The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

TerzaRima · 08-21-2009, 07:09 AM

This was one fat, satisfying thriller to read while lying on a beach in upper Michigan. The writing wasn't great, but the plotting was tight. Purely entertaining, and I can't wait for the second and third in the trilogy.

Is anyone reading The Little Stranger, by Sarah Waters? That looks promising as well.

john barnes on toast · 08-21-2009, 01:58 PM

I only managed about 40 pages of TGWTDT.

Couldn't stand any more.

Horses for courses, and all that.

DeleyanLee · 08-21-2009, 04:48 PM

I read it way back when it was in hard cover (libraries are wonderful things).

The first bit, especially the first chapter, DRAGGED. My boss (who'd recommended it) had been totally ga-ga for it and I remember telling her that if it didn't start picking up pretty quickly, I wasn't going to finish it.

Once we got to the title character, things started picking up. I found her to be an interesting interpretation on an almost cliched character background. I never really gave much of a whit for the main character--can't even remember his name anymore, actually can't remember any of the names 'cause they all sounded too similiar to my American-centric ear (totally me).

Once I remembered that this was written as a mainstream/literary story with a very mild mystery (I had it figured out about 70 pages into the book) and a teeny bit of thriller thrown in, I was good. When I expected genre pacing at the beginning, I was massively disappointed. My expectation as a reader made all the difference as to how enjoyable the book was.

I count it as a good read, when all is said and done. I'm uncertain about whether or not I'll read either of the other books in the trilogy when they come out, but I'll at least look at the second.

john barnes on toast · 08-21-2009, 07:51 PM

Amazing how tastes differ.

My problem with the book was that it confirmed many of my negative prejudices about genre fiction.

Does your average genre thriller really move along significantly quicker than this? Jesus!

DeleyanLee · 08-21-2009, 07:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by john barnes on toast

My problem with the book was that it confirmed many of my negative prejudices about genre fiction.

Interesting, since it's not genre fiction to my knowledge.

Quote:

Does your average genre thriller really move along significantly quicker than this? Jesus!

Ah, yeah.

john barnes on toast · 08-22-2009, 02:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeleyanLee

Interesting, since it's not genre fiction to my knowledge.

Well it looked genre.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeleyanLee

Ah, yeah.

I really have no idea, do I?

vixey · 08-22-2009, 02:10 AM

Interesting thoughts. A friend just lent this book to me and said it hooked her immediately. I haven't cracked it yet but I intend to. I'll let you know what I think later.

Uma · 08-27-2009, 05:30 PM

I tackled this book after putting it off forever. I'm in Sweden and this trilogy is HUGE. And, well, I have a tendency, for some reason, not to I 'get' popular books.

This one is no exception to my trend, I didn't get it at all. I did read it in the original Swedish, as a few English speaking friends tried it and didn't like it and suggested translation errors.

I made it through 100 pages and, to my surprise, found it way too slow going to get my attention at all. Usually with mainstream thrillers I find them a fast read,but flat in terms of characters.

My main issue was that every new character was introduced with endless and seemingly useless backstory. When I asked a few friends if I should continue reading, they said 'oh, the next chapter he spends most of his time introducing a whole slew of characters' so I gave up.

One person I know suggested this book had limited editing because the author died before they could make all the changes. Don't know if there is any truth to that, but that was how it felt to me.

Different strokes for different folks, but as the book is so loved here, I usually act as if I never read it if someone asks. And honestly, given that I only read 100 pages, I guess I didn't.

JamieB · 09-01-2009, 05:47 AM

Uma, I agree 100% with your assessment, being only in the beginning of the book. It seems to break all the rules of writing starting with the prologue and then subsequent chapters of narrative back story with nothing else going on. It's like the poster child for "show don't tell" rule breaking and introducing back stories and character descriptions by threading them in where relevant.

I've heard it picks up about 150 pages in. I'm hoping to make it that far. If I do, I might need a flow chart to remember all the characters and the important points about them.

TerzaRima · 09-01-2009, 06:51 AM

Part of the problem with the characters is that all Scandinavian names start to resemble each other on the page after a bit. Just in the book IIRC, there's Johansen and Jensen and Berg and Bergsen and other Swedish Chef names mit der moofin und der boom boom. But if you stick with it it's not so confusing.

