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The Psychology of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: Understanding Lisbeth Salander and Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy
Lisbeth Salander, heroine of Stieg Larsson’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and its sequels, is one of the most compelling, complex characters of our time. Is she an avenging angel? A dangerous outlaw? What makes Salander tick, and why is our response to her—and to Larsson’s Millennium trilogy—so strong?
In The Psychology of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, 19 psychologists and psychiatrists attempt to do what even expert investigator Mikael Blomkvist could not: understand Lisbeth Salander.
• What does Lisbeth’s infamous dragon tattoo really say about her?
• Why is Lisbeth so drawn to Mikael, and what would they both need to do to make a relationship work?
• How do we explain men like Martin Vanger, Nils Bjurman, and Alexander Zalachenko? Is Lisbeth just as sexist and as psychopathic as they are?
• What is it about Lisbeth that allows her to survive, even thrive, under extraordinary conditions?
• How is Lisbeth like a Goth-punk Rorschach test? And what do we learn about ourselves from what we see in her?
In The Psychology of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, 19 psychologists and psychiatrists attempt to do what even expert investigator Mikael Blomkvist could not: understand Lisbeth Salander.
• What does Lisbeth’s infamous dragon tattoo really say about her?
• Why is Lisbeth so drawn to Mikael, and what would they both need to do to make a relationship work?
• How do we explain men like Martin Vanger, Nils Bjurman, and Alexander Zalachenko? Is Lisbeth just as sexist and as psychopathic as they are?
• What is it about Lisbeth that allows her to survive, even thrive, under extraordinary conditions?
• How is Lisbeth like a Goth-punk Rorschach test? And what do we learn about ourselves from what we see in her?
304 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2011
29 people are currently reading
643 people want to read
About the author
Robin S. Rosenberg
43 books18 followersRobin Sue Rosenberg is a clinical psychologist in private practice in Stanford, California, and has taught psychology at Lesley University and Harvard University. She is board certified in clinical psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology, and has been certified in clinical hypnosis. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Clinical Psychology, is a member of the Academy for Eating Disorders, and is President-Elect of the Santa Clara County Psychological Association.
Rosenberg is mostly known for her textbooks and writings on the psychology of popular culture.
Rosenberg is mostly known for her textbooks and writings on the psychology of popular culture.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
October 1, 2012
I selected this book thinking it would be a fun, light, "Psychology Today" sort of easy read. The group of essays are very scholarly, and referenced, presented in a serious, scientific manner. It took me longer than I thought to read it, because it was another of those books that causes me to cross reference, and to reflect on the writing. One of the contributors Opined that Stieg Larsson was one of the most brilliant authors of our time. After reading the various viewpoints, and aspects of the character study, I became more and more astonished by this fact. How did Stieg Larsson develop such a deep and nuanced group of characters, especially Lisbeth? It is truly remarkable. Read this book, and you will really gain a lot more appreciation of the Trilogy of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
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July 14, 2012So far I have read the trilogy, a biography of Larsson, and now this anthology so I can say that this series and the characters are pretty intriguing to me. All the essays in this anthology are written by psychologists and psychiatrists are definitely biased towards Lisbeth given her victim status. This collection of essays covered a lot of ground that I learned in my undergraduate psychology studies but made the material much more engaging through case study analysis of a compelling character like Lisbeth Salander. These specialists all concur that Larsson did indeed create a plausible character in Salander and that she behaved exactly as a person with her history and temperament would in real life. While reading these essays were certainly more interesting than my psychology textbooks, the material did get repetitive and somewhat dry.
The two essays I found to be the most interesting explored the goth and hacker counter-cultures. The worst essay was the forensic report. The author kept saying "would have," as in, "Lisbeth Salander's juvenile arrest record would have indicated..." Yes we get that this is fiction, but we are acting as if Lisbeth is a real person and a forensic report is supposed to be based on facts so this undermined the reports credibility in my mind. She concluded, in line with the other experts, that Lisbeth did not have a psychological disorder and was not at risk for future violence.
I would recommended picking and choosing the essays that really spark your interest and leave out all the rest.
The two essays I found to be the most interesting explored the goth and hacker counter-cultures. The worst essay was the forensic report. The author kept saying "would have," as in, "Lisbeth Salander's juvenile arrest record would have indicated..." Yes we get that this is fiction, but we are acting as if Lisbeth is a real person and a forensic report is supposed to be based on facts so this undermined the reports credibility in my mind. She concluded, in line with the other experts, that Lisbeth did not have a psychological disorder and was not at risk for future violence.
