Back to work today, for a pretty typical Monday. I got into the office slightly later than expected when I missed my morning train. I was running a little late already, but then I got halfway down the block when I realized I had forgotten my wallet. I doubled back, but that meant that I wouldn’t be on the 8:15 train.
And that’s about the height of the excitement for today.
I did have a slightly weird experience when a potential reviewer, who I’d e-mailed earlier that day about an art therapy proposal sitting on my desk, asked if it was me who had posted something to Twitter that morning. This, specifically. I’d had at least two art therapists in quick succession turn down doing reviews, or I’d had e-mails bounce back from them, because they were on sabbatical. This reviewer found my post by searching for art therapy news, which she does regularly, and she thought it was funny enough to ask me about it. I don’t actively hide my weblog or Twitterings from co-workers and people I work with outside the office, but it is a little odd when they find them on their own.
The only other thing I really did today was finish reading The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. It was okay. My opinion of it largely matches up with Betty’s, I think, namely that there’s stuff to like about the book, and the title character is certainly interesting, but it really does not live up to the hype. I think it’s incredible success is due to a number of things not entirely related to the contents of the book. It hits upon some current hot-button topics, like financial crime and faltering economies, and marries that to a procedural crime novel. The fact that it’s a translation lends it a bit of mystique and prestige, at least here in the US, as does the fact that it (along with its two sequels) were released posthumously. Again, the book itself has its fair share of moments, but I found long stretches of it slightly boring and thought some characters could have been easily excised. Its incredible success is also a little baffling.
Oh, and for those of you wondering about my mom, she’s feeling a lot better. She was up and around for the first time over the weekend, and she’s got the all-clear from her doctor. She’s still tired and not too hungry, but the worst of the pneumonia seems to be past. Thanks for the well-wishes, all!
Its incredible success is also a little baffling.
Ah, well. Perhaps someone will be able to explain it to me eventually. 🙂 You probably did hit on a few of the relevant factors, there, but I still don’t quite get it.
I will say this: I am interested in seeing the movie version.