The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

[Kat]

I will take your word for it!

Question, is the movie any better? I'm tempted to watch the movie just as an experiment in comparison, and to see if any of the assumptions I made are correct/.

They changed the part you spoilered, for the movie. In fact, they took out that character altogether. The first movie is more streamlined and has a lot fewer characters. (I think it's available on Netflix for members, by the way.)

If you don't like an abundance of minor characters, though, you will definitely not like the third book, during which approximately 50 minor characters with actual plot roles are introduced. They are like the equivalent of Desmond, guard of Winterfell, except they actually matter, except it's exceedingly difficult to tell them apart unless you try really hard.

It's funny, because I actually had no problem with the part you mentioned, because real life is full of 1) characters who are only minorly involved in a "plot" and 2) little coincidences, as opposed to large ones. I generally like books that have a ridiculously large cast of minor characters rather than involving major characters in large coincidences. (Which is the problem I had with book 2 of this series.)

[Spastic Plastic]

I actually preferred the first movie over all the books. It cut out all the boring, gratuitous parts of the book and kept only the brilliant main plot. You should watch it.

[Swordfish]

They changed the part you spoilered, for the movie. In fact, they took out that character altogether. The first movie is more streamlined and has a lot fewer characters. (I think it's available on Netflix for members, by the way.)

If you don't like an abundance of minor characters, though, you will definitely not like the third book, during which approximately 50 minor characters with actual plot roles are introduced. They are like the equivalent of Desmond, guard of Winterfell, except they actually matter, except it's exceedingly difficult to tell them apart unless you try really hard.

It's funny, because I actually had no problem with the part you mentioned, because real life is full of 1) characters who are only minorly involved in a "plot" and 2) little coincidences, as opposed to large ones. I generally like books that have a ridiculously large cast of minor characters rather than involving major characters in large coincidences. (Which is the problem I had with book 2 of this series.)

Interesting.

I don't have any problem with minor characters per se, unless they are inserted into the plot dues ex machina style, which was pretty blatant in this case.

I'll probably check out the movie. it's streaming on netflix.

[Original Ned's Bones]

Finally finished Hornets Nest...Thank God, now I can read something else. The problem I had with the last book was that it didn't really have any revelations, it just showed how Team Salander and the authorities catch up with what was really going on. There was a ton of repetition, and I didn't enjoy reading about how each character came to the conclusions that were already revealed in the second book. 2 and 3 could have (and should have) been 1 book.

My opinion of this series is that it may be worthwhile to read the first book. It's an interesting closed-room mystery and the story is a stand-alone. I didn't care for the plot that was covered in the second and third book. I actually found Salandar's character more interesting in the first novel, knowing she was damaged goods and she had some terrible event happen to her in the past, most likely having to do with her mother and father - as opposed to her being part of a huge government cover-up.

[palin99999]

Stieg Larsson wrote another book that you will never be able to read

[macaroni]

I'd give the book 5.5/10...its not terrible, but its ok. That's all.

Blomqvist on the one hand, enacts some sort of middle-aged wank fantasy. I find it actually quite comical that Larsson quotes all these figures about domestic violence/rape/indecent assault against women yet his main protagonist professes his feminist credentials while sleeping with and not-in-any-way becoming emotionally attached to the women in his life. It is preposterous.

On the other hand, he creates a female Mary-Sue (I agree with you all) who for all her failings (I mean, cmon...he has confused Asperger's with Savants, surely?) is the pint-sized James Bond.

The two areas that make this book different than the average pulp mystery novel is the female protagonist and the so-called feminist bona fides of the male protagonist.

Other than that, it's the same as any other airport page-turning novel.

Basically, it is what it is.

[macaroni]

I'd give the book 5.5/10...its not terrible, but its ok. That's all.

Blomqvist on the one hand, enacts some sort of middle-aged wank fantasy. I find it actually quite comical that Larsson quotes all these figures about domestic violence/rape/indecent assault against women yet his main protagonist professes his feminist credentials while sleeping with and not-in-any-way becoming emotionally attached to the women in his life. It is preposterous.

On the other hand, he creates a female Mary-Sue (I agree with you all) who for all her failings (I mean, cmon...he has confused Asperger's with Savants, surely?) is the pint-sized James Bond.

The two areas that make this book different than the average pulp mystery novel is the female protagonist and the so-called feminist bona fides of the male protagonist.

Other than that, it's the same as any other airport page-turning novel.

Basically, it is what it is.

[Spastic Plastic]

This is a big reason why the movie is so much better. The director skillfully increased the "social weirdness" of Lisbeth, and removed the "middle-aged wank fantasy" aspects of Mikael.

[Jaxom 1974]

I haven't read this whole thread yet, but I'm finally into the first novel. After about 150 pages or so in, I find elemnets of it intriguing, but most of the time I really feel like I'm reading a Michael Crichton novel circa the early to mid 90s...

[Jaxom 1974]

Now that I've finished the book I finally have a moment to comment: Can someone explain why this was quite the sensation it was? It's about 100 pages too long. It's unremarkable for the final solution to the mystery. Oh it was fine for a "by the poolside" kind of read, but the hype?

