The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, by Stieg Larsson, is much like a locked room murder mystery. On the day Harriet went missing, an accident tied up traffic on the only access point from the island where the Vanger family was holding a meeting. All of the Vanger clan was present and there was no way on or off the island for several hours. Yet, Harriet's body was never found. As he writes the biography, Mikael discovers he has a need for a very good research assistant, and is recommended to contact Lisabeth Salander, a "strange" twenty-four year old, more at home in front of her computer than dealing with others. The relationship starts on rocky ground, as it is revealed that Lisabeth performed a very thorough background check of Mikael for Henrick Vanger. It is an interesting pairing, one that begins to uncover a truth that may turn deadly.
Stieg Larsson crafted a complex, well executed mystery with excellent characters. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo starts slowly, which may tax some readers. It is also rather complex, especially when dealing with the extended Vanger family. To alleviate some confusion, a Vanger family tree is included, thankfully, and will be used many times during reading. For some readers, dealing with Swedish names and places may also pose some challenges. However, after the first 100 pages, or so, it gets much easier. And much more rewarding. Mikael and Lisabeth are excellent characters; complex, interesting, unforgettable, and one's with which the reader empathize. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo keeps your interest, and keeps you reading long past a normal hour, due to the story arcs; the history of the Vanger family, Mikael's resurrection as an investigative journalist, Lisabeth's attitudes and maturation, and the mystery of Harriet Vanger. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a highly recommended, very rewarding novel.
Disclosure:
Obtained from: Book store
Payment: Purchased
Technorati tag: book review Stieg Larsson
Comment posted by Dennis van Remortel07/14/2010 02:42:13 AM
Homepage: http://www.d2k.nl/domino
Gregg
you should really read the other 2 books of the trilogy as well. They are a good read.
The first 100 pages of the first book are indeed a bit of a struggle with the large number of names of the Vanger family, but after that I read it in one go
Comment posted by Gregg Eldred07/14/2010 09:17:00 AM
Homepage: http://www.ns-tech.com/blog/geldred.nsf
@Dennis:
you should really read the other 2 books of the trilogy as well. They are a good read.
LOL! I am reading The Girl Who Played With Fire right now. I just can't get enough of Blomkvist and Salander. Larsson is an amazing writer, it makes me very sad that he was taken from us as his literary star was extremely bright. So far, these are books that I will have to revisit from time to time. They are that good.
Thanks for the comment.
Comment posted by Dennis van Remortel07/15/2010 02:25:03 AM
Homepage: http://www.d2k.nl/domino
Hi Gregg
I finished all 3 books in just about a weekend or so. Exceptionally good books, and indeed, to bad he's no longer here.
(*tip* don't go and see the movies after reading the book)
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