Melville · 09-20-2009, 11:06 PM

I tried reading this book three, yes THREE, times and gave up at 30, 70, 100 pages respectively. Sheesh. Slow-going with all the description of financial dealings (yawn) but eventually, while delayed at an airport, I read the whole thing.

Amazingly, this tedious treatise on financial crime shrugged off its cloak and became, if not a page turner, pretty darn close. I was so taken by the book after I finished it that I immediately found a book store to purchase the second book in the series and, yes, that one IS a page turner from the get-go.

It is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY to read all of TATTOO before picking up FIRE because it's a continuation of the characters' story, though a different plotline.

I will actually mourn the end of this trilogy as I think the the characters, especially Salander, are wonderfully drawn.

For anyone who didn't finish it... it's worth it, I guarantee it... and if you read on you will see why these astonishing books are so well regarded.

The premature death of the author is a terrible loss.

gothicangel · 01-31-2010, 11:10 PM

I'm 100 pages from the end and just wondering whether anyone else had read the book.

Up till now I was mildly irritated by info dumps and the continuous head jumping. However, I was enjoying it so forgive Larsson.

Then I came to the 'torture chamber' scenes. Where the f*** did that come from? No build up in plot or characterisation; it felt so wrong. Then [I won't add the plot spoiler] the antagonist is immediately killed by a convienient car accident.

What the?

heyjude · 01-31-2010, 11:22 PM

I found the book to be slow in the beginning, then it picked up later. My beef with it was that I didn't like any of the characters. Not one. Gothic, I know what you mean. I was a bit put off by some of that too.

nevada · 01-31-2010, 11:59 PM

Yeah when I was reading it, I was so shocked that something happened on about page 300 i actually said out loud "omg something happened". Having said that, I love this book. I have the second one, but havent started it. I read the first one in about 6 hours, sitting in my garden in July, it was the perfect combination of weather, mood, and book.

The thing to remember is that this is not a regular thriller. It might have been marketed as such but it so isn't. It's slow, the stakes are almost non existent, certainly not the end of the world kind of thing. But it gets its hooks in you and you find yourself just plowing through the pages, on and on.

Whenever someone gets it at work, or i recommend it to someone i always tell them, it's a brilliant book where nothing much happens but it's so worth it.

ClaudiaGray · 02-01-2010, 12:22 AM

The book does take a very long time to get going, but once it does, wow. I ended up liking it quite a lot, even though I spent a while at the beginning wondering if I would finish it at all.

I think it's worth noting that the author died before these books were published; I suspect some of the clunkiness reflects the fact that it was his draft, not necessarily meant to be what finally went out into the world, and the editors took a gentle hand with it because they weren't able to work with the author any longer.

Momento Mori · 04-06-2010, 06:39 PM

I've just finished Dragon Tattoo and I thought it was okay.

I agree with the other posters who said it wasn't well written and I think that Claudia may be right in saying that it may be down to Larsson dying before publication. There were some things that drove me nuts - e.g. the fact that you get the square metreage of everyone's home and large sections are basically journalistic exposition, often providing background information that could be offered in another way.

I also thought that the twists were a little obvious, but I do read a lot of thrillers.

MM

trocadero · 04-06-2010, 06:50 PM

I had huge expectations of this book. So many people I know loved it, and it's such a big seller that I was really looking forward to it. The first few pages contained an intriguing mystery, but then pffft. Pages and pages and pages and pages of boring boring backstory, and way too many characters for me to keep track of. I persisted. Things pick up when you meet the girl, and she's a really interesting character, but I got bogged down again in backstory and had to ditch it. I'll go back to it when there's nothing else of interest to read on my kindle, or on my shelf, or on any of my friends' shelves. Or at the library.

shawkins · 06-28-2010, 04:24 AM

I just finished this a few minutes ago and I loved it. I don't disagree that the prose was sort of uninspired, but because it's a translation I'm inclined to cut it some slack. I'm sort of surprised how many people upthread started it and fizzled out--for me it was a more or less textbook example of drawing the reader in.

Anybody read the followup?

Quote:

Originally Posted by gothicangel

Then [I won't add the plot spoiler] the antagonist is immediately killed by a convienient car accident.
What the?

I got the feeling it was suicide, not an accident. The antagonist knew the game was up & so forth. I think they even came right out and said so at one point?

TerzaRima · 06-28-2010, 04:50 AM

Quote:

Anybody read the followup?

