A review by aserra
The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson

adventurous dark mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

Shocked that this book has above a 4-star rating on here. Admittedly, I did enjoy Lisbeth taking more of the spotlight because, frankly, I find Blomkvist boring and tedious. But is Lisbeth compelling enough to salvage a plot that is the equivalent to a Swedish telenovela? Is Lisbeth compelling enough to overlook the increasing hostility towards the queer community in the narrative (to be clear: I don't know if the author or the translator were homophobic, and I don't have any speculations on the matter; there is, however, undoubtedly homophobic and sexist material in tbe novel)? I don't think so. Plop Lisbeth Salander in a plot and cast of characters that can match her caliber, and I'll read that book. I will not be back for any installments in this series, however.

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