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A review by erebus53
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This is a book that my mother recommended to me before her death and I'm glad I finally picked up a copy. As an ex-goth Autistic with tech leanings and a penchant for Photoshop, I can see why she recommended it to me.
This is a murder mystery but is also peppered with informative statistics about the welfare of women and Disabled people, and plenty of heat leveled at financial speculators and stock market traders. Do not read if you can't tolerate animal cruelty. The story is edgy and dark and includes sexual violence, so it will not be a good fit for some readers. This book is generally sex-positive, consensual rather than coercive, and also depicts bisexuality and respectful polyamory. The body image discussions are nuanced.
I would normally find it irksome that an Autistic character is described as being violent, but in this case of a character who has childhood trauma, demand avoidance, and a fundamental lack of trust in authority figures, it's quite understandable that she might want to solve her own problems without the interference of police. I can see her work as an amazing revenge fantasy, and her competence as super-heroic.
I found that the pace dragged in places, but the problem solving and the relationship building was pretty cool. I could see some people eyerolling while specific tech equipment, vehicles and software are discussed, but I find it really cute, especially as I am familiar with much of it, and amused by how the high-tech stuff is now outdated (well it was 18 years ago...).
This is a murder mystery but is also peppered with informative statistics about the welfare of women and Disabled people, and plenty of heat leveled at financial speculators and stock market traders. Do not read if you can't tolerate animal cruelty. The story is edgy and dark and includes sexual violence, so it will not be a good fit for some readers. This book is generally sex-positive, consensual rather than coercive, and also depicts bisexuality and respectful polyamory. The body image discussions are nuanced.
I would normally find it irksome that an Autistic character is described as being violent, but in this case of a character who has childhood trauma, demand avoidance, and a fundamental lack of trust in authority figures, it's quite understandable that she might want to solve her own problems without the interference of police. I can see her work as an amazing revenge fantasy, and her competence as super-heroic.
I found that the pace dragged in places, but the problem solving and the relationship building was pretty cool. I could see some people eyerolling while specific tech equipment, vehicles and software are discussed, but I find it really cute, especially as I am familiar with much of it, and amused by how the high-tech stuff is now outdated (well it was 18 years ago...).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia, Rape, Torture, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Murder, and Animal death