The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is the first of three books, published posthumously (the author having sadly, and tragically passed away shortly after turning in the drafts to his publisher) and dubbed the Millennium trilogy. They have gone on to become international best-sellers and once you’ve cracked the spine of this particular novel, it’s not hard to see why.
The premise of the novel is straightforward: an investigative journalist, facing jail time for libel, is hired by an eccentric old man to investigate the disappearance of his niece some forty years earlier. During his investigations it becomes clear that someone does not want the mystery to be solved, and will go to any extreme to ensure as much.
Interweaved with this plot is another: that of the heroine of the novel, Lisbeth Salander – the girl with the dragon tattoo. It is this particular character that has justifiably received critical acclaim, being hailed as “the most original heroine to emerge in crime fiction for many years”. – Boyd Tonkin, Independent
Given the book’s original title in Swedish – which translates to “Men Who Hate Women” – and the late author’s predilection for raising awareness of tough issues, such as the exploitation of women in Sweden, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that this book is dark. Whilst the depiction of the sexual violence perpetrated against women is not graphic by any means, it is not for the faint-hearted.
With that said, it is one of the most scintillating crime-thrillers I have read in a long time. Addictive and gripping, Larsson writes intellectually and realistically, which serves to raise the bar of crime fiction writing.
The characters are well and truly fleshed out and wholly believable. Larsson’s storytelling moves the plot along at a decent pace, leaving no room for idle dialogue or periods of inactivity. A remarkable feat considering the book isn’t shy about discussing modern Swedish society.
All in all, ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ is arguably one of the best début crime-thriller novels to emerge this past decade. I highly recommend you grab a copy for your bedside table.
In the meantime, I’ve already began on its sequel; ‘The Girl who Played with Fire’, and it’s already living up to its predecessor. Check back soon for a review.
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Hi Marc .. I have it here to read and all the extremely good reviews it is getting – it’s obviously a very good book. Glad to hear you enjoyed it.
Hoep you’ve had a good Easter and will enjoy the Spring – now the weather is warmer ..
Go well – Hilary
Hilary´s last blog ..Folklore Notes and report back on Great British Garden Bird Watch
Thank you Hilary. I had a great Easter.
I hope you enjoy the book, just make sure you have plenty of time to spare as once you’ve started, you won’t be able to stop.
Dang it Marc, now I want to read that book too.
Okay it does sound really good and I love mysteries and crime novels. This is my kind of fiction to read. thanks for posting this. And keep the reviews coming. I love new books.
Tracy (aka spiritwolf32)´s last blog ..What is Metagaming and Why Should You Avoid It
Thanks Tracy. The books are well worth it, buy them if you can
Yeah! the Phantom Scribbler’s back!!
I almost bought this for my daughter but remembered just in time that when it’s a trilogy, she likes to have them all so she can pick one up straight after she’s read the first and second! She’s like me ; she gets addicted.
By the way, you beat me to it…I have a sidebar widget planned for books. Don’t be surprised if I end up emailing you when I need techie help.
janice´s last blog ..Easter Flowers, Greek Feasts, Seaside Candles and Poetry…
Phantom Scribbler, heh! I like it.
I am the same as your daughter (and you), I had to buy all 3 in one go. Same as the Twilight series, I bought all 4 at once. Keep an eye on my scribbling place, I’ll write a post on setting up a WordPress widget for your reading habits.
Although “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo” is good stand-alone fiction, I’m particularly impressed by the underlying themes explored here in terms of violence against women and the exploitation of the vulnerable members of society. From the statistics presented at the beginning of the chapters to the careful exploration of the exploitation of main character Salander through the guardian system, the author presents a clear and compelling view of the ways the most vulnerable members of society can be exploited and hurt in silence. And while sometimes the message is a little worryingly heavy-handed (Blomkvist is openly applauded for being the first man to treat Salander like a human being, which seems a bit much and a tad unlikely), the overall message is both important and compellingly-written.
Very well put