My father's father's father's father came to this country from Sweden. I don't know a lot about our country of origin, except that they were neutral in World War II, that a lot of Swedish-Americans are Lutheran and Swedes make Saabs. However, I have been making up for that by soaking up some Swedish culture through fiction. This past weekend, I saw "Let Me In," which is a remake of the Swedish vampire movie "Let the Right One In" (which I also saw). I am also reading "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" by Stieg Larsson. They paint a dark picture.
With "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," even the real life connection is depressing. The author turned in the manuscripts for three books in the series and then dropped dead.
One of the interesting thing about watching "Let Me In" and "Let the Right One In" was how easily the scene could be shifted from Sweden to Los Alamos, New Mexico. In many cases, the American re-make copied the Swedish original shot for shot. The middle school bullies who torture the film's protagonist translate across cultures without any need for adaptation.
However, "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" poses a starker contrast. In Sweden (or at least fictional Sweden), a journalist who publishes a story which cannot be verified can be sent to jail on libel charges. An antisocial girl who refuses to conform can be labelled as mentally challenged and have her assets placed under the control of a guardian even though she is a brilliant adult. In the socialist paradise of Sweden, corporate titans play dirty tricks on each other, families are dysfunctional and women are abused with great regularity. Also, it's cold.
Both stories make for compelling fiction. If that was all I knew about Sweden, I would conclude that it is a really dreary place. However, it's just fiction. Can anyone recommend any stories about happy Swedes?
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