The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

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It's a hit!

So, I was listening to NPR one night last year when they read Maureen Corrigan's Fresh Air review: “A super-smart amalgam of the corporate corrupti... (show more)

So, I was listening to NPR one night last year when they read Maureen Corrigan's Fresh Air review: “A super-smart amalgam of the corporate corruption tale, legal thriller and dysfunctional-family psychological suspense story. It’s witty and unflinching . . . Larsson’s multi-pieced plot snaps together as neatly as an Ikea bookcase, but even more satisfying is the anti-social character of Salander.”

She had me at "snaps together as neatly as an Ikea bookcase."

I was intrigued. The book is good, quite good, and I did really enjoy reading it. The translation from the Swedish was well done and the plot detail was great. Only once did I feel there was a weak logic leap in the primary plot...of course I am forgetting it now. I will look for the other two Millenium books when they come out.

I expect the main character is based on Stieg Larsson himself in a lot of ways--- a journalist who writes in a field with a lot of hot tempers and easily-made enemies. Where slander claims probably do come up from time to time.

Sensitive readers should be aware that the book contains a significant amount of violence, including victimizing main characters, including of a sexual nature.

I guessed the ending(s) pretty far in advance, I diagnosed Salandar on my own (having some experience with this type of behavior) and I am not quite sure why it's considered one of the best books of the year. Don't get me wrong, it was a solid book, but I kept thinking of some of Charlaine Harris's better mysteries and thinking that the writing and plotting felt very similar, and yet one is considered pop mystery/suspense and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo has been passed around the high-brow literary circles.

This book was published post-humously. Larsson died just after delivering the three-book series, so there won't be anything else coming from this talented author after the next two novels. (show less)

 

 

by Facebook User

No, it's a flop!

L'accroche était particulièrement séduisante : titre sybillin, exotisme suédois ... et l'entame du bouquin met l'eau à la bouche. Les personnages p... (show more)

L'accroche était particulièrement séduisante : titre sybillin, exotisme suédois ... et l'entame du bouquin met l'eau à la bouche. Les personnages principaux sont soignés, le problème posé (enquête sur un meurtre commis en huis-clos plus de 30 ans plus tôt) est prometteur et le contexte complexe (querelles et rivalités au sein d'une grande famille industrielle suédoise). Tous les élements sont donc réunis pour un cocktail des plus savoureux.

Pourtant, on reste légèrement sur sa faim au fur et à mesure qu'on avance dans le récit. De ce terreau fertile n'émerge qu'un polar, certes plutôt réussi, pimenté à la sauce scandinave, mais qui ne se démarque pas vraiment de la production courante. On aurait aimer voir creuser davantage la chronique familiale du groupe Vanger, rentrer plus en détail dans les mécanismes liés à la quête du pouvoir et de l'argent. Les personnages s'enferment vite dans leur propre caricature et quant à l'écriture, elle est souvent maladroite et parfois agaçante (je suis persuadé qu'Apple n'a besoin de romans policiers suédois pour assurer tout seul sa publicité ...).

En bref, un livre agréable qui se lit sans déplaisir, mais qui ne révolutionnera pas l'histoire du roman policier. (show less)

 

 

by Benoit Frouvelle

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  The rules for literary fiction are that the story must unveil a universal truth about the human condition through the use of all of the tools of narrative: plot, characterization, voice, point of view, and the use of language as a tool to approach the expression of the ineffable.

  Or you could just chuck all that and make your heroine a tattooed, computer-hacker biker chick with a father complex, and go from there. Stieg Larsson took the latter approach. Can we blame him? After all, when yo... (show more)

  The rules for literary fiction are that the story must unveil a universal truth about the human condition through the use of all of the tools of narrative: plot, characterization, voice, point of view, and the use of language as a tool to approach the expression of the ineffable.

  Or you could just chuck all that and make your heroine a tattooed, computer-hacker biker chick with a father complex, and go from there. Stieg Larsson took the latter approach. Can we blame him? After all, when your protagonist is La Femme Nikita with a dragon tattoo and an Ibook, and she pairs up with a drifting, commitment-phobic middle-aged writer for a glossy Stockholm magazine for an unlikely adventure fighting lingering rural Nazism and Swedish farmhouse sado-masochism, your story is going to find an audience. What? You don't want to read about this stuff? Be honest: Of course you do.

  Yes, there are problems with this novel. Sometimes the style is too expository. Lisbeth Salandar, the aforementioned future vehicle for Anne Hathaway (or whoever ends up playing her) is, inexplicably, a fiercely independent and self-reliant 25 year-old ward of the state. Even Larsson's devotion of an entire chapter opening to an explanation of her impossible character doesn't make sense of it. The crime at the heart of the story is explained by the sudden introduction of an entirely new character, a no-no in this genre. But these problems somehow end up seeming small and, miraculously, don't detract from the fun of this book. There are enough other fun things going on to make the ride worthwhile. Proving that you can get away with a lot of you only have a good story.

  You should read some Swedish crime fiction in your life. This seems like a great choice. I recommend it. (show less)

   

  by Sean Carman on Aug 11, 2009 at 12:59AM

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  Me resultó una historia entretenida y razonablemente bien construida. Los personajes aunque pueden llegar a parecer un poco estereotípicos son lo bastante interesantes como para mantenerte intrigado preguntándote a donde les llevará el siguiente paso o en que lío se meterán ahora.

  Para mi gusto tiene un par de cosas malas. Por un lado abusa de expresiones inglesas, cosa que no se si vendrá del original o la traducción, y por otro argh!!cuando se mete en informática la lía, llega a lo obsesi... (show more)

  Me resultó una historia entretenida y razonablemente bien construida. Los personajes aunque pueden llegar a parecer un poco estereotípicos son lo bastante interesantes como para mantenerte intrigado preguntándote a donde les llevará el siguiente paso o en que lío se meterán ahora.

  Para mi gusto tiene un par de cosas malas. Por un lado abusa de expresiones inglesas, cosa que no se si vendrá del original o la traducción, y por otro argh!!cuando se mete en informática la lía, llega a lo obsesivo en las descripciones de los mac e incluso le da poderes mágicos hacker a la prota.

  Por ahí he leído en negativo que puede ser predecible, bueno a mi no me lo pareció demasiado (aunque adiviné lo que pasaba antes del final)

  En resumen es a la literatura como una hamburguesa a la dieta, puede no ser del todo sano pero apetece. Recomendado para esos ratillos que no sabéis que hacer o antes de dormir. (show less)

   

   

  by Jose Pardo on Mar 16, 2009 at 07:41PM

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