Book Review: Millennium Series Book One – “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”
Prior to his death in 2004, Swedish journalist and writer Stieg Larsson wrote manuscripts for what would later become the Millennium Series and make his name known across continents, oceans – you name it. Everyone has seen the brightly-colored books with funny titles on bestseller’s lists and sitting on bookstore shelves. This is a review of the first in the series. Here are my thoughts on “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.”
The book takes place in various Swedish towns, most of which I’ve never heard, and honestly, aren’t important. The characters are, however, so let me introduce them.
Mikael Blomkvist is a journalist who publishes a popular Swedish magazine titled Millennium. After writing of some pretty damaging stuff and refusing to name his sources, Mikael loses a libel case and is sentenced to several months in prison. In order to help Millennium Magazine save face, Mikael steps down from the magazine. At the same time, he takes an interesting and lucrative job writing freelance for Henrik Vanger, a wealthy, elderly man who seeks answers to a family mystery.
Lisbeth Salander is a gifted, law-breaking computer hacker/private investigator who can find information on anyone. Henrik Vanger hires Lisbeth to scour Mikael’s past and eventually the investigator and the investigatee meet. Lisbeth’s talents are immeasurable and she is someone you want on your side – if she would give you the time of day. She’s a damaged woman, scorned and physically harmed by men her whole life. Let’s just say, don’t cross her or you will regret it. The revenge she has on her legal guardian is haunting – I love it!
Another of my favorite characters is Harriet Vanger, the “mystery” Mikael and Lisbeth are trying to solve. Harriet is Henrik’s niece who went missing from the family estate over 40 years ago. Her absence never sat well with Henrik and he is sure Harriet was murdered by someone in the family. He is determined to find her murderer before his death, which may be coming soon. Mikael and Lisbeth better hurry!
The first 100 pages are BORING and I was tempted to stop reading on multiple occasions. For some reason, I kept going. Good thing because things get interesting beginning with page 101.
Lisbeth and Mikael meet the vast Vanger family and begin writing their list of suspects. Mikael and Lisbeth pore through years of photographs, newspaper clippings, journals, and records, searching for any clues. During the investigation, Mikael and Lisbeth begin receiving death threats. Obviously they are making the guilty party very nervous. At one point Mikael is taken hostage by a crazed Vanger and is tortured mercilessly in a torture chamber used to abuse and kill hundreds of people before him. The setting and serial killer Larsson painted are gruesome and oh so perfect.
I don’t want to give away what really happened to Harriet because, believe me, it’s worth waiting for. In addition to developing suspense around solving Harriet’s murder, Larsson ends the book with a not-so-happy ending. I was happy because we don’t need more Full House “life is wonderful” endings, do we?
So here’s the deal: pick up this book and give it a whirl. Push through the first 100 pages. Once you reach that point, you won’t be able to put the book down.
Happy readings ~ Cherry
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