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The Man Who Left Too Soon: The Life and Works of Stieg Larsson
His best-selling books are violent, terrifying, brilliantly written and have sold millions of copies around the world, but Stieg Larsson was not there to witness any of their international success. That his fame is entirely posthumous demonstrates the dizzying speed with which his star has risen. However, when one looks a little deeper at the man behind these phenomenal novels, it becomes clear that Larsson's life would have been remembered as extraordinary even if his Millennium Trilogy had never been published. Larsson was a a keen politcal activist, photographer, graphic desinger, a respected journalist and editor of numerous science fiction magazines...and at night, to relax after work, he wrote thrillers. As the world now knows, he had completed his third book, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, by the time of his death at just 50 years of age.
- GenresNonfictionBiography
310 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
11 people are currently reading
155 people want to read
About the author
Barry Forshaw
55 books13 followersBarry Forshaw is a writer, broadcaster and journalist whose books include British Crime Writing: An Encyclopedia, The Rough Guide to Crime Fiction, Brit Noir, British Gothic Cinema, Nordic Noir, Sex and Film, Euro Noir, Death in a Cold Climate: Scandinavian Crime Fiction and BFI Classics: War of the Worlds along with books on Italian cinema, film noir and the first UK biography of Stieg Larsson, The Man Who Left Too Soon. He has written on books and films for many newspapers and magazines; he also edits Crime Time, and is one of the talking heads for the ITV Crime Thriller author profiles. He records documentaries on crime fiction and film for a variety of BBC producers for both TV and radio, along with much work for foreign broadcasters. He has been Vice Chair of the Crime Writers' Association. As well as his specialist area of books (in most genres), he writes on film (booklets for special edition DVDs) and all aspects of the arts (popular and serious). He is winner of the Keating Award for Non-Fiction for British Crime Writing: An Encyclopedia (Greenwood)
In a previous career he was an illustrator, working for both The Natural History Museum and Jackie.
In a previous career he was an illustrator, working for both The Natural History Museum and Jackie.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
September 16, 2019
Barry Forshaw has studied thoroughly the Nordic Noir genre and his books on the phenomenon such as "Death in a Cold Climate: A Guide to Scandinavian Crime Fiction" and "Nordic Noir: The Pocket Essential Guide to Scandinavian Crime Fiction, Film TV", are truly informative and enlightening. This book is not a Stieg Larsson's biography, in the strict sense, though it contains lot of information regarding the writing, publication and reception of the notorious "Millenium" trilogy. There is also a chapter where Forshaw explains the bitter dispute between the Larsson's family members and his lifelong partner, Eva Gabriellson, concerning the rights on the three novels. There is also a mention on the possible existence of a fourth "Millenium" novel that Larsson had already written. Gabrielsson herself wrote a biography about Stieg ("There Are Things I Want You to Know" about Stieg Larsson and Me") which is radically different than other books on him, as she has a deep personal and emotional insight on Stieg's work and character. Furthermore, in the ending, there is a reference to Larsson's rivals in Scandinavian crime fiction like Håkan Nesser, Arnaldur Indridason, Åsa Larsson, Camilla Lackberg, though there is nothing there that a seasoned Nordic noir aficionado hasn't already read. Overall, I would say that this is a useful book on the "Millenium" phenomenon but those who expect a rich biography of the late Stieg Larsson will definitely feel disappointed.
July 7, 2010
First, this is a welcome volume. The Millennium Trilogy phenomenon and the untimely death of author Stieg Larsson is compelling material. There is enough here to make this a worthwhile purchase. Still, it is, in the end, a bit disappointing.
Why? For one thing, the summary/.synopsis of the books is not representative of what I read. Maybe the author read the book in the original language and the translation didn't capture things clearly. Examples: On page 178, Forshaw notes that Salander--after coming back from her grave--is back in Zalachenko's house holding on to Niedermann's P-83 Wanad gun. The giant had a Sig Sauer--the Wanad was from someone else. Page 130. Forshaw notes that Salander fantasizes setting her abductor (presumably Teleborian afire); unless I misread the thing, she is remembering her attack on Daddy Dearest, not Teleborian. Pages 116-117. He doesn't mention that Salander had identified additional possible victims beyond the original five that Blomkvist was aware of. Page 202: The doctor in the emergency room who did surgery is identified as a psychiatrist. While he had some training along those lines, he was primarily a surgeon. This takes away from this book.
