|
[ Home ]
[ About | Reviews | Search | Submit ]
It is no surprise that genius/hacker/action hero Lisbeth Salander and her counterpart, crusading journalist Mikael Blomkvist are destined to survive the death of their creator, in this case the untimely demise of the Swedish crime writer Stieg Larsson. While David Lagercrantz is probably not likely to be the only author to appropriate Larsson's characters, he is certainly the first off the starting block with a substantial novel entitled THE GIRL IN THE SPIDER'S WEB.
Diehard aficionados who know every dot of Lisbeth's dragon tattoo are probably not going to like any knock-off of the originals. Eva Gabrielsson, Larsson's long-term partner, is allegedly among the disgruntled because the author left behind a fourth manuscript for the Millennium series. However, the casual but informed listener like myself who greatly enjoyed Larsson's trilogy will find the new offering quite satisfying.
This post-Larsson world finds Lisbeth back in Stockholm from her many travels. She has reinvented herself once again, this time as a major player in the world of hacking, under the name of "Wasp." She has always enjoyed hacking, but now it is her main passion. Meanwhile, Millennium Magazine is on the brink of collapse for a number of reasons. Mikael's enemies are plotting to buy it up, absorb it, or close it. None of these scenarios will include Blomkvist. But they may not have to go that far: Blomkvist is a star investigative reporter of the past now, hungry for a meaty new story that will restore his personal luster and consequently that of his treasured magazine.
Seguing perfectly into their two lives is Franz Balder, a specialist in artificial intelligence who has quit his job in the United States in order to take care of his severely autistic but gifted son. Once, Franz was labeled an unfit parent as he neglected his child while trying to create computer programs that would learn and replicate themselves until they could surpass and perhaps replace humans. But now he sees the benefits of humanity, even in his son's flawed being, and he is willing to destroy his own work to make it up to his child.
Franz's efforts may be too late. Though Lisbeth has tried to get other hackers out of his life and Franz has engaged Mikael to tell his story, both the good guys and the villains want his program, of course. Thus begins an all-out assault on Franz and his son, and a hoped for rescue by Lisbeth and Mikael, with all the usual fights and chases.
The novel is even more comic book-like than Larsson's work, but Lagercrantz pulls the listener along through his convoluted plot. He has studied the characters assiduously: the central figures behave fairly consistently with Larsson's originals. His own additions fit in, particularly Camilla, Lisbeth's sister. Perhaps because of the hacker theme, I did find my mind wandering a bit when Franz or National Security Agency geeks were discussing the complexities of algorithms and other fine points of artificial intelligence.
As translator, George Goulding seems up to the job of translating cyberspeak, gangster talk, and the careful conversations of various spies. He certainly seems to match the fluency of Reg Keeland, Larsson's translator. If one finds fault here, it will have to rest with the author.
A wonderful move on the part of Penguin Random House Audio was to engage the talented services of Simon Vance, who narrated the Millennium Trilogy. Vance's performance gives the series continuity and lends authenticity to the audio version. Whether or not one trusts Lagercrantz, one feels confident when Vance is at the microphone. Lisbeth has a lower class, somewhat Cockney accent. Since she doesn't speak much, her clipped words are perfect. Franz, Mikael, and the MILLENNIUM crew speak in smooth and refined tones. I also liked the convincing way that Simon handled the many American characters. Most impressive is the fact that the narrative consists of shorter segments than Larsson used; the segments might have seemed jumpy in the hands of a narrator with less skill than Vance.
Most listeners are going to be delighted to have Salander and Blomkvist, this perfect - and perfectly odd - couple returned to them in audio. Now other Larsson imitators at least have a model they should aim to equal or better. Meanwhile, Lagercrantz's GIRL IN THE SPIDER'S WEB is there to enjoy.
§ An avid audiophile, Karla Jay is a retired professor of English and Women's & Gender Studies. She is a frequent contributor to this site.
Reviewed by Karla Jay, November 2015
[ Top ]
QUICK SEARCH:
Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
[ About | Reviews | Search | Submit ]
[ Home ]
| 
