outside reading viii

Outside Reading VIII-
a book review
by Janet Maslin
Stoking the Fire Larsson Ignited
January 10, 2011.

Stoking the Fire Larsson Ignited is a review of the book Three Seconds, by Anders Roslund and Borge Hellstrom, and right off the bat it sounds unfavorable. Maslin begins the article by quoting an excerpt from the book which encompasses an almost comical amount of jumbly and wordy Swedish names, sarcastically stating that that has become "the sound of music for those who publish mystery novels these days." In other words, Maslin is basically saying that these particular authors seem to be gaining most of their popularity through their nationality- Swedish.

Maslin's review alludes to the famous and wildly successful Millenium Trilogy, which also takes place in Sweden and is written by a Swedish author. Her sarcasm is cutting when she implies that their book's success is gained by being "wishfully packaged to suggest that 'The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo' has a second cousin." 


She is also heavily sarcastic when she states "Even better, they are on a first-name basis with the Seven Dwarfs of Scandinavian Noir: Guilty, Moody, Broody, Mopey, Kinky, Dreary and Anything-but-Bashful." By listing these "Seven Dwarfs of Scandinavian Noir", she is implying that the novel is rather unoriginal, and that it lacks the true creativity that makes a great novel. Also, by drawing the parallel to "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs", the author makes readers think of fairy tales. This could be her way of implying that the book is fanciful or unrealistic, fit for children rather than for the educated reader.


However, Maslin does praise the book, stating that there are many plot particulars that are very clever and are likely to capture reader's attention. This somewhat discredits her previous scathing criticisms. 


As for the critical perspectives at work, it's hard to say. Maslin spent most of the article just ripping on how the novel is only coasting on the fame of the Millenium series. However, she does comment briefly on how "Three Seconds" may be making a political commentary, and her annoyance with (what she deems) the authors' over-exaggerated stereotypes and symbolism can be considered formalism/archetypal. 
She tends to list these stereotypes in an oversimplified manner as to make them seem stupider than they might actually be, describing one character as "a loner who lies on the floor a lot." This sentence brings into our mind the image of an angsty emo guy who sits on his bathroom tile and feels sorry for himself. I am fairly certain that, in the book, there may be some sort of deeper meaning or some thought that goes on while he's chilling on his floor, but Maslin fails to mention that and effectively makes it seems stupid.


Overall, Maslin's review of "Three Seconds" is pretty unfavorable, giving it the final rating of a "half-decent Millenium knockoff."

edit: Maslin's technique of oversimplification reminds me of the last book review I did; it seems that critics often leave out important details to make plots seem juvenile and silly. This also reminds me of all the knockoff vampire books that are trying to ride on the fame of Twilight. However, why one would want to be associated with Stephenie Meyers' books I do not know...