The Girl Who Played with Fire
by Stieg Larsson
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Book Reviews of The Girl Who Played with Fire
Book Review: A worthy second effort
Summary: 4 Stars
To follow the style of the original title of "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," I think this book should have been named "A Woman Who Hates Men Who Hate Women." Too convoluted? Yes, but oh so true to the story!
On the surface, "The Girl Who Played with Fire" is about sex trafficking and prostitution in Sweden and high-ranking men who abuse underage girls. But, just like the first novel, it's not quite that simple - the story gradually morphs into a tale of sexual prejudice, abuse of power, and governmental conspiracy. And even more, this book is about Lisbeth Salander, her past, her roots and the events in her life that made her who she is - a violent vigilante who hates men who hate women.
It is a great book, much more so in the second half than in the first. We get to know and understand Salander much better, her personal story is painful and at the same time inspiring, her violent crusade against abusers is compelling.
However, as much as this book is a page-turner, the flaws can't be overlooked. The novel has a slow start - too many pages are dedicated to exploring everyone's sexual preferences/histories/partners/encounters, "testing" of Salander's newly acquired breast implants, etc. This part should have been trimmed down. Do I really need to know that Erika prefers doing IT with two men? Don't think so. The other thing that is even more apparent in this book is that Larsson has a habit of repeating himself, narrating the same events several times by multiple characters. Editing should have taken care of it. And my final qualm, this novel just seems a little incomplete, there are some loose ends left and it definitely lacks an epilogue that would tie the story together.
Regardless of the flaws, "The Girl Who Played with Fire" is a worthy sequel and I think fans of the first book will enjoy the second just the same. I did and am now anxiously awaiting the release of "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest."
Book Review: Still a solid, entertaining story; however...
Summary: 3 Stars
This second of Stieg's trilogy is a good story. Entertaining. It was, in the end, compelling. But it took some time to get there. The final third of the book was especially suspenseful, or at least I thought so. But the first third of the book was hit and miss. It seemed the storyline didn't find it's direction immediately coming out of the previous book. There were some tangents to the story line that I thought would be later tied back into the plot, but ultimately seemed to just add to the number of pages in the book (specifically, I'm thinking of some of Salander's exploits and adventures in the Caribbean early in the story).
Salander's character was, I think, transformed a little too much from the likable, brainy but socially inept genius hacker who was able to gain the reader's sympathy in the first book to a slightly oversexed bisexual, violent prone, all-man-hating superhero vigilante freakish chick that ultimately lost some of the reader's sympathy (or at least this reader's sympathy). I think Larsson would have been better off to keep building on her intellectual capabilities rather than revert to the image of a slightly-built lady that packs a nasty punch.
Finally, the end of this one is a mixed issue. Larsson did build good suspense in the finality of the story. He did leave the reader hanging with what I perceive as an ending that is entirely unfinished. However, if the author's objective was to build the suspense then leave the reader hanging in order to compel the reader to purchase the third book so as to ultimately find out what happens to Salander and Blomkvist, then he succeeded. But as a reader who likes some answers to the twists that were presented along the way, I was sorely disappointed and the book failed to deliver.
But I do need to know what's going to happen. I will await the U.S. release of the final book and I will definitely read it.
Book Review: Now I Cannot Wait to Read the Third!
Summary: 5 Stars
Absolutely riveting follow-up to 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.' Whereas the first book in this series had Mikael Blomkvist as the main protagonist, with Lisbeth Salander along to help and intrigue him, this one is centered on Salander and the way in which her past comes hurtling back to catch up with her.
When the book starts, Blomkvist and the "Millennium" magazine staff are working on exposing a sex trafficking operation with highly placed Swedish society and government targets about to be named. Salander returns to Sweden after globe-trotting for a year on the money she `earned' in the last book's operation, and tries to explore the idea of putting down roots in a new home.
