The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
Read for: R.I.P. IV
Wow! I’ve heard a lot of good about this book, but I still wasn’t expecting it to be quite as good as I found it to be! Also, I obviously didn’t read the summaries of the book because it was not at all what I was expecting. For some reason I thought it was a young adult novel and I had no idea it was going to be a mystery. But I’m so glad it was because I was getting behind with my RIP reading and now I can include this in the challenge!
First a warning – this book is intense and it’s definitely not a young adult novel. I’m not even sure I can summarize with justice without giving too much of the story away, but I’ll try. Harriet Vanger disappeared without a trace 40 years ago. Her uncle has obsessively searched for any clue to her disappearance (what he’s convinced is a murder) ever since that day. He hires Mikael Blomkvist, a journalist who has just been sued (successfully) for libel. Then there’s Lisbeth Salander, who works for a security agency as a PI, who is initially not connected to the main story but ends up being a major player.
From the moment I started reading this book, I could not put it down. Larsson just jumps right into the story and then never stops. At time the story got a little technical but never to the point of losing the reader. I also really liked the writing. It was straight forward, without a lot of extra stuff thrown in. The only problem I had was that there seemed to be either an editing or a translating issue (or perhaps both.) I know that doesn’t reflect on Larsson, but it always bothers me when there are a lot of typos in a book. I think it was definitely partly a translating problem because there were a few sentences that didn’t even make sense or used words in the wrong context. But that is a minor detail and shouldn’t stop any one from running out and grabbing this book! I’m anxiously awaiting the next one but I’m 68th on the list at the library and there are only 26 copies available so it could be a long wait!
20/10/2009 at 2:46 am Permalink
Great review! I’m really looking forward to reading this series. I hope the next one comes through for you soon!
Meghan´s last blog ..Review: Amsterdam, Ian McEwan
20/10/2009 at 8:10 am Permalink
I jut bought this book and the sequel within the past few weeks but I haven’t cracked it open yet. I think I’m going to love it.
Stephanie´s last blog ..Teaser Tuesday: Twilight
20/10/2009 at 7:31 pm Permalink
Yeah, this one was pretty hardcore at times. But I’m looking forward to reading the sequel, too.
softdrink´s last blog ..1776
21/10/2009 at 11:13 pm Permalink
I’ve been waiting for the third book in the trilogy to come out in paperback, so that I can do a marathon. Glad to see that I won’t be disappointed….
uncertainprinciples´s last blog ..Natsuo Kirino – Out
12/11/2009 at 7:59 pm Permalink
I absolutely loved this book. I recently finished the 2nd and also enjoyed it very much, but had some issues with it. I am ordering the 3rd from the Book Depository as it’s available in the UK and with free shipping worldwide, I can’t resist!
Ti´s last blog ..Review: New Moon