There is a useful portrayal of Larsson and his family and his partner, Eva Gabrielsson. But it seems to be rather cursory. There is not a lot of detail. I come to see Larsson as not taking care of himself very well, perhaps contributing to his early death. We see him as driven by political concerns. And so on. But I don't get a clear sense of Larsson the person.
Toward the end of the book, there is a fine discussion of other Scandinavian crime fiction and I did truly enjoy other writers' comments--both critical and laudatory--of Larsson's trilogy. There are a handful of pages on the Swedish movies that have come out of the books. A bit brief, but I did find this helpful.
So, there are some good aspects of this work, but it gets some details wrong in the synopsis of the three books and I don't really get an insight into Larsson the person and those close to him.
Why? For one thing, the summary/.synopsis of the books is not representative of what I read. Maybe the author read the book in the original language and the translation didn't capture things clearly. Examples: On page 178, Forshaw notes that Salander--after coming back from her grave--is back in Zalachenko's house holding on to Niedermann's P-83 Wanad gun. The giant had a Sig Sauer--the Wanad was from someone else. Page 130. Forshaw notes that Salander fantasizes setting her abductor (presumably Teleborian afire); unless I misread the thing, she is remembering her attack on Daddy Dearest, not Teleborian. Pages 116-117. He doesn't mention that Salander had identified additional possible victims beyond the original five that Blomkvist was aware of. Page 202: The doctor in the emergency room who did surgery is identified as a psychiatrist. While he had some training along those lines, he was primarily a surgeon. This takes away from this book.
There is a useful portrayal of Larsson and his family and his partner, Eva Gabrielsson. But it seems to be rather cursory. There is not a lot of detail. I come to see Larsson as not taking care of himself very well, perhaps contributing to his early death. We see him as driven by political concerns. And so on. But I don't get a clear sense of Larsson the person.
Toward the end of the book, there is a fine discussion of other Scandinavian crime fiction and I did truly enjoy other writers' comments--both critical and laudatory--of Larsson's trilogy. There are a handful of pages on the Swedish movies that have come out of the books. A bit brief, but I did find this helpful.
So, there are some good aspects of this work, but it gets some details wrong in the synopsis of the three books and I don't really get an insight into Larsson the person and those close to him.
January 28, 2012
This book contains remarkably little about Stieg Larsson's actual life and work, but spends the majority of the text (some 120 pages) summarizing each volume of the Millenium trilogy with authorial asides like "perhaps Larsson based this upon his own experiences". Another large portion of the text is spent interviewing other crime writers, particularly Scandinavian crime writers, about Larsson's work. While this is at times insightful, the conversations more or less reveal something about the speakers rather than anything useful about Larsson culminating in rather paltry and subjective commentary. Larsson fans looking for something to sink their teeth into will no doubt be disappointed in this text. It seems it was probably put together and published in a hurry to piggyback off of the wild success of Larsson's work and the media sensation surrounding his death and the turmoil of his estate, rather than to present a solid biographical work of the mysterious writer himself.
January 8, 2026
This is titled a biography of Stieg Larsson and seems to be an attempt to cash in on the man's name and fame yet again (isn't it a pity he's deceased and can't pump out another book, and I suppose all those sequels by other people weren't enough).
It would be one thing if the content were actually good.
It starts off promisingly. There's some interesting stuff about how Larsson was a political activist. If there had been more along this vein, about Larsoon's political doings, interests, consequences etc, then the book could have been a good read.
However, Forshaw clearly ran out of material.
So then there are three chapters, each devoted to one of the books in "The Girl ..." trilogy. These chapters are a summary of the books. There isn't much (a little at times) info about how the books were written and very little analysis. The books don't add anything really if you've already read the books (the majority of the audience, I'd gather). I'd also say they aren't the best way to write a "notes on the books" section if it were aimed at an audience who was avoiding reading them and wanted the short form for a class or speech or something. In that case, a breakdown of basic points, list of characters and themes and so on might have worked better.
