Progress...

Progress on the list has halted somewhat over the last few weeks. This is, I think, due to a few factors. I decided that Shakespeare was my next project, made it through one play, and can't quite bear to pick it up again - so if anyone would like to spend a few evenings drinking wine and reading Shakespeare aloud, let me know - I think it's the only way I'm going to make any progress on it!! Also, for the first few months of this challenge I have been incredibly disciplined and not read anything that wasn't on the list. I relaxed this on holiday, and gave myself a couple of trashy treats and now, faced with Ulysses as my next book, I can't quite bring myself to put the trashy treats aside and return to the discipline of the list. I will do it though - I have a train journey this afternoon, and Ulysses is my only companion so I will either read it or (more likely!) have a nice long nap!!

Finally, whilst dipping into non-list literature, I found myself reading Larsson's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I normally resist this kind of thing, partly just from stubbornness - I object to reading the books that everyone else is reading - but picked it up at the airport. I have to say, reluctantly, that the hype is probably justified. There is one horrific scene in TGWTDT, which I found quite shocking when I got to it, but it isn't gratuitous, and it plays a pivotal role in the workings of the trilogy. I liked it so much that I went on to read books 2 and 3 of the trilogy in quick succession, almost unheard of for me - and, although they were slightly samey in that they deal with the same characters, it was definitely the right way to read it. I was left with the impression that the trilogy was one grand story, split into three novels for readability, rather than three novels loosely linked together. So, definitely worth reading, particularly if you like the thriller/crime genre. As for me, it's back to the list!