Not to mention that it's harder to like the main characters...there's something too casual about them...eh. I'd read the next one, but I won't rush out to do so.

[Blue Steel]

Having a Mary Sue doesn't make a book bad and that's not even a valid criticism on its own.

A book could have 100 Mary Sues and still be the best book of all time if it was written well.

[wolverine]

Just watched the movie last night and I think it may be better than the book. Blomkvist is a total Gary Stu. He is sympathetic, super kind and understanding, smart, and humps every hot chick that encounters him. By the way lots of men are physically attracted to Salander in the books.

After seeing lots of books that are best sellers or highly popular this book does not surprise. Just out of curiosity what are some books that have been hugely popular that people on this board feel have any literary merit? It is very readable and the characters are interesting. The setting suits the novel and the mystery is intriguing. The resolution is ridiculous and Salanders hacking skills over the top but it is still readable. Salander appeals to a lot of readers who feel they are not mainstream or weren't popular in high school and if not her you have Blomkvist the social/physical stud.

It seems to me thought that Salander's actions are out of place with someone who has been sexually abused in the past. I don't know a ton about it so I could be wrong.

Is Stieg Larson that preoccupied with sex?

[koudoulis]

havent read the book but i m willing to bet money that the movie is better than the book. the plot was full of these things that you are ready to forgive in a movie in order to have two (or three) mindless fun hours , but would never pass in a book. basically i have strong suspicions that its actually a terrible book. I had fun at the movies though, with pop corn , alcohol and a loose attitude.

i watched the rape scene and can't have sex for propably a month . so yeah her actions are entirely out of place.

stieg larson is dead so that's kinda irrelevant now.

[Kalbear]

It seems to me thought that Salander's actions are out of place with someone who has been sexually abused in the past. I don't know a ton about it so I could be wrong.

There's no specific reaction to being sexually abused; this is one of those shitty tropes that many authors use to enforce certain behaviors in their characters. IE, if a woman is raped she becomes dark and brooding, or she becomes avenging, or whatever. Truth is there are tons of reactions to it, from introspective abuse to violence to sobbing to complete compartmentization to...well, nothing. Everyone reacts differently to trauma, sexual or otherwise. Given who Lisbeth is and what she is, where she came from, I found it refreshing that she dealt with it with such a cool head.

[The Warmth of Winter]

It flows better in swedish.

While "The Girl With the Drago Tattoo" sounds fucking awful in Swedish.

[Jerol]

I tried reading the book and quit about 100 pages in - I couldn't take all those ridiculous stretches of exposition. I think this guy may have been the Swedish Dan Brown. Maybe I'll give Henning Mankell a try - he can't be any worse.

[Lady Octarina]

I read it last week, and I thought it was pretty addictive - I mean, if we forge the financial matters and stick to he Vanger plot. It's not intended to be the deepest kind of litterature in how it treats its characters and etc, so I thought it good enough, 3 stars out of 5. The main problem to me was how the Harriet Vanger case was solved. There was no more than one clue in the whole book about what might have happened to her, and then, in the final 200 pages or so, a whole new story develops coming out of nowhere. It's too much of a deus ex machina plot, when this kind of books should at least give the readers a chance of figuring out the mystery by themselves. But it's still something nice to read when you want to unwind.

[wolverine]

There's no specific reaction to being sexually abused; this is one of those shitty tropes that many authors use to enforce certain behaviors in their characters. IE, if a woman is raped she becomes dark and brooding, or she becomes avenging, or whatever. Truth is there are tons of reactions to it, from introspective abuse to violence to sobbing to complete compartmentization to...well, nothing. Everyone reacts differently to trauma, sexual or otherwise. Given who Lisbeth is and what she is, where she came from, I found it refreshing that she dealt with it with such a cool head.

I didn't mean just her rape. I thought she was also sexually abused when she was younger. And I probably just think it feels out of place because of things I have read, like you are saying, not because it is actually out of place.

[Former Lord of Winterfell]

Blomqvist on the one hand, enacts some sort of middle-aged wank fantasy. I find it actually quite comical that Larsson quotes all these figures about domestic violence/rape/indecent assault against women yet his main protagonist professes his feminist credentials while sleeping with and not-in-any-way becoming emotionally attached to the women in his life. It is preposterous.

I was kind of creeped out because I couldn't help thinking of Blomqvist as being Larrson inserting himself into the novel. Both writers in some sense, middle-aged, etc. And then he coming up with scenes where this young damaged punker mounts Blomqvist unexpectedly, etc.. It came across as Larrson's fantasy as much as Blomqvists. I got the whole self-righteous/feminist "Men who hate women" vibe before I knew that was the original title, but to mix that feminism with the sexual component of Blomqvist himself just makes me think that Larrson was likely some seriously weird guy himself, and not someone I'd like in the least.

I felt badly for Lisbeth, but she wasn't a character I really enjoyed reading about. A lot more interesting than Blomqvist, though.

[Kalbear]

I didn't mean just her rape. I thought she was also sexually abused when she was younger.

Nope.