02 March 12

Back of Beyond

I’m reading The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. I’m relatively unimpressed with it. It’s a fairly quick read, despite the heft, but that could be because my mind glazes over with the details of Swedish financial subterfuge. I’m 3/4 of the way done with the book. Well into the part where it is supposed to “get good”, and I’m not feeling it. But at least I can say I’ve read it once I’m done. The only books I’ve put down and not finished are ones that either angered me so intensely I felt it better for my health that I not finish (Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee), or they bored me so intensely I felt stupid for not liking them (anything by Judith Butler).

However one phrase that keeps getting mentioned that I’ve grown to love and I wonder if it is a literal translation of a Swedish phrase, or the translators closest version of a hard to translate Swedish phrase. Either way, it works so well that I may adopt it for the occasional time I need to use it.

A character moves to a very tiny town very far from his usual life, and he keeps referring to this very out-of-the-way burg by saying it is in “back of beyond”. I like it.

Comments

  1. ‘back of beyond” must be what the translator used b/c they didn’t know the true rural phase “in the boonies”. :) KIDDING

    I loved those books but you and I are very different readers. ;)

    Oh and I have completely 100% stopped finishing books i don’t love. I’m 44, there’s not enough time left in my life to keep reading a book that doesn’t grab me. but I know many have that need to finish compulsion :)

    — carolyn on Mar 2, 10:08 am

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