An international publishing sensation, Stieg Larsson's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo combines murder mystery, family saga, love story, and financial intrigue into one satisfyingly complex and entertainingly atmospheric novel. Harriet Vanger, a scion of one of Sweden's wealthiest families disappeared over forty years ago. All these years later, her aged uncle continues to seek the truth. He hires Mikael Blomkvist, a crusading journalist recently trapped by a libel conviction, to investigate. He is aided by the pierced and tattooed punk prodigy Lisbeth Salander. Together they tap into a vein of unfathomable iniquity and astonishing corruption.
Amazon Best of the Month, September 2008: Once you start The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, there's no turning back. This debut thriller--the first in a trilogy from the late Stieg Larsson--is a serious page-turner rivaling the best of Charlie Huston and Michael Connelly. Mikael Blomkvist, a once-respected financial journalist, watches his professional life rapidly crumble around him. Prospects appear bleak until an unexpected (and unsettling) offer to resurrect his name is extended by an old-school titan of Swedish industry. The catch--and there's always a catch--is that Blomkvist must first spend a year researching a mysterious disappearance that has remained unsolved for nearly four decades. With few other options, he accepts and enlists the help of investigator Lisbeth Salander, a misunderstood genius with a cache of authority issues. Little is as it seems in Larsson's novel, but there is at least one constant: you really don't want to mess with the girl with the dragon tattoo. --Dave Callanan
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
Creative and intriguing novel:
Mikael Blomkvist, a Swedish financial journalist, is convicted of libeling a wealthy financial magnate. Before he spends jail time, he receives an offer from someone who promises to help him exact revenge on the wealthy man who has caused his downfall. In return Mikael is asked to spend a year finding out the truth behind the disappearance of the man's granddaughter. Along the way, Mikael is aided in his search by a quirky, anti-social woman who bears a dragon tattoo on her arm. This is an interesting book... more info
excessive and gruesome violence against women:
Larsson's descriptions of the many acts of violence against women (mostly sexual) were so creepily detailed they bordered on the fetishistic. His descriptions of violence towards men were spare. I barely made it through the book, but I did finish it, the rest of the story was interesting and well-paced. Then I read a little bit of the excerpt of Book 2 included in my edition and it appeared to be a long description of the heroine being raped when she was 13. More of the same, no thank you.
Intelligent and Intricate:
I considered this book for several months before taking the plunge. I am glad I did and will be looking for the next two books in the series. It is intelligent and intriguing. There are plenty of unknowns to keep you wondering, and just enough information is given to keep you on the hook sort of speak. I agree with another reviewer on here, the first 30 pages or so are kind of odd, and leave you thinking you missed something, but fear not it all comes together. A must read if you like smart mysteries... more info
great read:
For the first 70 pages or so I thought that this was a real sleeper. It is confusing as it goes back and forth between 2 stories, neither of which we know a thing about. Take character notes in the beginning so you can easily identify the characters as they appear later in the novel. Several times I thought I had figured out the mystery, only to find another twist! I loved this book and cannot wait to start the authors follow up novel with this same amazing woman!!!
