The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (Millennium Trilogy)
by Stieg Larsson
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Book Summary Information
Author: Stieg LarssonTranslator: Reg Keeland
Edition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published); English (Translation)
Format: Deckle Edge
Published: 2010-05-25
ISBN: 030726999X
Number of pages: 576
Publisher: Knopf
Product features:
- The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, Hardcover with a Book Jacket
- Written by Stieg Larsson, Translated from Swedish by Reg Keeland
- Published by Alfred A. Knopf, NY
- 26th Printing, April 2011
- ISBN-10: 030726999X, ISBN-13: 9780307269997
Book Reviews of The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (Millennium Trilogy)
Book Review: Salander's Revenge
Summary: 2 Stars
Stieg's Larsson's third book in the Salander trilogy is true to form in that the virtues and faults of the first two are sorely evident in this one: a couple of promising characters, a myriad of sensational devices, many examples of awkward language and syntax, stock characters, a plethora of examples of unnecessary detail and verbosity. The book needs editing. The characters are incompletely developed because Larsson's dialogue is inadequate in flushing them out, and their thoughts are seldom conveyed. Moreover, the plot, while complicated and somewhat interesting, does not allow for adequate characterization because too much attention is focused on the vicissitudes of plot to the detriment of other elements of the novel. In the final analysis, we are left with a thriller scenario featuring stock figures. Even the seemingly captivating Lisbeth Salander is reduced to a caricature. Her emotions or lack thereof suggest an automaton, someone merely going through the motions of life rather than living it with intelligence and humanity. Whether as a result of the abuse inflicted upon her by the State and her relatives or her singular lack of imagination, she does not seize the moment to define herself in any other way than as a casualty of an oppressive world. Thus is she neutralized emotionally, hollow and vindictive to a fault. While one relates to her vengeance, considering her ordeals, in the end there is nothing laudatory about her; she is cold, isolated and angry - the consummate damaged goods. One cannot imagine her becoming a mother, a wife or a lover. She is the figurative feral dog, lurking in caves and empty buildings by day and seeking out corpses and offal at night. She epitomizes the deadness of victimhood even as she wreaks revenge on others.
While this may be what Larsson intended, it does not make for a satisfying novel. Interesting characters are defined by more than their appearance, and while in the first book, we are intrigued with the "differentness" of Lisbeth Salander, by the third book of the trilogy, we want her to express herself so that we understand who she is beyond piercings, tattoos and spiked hairdos. That she is a rebel is intriguing, symbolized by her "Goth" style, her lesbianism and exhibitionism, the hacking, and her martial arts expertise, but these attributes do not substitute for strong characterization unless they are integrated into her behavior, are organic, so to speak. We need to know what she thinks, what she says and how capable she is of substantive interaction. Otherwise she is just one more female thug on the subway,
Sadly, Lisbeth Salander devolves into the boring, unimaginative roommate, wife or friend you can't wait to escape. Perhaps some will disagree with me and argue instead that the woman is fascinating. I admit I expected her to be as well since her likes are rarely the stuff of modern fiction. We initially root for her because she offers the possibility of an unusual protagonist. We think she might be interesting to get to know; we expect intelligent conversation and thought from her, but as the books wear on... and on and on... we realize she is merely a coffee imbibing shell of simmering rage and worse, a type rather than an individual. Because she speaks rarely and appears to deliberate even less, we are not allowed a glimpse of personality that would compensate for the ordeal of slogging through a ponderously complicated, contrived plot. Despite the mental acumen suggested by her ability to hack complex computer systems and the fact that she repeatedly outwits various attempts at her demise, we are not privy to what she has done to achieve her freedom or her exoneration.
Nor can we fathom Mickael Blomkvist's allegiance to her unless it is a sense of compassion for the victimhood of the woman, the terrible injustice that has rendered her less than human. Thus does Blomkvist emerge as the interesting character in the series because he at least shows connections to others: his married lover, his sister and the Millenium staff. In the same vein his dogged efforts on the part of Salander reveal a sense of justice on his part and a pursuit of truth, the journalist's professional goal. Beyond the mere fact of his assistance and devotion to her cause, we cannot relate to his romantic interest in her because the author has not revealed her to be particularly interesting or lovable. Her relationships are matter-of-fact, like hookups with a prostitute or paid escort rather than the give and take of conversation, touch and shared interests that one could argue are the touchstones of meaningful relationships. Her personality remains static, robotic -- as flat and dismal as the abandoned brickyard her half-brother is holed up in or the mental hospital/prison from which she has emerged to reclaim her life and move on. Lisbeth Salander does not move on but instead grows more inward and self-contained, as if to shed a tear or speak up to clarify who she is would doom her to further victimhood. While we root for her to evolve, she does not, remaining rigidly static until the end.
