Reflection 7: Non-Fiction

To be considered non-fiction, I think a book has to be 100% true. When I think about non-fiction, the first thing that comes to mind is a true story. If even anything is made up in it, I don’t think it should still be considered non-fiction. Lies are added to stories to make them more interesting. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that if you’re not listing it on the book shelves as the truth. Half-truths make some of the best stories because the author can give you true insight on a real topic without the actual situation being true. Authors still list these as non-fiction because they think it will be more interesting. I bet The Blind Side wouldn’t be near as popular if someone had made up the whole thing and Michael Oher wasn’t actually an NFL football player. These stories are more inspiring and heart-warming to readers because someone it’s happened to a real person. I definitely think that there needs to be more distinct lines between genres because there’s obviously something wrong if anyone with a good story filled with embellishments can publish a book as a memoir. It takes credibility from authors and everyone else involved in the release of that books. Readers have a harder time trusting the genre given to books. Are they true or just a way of selling a fabricated tale?

Review 3: The Girl Who Played with Fire

                I would classify The Girl Who Played with Fire as a thriller. It definitely has the aspects of a crime thriller because they are looking for refuge who is organizing crimes, including sex trafficking. There are “chase scenes, cover-ups, kidnappings, spies, and espionage” which are all components of a crime thriller. Suspense is one of Larsson’s best talents when it comes to these books. I think it has a small twinge of mystery to it because there are authorities and detectives trying to solve a murder. In these ways it is a very typical for thrillers. What separates it from others is definitely the story. A “random murder” ends up unraveling all the strings of an ex-military man seeking asylum in this country in exchange for military information. Cops are on the hunt for him for numerous charges at the same time the federal government still trying to keep his identity a secret. Scenes where people are being taken to an unknown warehouse to be tortured or digging up bodies in the woods are what make it a thriller. Police are important to the reader because that’s how we find out about most of these things, despite a few details being figured out by journalist Mikael Blomkvist and a technologically advanced girl named Lisbeth. Other subplots, like finding out Zalachenko is Lisbeth’s abusive father, her trying to kill him, and her countless unfair years in psychiatric care also make it a thriller because in a seemingly unrelated way, these are all important to move the plot forward and making sure readers get the full story. So many things happen in this book and something Larsson will bring up in one chapter won’t be addressed until maybe ten chapters later. His books thrive on suspense. This thriller literally makes it impossible to stop reading.

Reflection 6: Book Genres

I think that genres help books a lot. If people know the specific type of novel they like to read then it’s easier to find books they’ll enjoy. Personally, I like fictional books. I don’t like science fiction at all because I don’t really understand it. I enjoyed books like The Hunger Games and The Uglies that take places in a futuristic world without it being too much about the scientific aspect. In this way, my taste has pretty much stayed the same. Genres are extremely helpful and necessary because it would be nearly impossible for people to find the books they like if they don’t have anything to go off of and genre is an easy way to classify books that everyone can understand. Out of the genres we discussed, my favorites are dystopian and magic realism. These seem opposite, but both of these make you believe in them. Dystopian makes you dive into a completely different world but it seems so real. Magic realism takes place in a world I’m familiar with so it’s easy to imagine that magical aspects could actually be happening. Am I a muggle? Are there actually wizards going to a different school than me? Do my toys talk when I’m not there? Books can make you believe impossible things.

Review 2: The Girl Who Played with Fire

The publishers chose to highlight the colors red, yellow, and orange obviously because the title is The Girl Who Player With Fire. It includes messy blonde hair that appears to be fire. This makes no sense when you first see it, but readers will be intrigued to find out. Advertising is also helped by associated this sequel with the first best seller. The hair symbolizes girls involved in sex trafficking. This is the underlying problem that leads to exposure, murder, and conflict. The blonde hair only has meaning after reading. I like that about the cover. The text is in big, black bold. I think this is because publishers want people to know that in no way is this a fun, light-hearted read. It also makes it look very mature because it’s probably not a subject for younger readers. The author’s name is the same size and font as the title, which I do not like. I think it takes away from the title because there is so much print. All of Stieg Larsson’s books are formatted this way: a small ambiguous image relating to the book with the title in large font. Larsson’s books always have several different plots that seem irrelevant to one another, but always find a twisted way to completely relate. For example, you have Lisbeth’s life and then the investigation of murders leading to the sex trafficking business. They seem separate until you find out that Lisbeth, authorities, and journalists are all looking for a man named Zalachenko, a prostitution organizer who turns out to be Lisbeth’s dad. At first glance I’m more attracted to covers that easily explain what a book will be about, but the books with covers that only make sense after reading are much more fascinating. I love the feeling when you can finally connect the title or cover art to the story. I feel accomplished.