It all seemed a bit pointless except as padding.
After that there is a lengthy section on European crime writers fit to be the next Larsson - a list of biographies. More padding.
After that there is a section where some writers talk about what they thought of Larsson. Interviews. This is a bit more interesting and relevant though not at all controversial. They all are going to be very nice. However there were some more interesting and well-expressed sentiments about Larsson's writing.
It would be one thing if the content were actually good.
It starts off promisingly. There's some interesting stuff about how Larsson was a political activist. If there had been more along this vein, about Larsoon's political doings, interests, consequences etc, then the book could have been a good read.
However, Forshaw clearly ran out of material.
So then there are three chapters, each devoted to one of the books in "The Girl ..." trilogy. These chapters are a summary of the books. There isn't much (a little at times) info about how the books were written and very little analysis. The books don't add anything really if you've already read the books (the majority of the audience, I'd gather). I'd also say they aren't the best way to write a "notes on the books" section if it were aimed at an audience who was avoiding reading them and wanted the short form for a class or speech or something. In that case, a breakdown of basic points, list of characters and themes and so on might have worked better.
It all seemed a bit pointless except as padding.
After that there is a lengthy section on European crime writers fit to be the next Larsson - a list of biographies. More padding.
After that there is a section where some writers talk about what they thought of Larsson. Interviews. This is a bit more interesting and relevant though not at all controversial. They all are going to be very nice. However there were some more interesting and well-expressed sentiments about Larsson's writing.
March 11, 2025
I have never left a one star review for a book in my life, but I was sorely tempted here.
The book starts well with some background to Larsson. His beliefs, his activitism and his journalism. We see behind the curtain at his home life where he lived under constant threat to the extent he would not marry his long term partner for fear of making her a target and a man who chain smoked & worked himself to a premature end just as his particular star was on the rise.
However, what follows is quite cynical and a straightforward way of filling out the page count. The biographer proceeds to review each of the Millenium novels one by one and gives a deep and detailed synopsis of each book and suggests how a character's motivation, behaviour or lack of emotive strength can be linked to the late Larsson. Of the books 300 pages, almost half of that number is composed of extended book reviews in this way.
There are then "Rivals of Stieg Larsson"; a chapter dedicated to other scandinavian authors before anther chapter reprints other authors reviews of Larsson's work.
I am sorry to say, IMHO, this is a terrible excuse for a biography. To counter this you could say the subject of the book was dead so it would have been a harder task to write. If that was the case, I would argue no attempt should have been made to write it at all. Mr Forshaw may indeed be a very skilled writer and biographer, but this book does him no credit whatsoever. Disappointed.
The book starts well with some background to Larsson. His beliefs, his activitism and his journalism. We see behind the curtain at his home life where he lived under constant threat to the extent he would not marry his long term partner for fear of making her a target and a man who chain smoked & worked himself to a premature end just as his particular star was on the rise.
However, what follows is quite cynical and a straightforward way of filling out the page count. The biographer proceeds to review each of the Millenium novels one by one and gives a deep and detailed synopsis of each book and suggests how a character's motivation, behaviour or lack of emotive strength can be linked to the late Larsson. Of the books 300 pages, almost half of that number is composed of extended book reviews in this way.
There are then "Rivals of Stieg Larsson"; a chapter dedicated to other scandinavian authors before anther chapter reprints other authors reviews of Larsson's work.
I am sorry to say, IMHO, this is a terrible excuse for a biography. To counter this you could say the subject of the book was dead so it would have been a harder task to write. If that was the case, I would argue no attempt should have been made to write it at all. Mr Forshaw may indeed be a very skilled writer and biographer, but this book does him no credit whatsoever. Disappointed.
November 13, 2017
Picked up this book as I’ve read or watched the Millenium trilogy and generally quite enjoy a biography.
The first part and last parts of the book are quite interesting but the whole mid section of this book are taken up with more or less paraphrasing what happens in all three books and then the movies, which I thought was a waste and after reading a few of these pages, I ended up skipping the lot.
