CASTING LISBETH SALANDER

Last night I watched a few minutes of actor David Suchet explaining how he had read most of Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot novels in order to play the part in the TV series. He was particularly keen to look like the Poirot of the books, walk like him, exhibit all the mannerisms and use a voice 'that came from the head' and therefore talk as he imagined Poirot would talk. He obviously felt he owed this devotion to the author, the books, the character and the audience.

Whoever cast David Suchet in the part knew that he would physically bear a strong resemblance to the image of Hercule Poirot in the books.

I have not quite finished reading Stieg Larsson's The Girl Who Played With Fire but I have enjoyed reading it considerably more than The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. 

In the books especially in 'Played With Fire' the author goes into great detail in describing Lisbeth Salander. She is described in various parts of the book as being either 124 centimetres or 150 centimetres tall, weighing 40 kilograms and being 26 years old but easily mistaken for a 14 year old schoolgirl.

In non-metric terms Lisbeth Salander is under 5 foot tall, weighs about 6 stone, and looks 14. 

The movies of Larsson's Millennium trilogy have been cast with Michael Nyqvist as Blomkvist and Noomi Rapace-Noren as Lisbeth. I don't know the work of actress Noomi Rapace-Noren but she is going to have to pull off a phenomenal performance to convince readers of the books that she is Lisbeth Salander. 

I think I will stick to the image that Stieg Larsson gave us in the books. 

I will post my review of The Girl Who Played With Fire during the week but there is already a definitive and balanced review by Maxine of Petrona on Euro Crime here.