The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
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Book Reviews of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Book Review: Well-executed first novel
Summary: 5 Stars
I love the unfolding sense of discovery that comes with a really well-written first novel. And there's the growing apprehension that I may be reading a one-off and that all of the writer's energy and talent went into that one book, never to be repeated. But it is a fairly unique experience to read a book and understand that this was the first of three and there will never be any more. Whether or not Larsson pulled off in his second effort the wonder that is this book will have to wait until later this year when "The Girl Who Played With Fire" is released. My bets are on a quality repeat, especially since the star of his second book is the Asperser's-driven, 24-year-old computer genius we first meet in "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo". In fact, our troubled whiz-kid hacker, Lisbeth Salander, IS the girl with the dragon tattoo.
This story isn't really hers. It mostly belongs to Mikael Blomkvist, a journalist and publisher who has just had one of the worst years of his life. He has been set up, then successfully sued for libel, and now must face financial and professional ruin, as well as a prison sentence. Enter an aging industrialist with a problematic family who, for reasons unfathomable to Blomkvist, wants him to find out the true story behind the murder of his niece - decades before.
Lisbeth's story is gently intertwined with the action until the two stories join and move forward with force. A word of warning - there is much necessary expose at the start of the book and the going is a little slow. It is worth the effort to track the characters and their environments. And, unless you are quite savvy in the world of international banking, business, and financial journalism, this is a great précis.
I liked the story, loved the characters, and was sorry to see it end. Ultimately, that's the best a reviewer can say. And I'm happily awaiting the release of the next two in this incredibly finite series.
Book Review: Wonderfully satisfying
Summary: 5 Stars
Clearly one of the best mysteries/thrillers I've read in years (the other one that springs to mind is The Execption by Christian Jungersen, which, oddly enough is also by a Scandinavian).Mikeal Blomkvist is a financial journalist who has just been convicted of libeling one of Sweden's movers and shakers, Hans-Erik Wennerstrom. Wennerstrom retaliates by having his many friends and business concerns pull their advertising from Blomqvist's magazine. Into this mess steps retired industrialist Henrik Vanger, who hits Blomqvist with an offer he pretty much can't refuse -- to move near Vanger's home base and investigate the dissappearance of Henrik's neice, Harriet Vanger, under the guise of writing the Vanger Family history.Blomqvist takes advantage of the offer because (1) it'll get him out of the media spotlight, (2) it will remove him form the magazine and hopefully restore reader/advertiser confidence so Millennium won't fold and (3) it'll pay the bills. Here's the catch: Harriet disappeared 37 years ago, the case was thoroughly investigated at that time and now a lot of the suspects are probably dead.The book is incredibly well written and is the complete opposite of formulaic, which, being a rarity these days, is something to savor and enjoy (at least for a bit -- Larsson died in 2004, and although there are two more books in the series to come, that's all there are). The characters are so well drawn you feel you know them -- I would recognize Lisbeth Salander, computer genius, even without the tattoos and piercings, I think. They react the way actual human beings might, and tend to do the unexpected, or the opposite of what you yourself might do. That could be a drawback, but it works here. The book feels more like something that might have really happened instead of a well plotted mystery book. The result, while we may wish certain parts had turned out differently, is supremely satisfying.Book Review: I couldn't put it down...
Summary: 5 Stars
When I started this book, I almost put it down in the first few pages. It was so slow and boring. I kept at it and once it took off, I couldn't put it down. I actually listened to this book on my iPod which I generally reserve for passing the time in the car. "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" was so good that I found myself walking around the house listening to it. I had to know what happened. This is the best mystery I've read since Val McDermid -- and interestingly enough the main character is reading a Val McDermid in this book.
The two main characters are introduced in what appears to be separate story lines which finally come together about half way through the book. Lisbeth Salander is so odd and quirky that at first she's hard to like. I think that's the point. In the story, the other characters react to her in much the same way that I did, but I quickly developed an empathy for her. We learn quite a bit about her inner self but her background -- how she got this way -- remains a mystery even at the end of the book. What we do learn is that she is an expert hacker, has a photographic memory and her own distinct sense of justice. In spite of how she comes across, she is anything but helpless.
The other main character is Mikhail Blomqvist, a journalist, and I wasn't sure I liked him either at first. I came to respect his dogged determination and clear sense of right and wrong.
The story line that brings these two very different characters together is complex and fascinating and involves the investigation of a girl who disappeared more than 30 years ago. What Blomqvist and Salander find is quite unexpected. I can't say enough about how well-written this story is. Sometimes books I've enjoyed reading don't hold up when I listen to them being read, but this one did. If you like this one, be sure to read the sequel, "The Girl Who Played with Fire."
Book Review: Classic Whodunnit in the mould of Dame Agatha
Summary: 5 Stars
Agatha Christie books were my favorite reads when I was a kid/teenager so much so that I purchased her entire collection and have since reread the books multiple times. When I read the blurb for "The girl with the dragon tattoo" at my local Barnes and Noble, I couldn't resist picking it up. I am glad I did - after I long time I read a book cover to cover in one sitting (and at some 450 odd pages, its not very short). Once you start off though, I am sure you will find it hard to put it down as I did. Steig Larsson (I was sad to see he won't be delighting us with his pensmanship for years to come though) develops each and every character as well as location in his book. I could almost visualize the scenes and the characters as I read his debut work (to me that is the sign of a good book).
The central mystery of the novel is a cold case (almost thirty years old) - the mysterious disappearance of a teenaged Harriet Vanger, a scion of the Swedish Vanger conglomerate (albeit orphaned) from an island with no way in or out. Her uncle, who was very close to her, never abandons his search for her and finally close to his deathbed, he hires an investigative journalist, Henrik Blomkvist to put the issue to rest. There are several side plots that are cleverly woven into the fabric of the central mystery such as the exploitation of "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" by patriarchs of Swedish society, Blomkvist's vendetta against Wennerstrom (a rich but corrupt Swedish business icon) etc that will keep you glued for hours at end.
Larsson does a great job portraying the Swedish countryside where the central mystery is set. You can't help but be reminded of some of the characters on Fargo (the movie) - its almost as if this is a mordern Agatha Christie mystery set in Fargo.
Book Review: From S. Krishna's Books
Summary: 5 Stars
Having read rave reviews about Steig Larsson's debut novel, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, I had high expectations. At the same time, I was a bit wary with the knowledge that most hyped books end up to be disappointing reads because my expectations are initially so high. So I approached the book with some trepidation and was surprised to discover that none was necessary; The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo really was an amazing read that blew any expectations I may have had out of the water.
In some ways, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo really reminded me of Tana French's novel The Likeness. The subject matters weren't similar by any means, but they both had an exceptionally literary quality that is difficult to find in mysteries. Any fan of Tana French would most likely enjoy this novel, as they are both exceptional mysteries.
I had trouble putting Larsson's novel down. From the prologue itself, I was completely gripped by this powerful novel. I felt like I had to know what happened, and was completely satisfied with the conclusion. Though all threads weren't resolved, I felt like my curiosity had been sated. The characters were also very well written and personable. All in all, it really was an impressively well-written novel
I was surprised when I discovered that the author of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Stieg Larsson, passed away in 2004 from a heart attack. However, he left three unpublished manuscripts behind, the first of which was The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. These three novels were written as the "Millennium Trilogy." The second book, called The Girl Who Played With Fire, is set to be released in the US on January 8, 2009 - a book I will most definitely be reading.