The Girl Who Played With Fire

2010-11-01T17:50:00.001-07:00

The Girl Who Played With Fire

2010-11-01T17:47:00.001-07:00

In the first of the series, originally titled in Swedish "Men Who Hated Women", Larsson did a magnificent job in setting up an absolutely unforgettable literary character -- Salander.

Where part one of this trilogy fell short was in the too often sideways plotting, i.e. too many red herrings that added little, too many subplots, plus an inability to avoid multiple endings. However, in "The Girl Who Played With Fire (and I would love to know what the original Swedish title is), Larsson, in addition to layering depth to Salander's incredibly unique character, at once creating backstory and thus motivation.

He also writes (yes, even at 649 pages in the British paperback edition I read), a very tight plot where virtually all the clues, surprises, and discoveries are well earned. This one is the masterpiece of the two -- so far -- as there is the third and final book to come.

Still, it's necessary -- and no less rewarding -- to read "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo first. You'll not be disappointed in either. You'll even learn a bit about Swedish politics, but most importantly about gender politics in the context of a first class literary thriller.

The girl Who Played With Fire

2010-11-01T17:43:00.001-07:00

It's a tragedy for world literature that Stieg Larsson is dead, and we'll never have more than three books with Lisbeth Salander as the heroine. She's an absolutely fascinating creation. This is the second book in the series, and every bit as riveting as The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo.

In the eyes of Sweden's social services system, Salander is a deeply disturbed person who needs a guardian to supervise her and handle all her affairs. But unbeknownst to the authorities, she's a world-class hacker with a photographic memory, brilliant at chess, wildly rich from an Internet coup - and a vicious fighter. For relaxation, she has sex with men or women, as the spirit moves her, and reads books on spherical astronomy and higher mathematics. All this in a very small package: Salander stands less than five feet tall and weighs 90 pounds.

The plot of this book is too complex and full of twists and shocks to summarize. But to oversimplify, three people are murdered because of a book two of them are writing about sex trafficking, and Salander, by a quirk of circumstantial evidence, becomes the prime suspect.

Salander is in hiding for much of the book, baffling all the cops, well-wishers and thugs looking for her, while doing her own highly irregular detective work.

In her twenty-five years of life, Salander has come in for a lot of sexual abuse. But she also has a genius for pay back. Her unique display of brains and aggression is utterly satisfying.

The characters in this book are wonderfully drawn, the pace breathtaking and the fight scenes terrific. I can't wait to read the third book in the series.

The Girl Who Played With Fire

2010-11-01T17:42:00.001-07:00

Stieg Larsson's follow-up to the bestselling THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO picks up where the action left off for the two main characters, the journalist Mikael Blomkvist and his unlikely partner, the phenomenally intelligent computer hacker Lisbeth Salander. As the book opens though, they are now separated a world apart, with Blomkvist back home in Sweden and Salander lounging on a Caribbean island. This separation is what drives the entirety of the novel, with Salander accused of a horrendous crime that soon forces her to go into hiding. While the characters that Larsson introduced in his first novel in the series are still just as interesting, and while here the reader is introduced to even more mysterious aspects about Salander's past, the fact is, there is something missing.

Pitting Salander "against the world" and having her exist in isolation throughout the majority of the book is what leads to this being not as strong of a novel as its predecessor, because what is now absent is the interplay between the two main characters that made THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO so intriguing. The dynamics that existed between Blomkvist and Salander as he tried to decipher the enigmatic nature of her personality is what made the first novel so unlike any others of its genre, but now that the characters are forced apart and are no longer able to really share a scene together, a large portion of the story's appeal is lost in the process. This has the effect of magnifying weaknesses in Larsson's storytelling. In THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, Larsson would focus on revealing key details of the plot through scenes where one character would simply be telling another about it instead of letting them discover it through action. While this slowed down the pacing significantly, the conflict between the two main characters helped maintain the reader's interest and served to keep the pacing going at an effective pace. In THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE though, once again key elements of the plot are revealed in almost a deus ex machina fashion, materializing out of the blue and being explained away in mere dialogue. Stripping away the relationship between Salander and Blomkvist then keeps the pacing very slow, and the intensity of the building action that was so dominant in the first novel is now not achieved.

Having these important elements about Salander's past that she is so intensely private about being brought to light while she was working alongside of Blomkvist would have had a much greater impact on the overall plot of THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE, and would have furthered the conflict between the two main characters and thus made for a more exciting read. Instead though, having the characters separated throughout leads to more of a reactionary catalyst for the characters' development, instead of having a more proactive approach that would have in turn, helped drive the action.

This separation that forces the main characters into more of a reactionary mode also has the effect of weakening the overall dialogue found in the novel. Characters come off as not being as genuine as they were in THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, and in some instances, become nothing more than a stereotype. A prime example of this is the character of Faste, a detective working on the case who at all times remains misogynistic without ever showing any other facet of his character. In fact, these misogynistic overtones that seem to crop up throughout the novel, with Salander and other female characters constantly being referred to as "bitches," "whores," and even much worse, grows very tiresome and ends up diluting the overall effectiveness of the story Larsson is attempting to tell.

