Scan barcode
cat_astrophicallybookish's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
madmooney's review against another edition
3.0
Spoiler-Free review
Getting this out of the way first:
-I am pretty sure this is not the 4th book that Larsson intended to write.
-I suspect that this was written from scratch, rather than from any notes that Larsson had.
-About a year ago, Larsson's writing partner/common law wife had described the 200 pages of book 4 taking place on a remote Canadian island. It looks like Lagercrantz was not privy to these details for obvious reasons.
Thoughts on the book:
-Certain aspects of the writing feel very similar to Larsson's, but there are distinct flares that do not jive with Millennium 1-3 (namely: describing a single scene from multiple points of view with the apparent purpose of padding the book with more pages).
-It has been a long while since I read the trilogy, but it feels that there are way more characters in this book.
-On top of a thrilling story, Larsson also used his writing to discuss certain social issues (violence against women in Sweden, corruption and impotence of government bodies to do anything about it etc.). Lagercrantz infuses the book with an entirely new theme: government surveillance which, while it seems a more encompassing 'big bad', doesn't feel nearly as important as what the Millennium trilogy brought to light.
-The technical aspect of the book is highly researched and interesting/scary, but (despite Lisbeth's hacking background) feels too heavily used and it may turn off some readers.
-There is a certain 'loose-end' of the trilogy that Lagercrantz uses to create a momentum for possible future books. While I am totally fine with what he does in Spider's Web, I really wish he waited a bit longer to make certain revelations
Final Impression:
I enjoyed the book, but would totally understand why others wouldn't
Getting this out of the way first:
-I am pretty sure this is not the 4th book that Larsson intended to write.
-I suspect that this was written from scratch, rather than from any notes that Larsson had.
-About a year ago, Larsson's writing partner/common law wife had described the 200 pages of book 4 taking place on a remote Canadian island. It looks like Lagercrantz was not privy to these details for obvious reasons.
Thoughts on the book:
-Certain aspects of the writing feel very similar to Larsson's, but there are distinct flares that do not jive with Millennium 1-3 (namely: describing a single scene from multiple points of view with the apparent purpose of padding the book with more pages).
-It has been a long while since I read the trilogy, but it feels that there are way more characters in this book.
-On top of a thrilling story, Larsson also used his writing to discuss certain social issues (violence against women in Sweden, corruption and impotence of government bodies to do anything about it etc.). Lagercrantz infuses the book with an entirely new theme: government surveillance which, while it seems a more encompassing 'big bad', doesn't feel nearly as important as what the Millennium trilogy brought to light.
-The technical aspect of the book is highly researched and interesting/scary, but (despite Lisbeth's hacking background) feels too heavily used and it may turn off some readers.
-There is a certain 'loose-end' of the trilogy that Lagercrantz uses to create a momentum for possible future books. While I am totally fine with what he does in Spider's Web, I really wish he waited a bit longer to make certain revelations
Final Impression:
I enjoyed the book, but would totally understand why others wouldn't
riobhca's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
vaia_the_reader's review against another edition
2.0
Way more boring than the original trilogy. Too many characters and too much explaination of events we just read about. Terrible pacing and plotting.
mjporterauthor's review against another edition
4.0
I've read The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo but watched the fantastic Swedish films for the next two books. I found Dragon Tattoo to be occasionally clunky, no doubt because it was a translation. The new novel flows better and the translation is hard to detect. As to the novel itself, it was intriguing and also predictable in places. Too many coincidences arose and the fact that much of the story remains to be told in the next 2 books was disappointing but still, it's good to have Lisbeth back.
ausbelle's review against another edition
5.0
Well. I wanted to hate this, to not enjoy it, for it to be a poor impersonation. But it wasn't.
The story was well paced, well written and whilst a little light on in some aspects, a particularly good plot. Holding special reverence given the introduction of data retention laws in Australia today.
I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The story was well paced, well written and whilst a little light on in some aspects, a particularly good plot. Holding special reverence given the introduction of data retention laws in Australia today.
I thoroughly enjoyed it.
mrs_v's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Even with a ghostwriter, this fits with the other 3 very well! Computer hacking. Intelligence agencies, autism
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Child abuse, and Domestic abuse
itsfreelancer's review against another edition
4.0
Lagercrantz is no Larsson. We all need to accept that before picking up the book. But that doesn't mean that he hasn't done justice to the characters we have come to love.
I mean come on, it's a Lisbeth Salander novel. There is no way she can be any less kickass.
We do finally get to see the arch nemesis of the Wasp. And boy, I've a feeling the future books would be much more exciting. Blomkvist is being himself. There is actually very sleuthing in this book even though Blomkvist is actually an ace crime reporter. Nevertheless, we get to see more of Salander (yay!) and her history becomes a little bit more clearer.
If you're a Millenium Trilogy fan, go for it.
I mean come on, it's a Lisbeth Salander novel. There is no way she can be any less kickass.
We do finally get to see the arch nemesis of the Wasp. And boy, I've a feeling the future books would be much more exciting. Blomkvist is being himself. There is actually very sleuthing in this book even though Blomkvist is actually an ace crime reporter. Nevertheless, we get to see more of Salander (yay!) and her history becomes a little bit more clearer.
If you're a Millenium Trilogy fan, go for it.