Mr Robot
I just watched the first episode of Mr Robot. It was really interesting. Maybe this is an unfair comparison, but it’s a whole lot better and intelligent than Warehouse 13.
When I first heard that a Swedish actor was going to be in it, I was actually slightly disappointed. To be honest, not all Swedish actors are any good, but I suppose I’m being unfair again. No country in the world could possibly have only great actors. And in this case, my fears were unfounded. This guy, that I hadn’t heard of before, seems to be doing ok.
Unfortunately, this doesn’t seem to be fan fiction material, but not everything has to be. I have my hands full as it is, primarily with fan fiction, but also original fiction, so I’m not complaining.
This type of series (about computers, the internet and hacking) might not be to everyone’s taste, but it is also a thriller, if that sounds more appealing.
Wallander
Since the (originally) Swedish Wallander mysteries have been successfully exported to the UK, I thought I’d put in my two cents’ on this topic. In an earlier post, I’ve already mentioned that they’re not quite my thing. What I would like to discuss is something else. In the UK reviewers are raving about Kenneth Branagh in Wallander. After seeing what seems to be season 1 of that, I must say I enjoyed it more than the Swedish version.
What I’m reacting to is just one thing that keeps being repeated over and over again, in the reviews, in the UK and even in the US. Sweden is gloomy. What? Ok, I’ll admit that the north, far away from Wallander’s Scania, could be described as gloomy, especially during the dark season, which, frankly, lasts almost all the year around. That’s the north, not Scania. If you went to Scania presumably you’d notice that much of Sweden is pretty ordinary. The scenery is beautiful. (I just had to mention that. After all, I live here. I like the scenery.) But let’s get this straight once and for all, Scanians are not gloomy. Not generally. Sure, anyone can get gloomy, especially if you work hard all day tracing killers and dealing with gruesome murders. Are the British sleuths any more cheerful?
This is how the rest of us Swedes (or Goths, as I am – and no, I’m not dressed in black, we’re called goths anyway and there’s a fascinating linguistic or semantic explanation to why there are so many goths worldwide, especially throughout history) view Scania and the Scanians:
They’re jolly, positive people. They love to eat and drink. Kind of, if you allow the metaphor or simile, like hobbits, though not as short and fat, well some might be, but then so can anyone. Scania is usually green and smiling, rather than gloomy, though personally I tend to agree that the area around Ystad might be described as gloomy, especially during the winter.
Cool new book
I just read a fascinating article about a 93-year-old woman in the UK who just debuted as a novelist. Yeah, you read that right. She’s 93. She says she’s been writing ‘forever’ or ‘for a hundred years’ or close enough. I guess it will be that long until I get published…
The book she wrote seems really interesting too. It’s a feminist thriller. That wouldn’t have been my first guess, when I learned that the author is 93…
I can’t wait to read her book.
I guess older people are becoming trendy these days. Young people want to be old. (I read that in the paper the other day). Personally I can’t see why though. I’m always going to stay young. And I’m also going to be a famous, celebrated best selling author. Yeah, right.
Anyway, it isn’t all that long ago that we in Sweden were stunned to realize that we had a 93-year-old rapper. Greta the Rapper, who raps about Jolly Bob from Aberdeen. All in her Gothenburg dialect, naturally. She has a very exciting past. A bit of a freedom fighter. Again, a little like Lorna Page, the author.
If 20 is the new 50, as I read in the paper, maybe 90 is the new 30.
