't care how well marketed a book is. I do...I don't care how well marketed a book is. I don't read books I find to be dull. If it doesn't "hook me" and keep me interested within the first 20 pages or so, I usually put it down. <br /><br />For many reasons, this one kept me reading. Far from being "highbrow literature," it was, in my opinion, none-the-less a fun read. <br /><br />Let us begin with the fact that the original story was not written in English, and that the whole context and setting takes place in a region of the world that many of us probably have at least some difficulty relating to. <br /><br />I too, am partly of Swedish ancestry, however, other than knowing approximately where it is on a map, and the names of a few regions where my ancestors came from, I know very little about Sweden itself. <br /><br />Perhaps this is one reason I found the stories so intriguing. It challenged me to look at the world from a very different perspective than the one I am used to. <br /><br />Additionally, there are enough stylistic differences in European (let alone Swedish) culture, that a neophyte, unused to such nuances, may not be able to easily adjust to it. <br /><br />I suspect that the (sometimes excruciating) precision with which the author establishes the main characters may be an example of such a difference. At least half of the first book is given over to setting the stage for the rest of the series. <br /><br />This leads me to another point. The author had originally planned this to be the first of ten books, then he dropped dead rather suddenly. This may have added something to the mystique of the series, but it may be this is why the author took such pains to introduce the main characters so extensively (there is supposedly, a nearly completed fourth book, and more than an outline for a fifth, by the way).Jeffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06806373917792735370noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684936771162708210.post-31980713998420647312009-08-29T18:05:33.006-07:002009-08-29T18:05:33.006-07:00Sure, thanks Laura!Sure, thanks Laura!Kevin Glavinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10780578064977162173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684936771162708210.post-29360400770115253502009-08-29T18:02:21.968-07:002009-08-29T18:02:21.968-07:00Thanks, Rafael. Hope you like it. I'm trying v...Thanks, Rafael. Hope you like it. I'm trying very hard to make it a page-turner:)Kevin Glavinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10780578064977162173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684936771162708210.post-40060414813221442562009-08-29T16:17:21.355-07:002009-08-29T16:17:21.355-07:00I will read your blog....will you read mine???? h...I will read your blog....will you read mine???? http://www.chicagoeatslocal.blogspot.com<br /><br />Laurak signing out.Laura Younghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16977001681020918756noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5684936771162708210.post-28601310563386567372009-08-29T15:11:39.078-07:002009-08-29T15:11:39.078-07:00I'm definitely looking forward to buying and r...I'm definitely looking forward to buying and reading this book. YES<br /><br />-Rafael GonzalezAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08848197887779568917noreply@blogger.com