Sick and stupid

Rating: 1/10 (11 June 2012)

I'm sure that somewhere on here it has been mentioned that the real title of the book (in Swedish) is "Men Who Hate Women". Just as you might suspect, it's a sick book, in which vile and sickening violence against women (and men!) is wrapped in a thoroughly ridiculous whodunnit.
I can understand that the book's American publisher did not think the original title would sell very well, so it was changed to something which, outside of the book itself, has no significance whatsoever.
The title change also attempts to change the focus of the book. In Sweden, the book was about men who not only hate women, but about men who hate women so much that just killing them is not enough. In America, the focus turns to a geeky girl who rides a motorbike and uses computers, not knives, to hack her way through complex crimes.
The whole Vanger family thing was overdone. I kept visualizing Saturday Night Live doing a parody of this book. A door opens and it's the 2nd cousin once removed and his 3 children. Oostervanhaaven Vanger and Hansoover, Fransoover, and Gertaoover Vanger.
Was the Vanger family supposed to be the Kennedys?
Let's see. Serial murder and sex. Depraved murder and depraved sex. Forced anal sex, with and without lubricant. Bondage. Rape by father of son. Rape by father of daughter. Rape by brother of sister. Torture. Bird shoved into dead woman's vagina. Dismemberment. Burning of flesh. More dismemberment.