Oh, yeah. In many ways it's better--more psychologically complex, darker, with more insight into what formed Salander. That said, if you were annoyed by the occasional plot meander and the enormous cast of minor cardboard characters (all who make frequent stops for coffee, sex, and sex 'n coffee) you'll be more annoyed by the followup. I enjoyed it thoroughly, though, and plan to take The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest on vacation later this summer.

Medievalist · 06-28-2010, 04:56 AM

I haven't read any of his books. I note the local library has multiple copies of all of them, and they've got more than 20 people on the waiting lists.

vixey · 06-28-2010, 05:07 AM

I'm one of those who put it down then picked it up again. I can't recall when I got the hook, but it definitely became a page turner for me.

I'm surprised with the trilogy's popularity that the translation wasn't better for the American market. But the odd word choices and stilted prose added more to the feel of being in Sweden. I plan to read the second book over the holiday weekend.

DeleyanLee · 06-28-2010, 05:28 PM

I'm still waiting for Hornet's Nest to make it through the rounds at work.

MGraybosch · 06-28-2010, 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeleyanLee

I'm still waiting for Hornet's Nest to make it through the rounds at work.

I'm reading Hornet's Nest now, but I think they should have kept the original Swedish titles:

Men who Hate Women
Men who Don't Care About Women
The Fall of the Welfare State

Alpha Echo · 06-28-2010, 06:22 PM

Well, I just ordered the book, so I hope I enjoy it. I'm intrigued, at least. I'll let you know what I think.

I know I haven't been able to get through Atonement yet, but I plan on trying again. Different books, I know, I'm just thinking about how slow that beginning was (which is why I didn't get through the first chapter).

I'm going to have to try that again soon, actually, now that I'm thinking about it.

PandaPolka · 06-28-2010, 06:22 PM

I've come to love TGWDT but it definitely took me a few tries to get through the start of the book. I'm someone who struggles keeping up with intricate character based stories, so I had to do a lot of page flipping to remember which family member was what.

I have the second book but am only a few chapters into it, definitely a flip from the first in terms of setting.

08-21-2009, 07:09 AM	#1
TerzaRima Absinthe O'Malice Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: the foulest in the land Posts: 2,833	The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson This was one fat, satisfying thriller to read while lying on a beach in upper Michigan. The writing wasn't great, but the plotting was tight. Purely entertaining, and I can't wait for the second and third in the trilogy. Is anyone reading The Little Stranger, by Sarah Waters? That looks promising as well. __________________ Who can turn the world on with her scowl? Who can take a nothing day, and make it even bleaker by reflecting on Jean-Paul Sartre's "Nausea"?

08-21-2009, 04:48 PM	#3
DeleyanLee Writing Anarchist Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: lost among the words Posts: 27,596	I read it way back when it was in hard cover (libraries are wonderful things). The first bit, especially the first chapter, DRAGGED. My boss (who'd recommended it) had been totally ga-ga for it and I remember telling her that if it didn't start picking up pretty quickly, I wasn't going to finish it. Once we got to the title character, things started picking up. I found her to be an interesting interpretation on an almost cliched character background. I never really gave much of a whit for the main character--can't even remember his name anymore, actually can't remember any of the names 'cause they all sounded too similiar to my American-centric ear (totally me). Once I remembered that this was written as a mainstream/literary story with a very mild mystery (I had it figured out about 70 pages into the book) and a teeny bit of thriller thrown in, I was good. When I expected genre pacing at the beginning, I was massively disappointed. My expectation as a reader made all the difference as to how enjoyable the book was. I count it as a good read, when all is said and done. I'm uncertain about whether or not I'll read either of the other books in the trilogy when they come out, but I'll at least look at the second. __________________ "For unheard of means that it's undreamed of yet; Impossible means not yet done." --Julia Ecklar "You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist." --Friederich Nietzsche

08-22-2009, 02:10 AM	#7
vixey C'est la vie! Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 3,016	Interesting thoughts. A friend just lent this book to me and said it hooked her immediately. I haven't cracked it yet but I intend to. I'll let you know what I think later. __________________ Vixey Be who you are and say what you feel because those who matter don't mind, and those who mind don't matter.-Dr. Seuss "Thank God for fingers and muses. Writing is like singing the blues on a laptop."-cwj

