But you know, the zombie issue wasn't really as scary as I expected. In retrospect, I think it's because the narrators had grown up with the zombie plague and it was part of their normal world.

I liked that it was a constant, looming, simmering threat. Fear was a part of their normal world.

I have a question for people who have read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo AND saw the movie.

I started to read the book this summer, got put off by the interminably long boring description of the libel case, and gave up. However, several people here said to just skim that part, because the details aren't really important. So, I was thinking the other day that I would give the book a shot again.

Last night, I randomly came across an LJ entry talking about the movie (it didn't say anything about the book), and the person mentioned the movie's rape scene, with some detail.

My question is this: if you've read the book and seen the movie -- is that scene in the movie faithful to the book? That is, working backwards, can I assume from the description of the scene in the movie that the same things happen in the book?

I don't mean slavishly note-perfect; I don't mean, she was wearing a blue shirt in the book and a green shirt in the movie and therefore NO, the movie is not faithful to the book.

Basically, and I'll whitefont this, is there a rape scene in the book, and if so, is there forced oral sex? Sorry to be blunt. But I'd rather know now so I can skip the book, because I can't read things like that without getting seriously triggered. I would have preferred to have not even read the movie description (it wasn't under a cut tag on LJ), but on the other hand, if it gave me forewarning of something I'd be better off not reading, then that's the better of two lousy options.

There are actually two different scenes. It's a little complicated, but basically, the first one is forced oral sex for money, but I don't remember the description being particularly graphic, the second one is a more graphic rape scene, which I don't think includes oral sex, not that that necessarily matters. However, I will say that the movie version was far more difficult for me to watch than reading about either.

But it sounds like the whole book might not be for you. Remember, the original Swedish title is Men Who Hate Women.

And there is also an equally violent revenge scene later.

That's all I need to know. Thanks, folks. Seriously. I'd rather know so I don't read stuff like that.

Hil, i didn't find even the third book super controversial and was amused by Catholics getting all huffy about it. Questioning the motives of people who do very bad things to other people might just be ok, ya'll. And yeah, none of that really gets overt until the third book. The first big is just an awesome fantasy with animal embodiments of the soul and armored polar bears. POLAR BEARS.

I think the His Dark Materials books are only anti-Catholic/Christian if you choose to read them that way. They can be read as an allegory about power and institutions more generally. (Although I'd managed never to encounter the concept of the Fall as a positive thing until Pullman, and it blew this good little Christian's MIND. Fantastic stuff.)

I'm half way through Sarah Waters' The Little Stranger. I'm not usually a fan of her books as I find them melodramatic, but this one's beautifully written and pure, literary gothic. Loving it. I need to get more books in audiobook format - I can enjoy reading again that way.

I think the His Dark Materials books are only anti-Catholic/Christian if you choose to read them that way

Hasn't Pullman said explicitly that he meant them to be an indictment of the Catholic Church?

Hasn't Pullman said explicitly that he meant them to be an indictment of the Catholic Church?

Intentional Fallacy!