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4.13 AVERAGE
4.13 AVERAGE
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Took me a while to get back into this series after a short break. Overall a good book though.
The best of the three books written by Stieg Larsson. I could not read anything else or concentrate on anything else while I was reading this book.
What am I, a glutton for punishment? I should have known after the second book in this series that the third would not be for me. I prefer my thrillers to be, um, thrilling. Taut. Suspenseful. As a journalist, it's entirely possible that Stieg Larsson was first-rate, but as a crafter of fiction, he leaves much to be desired. The book is *filled* with back story. Boring, *boring* backstory. Long disquisitions on the administrative structure of the police. Another loooong section on the Swedish constitution. *Yawn!* In the end, the thing that makes a good newspaper article - exposition - makes for terrible fiction. He traps his best character, Lisbeth Salander, in the hospital and then it's all hacking. Which may be a good device for getting information into other character's hands, but distinctly lacks drama. Everything in this book, actually, lacks drama. And then, the needless details about the meals eaten (at least Billy's Pan Pizza, a staple of the second book was only mentioned once), and the specific streets walked down, or walked up, or circled, or—okay, I think you get the idea. It's also annoyingly transparent that all the good guys are going to be okay. And really, are middle aged, flubby, self-absorbed investigative journalists so attractive? Are sexy ladies continually throwing themselves at, and falling hopelessly in love with these journalists? Only according to 50ish, investigative journalist Stieg Larsson. Surprise.
At least something funny came out of this morass:
http://www.newyorker.com/humor/2010/07/05/100705sh_shouts_ephron
At least something funny came out of this morass:
http://www.newyorker.com/humor/2010/07/05/100705sh_shouts_ephron
I loved this series. Lisbeth Salander is my hero. The woman has a photographic memory, crazy hacking skills, and she can kick anyone's ass. The sad thing is that Stieg Larsson is gone and I may never know if he was going to continue her story. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest basically wrapped up a lot of loose ends, but we'll never know.
very entertaining and didn’t feel too slow even though it’s long
This one was slower than the others, but still a good read.
****2016 Update****SPOILER ALERT
Still great. Can't put it down...a very fast read in my opinion.
We pick up right where "Fire" left off. Niederman (sp?) is on the run. Lisbeth and Zala are rushed to the hospital with potentially life threatening wounds. The Section decides it's time to act-to take matters into their own hands before their cover is blown and they're all ruined. They're in cahoots with prosecutor Ekström (looked that one up...never would have spelled it that way!) and Dr. Teleborian. They kill everyone who threatens to spill the beans on them (including Zala). Meanwhile, inside the Secret Police there is another secret group that is slowly becoming privy to the constitutional violations the Section has implicated over the years...of course things eventually begin to unravel...specifically with the undermining of Dr. Teleborian's testimony. There is a subplot dealing with Blomkvist's love life and a SEPO officer and Berger's harassment at her new job (as well as how she returns to Millennium after only a few weeks).
Overall, good conclusion to the story. Interested to read the follow-up no written by Larsson. Will it be the same? I can't really see how it can be as good, but I'll keep an open mind.
PS...I definitely googled what Billy's pan pizza was after finishing these books...turns out it's a real thing ;)
Still great. Can't put it down...a very fast read in my opinion.
We pick up right where "Fire" left off. Niederman (sp?) is on the run. Lisbeth and Zala are rushed to the hospital with potentially life threatening wounds. The Section decides it's time to act-to take matters into their own hands before their cover is blown and they're all ruined. They're in cahoots with prosecutor Ekström (looked that one up...never would have spelled it that way!) and Dr. Teleborian. They kill everyone who threatens to spill the beans on them (including Zala). Meanwhile, inside the Secret Police there is another secret group that is slowly becoming privy to the constitutional violations the Section has implicated over the years...of course things eventually begin to unravel...specifically with the undermining of Dr. Teleborian's testimony. There is a subplot dealing with Blomkvist's love life and a SEPO officer and Berger's harassment at her new job (as well as how she returns to Millennium after only a few weeks).
Overall, good conclusion to the story. Interested to read the follow-up no written by Larsson. Will it be the same? I can't really see how it can be as good, but I'll keep an open mind.
PS...I definitely googled what Billy's pan pizza was after finishing these books...turns out it's a real thing ;)
Loved this book. It was my favorite of the series.