Stieg Larsson: Man, Myth & Mistress

by Andre Jute

STIEG LARSSON Man, Myth & Mistress
by André Jute & Andrew McCoy
the Swedish Phenomenon
who wrote the runaway best sellers
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Girl Who Played with Fire
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest

Is Lisbeth Salander a feminist — or a comic book avenger? Is her creator Stieg Larsson a feminist — or a prurient, violent hack? What is the Millennium Trilogy really about? Is it literature or vicarious violence and sex? Should Eva Gabrielsson be in charge of the Girl franchise? Should there be a second Salander Trilogy? Who built the Stieg Larsson myth, and is any of it true?
Best selling authors André Jute and Andrew McCoy wittily investigate the evidence — and arrive at the correct politically incorrect answers. They fix the blame for the Larsson Scandal on… surprising people. Some Millennium fans will riot, most will be riotously entertained.

205 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 19, 2011

About the author

André Jute was educated in Australia, South Africa and the United States. He has been an intelligence officer, racing driver, advertising executive, management consultant, performing arts critic and professional gambler. His hobbies include old Bentleys, classical music (on which he writes a syndicated weekly column), cycling, hill walking, cooking and wine. He designs and builds his own tube (valve) audio amplifiers. He is married to Rosalind Pain-Hayman and they have a son. They live on a hill over a salmon river in County Cork, Eire. There are around three hundred editions of his books in English and a dozen other languages.

Reviews

[Gail Baugniet · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's hard to tell how much of this book's contents are written tongue-in-cheek and which parts truly reflect the authors' (Andre Jute and Andrew McCoy) ire.

I have read and enjoyed the first two novels of Stieg Larsson's "Girl" trilogy, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and The Girl Who Played With Fire. But, due to a shallow pocketbook, I waited in vain for the paperback edition of The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest and finally lost interest.

Sometimes, I've found, it's more fun to read about a book than to read the actual book. This could be one of those cases. For me, reading STIEG LARSSON Man, Myth & Mistress was like flipping through the National Enquirer or following Sarah Palin's bus - something entertaining or voyeuristic kept popping up.

If you love the books and find Stieg Larsson fascinating, be aware that this literary evaluation of the man and his work at times appears less than complimentary. If you keep an open mind, though, you might find that the harsh comments are rarely directed at Mr. Larsson.

[Matt Posner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really exploded my relatively uncritical view of Larsson's novels, which I had read with relish and without paying much attention to most potential complaints. While I can still reread those books with satisfaction, now I will have the greater satisfaction of understanding their strengths and weaknesses. As a person well-trained in literary analysis (I teach high school English and college literature) I enjoy having a deeper understanding of what I'm reading.

Andre Jute has an entertainingly wry style which turns to outrage at just the moments it is most pleasing. I certainly recommend this book both if you like Stieg Larsson and if you don't and are trying to figure out why.

[Joe Gaspard · Rating 1 out of 5]

There may be more to the Larsson saga than meets the eye, but I don't think this is the definitive work about it. It comes across as vindictive rather than scholarly. if you need to read everything related to the trilogy, then be my guest...but remain skeptical.

[Kamalika Guha Roy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is as engrossing as the Millennium Trilogy. Only thing is, one has to be open minded enough to understand and enjoy it thoroughly.

[Kathy Carroll · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read!