I would definitely recommend watching the original Swedish films over the American remakes though, if you haven’t already.
The first part and last parts of the book are quite interesting but the whole mid section of this book are taken up with more or less paraphrasing what happens in all three books and then the movies, which I thought was a waste and after reading a few of these pages, I ended up skipping the lot.
I would definitely recommend watching the original Swedish films over the American remakes though, if you haven’t already.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 24, 2017
If you're not a big fan of Karl Stig-Erland Larsson (aka "Stieg"), don't read this book. It will be a 1-star. If you are a fan and you've read the Millenium series, most of this book is a waste of time (as most of this book is a summary of the books you've already read).
If you're a fan and want to know more about him and get some good recommendations on other related (mostly Scandinavian) authors and their best books, this might be a 5-star for you too.
If you're a fan and want to know more about him and get some good recommendations on other related (mostly Scandinavian) authors and their best books, this might be a 5-star for you too.
May 17, 2018
I was interested to read the biography of Steig Larsson, but this is not the book in which to do that. The information about Larsson in this book was what you would find on Wikipedia. The most interesting part of the book was the analysis of the Millenium Trilogy.
June 18, 2022
This is subtitled "the biography of Stieg Larsson" but it really isn't. A large part of the book is taken up by going through the novels and giving an outline of the plot. Then there are reviews by other writers.
It's not very original and was quite a disappointment.
It's not very original and was quite a disappointment.
July 25, 2019
More a biography or his books not the man, plus a ridiculous chapter on other Nordic authors added NOTHING
February 18, 2022
Got it a decade ago. Not cheap.
June 20, 2024
Oh my god! What a terrible writing! The author just paraphrased the triology and added some insignificant details. If I want details of the books, I would just re-read them! My my!
July 1, 2011
‘Facts about fiction: more a companion than a biography.’
I was on the verge of buying this book, but comments by friends who had already read it made me cautious. I opted to borrow a copy instead and while I was interested in parts of the book, I’m reluctant to recommend it to others.
Barry Forshaw acknowledges that the approach he has taken is piecemeal: the first 62 pages contain most of the biographic information; the next 152 pages provide a (not completely accurate) summary/synopsis of the books; and the balance of the book discusses other Scandinavian crime fiction, comments by other writers on Larsson’s trilogy and also some information on the Swedish films made of the books.
It’s interesting as a companion to the Millenium trilogy, but the best part of the book, for me, was the discussion of other crime fiction. I have some new (to me) authors to add to my reading list. But that isn’t why I read this book: I was keen to learn more about the man behind the Millenium trilogy, and the book only partially succeeds in that regard.
Is it a biography? While it contains biographic information, it’s largely absent of any insight into Stieg Larsson the person, or into those close to him. Perhaps this is inevitable given that Barry Forshaw never met Stieg Larsson and appears not to have spoken directly to his partner of some 30 years, Eva Gabrielsson. Perhaps Ms Gabrielsson’s recently published memoir will provide some detailed insight. Perhaps I’ll read it.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
I was on the verge of buying this book, but comments by friends who had already read it made me cautious. I opted to borrow a copy instead and while I was interested in parts of the book, I’m reluctant to recommend it to others.
Barry Forshaw acknowledges that the approach he has taken is piecemeal: the first 62 pages contain most of the biographic information; the next 152 pages provide a (not completely accurate) summary/synopsis of the books; and the balance of the book discusses other Scandinavian crime fiction, comments by other writers on Larsson’s trilogy and also some information on the Swedish films made of the books.
It’s interesting as a companion to the Millenium trilogy, but the best part of the book, for me, was the discussion of other crime fiction. I have some new (to me) authors to add to my reading list. But that isn’t why I read this book: I was keen to learn more about the man behind the Millenium trilogy, and the book only partially succeeds in that regard.
