Thursday 15 April 2010

david mitchell; stieg larsson

The second line of David-Mitchell-the-novelist's new book, The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet is
In the rice paddy beyond the garden, a cacophony of frogs detonates.
I'm a big fan, and maybe I am missing something, but this seems very rum. If I were his editor, it wouldn't be there. I have only read one page of The Thousand Autumns. I'm really looking forward to the rest.

The second Girl Who novel starts with a prologue. The book proper's second sentence is
She saw the woman from room 32 come out of the hotel side entrance and walk to one of the green-and-white-striped chaises-longues beside the pool.
Really? I am pretty sure Larsson and his translator mean 'sunloungers'. Again, I might be missing something. I'm loving the book. I am in no doubt as to the brands and models of consumer electronics favoured by the protagonists, or which choices they would make in Ikea.

1 comment:

Molly Ker Hawn said...

Must be an American translator, because that's what they call them. I mean we.