BOOK REVIEW: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Harriet Vanger, a scion of one of Sweden's wealthiest families disappeared over forty years ago. All these years later, her aged uncle continues to seek the truth. He hires Mikael Blomkvist, a crusading journalist recently trapped by a libel conviction, to investigate. He is aided by the pierced and tattooed punk prodigy Lisbeth Salander. Together they tap into a vein of iniquity and corruption.

Author: Stieg Larsson

Country:  Sweden (2005)

Published in English: 2008, translated by Reg Keeland

Genre: Crime, Mystery, Thriller

Series:  #1 of the Millenium Series

Pages:  590

"It was uneven stylistically, and in places the writing was actually rather poor - there had been no time for any fine polishing - but the book was animated by a fury that no reader could help but notice." -(Berger, describing Blomkvist's book)

Maybe it's the translator's fault, I don't know, but that quote above is how I will describe Larsson's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Now, now, before you flare up and start to defend this book like how I would defend my secret stash of Twix candy bars - Battle Royale style - I'm not saying this book is not good. It is. But it's overrated. In my opinion, it really is. While reading, once or twice I said to myself, "Surely, the film versions are better than this. Hopefully." (I haven't watched its film adaptations yet)

Pitch Perfect (2013)

Beca, a freshman at Barden University, is cajoled into joining The Bellas, her school's all-girls singing group. Injecting some much needed energy into their repertoire, The Bellas take on their male rivals in a campus competition.

Directed by:  Jason Moore (his debut film)

Screenplay by:  Kay Cannon 

Starring:  Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Britanny Snow, Skylar Astin

Running Time:  112 minutes

"Get Pitch-Slapped"

This is Glee... in college. I won't say more on that subject.

Forget about the story - it's typical.

Forget about the song choices - it's average, and it seems they blindly picked songs from the Billboard 100 or whatever you call it. Okay, they added some 80's flavor (which I love), so, good move!

Forget about the performances - because they are, again, average at best. Although that last perfomance of The Bellas entertained me a lot.

But, I kinda liked the movie.

Maybe it's because I wasn't expecting much before pressing PLAY. But seriously,