Being mistrustful of bestsellers and apprehensive of trying to keep track of all those similar sounding Scandinavian names, I put off reading this book for quite awhile. Eventually my curiosity got the better of me and, after picking up the first one, read straight through all three books. Initially I thought my worst fears were confirmed when the author embarked on a lengthy expository interlude to provide background on a newly introduced character but as the characters become established in the reader's mind the pace picks up. It is the ability of the author to deftly create and handle believable characters, particularly Lisbeth Salander, that really propels the story forward. The only criticism I have, and it's a minor one, is the author's penchant for the flights of exposition, but in this case it doesn't bog down the story. One could do a whole lot worse than read these books.
None of he stories in this collection are bad and a handful are really good but for the most part I found them to be just competent. There is a sameness to the stories that is disconcerting considering the page-turning quality of his novels. Worth a read if you like Gibson.
A solid collection of stories by an author who is adept at creating a wide variety of characters and finding those moments of revelation in their lives.
Dennis Lehane can be a good writer when he wants to. There are flashes of his ability in this collection but too often he careens from cliche to self conscious attempts at being literary. The stories aren't bad but the play is frankly embarrassing to read at times. Maybe David Mamet can successfully have characters recite soliloquies that no one in real life would ever say but not Dennis Lehane. Dennis, go back and watch The Wire–Omar never talked like that.
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