Showing posts with label Sweden. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sweden. Show all posts
Review: The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson
Hilarie
Rating:
Genre: Thriller, Sweden
Reading Challenges: 38 for 100+ in 2009

I have been slightly depressed since I finished reading this book. How I wish I hadn't rushed through it quite so quickly! I should have savored it, but I found it almost impossible to stop reading once I picked this book up.

This is the second book in Larsson's Millennium trilogy, following The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and it surpasses the first, which is really saying something.

Let me start by saying that I think it is important to read the books in order. There are plenty of references to the first novel in the story, and without the background you might find yourself getting a bit lost.

The novel begins shortly after the conclusion of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Lisbeth Salander is traveling the world, enjoying her newly acquired millions, while Blomkvist is still riding high from his Wennerström coup. Salander has cut off all contact with Blomkvist, and is busy trying to establish a new life for herself. Meanwhile, Millennium magazine has agreed to publish a special issue and a book that will highlight the sex trafficking trade that is thriving in Sweden. Salander's guardian Bjurman is desperate to revenge himself upon Salander, and to escape from her control. Bjurman reaches out to a man from his past, and suddenly Salander finds herself the most wanted woman in Sweden, and Blomkvist is dragged into the fray as he must choose what to believe about Salander.

The above description might seem pretty generalized, but I really don't want to give anything away. There are plenty of great revelations in this book about Salander and her past, and I don't want to spoil them. The first book left me wanting more Salander, and this book delivered. She is without doubt one of the most vibrant characters I have ever encountered. I really loved this book, and I was sad to turn the last page. I am anxiously awaiting the third novel in the trilogy, and am genuinely sorry that Larsson passed away before he could write all 10 of his planned novels. If all of them were as great as the first two, I might never need to read anything else.

One caveat: as with the first novel, this book has some adult content. I didn't find it over the top, and none of the material is graphic in nature, but if you are offended by even the suggestion of bisexuality then you should steer clear of this book.
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Review: The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson
Hilarie
Rating:
Genre: Suspense, Mystery, Sweden
Reading Challenges: 37 for 100+ in 2009

It was almost love at first sight with this book. The title alone was enough to pique my interest. I wasn't sure who the girl with the dragon tattoo might be, but I had a feeling she would be just the kind of feisty and slightly off kilter heroine that I prefer. After finishing this book, I am pleased to say that my instincts were correct, and Lisbeth Salander (the tattooed girl herself) was even more amazing than I expected.

This is an interesting read. I had seen it mentioned all over the blog sphere, usually in a very positive way. So, I was a little surprised that this book didn't really grab me from the first page. Perhaps it is because I am totally unfamiliar with the geography of Sweden, and the names were a bit different sounding, but it took me a few pages to get into this book. However, once I was able to immerse myself in the story (thirty pages in or so), I was hooked.

The story begins with Mikael Blomkvist, a financial journalist who has just been convicted of libel and sentenced to a brief prison term, at a crossroads in his life. Blomkvist seems slightly dazed by the whirlwind of events that have resulted in a guilty verdict and the apparent derailment of his career as a respected journalist. It is at this time that he is approached by Henrik Vanger, the former head of the Vanger corporation, and an old man who hopes to solve the mystery that has haunted him for almost forty years, and in some ways, ruined his life. The mystery in question involves the disappearance of Henrik's great niece, and Henrik suspects that someone in his family was involved. Blomkvist finds himself working, albeit unwillingly at first, to solve the mystery. Eventually, he seeks the help of Lizbeth Salander, a mysterious hacker, who might just have the skills to not only help him solve an ever growing mystery, but also to keep them both alive.

This is a page turner! Literally, I just reached a point in this book where I couldn't put it down. Even in the midst of packing up my house I found myself trying to sneak in some reading time. I was surprised however by several events in the book which were so graphic and horrendous that I almost stopped reading. I don't want to post any spoilers, so I won't go into more detail, other than to say that this book has a lot of violence against women. The violence is not presented in a sensationalist manner, but the details are very graphic and disturbing. After reading this book, I learned that the original title in Swedish is something like, "The Man Who Hates Women." Honestly, that says it all. It isn't all doom and gloom however. The women characters are not portrayed as victims, even if they are victimized, but as strong individuals who work to find their own solutions to the bad situations in which they find themselves.

I really enjoyed this book. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series, The Girl Who Played with Fire. It wasn't until I started reading this book that I learned that Larsson had passed away before it was published. Initially, I wondered if the book was perhaps overrated because of the tragic fate of its author. but after finishing the novel I have come to the conclusion that the praise it has received is all richly deserved.
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