~~~Lara Zielin~~~

FAVE LINKEY-POO RIGHT THIS SECOND: This “documentary” about Saved by the Bell’s Rod Belding. I watched it in its entirety, twice, because I loved it so.

After breezing through THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO and really enjoying it, I was excited to pick up THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE.

But only a few pages in, something wasn’t sitting right with me. I put the book down and tried explaining my discontent to Rob. But all I could vent about was the fact that the author had given the heroine, Lisbeth Salander, a boob job.

Then I read Entertainment Weekly columnist Missy Schwartz’s take on the novel in the June 25 issue, and a lightbulb went off. Larsson (the author), she says, was supposed to be a feminist, but Schwartz herself has a “hard time reconciling  his ostensibly feminist agenda with all the male fantasy coursing through the books.” I concur! The protagonist, Mikael Blomkvist, is a turn-on for every woman on every page. Puke. Whatever. And even though Schwartz doesn’t say this, I took issue with how every woman in the books was portrayed as not only hot and heavy for Blomkvist, but also as having some kind of alternative sex life. From multiple partners to  promiscuity to playing for both teams, no woman was ever just content being in a single, satisfying relationship.

Oh, wait. Maybe one was. But she was murdered.

What’s more, the violence committed against women in the books is atrocious. Schwartz says that while you can argue that’s the point — “bring it out into the open, try to prevent it from happening again” — she’s unsettled by exploiting it for storytelling purposes. Yes again. I concur.

But the point I really got behind was Schwartz’s take on Larsson’s treatment of Lisbeth herself. She gets a boob job and we’re told the quality of her life improves. She never “accepts her imperfections.” And therein lies the rub. We are none of us perfect. Unfortunately, like Heidi Montag, Lisbeth winds up thinking that altering her imperfections will bring her satisfaction.

But that’s just not true. And as a result, THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE is laying on my floor, half read, and I’ll never finish it.

FAVE LINKEY-POO RIGHT THIS SECOND: The Huffington Post’s guide to dressing like a world leader for Halloween. I might scrap my donut costume and go as Kim Jong-Il.

I have book club tonight and, I have to say, I love being part of a group that commits to reading and discussing a book once per month. This month’s pick was DANCE OF THE HAPPY SHADES by Alice Munro and, even though it really wasn’t my cup of tea, I appreciate being yanked out of my comfort zone and forced to read something I normally wouldn’t.

I also wouldn’t be opposed to being part of a YA book club (*bats eyelashes and looks wistfully at the sky*). Now wouldn’t that be dreamy? Anybody out there part of one? If so, what are you reading?