A friend and I have a tradition: I read a book, I enjoy said book, I recommend said book to her, she expresses interest in borrowing/reading it, I say “Ohhh, but there’s some rape.”
You’d be surprised how often this comes up. I’d never given much thought to my propensity for rape scenes, but considering the number of times I’ve had to give this disclaimer to my friend (who is many months pregnant and therefore nauseated by literary or cinematic displays of extreme violence), I’m beginning to wonder if I have a problem.
Which brings me to Box 21. International mystery in the same vein as Girl with the Dragon Tattoo? Check. Strong female protagonist up against chauvinistic male authority figures? Check. Well-developed story with gripping narrative and enjoyable twists? Check. Violent rape? Ah yes, check.
I can’t remember why I originally bought Box 21, but as I left for the shore a few weeks ago it seemed a natural choice for beach reading (high-octane thriller, less than 400 pages, paperback). This was the kind of book I had no problem rolling out of bed at 8 a.m. to enjoy on the hotel balcony, while my lethargic vacation-mates dug their faces deeper into their pillows until it was tanning time. Continue reading “Another Endorsement for Sweden”
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