09-01-2009, 05:47 AM	#9
JamieB practical experience, FTW Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: O-H (clap clap) I-O Posts: 5,951	Uma, I agree 100% with your assessment, being only in the beginning of the book. It seems to break all the rules of writing starting with the prologue and then subsequent chapters of narrative back story with nothing else going on. It's like the poster child for "show don't tell" rule breaking and introducing back stories and character descriptions by threading them in where relevant. I've heard it picks up about 150 pages in. I'm hoping to make it that far. If I do, I might need a flow chart to remember all the characters and the important points about them. __________________ LEAP OF FAITH - Spring 2013, S&S Children's on GOODREADS www.jamiemblair.com Twitter @JamieMBlair

09-01-2009, 06:51 AM	#10
TerzaRima Absinthe O'Malice Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: the foulest in the land Posts: 2,833	Part of the problem with the characters is that all Scandinavian names start to resemble each other on the page after a bit. Just in the book IIRC, there's Johansen and Jensen and Berg and Bergsen and other Swedish Chef names mit der moofin und der boom boom. But if you stick with it it's not so confusing. __________________ Who can turn the world on with her scowl? Who can take a nothing day, and make it even bleaker by reflecting on Jean-Paul Sartre's "Nausea"?

08-21-2009, 01:58 PM	#2
john barnes on toast practical experience, FTW Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 580	I only managed about 40 pages of TGWTDT. Couldn't stand any more. Horses for courses, and all that.

08-21-2009, 07:51 PM	#4
john barnes on toast practical experience, FTW Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 580	Amazing how tastes differ. My problem with the book was that it confirmed many of my negative prejudices about genre fiction. Does your average genre thriller really move along significantly quicker than this? Jesus!

08-27-2009, 05:30 PM	#8
Uma figuring it all out Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Sweden Posts: 65	I tackled this book after putting it off forever. I'm in Sweden and this trilogy is HUGE. And, well, I have a tendency, for some reason, not to I 'get' popular books. This one is no exception to my trend, I didn't get it at all. I did read it in the original Swedish, as a few English speaking friends tried it and didn't like it and suggested translation errors. I made it through 100 pages and, to my surprise, found it way too slow going to get my attention at all. Usually with mainstream thrillers I find them a fast read,but flat in terms of characters. My main issue was that every new character was introduced with endless and seemingly useless backstory. When I asked a few friends if I should continue reading, they said 'oh, the next chapter he spends most of his time introducing a whole slew of characters' so I gave up. One person I know suggested this book had limited editing because the author died before they could make all the changes. Don't know if there is any truth to that, but that was how it felt to me. Different strokes for different folks, but as the book is so loved here, I usually act as if I never read it if someone asks. And honestly, given that I only read 100 pages, I guess I didn't.

09-20-2009, 11:06 PM	#11
Melville Reader first, writer second Join Date: May 2009 Location: By a lake, in the woods Posts: 172	Don't Give Up On This One... I tried reading this book three, yes THREE, times and gave up at 30, 70, 100 pages respectively. Sheesh. Slow-going with all the description of financial dealings (yawn) but eventually, while delayed at an airport, I read the whole thing. Amazingly, this tedious treatise on financial crime shrugged off its cloak and became, if not a page turner, pretty darn close. I was so taken by the book after I finished it that I immediately found a book store to purchase the second book in the series and, yes, that one IS a page turner from the get-go. It is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY to read all of TATTOO before picking up FIRE because it's a continuation of the characters' story, though a different plotline. I will actually mourn the end of this trilogy as I think the the characters, especially Salander, are wonderfully drawn. For anyone who didn't finish it... it's worth it, I guarantee it... and if you read on you will see why these astonishing books are so well regarded. The premature death of the author is a terrible loss. __________________ It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation. --Herman Melville

01-31-2010, 11:10 PM	#12
gothicangel Toughen up. Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Outer Brigantia Posts: 6,648	I'm 100 pages from the end and just wondering whether anyone else had read the book. Up till now I was mildly irritated by info dumps and the continuous head jumping. However, I was enjoying it so forgive Larsson. Then I came to the 'torture chamber' scenes. Where the f*** did that come from? No build up in plot or characterisation; it felt so wrong. Then [I won't add the plot spoiler] the antagonist is immediately killed by a convienient car accident. What the?