I would recommended picking and choosing the essays that really spark your interest and leave out all the rest.
January 4, 2012
The book was interesting and covered a lot of material. I like how everything seemed relevant and fit with the story because oftentimes with books like this you see them forcing the story into the different concepts where it doesn't really work. Didn't get a higher rating though because I kept finding myself vacillating between extreme interest and complete apathy.
February 15, 2024
Surprisingly scholarly and engaging, 100% worth of your time as a psychologist/psychology amateur.
Understanding psychology with case studies like this is everything I need as a Psych Major.
Understanding psychology with case studies like this is everything I need as a Psych Major.
September 4, 2012
If you're like me, then the thought of psychological analysis makes you a little confused. It's not that I don't understand the basic tenants of psychology (I did fairly well in psych 101 in college!), but the finer points of psychoanalysis make me glad that I'm not a psychologist or psychiatrist. I'm used to hard data, such as percent oxygen, protein yields, and absorbance values. To observe one's character and make a complete analysis just based on personality traits or familial history alone is pretty cool. I just have no idea how it's done. Hence, my decision to tackle this interesting field segued well into reading The Psychology of the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.
Edited by Robin Rosenberg (also a contributor) and Shannon O'Neill, The Psychology of the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo compiles the analyses of many experts on the subjects of psychology, psychiatry, medicine, and various other subjects to study the inner workings of the characters within Steig Larsson's amazing The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. (You can read my joint reviews with Kim on Larsson's books here, here, and here) Chiefly, this focus on Lisbeth Salander, the main protagonist of the work, is a huge psychoanalytical undertaking. Due to her troubled past and history of clashes with a society that attempts to subdue her, Lisbeth has trouble finding herself and finding peace. The expert analysis begins with Lisbeth's exterior, examining first why people alter their appearance, whether it be through dress, tattoos, piercings, or other modifications. Then, the authors focused on Lisbeth, examining why her appearance is radically different than most "normal" individuals, encompassing images that are aimed at provoking others rather than trying to fit in. After exploring Lisbeth's appearance, the essays delve deeper into her personality, examining her past and focusing on those around her, both good and bad. A good deal of work is put into analyzing the relationships that Lisbeth creates with those around her, especially Bloomkvist. Finally, the work ends on a more positive note, outlining Salander's achievements, and examining her as a sort of superhero.
Through reading this book I've found that there are a series of these works dedicated to analyzing the "psychology of ... (insert popular book title here)". Although I think it's an interesting idea, out of all the titles available I feel that this one has the most merit. The subject material is ripe for psychoanalysis; just judging by appearance alone one can tell that Salander is different, and the types of people she has dealt with in her life are just as psychologically damaged and complex as she is. A whole book could have been written for each major character, but I'm glad that the editors put most of the focus on Lisbeth, and after reading this work I definitely saw her in a new light. I never considered her to be an exceptionally strong character (at least in the first book), and I viewed her more as a loaner who finally lets someone (Bloomkvist) in to her personal life. However, after reading this book and finally elucidating the parts of Lisbeth's childhood that made her the person she is in the first novel, it's plain to see that she is an amazingly strong and resilient character who is several times smarter than the average individual. I definitely have a new respect for her character, and in addition a new respect for Larsson's work, in that he could create such an innovative and amazingly complex story that integrates all of these multi-layered characters. In all, it's definitely an educational read that would benefit those who are having a hard time understanding the motives behind the characters in the Millenium Trilogy. Definitely give it a shot!
