luftslottet som sprängdes means literally “The air castle that exploded”. Luftslott is an idea or dream that has no concretism behind it and can’t become real.

Posted by Mooma in FIN ,

Good question, and thanks for the reply, Mooma

If that translated into English idiom as something like “pie in the sky” or “the impossible dream”, how did that relate to the story?

I don’t get it

Posted by rob in usa ,

The “conspiracy” against Lisbeth came to an end.

I was told by a Danish author friend of mine that the title originally was “Men Who Hate Women”

Posted by Georgie in Glendale ,

Men who hate women is the first book

Posted by Kiwi in Denmark ,

“Pipe Dreams” would be a fair translation to an American idiom; “It All Goes Up in Smoke” would be another; “The Balloon Bursts” wouldn’t be far off either.

Posted by Gorgon1001 in Denver ,

But I prefer the “air castle that exploded” that “the girl who kicked the hornet’s nest”. And the spanish translation, “la reina en el palacio de las corrientes de aire”, – the queen in the airflow castle – is the worst!! Nothing to do with the original idea!!!

Posted by Gonzalo J. Suárez in Mexico City ,

How about “The Castle in the Air That Blew Up”, more idiomatic in English than “Air Castle”.

Posted by nicky02114 in USA ,

I’ve read a number of foreign books translated into English and a lot of times the titles in the original language just don’t make sense. One, by Jussi Adler-Olsen was originally titled “The Girl in the Cage.” The girl in question was never in a cage so that makes no sense. It was released in the UK as “Mercy” and in the US as “The Keeper of Lost Causes.” Of the three titles, the third is the best and to me, better describes the story.

Posted by Adam Chelsea in Toronto, ON ,

How I hate it when translator are vain and try to compose their own titles. German titles are “Verblendung”, “Verdammnis”, “Vergebung” (roughly: infatuation, condemnation, atonement). I read them in Swedish and it took me some time to understand my friends were talking about the same books.

Posted by Martin in Frankfurt, Germany ,