01-31-2010, 11:59 PM	#14
nevada Self-Banned Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada Posts: 2,599	Yeah when I was reading it, I was so shocked that something happened on about page 300 i actually said out loud "omg something happened". Having said that, I love this book. I have the second one, but havent started it. I read the first one in about 6 hours, sitting in my garden in July, it was the perfect combination of weather, mood, and book. The thing to remember is that this is not a regular thriller. It might have been marketed as such but it so isn't. It's slow, the stakes are almost non existent, certainly not the end of the world kind of thing. But it gets its hooks in you and you find yourself just plowing through the pages, on and on. Whenever someone gets it at work, or i recommend it to someone i always tell them, it's a brilliant book where nothing much happens but it's so worth it.

02-01-2010, 12:22 AM	#15
ClaudiaGray Rambaldi's Chosen One Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Chicago Posts: 2,832	The book does take a very long time to get going, but once it does, wow. I ended up liking it quite a lot, even though I spent a while at the beginning wondering if I would finish it at all. I think it's worth noting that the author died before these books were published; I suspect some of the clunkiness reflects the fact that it was his draft, not necessarily meant to be what finally went out into the world, and the editors took a gentle hand with it because they weren't able to work with the author any longer. __________________ Visit my website: http://www.claudiagray.com/ My books: Evernight Stargazer Hourglass

04-06-2010, 06:39 PM	#16
Momento Mori Tired and Disillusioned Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Here and there Posts: 3,156	I've just finished Dragon Tattoo and I thought it was okay. I agree with the other posters who said it wasn't well written and I think that Claudia may be right in saying that it may be down to Larsson dying before publication. There were some things that drove me nuts - e.g. the fact that you get the square metreage of everyone's home and large sections are basically journalistic exposition, often providing background information that could be offered in another way. I also thought that the twists were a little obvious, but I do read a lot of thrillers. MM

04-06-2010, 06:50 PM	#17
trocadero practical experience, FTW Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Hong Kong Posts: 642	I had huge expectations of this book. So many people I know loved it, and it's such a big seller that I was really looking forward to it. The first few pages contained an intriguing mystery, but then pffft. Pages and pages and pages and pages of boring boring backstory, and way too many characters for me to keep track of. I persisted. Things pick up when you meet the girl, and she's a really interesting character, but I got bogged down again in backstory and had to ditch it. I'll go back to it when there's nothing else of interest to read on my kindle, or on my shelf, or on any of my friends' shelves. Or at the library.

06-28-2010, 04:56 AM	#20
Medievalist Cultus Gopherus MacAllister Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: þone þe in meoduhealle Posts: 22,673	I haven't read any of his books. I note the local library has multiple copies of all of them, and they've got more than 20 people on the waiting lists. __________________ About.Me iPad Projects AWers On Twitter My opinions are my own. \| Who else would want them?

06-28-2010, 05:07 AM	#21
vixey C'est la vie! Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 3,016	I'm one of those who put it down then picked it up again. I can't recall when I got the hook, but it definitely became a page turner for me. I'm surprised with the trilogy's popularity that the translation wasn't better for the American market. But the odd word choices and stilted prose added more to the feel of being in Sweden. I plan to read the second book over the holiday weekend. __________________ Vixey Be who you are and say what you feel because those who matter don't mind, and those who mind don't matter.-Dr. Seuss "Thank God for fingers and muses. Writing is like singing the blues on a laptop."-cwj

06-28-2010, 05:28 PM	#22
DeleyanLee Writing Anarchist Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: lost among the words Posts: 27,596	I'm still waiting for Hornet's Nest to make it through the rounds at work. __________________ "For unheard of means that it's undreamed of yet; Impossible means not yet done." --Julia Ecklar "You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist." --Friederich Nietzsche

06-28-2010, 06:22 PM	#24
Alpha Echo The Future is Bright Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Where I'm meant to be Posts: 7,908	Well, I just ordered the book, so I hope I enjoy it. I'm intrigued, at least. I'll let you know what I think. I know I haven't been able to get through Atonement yet, but I plan on trying again. Different books, I know, I'm just thinking about how slow that beginning was (which is why I didn't get through the first chapter). I'm going to have to try that again soon, actually, now that I'm thinking about it. __________________ "All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible" T.H Lawrence

06-28-2010, 06:22 PM	#25
PandaPolka New Fish; Learning About Thick Skin Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: US Posts: 21	I've come to love TGWDT but it definitely took me a few tries to get through the start of the book. I'm someone who struggles keeping up with intricate character based stories, so I had to do a lot of page flipping to remember which family member was what. I have the second book but am only a few chapters into it, definitely a flip from the first in terms of setting.

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