Is it a biography? While it contains biographic information, it’s largely absent of any insight into Stieg Larsson the person, or into those close to him. Perhaps this is inevitable given that Barry Forshaw never met Stieg Larsson and appears not to have spoken directly to his partner of some 30 years, Eva Gabrielsson. Perhaps Ms Gabrielsson’s recently published memoir will provide some detailed insight. Perhaps I’ll read it.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
November 8, 2011
This was an interesting discussion of Larsson's books. It would be great if you were leading a book group or class on him. Forshaw doesn't go too deep into Larsson's biography - he refers to the conflict over the author's estate but refers us to other sources for more information - which is probably good. The plot summaries are good; he raises several interesting points for discussion. He also discusses Larsson's influences and gets the perspective of other writers' on the trilogy (which is interesting). He also briefly discusses the films, and debates the topic of how the title change may have influenced sales, as well as if the author's death helped popularize the series.
Forshaw is English, so many of the writers he refers us to are more popular in the UK. This is a good book to get ideas for further crime reading from. When he summarizes new Nordic crime writers that may have been influenced by (or influenced) Larsson, I was surprised by the complete omission of Jo Nesbo. If you'd like to ponder this trilogy some more or are looking for some good book ideas, check this out. It's not too scholarly and raises some interesting points.
Forshaw is English, so many of the writers he refers us to are more popular in the UK. This is a good book to get ideas for further crime reading from. When he summarizes new Nordic crime writers that may have been influenced by (or influenced) Larsson, I was surprised by the complete omission of Jo Nesbo. If you'd like to ponder this trilogy some more or are looking for some good book ideas, check this out. It's not too scholarly and raises some interesting points.
Read
October 21, 2011The Man Who Left Too Soon: The Life and Works of Stieg Larsson, by Barry Forshaw, Narrated by Stanley McGeagh, Produced by Bolinda Publishing, downloaded from audible.com.
A detailed analysis of Larsson’s works and his life. The Milenium trilogy was analyzed in detail, tediously, and the films were also analyzed. This part of the book was too long. The discussion of the interviews the author had with others about Larsson were very interesting, and his brief analyses of works by other Scandinavian crime writers did indicate what a hold Scandinavian crime fiction has on mystery readers today.
A detailed analysis of Larsson’s works and his life. The Milenium trilogy was analyzed in detail, tediously, and the films were also analyzed. This part of the book was too long. The discussion of the interviews the author had with others about Larsson were very interesting, and his brief analyses of works by other Scandinavian crime writers did indicate what a hold Scandinavian crime fiction has on mystery readers today.
July 5, 2013
If you haven't read Stieg Larsen's books, or if it has been awhile, then this is a good review, since Forshaw tells the whole story for all 3 books, with a few insightful comments. His interviews with relatives and associates are interesting, mainly for what happend after the author died. They don't shed much light on his inspiration for, or the background of, his books. Forshaw allots a tremendous amount of the book to comments by other readers. This appears to be filler, to compensate for lack of material about the man himself. Still, this book does satisfy some of the need-to-know more feeling created by the early death of the author.
April 4, 2012
I was a bit disappointed with this book. Its subtitle reads "The Biography of Stieg Larsson." The biographical part is a mere 63 or 64 pages. The bulk of the book, over half of it, is exposition of the three novels. There is a short section on other Scandanavian authors, but there were none of whom I was not already aware. Besides the short bio info, there is a good section on how other authors see Larsson and his novelistic works. If you skip the exposition of the novels, you might find this of interest. If you've not read the novels, I'd wait to look at this.
September 4, 2014
I don't think you can call this a biography. I suppose Barry Forshaw wanted to write Larsson's biography, but then he ran out of facts after 75 pages, so he decided to fill it with a very long summary of the "Millennium" trilogy and some quotes from other authors speaking about Larsson. It was boring and unnecessary. For me, as a biography, the book is a complete failure. I liked the first part (actual facts about Larsson) and the chapter about other Scandinavian writers - I wrote down some of the names and titles and I plan to get familiar with them.
August 25, 2010
A general biography, a detailed outline of each of the Millenium books, and a discussion of other Scandinavian crime writers. Good if you want to review the books before seeing the movies. The most interesting insight into the worldwide success of the trilogy is the author's idea that readers are yearning for an antidote to institutional corruption and finding it in the character of Lisbeth Salander.
