The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

This is just about one of the best books I have ever read. I love the character development, the slow build of the story-yes that's right-SLOW-but the story of this magnitude takes a bit of time. This is not for people that have little patience or need everything spoon fed to them. The story is great and part of the charm is the time and care that Larsson took in familiarizing the reader to all the characters. It is like an adult version of the game CLUE but far more interesting and complex. The first 300 pages or so are setting everything up-once you get past that things really start to pick up. This is not for kids or the faint of heart. This is a very dark tale that will, if you truly give it a chance, you are sure to love. I was a bit sad once it was over-but happy to have two other books to look forward to in the series.

Well, let me say this is THE very first time I have every submitted a review of a book. So why am I doing this? Why I am I taking a few moments out of my precious lifetime to do this? Because I thought it was such a dismal, boring, sophomoric book and I can't begin to understand why the world thinks it's so great! I had to start over from the beginning of the book four times to be able to gather enough energy to finish it. I was determined to read the whole dull thing because of all the attention it has received. I wasted my time. My advice - skip this one.

I picked this fine piece of literature up on a whim after noticing that my local library had over six hundred hold requests for it. Though my initial interest was sparked by little more than wanting to know what all the fuss was about, I can safely say now that I'm glad that small amount of interest was all that it took for me to make this purchase. Larsson immerses the reader in the lives of Mikael Blomkvist, an investigative journalist, and Lisbeth Salander, an investigator in her own right. In the wake of a libel-related scandal, Blomkvist accepts an offer from industrialist Henrik Vanger to escape the busy streets of Stockholm and investigate the disappearance of Vanger's niece, Harriet, who has been missing for several decades. Blomkvist isolates himself in the fictional town of Hedestad and begins his investigation. Meanwhile, Lisbeth Salander, the book's namesake, has her own struggles to deal with. Originally tasked with performing a routine background investigation on Blomkvist, Salander finds herself increasingly interested in his new course of action in Hedestad. The two eventually come face to face after Blomkvist realizes his need for a research assistant and seeks her out. By the end of this harrowing tale, this pair of talented investigators have not only uncovered the reasons behind Harriet's disappearance, but have also struck back at the libel suit Blomkvist had been plagued by. The story is fresh, the characters are interesting, and the entire book is a page-turner. A must-read for mystery fans, and highly recommended for anyone who simply enjoys good fiction. While the book itself isn't too long (running around 600 pages), it is a longer read. One of the most interesting parts of this story, and undoubtedly one of the most time-consuming tasks central to understanding the text, is connecting it's various themes (corruption, misogyny, etc.) to the lives of the central group of characters. All in all, this book is well worth the money you'll spend buying it, the time you'll spend reading it, and all the hype it has generated.

my first mystery/crime book (i have never been a fan) but i must say, even though the start is a bit weak, it does get better after a while...wouldn't be my last crime i read

I've read a lot of books and this is the first review I have written. I am having a hard time getting through this and may not even finish it. Why are people raving about this? I just don't get it. It isn't the waste of money, it is more the waste of my time trying to read it. I don't want to miss out on a great book, am I missing something?

It has been a long time since I have read a book I couldn't lay down.....when I HAD to do something else, I could hear my Kindle calling me to get back to see what was going to happen next! Lisbeth, with all her virtues and faults, is an unusual heroine for the times, and I found her intriguing, intelligent, thoughtful and courageous. Have been telling everyone I know about this book (and the others in the series). My only regret is that this author died and we are unable to get more books in the genre he established.

I'm not sure what all the hype is about this book, it was awful. It's hard to describe how bad it actually is, you have to wade through MORE than half the book until it slowly begins to limp along to something actually happening (besides the protagonist boning somebody). It is more than awful, the main character is so monodimensional that it is almost funny, and the side kick (the girl with the dragon tattoo) is like a ridiculous cartoon image of "those darn kids nowadays". And then the plot itself is just stupid, it is so cliched and insipid. Save yourself some time and read something else, I mean just about ANYTHING else would be better. Seriously. Look, this is a book that somebody chose to hype and has been doing a great job causing a stir. It is horrible. Save your money, this is one highly polished turd.

This book was recommended to me by a friend. I'm not going to talk about the actual story because others have done a great job of it. I'm going to talk about the reading experience. It took me close to 100 pages to get into it, just as my friend had warned me. I believe the problem is that there are a lot of Swedish names of streets, buildings, towns etc. that are hard to wrap our minds around because they are long and unfamiliar. At any rate, just as she said, all of a sudden this book grabbed me and I couldn't put it down. I was reading half the night. Although I couldn't read full time, I read all 3 of the trilogy within 4 or 5 days. This was supposed to be the first book of a 10 book series, but unfortunately, the author died while writing book 4. What a disappointment to think that there are no more in this series to read. I highly recommend this trilogy. Can't wait for the movies!

i have to admit that this book was difficult to get through. the names of all the cities confused me... and i had a hard time keeping track of who was who in the vanger family... i wish the character of lisbeth salander was more of the main story line... i found her very intriguing...

Stieg Larsson has given us one of the best crime thrllers in recent memory. This excellently crafted novel has great character development, mindbending plot twists and outstanding writing. Lisabeth Salander is one of the most original literary characters to come along in quite awhile. What a shame that Mr. Larsson passed away before he could complete his planned 10 book series.