18 October 2010

the girl with the dragon tattoo

 i keep reading the words "gratuitous violence" in connection to this book and the two that followed.  it is a brutal and disturbing theme and it is certainly violent.  but i am perplexed.  is the argument that Larsson could have implied violence and made his point?  is the violence he describes too real or too graphic?  is it gratuitous because people find it unbelievable?  is it because a woman rapes a man?

1 comment:

cressida said...

I think his books address his views about violence against women, and to get the most dramatic reaction, he needs to give the most dramatic scene. The violence he describes actually exists, mostly against women. To write it is not to condone it at all, it is to address and expose it, and awaken people to the seriousness.