Todd (Reflections of a Book Addict)
Originally Posted: http://wp.me/p18lIL-19S
Edited by Robin Rosenberg (also a contributor) and Shannon O'Neill, The Psychology of the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo compiles the analyses of many experts on the subjects of psychology, psychiatry, medicine, and various other subjects to study the inner workings of the characters within Steig Larsson's amazing The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. (You can read my joint reviews with Kim on Larsson's books here, here, and here) Chiefly, this focus on Lisbeth Salander, the main protagonist of the work, is a huge psychoanalytical undertaking. Due to her troubled past and history of clashes with a society that attempts to subdue her, Lisbeth has trouble finding herself and finding peace. The expert analysis begins with Lisbeth's exterior, examining first why people alter their appearance, whether it be through dress, tattoos, piercings, or other modifications. Then, the authors focused on Lisbeth, examining why her appearance is radically different than most "normal" individuals, encompassing images that are aimed at provoking others rather than trying to fit in. After exploring Lisbeth's appearance, the essays delve deeper into her personality, examining her past and focusing on those around her, both good and bad. A good deal of work is put into analyzing the relationships that Lisbeth creates with those around her, especially Bloomkvist. Finally, the work ends on a more positive note, outlining Salander's achievements, and examining her as a sort of superhero.
Through reading this book I've found that there are a series of these works dedicated to analyzing the "psychology of ... (insert popular book title here)". Although I think it's an interesting idea, out of all the titles available I feel that this one has the most merit. The subject material is ripe for psychoanalysis; just judging by appearance alone one can tell that Salander is different, and the types of people she has dealt with in her life are just as psychologically damaged and complex as she is. A whole book could have been written for each major character, but I'm glad that the editors put most of the focus on Lisbeth, and after reading this work I definitely saw her in a new light. I never considered her to be an exceptionally strong character (at least in the first book), and I viewed her more as a loaner who finally lets someone (Bloomkvist) in to her personal life. However, after reading this book and finally elucidating the parts of Lisbeth's childhood that made her the person she is in the first novel, it's plain to see that she is an amazingly strong and resilient character who is several times smarter than the average individual. I definitely have a new respect for her character, and in addition a new respect for Larsson's work, in that he could create such an innovative and amazingly complex story that integrates all of these multi-layered characters. In all, it's definitely an educational read that would benefit those who are having a hard time understanding the motives behind the characters in the Millenium Trilogy. Definitely give it a shot!
Todd (Reflections of a Book Addict)
Originally Posted: http://wp.me/p18lIL-19S
June 6, 2014
Fascinating read actually. Made me want to reread the trilogy (for like the eighth time...)
Also made me really upset to remember that Stieg Larsson is dead now and there won't be any more official books... so many of the contributors mused about what might have occurred in future books, it almost made me want to cry realizing that those books will never exist.
That aside, the book does take some effort to read, lots of psychological jargon... not my strong suit, but some of the essays were truly excellent and raised some utterly fascinating points. Not sure I'd ever read it a second time, but I am glad I read it.
Also made me really upset to remember that Stieg Larsson is dead now and there won't be any more official books... so many of the contributors mused about what might have occurred in future books, it almost made me want to cry realizing that those books will never exist.
That aside, the book does take some effort to read, lots of psychological jargon... not my strong suit, but some of the essays were truly excellent and raised some utterly fascinating points. Not sure I'd ever read it a second time, but I am glad I read it.
October 12, 2021
I have read the Millennium Trilogy a million times (ok maybe many times) so I was excited to read this book. There was nothing groundbreaking (for me) in this book (I am a psych major and work in the field) but this is important work: Lisbeth Salander isn't just in this book.
April 1, 2012
There are quite a lot of books like this around but I've never read one before, mainly because I thought they might be a bit to simplistic. The whole idea behind these types of books I did always like. For someone who has little knowledge of psychology it can be a good way of getting across information in a way that's fun to read and easy to understand. Because psychological concepts and ideas can be related to characters whom the reader is already familiar with it makes it easy to put these ideas into a context.
Sometimes I found this was actually carried off really well. The writing was generally at a level which was easy to read and understand and quite a broad array of topics were covered. I found that the social psychology sections were particularaly well written, especially the sections on goths and nerds.
It seemed however that the further I got into the book the less it seemed to interest me. Possibly it was just a bit too long, but I did find later articles repeated on what some of the earlier articles had said. I also found that a few of the chapters didn't really link that well to Lisabeth, I mean can we really call her a superhero? The further I got through the book as well the more chapters I found that read closer to articles you would expect to find psychological journals, it was almost as if articles already written had been adapted for the book. I could still understand them but found them rather dry to read.
There was also one particular article which went overboard with making itself simple in that it seemed to forget certain principles. It used wikipedia as a genuine research tool, something I wouldn't have even been allowed to do when studying for my a-levels, it's really not a reliable enough source. Also the writer wasn't critical of the research they used in the article which had at least one rather obvious hole.