At the heart of THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE is what could have been a very compelling story dealing with the growing problem of the illegal sex trade that has been becoming more rampant throughout the EU in recent years. Larsson though relegates this plot point to a subordinate position to the murder investigation that is instead made central to the story. Had he tied these two elements together more cohesively, a much stronger novel would have emerged and a much more powerful sequel to his first Blomkvist/Salander novel would have been created in the process, allowing the dynamic between the two characters to be explored more thoroughly. Whereas before Larsson took the reader on a journey that built to an incredible conclusion that would not let the reader put down the book, here the denouement of the novel seems forced, and unfortunately the climax thus degenerates into a level that borders on absurdity and the fantastical.

The late Stieg Larsson is a good writer, and the characters he created in Blomkvist and Salander are very intriguing, they just work much better when paired together and allowed to have their conflict flourish. While THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE could have used some redirection and some overall editorial polishing, it still should be read by those who are interested in learning about Lisbeth Salander, a character I had previously dubbed to be one of the most fascinating to be found in modern literature.

2010-11-01T16:52:00.001-07:00

This is the second in the late Steig Larsson's "Millennium" trilogy. I was so hooked by the first in the series, "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," that I decided to send away to for this sequel, because I was not willing to wait until July for the U.S. release of an English-language version. These days, the pound has been kicked around as badly as the dollar, so I ended up paying largely what I'd pay in the U.S., and the shipping fee was minimal.
I really couldn't wait to crack the 700-page volume to revisit the characters: Mikael Blomqvist, the heroic investigative journalist; Lisbeth Salander, a petite powerhouse afflicted (or gifted) with Asperger's syndrome; Erika Berger, the fearless editor and Blomqvist's sometime bed mate; and the intrepid staff of the magazine, "Millennium." Whereas "Dragon Tattoo" was largely about Blomqvist and his search for a presumed-dead heiress, this sequel focuses squarely on Salander and her difficult adjustment with society. At the end of the first book, she abruptly walks away from the faithless lover Blomqvist. She continues her aversion in "The Girl Who Played with Fire," ignoring him, hanging up on his cell phone calls, tossing out letters, and otherwise pretending he doesn't exist. He's broken her heart and Lisbeth Salander is not one to forgive.
However, she soon learns she needs friends--plenty of them--as an ever-tightening noose of danger tightens around her, made up of her evil legal guardian Nils Bjurman, a cadre of nasty social-service doctors and psychiatrists, some rogue cops, members of a Hells-Angels-like motorcycle gang, and a shadowy figure known only as Zala. When one of Blomqvist's best reporters and his wife, are gunned down, police find Salander's fingerprints on the gun and the hunt is on--with the entire police force, plus the host of the other bad guys after her.
Larsson keeps the pace breathless throughout the story, which hinges on a seamy sex trafficking trade. Even when he stops to explain what is at stake and how "Millennium" will cover the story, he never slows the movement. You'd think that in a novel of this length there would be myriad subplots, but there really aren't too many threads to follow. Salander's sad past is deconstructed chapter by chapter, and Blomqvist gets to the bottom of police malfeasance and international espionage. But nothing takes the focus off the chase that Salander eludes so brilliantly.
I'm sure there are things that a savvy editor could do to tighten Larsson's prose. He adds a love affair too many and drags out the tense ending to a breaking point. Also, it may not seem odd to Swedes, but Larsson's habit of using the last name for every character becomes extremely confusing, because everyone is an Anderson or an Ericsson or a Nilsson. The sameness becomes mind-boggling. It's impossible to even know the gender of the character.
I know about this problem personally, for my own grandfather changed his last name because there were too many Nilsson in the army. He chose a name that was a little more distinctive. Larsson could have learned a lesson there. Using a few first names now and then also would solve the problem nicely.
But these are nitpicks. I'll be waiting for any news that an English version of the final version of the "Millennium" trilogy is available. These books are just that good.

2010-11-01T16:50:00.001-07:00

This is the second book in the Millennium series created by Stieg Larsson. The plot revolves around the human and sex trafficking industry in Sweden and the murder of three individuals with connections to the Lisbeth Salander character.

I found this to be a pleasing (yet inferior) sequel to "Dragon". While one does not need to read Dragon, I would recommend it. For my money it (Dragon) is the superior read.

The Lisbeth Salander character is a very interesting protagonist. When Lisbeth is being written about in The Girl Who Played with Fire, the story seems to move - when she is not, the story drags.

The Mikael Blomqvist, Erica Berger etc. characters and how Steig Larsson created and developed the characters seemed deeper, fresher and have more substance in the first novel. I thought the first book had a better focus, pace, fewer hanging threads, was more intricately plotted and had a better overall story.

With that said, the sequel is a good, not exceptional, read. My recommendation is to read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo first, then this novel to fully appreciate the world that Steig Larsson created.

The Girl Who Like Fire

2010-11-01T16:48:00.001-07:00

I found this book to be a solid sequel to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, in fact, I may have liked it ever better than the first.

In this book we learn more about Salander. Skillfully exposed throughout the course of the novel, bits and pieces of her background appear until by the end a full picture has emerged. Some statisfying, some not so satisfying. A couple points easily guessed early on.

She's a fascinating character, and the parts about her were my favorite in the book, (even the parts that were seemingly plot irrelevant and never resolved). She's a smart, strong, flawed underdog, and you can't help rooting for her.

This book tackles a lot of topics. Sex trade, the media, police corruption, authority abuse, on and on. I like it because it keeps it interesting, but sometimes it was all over the board. Especially interesting to me is learning more about Swedish culture throughout the course of the book.

What's best about the book is the pace. It kept me captivated throughout the 569 pages (in my copy), and I couldn't go to bed until I finished. It's a well-done thriller.

Incidentally, I didn't find that you needed to have read The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo first, but certainly that would be preferable.

Looking forward to the 3rd, and sad that it will be the last. This is a really interesting series.

The Girl Who Played With Fire

2010-11-01T16:23:00.001-07:00

In THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE, the second volume in the late Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy, publisher Mikael Blomkvist and the police are conducting parallel investigations into three horrifying murders -- and their initial evidence points straight at young computer genius and social misfit Lisbeth Salander. Kalle Bastard Blomkvist (as Salander has begun referring to him) hasn't seen Salander in nearly two years, except for one night when he happened to witness a huge man attempting to kidnap her and both she and the attacker eluded him. He's bewildered about why she cut him off cold, but had accepted her decision -- until now. He doesn't believe Salander killed these victims. Well, at least not two of them. He has to contact her, find out how she's become embroiled in this, and help her. Salander, as usual, has her own ideas about who she'll see and when....

In THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, Larsson partnered Blomkvist and Salander as they unraveled a twisted tale of corporate greed, Fascist connections, and perverse sex and violence. FIRE highlights another subject on which Larsson wanted to shine light, namely the underbelly of the sex trade, a swill of human misery being forcibly imposed for money and simple loathing of women. Blomkvist's magazine, Millennium, plans an issue devoted to the subject based on the interviews and reporting of a criminologist and a journalist, and there follows much in-house discussion of the lurid material and how it should be presented to the public. But the three murders turn the magazine and its people on their heads.

Meanwhile, Slander travels, changes her appearance, and matures in the early chapters of the 569-page book that covers four months in total and is told in four parts. Among her pursuits: attempting to proof Fermat's Last Theorem in a way Fermat himself might have done, furnishing her new abode, and keeping tabs on Bjurman (whom, recall, she memorably tattooed in DRAGON). Then, she disappears for quite a spell as the murder investigation gets cranking, and finally, she regains the spotlight as the book rushes headlong into a heart-stopping denouement.

The last book in this series -- tentatively entitled THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNETS' NEST in its English translation -- is not scheduled for release until 2010. However, the entire trilogy has already been published in Swedish (naturally), French, and German. Larson reportedly had planned a ten-volume series. He had written part of the fourth book and had outlined volumes five, six, and seven. Sadly, due to his early death, only the trilogy is complete and will, according to his father, be published. After reading FIRE, the thought creeps in that perhaps the trilogy will not provide closure, and that the reader could be left dangling, unsatisfied. That would be a crying shame because Slander and Blomkvist -- along with other continuing characters -- do burrow themselves deeply into the reader's (at least this reader's) affections. Fortunately, reviewers who have read, in the other aforementioned languages, the entire story arc, including the final novel, seem generally very satisfied. Some claim that the last book, also the longest, is a grand finale that answers all outstanding questions. A few are less effusive, stating that the last book can't meet the anticipatory heights set by the stunning, unusual first one.

This last criticism can be applied to the second book as well. FIRE does not pack quite the punch of uniqueness that DRAGON did. One can perhaps think of the movie trilogy THE MATRIX, MATRIX RELOADED, and THE MATRIX REVOLUTION as an analogy. The smash introductory film awed with its mind-bending perspective. The second and third passes were very solid, even amazing, partners, but they only reiterated the cutting-edge magic so novel in The MATRIX, building on it, not inventing something mind-blowing fresh. Familiarity takes a bit of the bloom off the rose, but it certainly doesn't breed contempt in these instances. Larson's FIRE lags a little during the mid-section in which criminal investigation procedure grinds along and the author belabors certain points, seeming to believe his readers novices at crime mysteries. But overall, FIRE accelerates the enthralling story of Lisbeth and Mikael with panache. One can't help thinking the world they inhabit is too slimy, too vicious, but Larson was a man with many crusades and causes, and his trilogy vividly paints the harsh pictures of society that he hoped to reform. The Millennium Trilogy encompasses uncompromising social critique; prickling thrills; and curious, bittersweet romance. FIRE drew me like a moth, and I can't wait to get my hands on HORNET.