The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

I picked up the book on a whim and tore through it. I have since read the second and third books. I am going to miss these characters.

They made the books into movies over in Sweden. Dragon Tattoo is on DVD, and Played with Fire is in theaters in some locations. I finally got the DVD from the library yesterday and settled in to watch it last night. They did not skimp on the length of the movie, but even still they had to gloss over or skimp on parts of the book. The good news is - it worked well. They balanced all of the exposition in the book with an appropriate amount of show and tell. Although the actors were not how I pictured the characters while reading the books - with the exception of Lisbeth - that didn't keep me from enjoying the film.

Of course, given the popularity of the books in the U.S., someone decided they could make some money by making an English version. As of now, they have not released any word on who may play Lisbeth. My fondest wish is they go with someone relatively unknown and not a darling of the headlines. They have cast Daniel Craig for Blomkvist, which works surprisingly well. When people were clamoring for George Clooney, all I could do was cringe. I maintain that the stories were not about beautiful people, so we shouldn't fill the screen with people who are highly valued for their appearance. (No Angelina as Erika. No Brad Pitt. No George Clooney. Please, please pick a young girl who can act as Lisbeth. That eliminates the female cast of Twilight. Got it?)

I can't wait to see Played with Fire now. The DVD had a short preview, and I caught a glimpse of Niedermann. He looks well cast. I think the first movie lost something by not fleshing out the side characters, and I am really looking forward to seeing more of them next.

If you haven't read the trilogy yet, you should. If you fell for the Twilight rage and consequently went into a deep depression, these books will help. I am pretty sure they have earned a spot next to all of my Stephen King.