A few days ago I started reading The Girl in the Spider’s Web by David Lagercrantz
which continues Stieg Larsson’s series of thrillers featuring Lisbeth Salander
and Mikael Blomkvist. I read the original trilogy in 2009 and 2010 but have not
posted those reviews written before I started this blog. I have decided to post
those reviews in succession starting tonight with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. In addition I will have another
couple of posts connected with the books or their author, Stieg Larsson. I will
conclude the two weeks with a review of The
Girl in the Spider’s Web.
I believe I first heard of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo from The Merchant of Menance, the newsletter
published by the Sleuth of Baker Street bookstore in Toronto. I was swept away
when I started reading the book.
I am finding it interesting to go back
6 years to see my reactions at that time. I invite readers to comment on their
reactions to the series as I spend a couple of weeks in thriller Sweden with
one of the great duos in crime fiction.
****
12. - 475.) The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg
Larsson – A remarkable debut crime thriller. The characters are amazing. Mikael
Blomkvist is an investigative journalist bound for jail for aggravated libel of
Wennerstrom. Lisbeth Salander is a brilliant 25 year old investigator still
deemed incompetent because of her resolute refusal to conform to society’s
norms and absolute unwillingness to explain herself to experts. Henrik Vanger,
an elderly Swedish industrialist, uses Salander to investigate Blomkvist and
then hires him to determine what happened to his niece, Harriet, 37 years ago
when she disappeared from their island home in northern Sweden. For over 30
years he has received a rare pressed flower on his birthday. With no better
prospects and wanting to get away for awhile Blomkvist undertakes the study. He
dreams of how he will get back at Wennerstrom who set him up for the libel
conviction. At the same time Salander is dealing with personal challenges. The
story accelerates to a page turner when they start working together. In
addition to the complex plot each has a complicated personal life.
Relationships are unusual. Blomkvist has a loving relationship with Erika
Berger though she is married and her husband is aware of the relationship.
Salander is a personality that defies easy description. The plot twists and
explodes with excitement. I was reminded of some of the financial thrillers of
Michael Thomas. I understand it was the first of a triology. I can hardly wait
for the translation of the second. I read with regret that the author died just
after delivering the books to be published. What a great pair of mysteries from
Sweden this year. Hardcover. (Mar. 16/09) (With
The Girl Who Played with Fire Best
fiction of 2009)
I like your idea, Billl, of going back over your reviews of the Millennium trilogy before discussing The Girl in the Spider's Web. I think one of the things I like best about this first entry is that Larsson handled several plot threads very effectively. The financial thread, the family history thread, etc., are all followed through, and that's not easy to do.
ReplyDeleteMargot: Thanks for the comment. It was a complex plot that Larsson managed beautifully.
DeleteBill, I have not yet read Larsson's famed trilogy but my daughter did, in just a few sittings, and she absolutely liked it, as did some of my reading acquaintances. The size of the three novels threw me off but I do plan to read the first book. I look forward to reading your reviews of the rest of the series.
ReplyDeletePrashant: Thanks for the comment. Have some time set aside for reading when you start them. I expect you will want to read and read.
DeleteI am glad you are publishing these old reviews, Bill. I don't consider myself a fan of the trilogy even though I read all of them. There were some very good parts and definitely very interesting characters, but also too many extraneous threads in my opinion (at least in the later ones). And too long. I look forward to the reviews of the rest of the trilogy and then the new book.
ReplyDeleteTracyK: Thanks for the comment. I appreciate your reaction to the books. You raise issues that readers can and have debated.
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