Before the expose can be published, however, its author and his partner are murdered, and within hours, Salander is the prime suspect. Naturally, the resourceful young woman eludes capture as she embarks on her own campaign to root out the murderers and face down her connection to the ugly business at hand, deeply rooted in her hidden (up to this point) past. Blomkvist begins his own investigation, convinced when no one else is of Salander's innocence. Ever the computer genius, Salander hacks into Mikael's computer and answers his hidden message to her, and the two begin a tentative collaboration to clear her name, and in the process, to reveal who Lisbeth really is.
The police investigation is never dull, with a cast of good characters drawn with fine details. The action moves along at a suspenseful pace, and Salander and Blomkvist are reunited for the book's climactic scenes. Did not want this book to end, and sighed when it did, knowing I'll have to wait a full year for the next (and last) installment. I disagree with those reviewers who found this book inferior in any way to the first. I did not become bogged down or feel the action sag in the middle. Nope. Thoroughly satisfied.
Book Review: Will take your breath away
Summary: 4 Stars
I read "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" in late September and just finished this second book in the series a couple of days ago. I tend to enjoy thriller/suspense novels but it's not my primary genre and I may only read ten or so a year.
This book is really, really good - but not quite as good as the first one. I loved "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" and was a little worried that this second one wouldn't hold up and I was wrong. Mikael Blomkvist finds himself in the situation of discovering the bodies of two of his friends/co-workers and a woman he has been involved with previously (both professionally and personally) is the primary suspect. The police zeroed in on Lisbeth Salander pretty quickly as the killer and a handful of people who know her are very suspicious that she is capable of this. The fact she disappears makes it hard to clear her name and also reinforces her guilt with the authorities.
As with the previous novel, the character development for writing of this type is very good. The characters are well developed and the reader finds himself caring about what happens to them. The action is fast-paced in sections though there are times when it dragged a bit, but those slower sections allows the reader a chance to catch his breath which isn't necessarily a bad thing.
Two things I would mention to anyone contemplating this book -
1) Pretty raw in places with violence that could be upsetting to some.
2) It would be much better to go back and read "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" before reading this if you haven't already done so. To appreciate the book, the background is incredibly helpful.
As I was reading this book over the period of several days, I found myself not sleeping as well as normal. I found I needed to read something else directly before bed rather than this in order to get a good night's sleep --
Book Review: 4 Months, 4 Parts, 3 Murders, 1 Brilliant Salander
Summary: 5 Stars
I have never encountered another character as multi-layered and brilliant as Lisbeth Salander. I first met her in Larsson's previous novel, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. She was a flat-chested, waif-like teen who was a gifted computer and mathematical genius. In this novel, she is a more overt genius but she now has breasts, which she paid for with funds from an ambiguous, illicit source. She is accused of three murders and the investigation promises to keep the reader on the edge.
Larsson's novel captures the essence of social problems in Sweden, this one centering around the sex trade. Portrayed by extreme characters, we encounter the absolute misery and decadent behavior toward females. Mikael Blomkvist, the good guy from the first novel, has uncovered information on the subject and plans to disclose the subject in an issue of his own magazine, Millennium. Lisbeth becomes the savior of abused women. She is also an extremist, many of the characters are ensconced in fanatical escapades.
Blomkvist and Salander had a previous sexual relationship which forced Lisbeth to bury any romantic feelings and so she refuses to allow Blomkvist to contact her. Based on her past, Lisbeth is comfortable leading a paripatetic life, with no solid relationships. She trusts no one. One of most vile characters is her guardian, Bjurman, who made a horrendous mistake when he sexually took advantage of Lisbeth. Her revenge is harsh and connects the story. His attempts at revenge are proof that she is very, very smart.
I understand that this book is the second of the trilogy and the last book may provide some closure, but I believe that Larsson keeps the reader dangling with many unanswered questions. Larsson was too critical of the society he describes to have it tie up in a neat little package.