Some P...Stieg Larsson

[Robert Mahnke]

I'm reading the second Larsson book right now, and I guess I don't
find the comparison with Pynchon particularly instructive.  Like his
predecessors, Maj Sjöwall & Per Wahlöö, and Henning Mankell, social
issues flirt around the edges of Larsson's stories.  But the story
itself is always the thing.  Pynchon's world is much thicker and
richer, and he has much more to say about it.  I don't find Larsson's
characters particularly realistic -- the comparison is not fair, but
his Lisbeth Salander is to  Maj Sjöwall & Per Wahlöö's Martin Beck and
Mankell's Kurt Wallender is like Ludlum's Jason Bourne to, say, John
Le Carre's characters, more capable and less likely to be slowed by
confusion and the like.  The Larsson books are entertainment, but
nothing like what Pynchon writes.

On Mon, Sep 7, 2009 at 4:35 PM, Charles Albert <cfalbert at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> At the risk of being reamed by the new list nanny, I thought I might solicit some observations on the above mentioned author, whose posthumously published Millennium Trilogy has drawn raves from many critics (including Philip Pullman).
>
> Just finished the first in the series, and was struck by the contrast with IV. Larsson's work is a superbly executed "mystery/thriller" and his characters are well crafted, particularly the co-protagonist Lisbeth Salander. I will go out immediately and buy the next installment, but am quite certain that unlike IV, I wont read any of them  a second or third time. For all the complaints about Pynchon's inattention to character and lack of emotion, it is hard to argue that he accomplishes more with fewer brush strokes than many who are lauded for their capacities in those respects....
>
> love,
> cfa
>
>