Likewise, I would argue that other characters are flimsy in their development - more stock than real, more banal than substantive. Her half-brother, her father, the assassin, the attorney who defends her, even Erica, Blomkvist's married lover, are incompletely developed. All the characters with the possible exception of Blomkvist lack depth and individuality so that we are left with a complicated scenario of depraved actions by various "types" or thugs, none of which elicits our imagination. They are devices, mere facilitators of the mechanical infrastructure of this so-called thriller. This is hackneyed fiction, nothing more. I do not understand its appeal except that for some nihilism is indeed attractive. Reading about sex and violence keeps one turning the pages; the ideas of conspiratorial government involvement and sexual deviance arouse a prurient curiosity on the part of some readers. Yet however one defines his reasons for reading, in the end "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest" is pulp fiction; its success is not driven by a desire for art. The book does not evince a deft plot, interesting characterization, or themes about life and the human condition. It does not motivate man toward higher leanings, increase his sensibilities or satisfy his curiosity about human behavior. What is its redeeming value? Is there any?
No, this trilogy depicts a dreary social landscape that is wanting in imagination, compassion, femininity, vitality, and even intellectualism. It is a flat book about flat people, similar to a "Lockup" episode on MSNBC. One watches with fading interest a scenario of dead characters going through their mechanical lives devoid of meaningful human interaction or intellectual or spiritual stimulation. Like vampires, these characters ooze their way through the human world, rarely imparting knowledge that would benefit others, mostly parasitic in their attempts in all arenas. The exception might be Blomkvist whose enigmatic personality does not connote deadness but instead a voyeuristic curiosity about people and the world. Too bad Larsson didn't develop him more; then maybe Salander, as a well conceived foil, would have cut a wider swath in exposing us to the degradation possible in an unethical State.
Finally, I would argue that the book is pretentious. Clearly Larsson wants it to be an expose of injustice in Sweden as well as a commentary on the abuse and victimhood of women and children there. This point nearly knocks one over the head with its insistency in the first book. However, he drops that theme in the rest of the books and merely resorts to hackneyed subplots and the murky theme of victimhood to carry the day. It doesn't work because Steig Larsson has made promises to the reader he simply has not kept. In the end, Lisbeth Salander is just your boring, unimaginative Goth freak, not the girl of your dreams, the succubus you yearn for in a world reduced to the ordinary and the predictable, as most bad novels convey. This book depicts the lives of people who merely slog on without a perspective on life and themselves. Thus, one does not learn from this book; one survives it much as one does a persistent toothache.
It must be stated here that it is never my intention to be completely critical in a review. My goal is to clarify the book's attributes. I do it here only because the book has been an international bestseller. It has been touted. Because there has been so much hype, I feel it is the obligation of the discerning reviewer to expose it for what it is: pulp fiction.
Marjorie Meyerle
Colorado Writer
Summary of The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (Millennium Trilogy)
The stunning third and final novel in Stieg Larsson's internationally best-selling trilogy...Lisbeth Salander--the heart of Larsson's two previous novels--lies in critical condition, a bullet wound to her head, in the intensive care unit of a Swedish city hospital. She?s fighting for her life in more ways than one: if and when she recovers, she?ll be taken back to Stockholm to stand trial for three murders. With the help of her friend, journalist Mikael Blomkvist, she will not only have to prove her innocence, but also identify and denounce those in authority who have allowed the vulnerable, like herself, to suffer abuse and violence. And, on her own, she will plot revenge--against the man who tried to kill her, and the corrupt government institutions that very nearly destroyed her life.
Once upon a time, she was a victim. Now Salander is fighting back.
Amazon Best Books of the Month, May 2010 As the finale to Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest is not content to merely match the adrenaline-charged pace that made international bestsellers out of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Girl Who Played with Fire. Instead, it roars with an explosive storyline that blows the doors off the series and announces that the very best has been saved for last. A familiar evil lies in wait for Lisbeth Salander, but this time, she must do more than confront the miscreants of her past; she must destroy them. Much to her chagrin, survival requires her to place a great deal of faith in journalist Mikael Blomkvist and trust his judgment when the stakes are highest. To reveal more of the plot would be criminal, as Larsson's mastery of the unexpected is why millions have fallen hard for his work. But rest assured that the odds are again stacked, the challenges personal, and the action fraught with neck-snapping revelations in this snarling conclusion to a thrilling triad. This closing chapter to The Girl's pursuit of justice is guaranteed to leave readers both satisfied and saddened once the final page has been turned. --Dave Callanan
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