Lisbeth and Elizabeth

Most of you know I can speak Norwegian, and if you don't you should check this out.

My whole carrer at Skogfjorden I had the name Lisbeth (pronounced Lisbet). You could choose any name you wanted from the long list of names, but I choose Lisbeth because of two reasons. One, it was close to my name, and two it was beautiful. I have come to terms with my name and have indeed learned to enjoy it. It's common enough that I can find keychains with my name on them, but it's not like I'll run into an Elizabeth at every turn. Plus, I find it very regal and formal, so when I have to be a bit more reserved I enjoy introducing myself because I have the idea that Elizabeth gives me the leg up to make the person I want to impress think 'she is a respectable women, this Elizabeth'.

I have toyed with the idea of going by a different nickname when I start college. I've talked to a few people about this and they agree it's a perfect time for changing you name. Or at least how you introduce yourself. I always say 'Hello I'm Liz McNaughton' and I end up doing this a lot in regards to Cutaway Productions when I have to be a cool formal teenager who is suposed to blow away the adult clients.

There are many names that can come from Elizabeth. Liz, Lizzy, Lisbeth, Beth, Betty, Bess (coined by Gretchen), B (or Bee/Be), L (or Ell/El), Ellen, Elly (or Ellie), and Eliza. These are just the few I have come up with sitting here. But I have decided I like L and Lisbeth the best and intend on trying them on, so to say.

Saying this I was happy to find out a Lisbeth was a character in Stieg Larsson's Millennium series more commonly know as 'the girl with the dragon tattoo series'. Not only do we share the same name, but we are both small girls with lack of chest and we have the same birthday. If that isn't cool, what is? True, I haven't been raped and my father isn't a psycho, and I don't go around tazing people, but on the outside we are similar. We both even have the same (real) hair color. And for those of you who don't know Lisbeth has red hair, and I have brown/red hair. Don't freak out people, I have brown/RED hair, and I don't care if you don't agree! DEAL WITH IT!!!

After this whole ordeal I am finally getting to what I wanted to talk about, Lisbeth. I just love that girl. And the series is very much worth reading, but they are long. And just one thing, they aren't as 'disturbing' as people lead then to be. I was expecting this horrible rape scene, but it's hardly anything (or as little as a rape scene can be) don't get me wrong it's a big deal that she's raped, but it's not super graphic.

I would say the movies are more graphic, because they do what Larsson didn't write, but was alluding towards. I don't know which one I like the best (the never ending debate between the Swedish movies and the American movies) but both were good. I like seeing the Swedish one because I could watch and understand what they were saying (Swedish and Norwegian are very similar) and it was just cool hearing the book in it's original language. I think we miss a little having it translated into English and not reading it in Swedish because it's ment to be read in Swedish. Understand what I'm trying to get at? I do agree with Gretchen about how the American Lisbeth is more like the books, she isn't crazy, she is just very private and distrustful. The Swedish version makes her out to be a bit more of a person who doesn't understand social situations, when in reality she understands but she just doesn't care.

Above is a bookmark I created using Hannah's (known as SpannerX23 on Deviant art) artwork of Lisbeth. I have printed the bookmark and use it when reading the books. I'm almost half way through the third, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest. It's good, I can't wait to finish!