For someone with little or no understanding of psychology this may be a good place to start but I would recommend reading it broken up with another book, oh and wait until you have read all the books!
Sometimes I found this was actually carried off really well. The writing was generally at a level which was easy to read and understand and quite a broad array of topics were covered. I found that the social psychology sections were particularaly well written, especially the sections on goths and nerds.
It seemed however that the further I got into the book the less it seemed to interest me. Possibly it was just a bit too long, but I did find later articles repeated on what some of the earlier articles had said. I also found that a few of the chapters didn't really link that well to Lisabeth, I mean can we really call her a superhero? The further I got through the book as well the more chapters I found that read closer to articles you would expect to find psychological journals, it was almost as if articles already written had been adapted for the book. I could still understand them but found them rather dry to read.
There was also one particular article which went overboard with making itself simple in that it seemed to forget certain principles. It used wikipedia as a genuine research tool, something I wouldn't have even been allowed to do when studying for my a-levels, it's really not a reliable enough source. Also the writer wasn't critical of the research they used in the article which had at least one rather obvious hole.
For someone with little or no understanding of psychology this may be a good place to start but I would recommend reading it broken up with another book, oh and wait until you have read all the books!
April 17, 2012
One of the big reasons I enjoyed The Psychology of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is because the writing is engaging, which is not always the case when reading psychology texts. The contributing writers do not dumb anything down, but instead present the information in layman’s terms. Please remember these essays contain the views of the author(s) and may not always reflect your own views or opinions after reading Stieg Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy. I enjoyed the book and I felt it gave some additional insights into one of my favorite female characters in literature.
January 21, 2023
2.5 Book had a lot of potential but barely skimmed the surface. They only hit on the most obvious factors, and i thought there were many interesting counterarguments and questions they could have explored. I didn’t agree with all the opinions but obviously an interesting topic
November 29, 2024
I love the character of Lisbeth Slander and this read was a fascinating one. Applying real-world psychology into a fictional literary character is a fun premise for a book. I highly recommend this book if one is a fan of the trilogy of books and films.
November 15, 2017
Very interesting to read.
July 16, 2018
It was pretty in-depth but I found it was a bit repetitive.
December 9, 2016
Great book
March 29, 2013
If you are a fan of the trilogy then it may be worth having a read of this. Purely because when reading the trilogy it is so fast-paced sometimes you don't get the chance to stop and think 'why'? Hence, this book adds a few more insights and potentially views you didn't previously consider. However, it is worth mentioning it is not as good as Stieg Larsson's trilogy and it is slightly repetitive throughout, purely because it has extracts from many commentators all trying to make similar points in varying ways.
October 19, 2014
When I saw this on a library shelf I felt a warmth sensation filling me up inside.
I have, since the very first read of the The millennium Trilogy, been continuously involved in learning further about the books, the characters and of course, Steig himself.
However, when it came to reading this book it seemed to pinpoint on a section and then repeating its meaning with large words that over-powered one another.
I love psychology and I love the trilogy and anything belonging to this.
However, I didn't find it as fascinating as I hoped to have had.
I have, since the very first read of the The millennium Trilogy, been continuously involved in learning further about the books, the characters and of course, Steig himself.
However, when it came to reading this book it seemed to pinpoint on a section and then repeating its meaning with large words that over-powered one another.
I love psychology and I love the trilogy and anything belonging to this.
However, I didn't find it as fascinating as I hoped to have had.
April 9, 2012
Like most anthology-type books, this one had it's highs and lows. Probably more a 2.5 rating for me. It was interesting to get a deeper look into the character and see how authentically she was written, but things did get a bit repetitive.
January 9, 2012
Psychology is so much easier to understand (not to mention more interesting) when it is applied to a person or character that you know and love. I thoroughly enjoyed this collection of essays.
January 12, 2012
interesting book. A little too clinical for my, but still interesting insights.
January 17, 2012
Never thought I'd read a biography of myself! Superb!
December 30, 2017
Wonderful case study
December 31, 2012
Very good.
August 7, 2014
Some of the best essays include Lisbeth as a gender outlaw and superhero. Avoid "If Lisbeth Salander were real" and the one written like a psychologist's report. Both are utter garbage.
July 12, 2014
It was an interesting read, and provided me with plenty of material to dispute for my essay.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews