bookapotamus's review
5.0
I really enjoyed The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, the story disgraced journalist, Mikael Blomkvist, hired to investigate a prominent Swedish family, the Vangers, and the mysterious disappearance/death of a little girl, Harriet Vanger, 40 years ago.
He ends up working with a young female hacker-extroardinaire who has SERIOUS emotional baggage, and together they uncover clues that the police missed all those years ago, and find out some pretty damning family secrets.
Lisbeth Salander is badass. I loved her in this - she is now a favorite female lead character of mine. Larsson developed her character so much that I'll be surely reading the other two books in this series to see how she progresses and comes out of her dark, exterior shell... but hopefully doesn't lose her edginess and fearlessness in the process.
Steig Larsson is pretty twisted and disturbed, and I'm pretty sure he was a misogynist. But, this book is genius and I think it deserves 5 Stars.
He ends up working with a young female hacker-extroardinaire who has SERIOUS emotional baggage, and together they uncover clues that the police missed all those years ago, and find out some pretty damning family secrets.
Lisbeth Salander is badass. I loved her in this - she is now a favorite female lead character of mine. Larsson developed her character so much that I'll be surely reading the other two books in this series to see how she progresses and comes out of her dark, exterior shell... but hopefully doesn't lose her edginess and fearlessness in the process.
Steig Larsson is pretty twisted and disturbed, and I'm pretty sure he was a misogynist. But, this book is genius and I think it deserves 5 Stars.
wasthursday's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
tindra_p's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.5
badbug_thudercatz's review
3.0
I can't decide how to rate this book. I like half of the book and hate the other half. Mikael Blomkvist was hired to solve the mystery of a missing about 36 years ago. This book is actually one of the best thriller book I've ever read. There is always evident and I can't wait to find out what really happened. But the thing about economic and financial is so confusing. Sometimes the story gets boring. And there's are too many horrible scenes.
darbystouffer's review
4.0
How many 840 page books have you found completely enthralling? For me, it's not very many. But I couldn't put this one down. The story was gripping, to say the least. I really enjoyed it. However, I'm not so sure I should have. The lengths the author goes to do describe the horrific events, rape, incest, torture, etc, just show how desensitized our culture has become to violence. It couldn't just be a simple murder, that seems passe. No, it had to be sadistic, disgusting, tinged with insanity.
Technically the protagonist wins, and I found myself relieved by this, but why? This guy sleeps with three different women in the book, without even batting an eye. He seems like a decent fellow other than that, but still.
So yeah. Basically, I really liked it, but I feel rather guilty for doing so.
19 down, 85 to go!
Technically the protagonist wins, and I found myself relieved by this, but why? This guy sleeps with three different women in the book, without even batting an eye. He seems like a decent fellow other than that, but still.
So yeah. Basically, I really liked it, but I feel rather guilty for doing so.
19 down, 85 to go!
keo480's review
4.0
Good read. But figured out some of the ending in the beginning. Will pick up next in series.
karieh13's review against another edition
4.0
There is probably not much I can say in this review to add to the heaps of praise that this book has received. Suffice it to say that I was absolutely sucked into it. It puts me in mind of Kate Atkinson’s mysteries…compelling and with the escapism of a good thriller – without the wooden one dimensional characters.
I haven’t read many mystery/thrillers lately, though I used to love them. In the past view years, I’ve learned to enjoy books that aren’t as plot driven and contrived…and appreciate more than ever, good writing. (And editing – which sometimes makes all the difference.)
The characters in “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” are well drawn and interesting in their own right – even without the “disappearing from a locked room” type mystery that they are involved in. It’s a book that can be enjoyed on a plane, or beach or anywhere – with no need for a brown paper wrapper. A guilty pleasure…minus the guilt!
As proof of how much I liked the book. I only JUST managed to wait all the way until the next day to buy Stieg Larsson’s next book, “The Girl Who Played with Fire”.
I haven’t read many mystery/thrillers lately, though I used to love them. In the past view years, I’ve learned to enjoy books that aren’t as plot driven and contrived…and appreciate more than ever, good writing. (And editing – which sometimes makes all the difference.)
The characters in “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” are well drawn and interesting in their own right – even without the “disappearing from a locked room” type mystery that they are involved in. It’s a book that can be enjoyed on a plane, or beach or anywhere – with no need for a brown paper wrapper. A guilty pleasure…minus the guilt!
As proof of how much I liked the book. I only JUST managed to wait all the way until the next day to buy Stieg Larsson’s next book, “The Girl Who Played with Fire”.
skybalon's review
3.0
Pretty good mystery that is maybe a little too long and comes across a little stilted (I assume due to it being translated into English), but has a couple of very interesting characters. I'll probably read the next one, just to see how the characters develop.