Reflection 5: Judging Book Covers

I hate boring and cliché book covers. If the title seems abstract and the cover doesn’t clarify at all, I’m less likely to read it. I don’t think having the title really big is necessary because people will look for the title of the book no matter its location or size, and it’s easily found on the spine. I also think that including awards on covers don’t need to be prominent because you find some on almost every book on the shelves. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series does this and I don’t think they’re very attracting covers. The plot definitely doesn’t lack interest, but readers may never know that if the cover isn’t anything special. Personally I like when covers are real pictures and not rough sketches of what might be the plot. These can come from the movie adaptation or not, but I’m more likely to read a book that appears to be from this era. I read Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close and I think the cover with the boy on it was very well done. It looks modern and it’s not an image you seen a million times, like most Jodi Picoult novels. I’m always looking for something new and if a book has an interesting and unique cover, I’m much more likely to pick it up. A cover tells more about a book than authors would probably like because it’s hard to capture a novel in its entirety in a single picture.

Review 1:The Girl Who Played with Fire

Since these books are originally in a different language and take place in a different country, that’s an obstacle when adapting the book. I feel like the author thought a lot about the appearance of his characters and how it relates to who they are, so casting could also possess an issue. As a reader, most of the story is told in the form of people talking or reading different reports. I think it would be hard for the film to show these things when they’re just simply told to readers. Audiences don’t like to sit through hours of talking in theaters. Directors would have a hard time getting across all the important information without boring viewers.                                                                                                                                      

   The first scene I would keep would be when Lisbeth throws a gasoline carton into Zalachenko’s, her abusive father, car and it bursts into flames. This is important because it shows Lisbeth’s internal issues and why she turned out hostile and alone. I would also include the part where Lisbeth saves a couple and a boy from an intense hurricane. This shows a lot of her character because she comes off as unfriendly and keeps to herself, but this scene demonstrates that she does care about other people. Lisbeth is known for always having a reason for her actions, respecting people that respect her, and never giving someone something they don’t deserve. A third scene I’d pick is one where Ronald Niedermann, an enormous trained assassin, is freaking out because he’s scared of the dark. His character is portrayed as the largest man anyone has ever seen and he has a condition where he doesn’t feel pain. This scene shows that his mental state isn’t nearly as strong as his physical.

I would cut out the subplot about Lisbeth finding her sister because it’s a very long book and this part isn’t essential. Her sister is a small part the author can include but can be ruled unnecessary for the movie. I’d also exclude scenes about Erika Berger, chief editor at Millennium, and her promotion. As a reader we like to hear about how her life moves forward, but it’s a minor detail when you focus on the story of Lisbeth and Zalachenko.

Reflection 4: Books to Films

Demi’s Best & Worst Film Adaptations

These are adaptations that I have personally read and seen. I included some that I liked and some that I thought didn’t do a very good job portraying the book. For the most part, I like when the movies are very similar to the book and stray very little.

Best
Best Children’s Book Adaptation: The Cat in the Hat
I can't even count the number of times my mom read The Cat in the Hat to me. My sister’s and I loved all Dr. Seuss’ books, but this one never got old. Our whole family made the trip to the theater to see the movie and at seven years old I was ecstatic. The movie was fun and entertaining and just like the book. That’s what made it so good and I loved it.

Best Adult Novel Adaption: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

 This movie did a great job sticking to plots and character description. Things were just like I imagined and the characters were almost dead on. At some points in the book I got confused because it takes place in a different country, but the movie was very clear and easy to follow.

Best Action Adaptation: The Hunger Games
The movie included the important parts of the books and left out scenes that weren’t completely necessary to the plot. I liked how it still portrayed the fighting scenes but included things happening outside at well. It gave a lot more perspective and entertained viewers.

Worst
Worst Tear-Jerker Adaptation: My Sister's Keeper
I couldn’t believe directors changed the ending and made a different girl die. It made it a bad adaptation because the book ending provided so much more closure. The characters were somewhat accurate, but it strayed too far from the book.

Worst Adaptation Based on a True Story: The Blind Side
Michael Oher isn’t described at all in the book how he is portrayed in the book. The movie was a lot more just for pure entertainment and the book was all about the true story. His character was too different.