April 14, 2011
This "biography" was written by a book critique and, for the most part, that's exactly what this is, in great detail. If you want a detailed guideline for Stieg Larsson trilogy book group discussions, this is it. If you want to truly know and understand more about Stieg Larsson, there are other options.
('tho I must admit, some tidbits fascinate -- e.g. Pippi Longstocking inspired Lisbeth. It's been a treat to go back to some of my childhood favorites and reread with adult eyes.)
('tho I must admit, some tidbits fascinate -- e.g. Pippi Longstocking inspired Lisbeth. It's been a treat to go back to some of my childhood favorites and reread with adult eyes.)
August 14, 2011
Bit of a strange book. First 70 or so pages are biographical but then book moves to be a synopsis of the trilogy - I would imagine that anyone who chooses to read this book it's because they have read the trilogy. therefore such a long summary seems strange. did enjoy the beginning and the end of the book though - particularly liked the suggestion of a number of other Scandanavian authors. I've now a read a few!
September 1, 2013
Read this on holiday. Not really a biography despite the subtitle, more of a journalistic collection of articles and interviews. Some interesting insights and comparisons, but it wasn't quite what I was expecting - no doubt the ongoing family situation in the wake of Larsson's intestacy more or less makes any full biography impossible. It did send me back to the first book in the trilogy, which I started a while ago and abandoned - hope to make better progress this time!
January 16, 2016
This is really a dreadful book. Masquerading as a biography. With the authors name plastered up on each facing page one wonders if the urge to write a book, any book overcame any misgivings about lack of knowledge of Larsson.
If this were a term paper, or heaven forfend, a ph.d thesis I'd send them back to write something with meat in it, something original.
As it stands it could better be titled.. My Analysis of Three Books That Made Millions And Maybe I
Will Too.
If this were a term paper, or heaven forfend, a ph.d thesis I'd send them back to write something with meat in it, something original.
As it stands it could better be titled.. My Analysis of Three Books That Made Millions And Maybe I
Will Too.
March 1, 2025
As I had previously read the three books of Stieg Larsson's "The girl with the Dragon Tatoo" trilogy, this book was a given to me, hence I read it. It was interesting, to the extent a person with otherwise not that interesting a life can be and it did provide a comprehensive discussion of other crime writers in Scandinavia and my wife, who reads more crime fiction than I, read some and enjoyed them, but it's a book I'd recommend only to those who can't get enough of Larsson. I already had.
Read
July 29, 2011For the firt 59 pages this book sticks to its cover story and does a convincing job as a biography. For the following 230 pages it wavers between a literary analysis of the Millenium Trilogy, a who's who of scandinavian crime fiction and a description of the movie adaptations. Overall I found the book to be a disappointment, however I now have a few new names on my list of authors to try.
August 7, 2016
Painful read - writing style was annoying which was interesting since it critiques another's writing style. Background info was like a gossip magazine trying to be pretentious. Easier to read the summary/critique of the trilogy although it didn't provide enough insight/background info. Only finished because it was the only reading material available.
November 13, 2014
I have heard alot about STEIG Larson and The trilogy he has written , I must be honest and say although heard of him not read his books or seen the films which would have been a huge advantage stating the obvious here !!!! I did find reading about STEIG life interesting but felt went on abit to much about the plots of the books which i must read BYE
September 19, 2010
I was hoping for a typical biography, but a recent New York Times covered Larsson's life better than this book. Most of the pages recap the three books and tell why or how specific passages relate to Larsson's own life. I couldn't force myself to finish this title, a rare occurrence for me.
August 25, 2010
A pedestrian, boring rush job of a book. There's nothing particularly insightful to be found here. The excruciating summaries of the Millenium books read like a high schooler's summer reading book report.
And on page 67, I knew it was bound to happen, a reference to "Dragon" Armansky.
And on page 67, I knew it was bound to happen, a reference to "Dragon" Armansky.
October 5, 2010
Extremely well done! Follows the storyline of all three books and tells the story of the man who wrote them. And a bonus was that he also tells of other Swedish crime writers that we might want to explore, for our reading pleasure.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews