The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest : a review

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson (2007)

When we last left Lisbeth Salandar she had barely escaped death at the hands of those responsible for the murders she was accused of. Thus, the third and final installment in Stieg Larsson’s überpopular Millennium series begins with Lisbeth unconscious in a hospital, where she remains for much of the book. Awaiting her recovery are various people trying to gather information to prove her guilt or innocence, as the case may be. Much of the book centers around a secret organization within Säpo, the Swedish secret police, which was created to protect Soviet defector Alexander Zalachenko and was also responsible for institutionalizing Salandar when she was 12.

For me, this novel lacked the momentum of the first two in the series. It was tough getting into the details of Säpo, and I missed Lisbeth who spent much of the book completely out of commission. Even Mikael was pushed aside in favor of many new characters in whom I struggled to be interested. But Lisbeth recovered and she and Mikael returned to a prominent spot in the story eventually. Another interesting storyline centered on Erika Berger, who left Millennium to work for a newspaper and became the victim of harrassment. By the last 150 pages I was zooming along as I had been in the first two books and though the climax was less dramatic (and violent) than in the previous books, I found the ending quite satisfactory.

One thing I enjoyed about this series was how unconventional Larsson made the relationship stories. Erika Berger’s open marriage was unusual, and I thought he kept the romances realistic, without resolving into predictable fairy-tale endings. Of course this was a thriller, not a genre I usually read, so perhaps that is typical. Or maybe it’s a Swedish thing.

The characters were also a strong point. Though at times I had difficulty keeping track of the minor characters, the major players were well-developed, complex and imperfect. As much as I rooted for Lisbeth Salandar, she isn’t someone I’d ever befriend – indeed, she had few friends – but she was incredibly strong and a brilliant hacker. Mikael was practically impossible for his colleagues to keep track of, and was frustrating for the many women who were interested in him romantically, but a great journalist with a strong code of ethics and sense of justice.

Have any of you read the series? Or seen the movies? What did you think? I’m looking forward to watching the Swedish movie version as I suspect this series translates well to the screen.

The Girl Who Played With Fire : a review

The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson (2006)

Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salandar are back in the second thriller of the Millennium series. Mikael and Millennium magazine is teaming up with journalist Dag Svensson and his girlfriend Mia Johansson to expose a sex-trafficking ring in Sweden, but just weeks before the research was to be published, Dag and Mia are murdered in their apartment. When police find Lisbeth Salandar’s prints on the murder weapon she becomes the prime suspect, and immediately goes into hiding. As the police scour the country for her, Mikael races to find proof of her innocence and uncover the real killers.

The Girl Who Played With Fire is fast-paced, propelling the reader through an otherwise daunting 630 pages. We learn a lot more about Lisbeth’s background in this book, which was satisfying after her rather mysterious introduction in the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. I had mixed feelings about the ending – some (albeit minor) threads were left hanging and despite the long list of books I want to read (and already have out of the library) I’m dying to dive into the third and final installment of the series.

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo : a review

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson (2005)

Now and then a book is super hot, coming from out of nowhere to rise to the top of library hold lists. I try not to fall for it. In the past I have read books that didn’t appeal to me just because they were so popular and, indeed, ended up feeling duped. I was torn about the Stieg Larsson trilogy, but heard enough good reviews that I finally took the plunge. (Plus, I’m a sucker for anything Scandinavian.)

Mikael Blomkvist is a journalist who has just been convicted of libel after his magazine printed a story and couldn’t back it up. He is almost immediately contacted by businessman Henrik Vanger, who hires him to investigate the disappearance of his great-niece Harriet Vanger, unsolved for several decades. Lisbeth Salander, a young researcher with a troubled life but excellent hacking skills, is enlisted to help Mikael and together they uncover more than they bargained for.

In the beginning I noticed a few awkwardly worded spots, but that may just be the translation. Before long I got sucked into the story and didn’t want to put it down. The plot was complex enough to make it enthralling, but not confusing. The characters were well developed and fascinating, which added an even greater depth to the story. Even though I had been warned, I was still taken by surprise at some of the more unexpectedly graphic and disturbing scenes. So many things about this book were unexpected and new and fresh that I enjoyed it very much. I just got my copy of the second book in the series, The Girl Who Played With Fire, so stay tuned for my thoughts on that one!