The Devices With The Dragon Tattoo

It has been a while since I have read a good thriller, and there is nothing like the feeling you get when you are approaching the end of a page turner, reading fast and furiously, racing toward the grand finale, but at the same time wishing the feeling (and the story) would never end.  I just finished reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and, thanks to my gadgets, I was able to extend the experience a few hours more than I expected, and flesh out the images and enactments of the story that the brisk words of Stieg Larsson had etched in my mind's eye.

Kindle Fuels The Fire

I bought the Kindle version of the first book in Larsson's now acclaimed "Millennium Trilogy" and took full advantage of Amazon's clever cross-platform cloud based whiz bang of Whispersync. At one time or another I would read portions of the intriguing tale of Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander on my Android HTC EVO, my iPad, my actual Amazon Kindle, and even my laptop PC.  Thanks to the slick Kindle software I could move seamlessly between devices and always keep my place in the story.  No matter where I was or what I was doing, I had access to my book, and the ability to slip in some reading and dive back into the adventure, living vicariously through the vying Vanger family.

Next Up...Netflix

I finished reading DRAGON TATTOO on my iPad, and as I feverishly swiped my way through the pages of the novel's delicious denouement, I was conflicted by both the excitement of reaching the end of the story, and the disappointment of reaching the end of the story and having to end my engagement and entertainment immersed in Larsson's well characterized world.  As I finished the finale and exited the Kindle App on my iPad I suddenly smiled and said to myself, "but wait...there's more!" Sure, there are two more novels in the series, but I wanted more of this story.  I wanted to relish more in the tale just told.  No problem!  After just a few taps of my iPad screen, thanks to Netflix and their great iPad App I was instantly watching the extremely well done Swedish film of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo on the same screen that I had just finished reading the book.  The characters I had been imagining in my mind were now fully realized before me, faithfully (for a film adaptation) reenacting the drama that I had been living through the digital pages on so many devices.

My Head (And Entertainment) In The Cloud

Thanks to the intricate interoperability of all my digital toys and "the cloud" I was able to enjoy a good novel in ways that were not so readily possible just a short time ago, and it was great. Having your books follow you everywhere you go makes reading a good thriller a thrill, and having instant access to the movie of the book as a visual dessert to a hearty literary meal is a delicious way to extend the end of a great story.  I have already started reading The Girl Who Played with Fire (the second installment in Larsson's trilogy) and I look forward to the movie, and to repeating the process again with The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest.  I realize it is perhaps unusual to have a novel trilogy with a matching trilogy of faithfully produced film versions, but diving into Stieg Larsson's MILLENNIUM Trilogy in this fashion is perhaps the most fun I've had with digital entertainment this millennium!

How about you? Have you found new ways to enjoy your reading and watching thanks to your digital devices?

(Disclosure: All the book and DVD links in this post are Amazon Affiliate links)