The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium, #1) in Queereaders

Nov 08, 2011 okyrhoe rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: sweden, books-i-own

I had no interest in reading the Millenium trilogy until commentators started making reference to Stieg Larsson and his political activism while discussing the murderous rampage of Anders Breivik (here and here).

It's obvious that Mikael Blomkvist, the protagonist of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is the author's alter ego - both worked relentlessly as investigative journalists and share the same political views. My expectation was that there would be some political or social depth to the novel I had no interest in reading the Millenium trilogy until commentators started making reference to Stieg Larsson and his political activism while discussing the murderous rampage of Anders Breivik (here and here).

It's obvious that Mikael Blomkvist, the protagonist of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is the author's alter ego - both worked relentlessly as investigative journalists and share the same political views. My expectation was that there would be some political or social depth to the novel, based on descriptions of the author's achievements as a journalist and activist. However, despite the subplot of crooked dealings in the sphere of finance and industry, the novel comes short of providing any meaningful commentary on social or political matters (eg. in the manner of George Pelecanos, or of Petros Markaris), besides the obvious message that even in the progressive egalitarian society of Scandinavia women are still prey to sexually-motivated violence. In the end, the novel is just another escapist thriller, where the greatest danger to humanity is nothing more than a sexual sadist who abuses women (as the Swedish version of the novel's title, "Men Who Hate Women," testifies).
The story begins with the case of a shady financier, Wennerstrom, who manages to disgrace Blomkvist, the journalist who dares to expose his dealings. But then this thread is pushed aside as another case takes center stage - a missing girl, who may or may not have identified a serial killer on the loose. Instead of delving into the privileged world of financiers and capitalists (the missing girl belongs to a long-established Swedish industrialist family), the mainstay of the magazine Millenium that Blomkvist writes for, the investigative journalist is happy to take on an "extracurricular" assignment- to solve a locked-room type mystery of a murder/disappearance.
Despite the contemporary flourishes - frequent casual sex scenes, the fashionably geek-goth character of Lisbeth Salander (whose presence in the novel and on the book's cover will surely hook fans of Tank Girl comics, or of Luc Besson's cult film La Femme Nikita), and other references to comics, children's books, music, technology and popular culture - the storyline is at its core more conventional than innovative.
The ending particularly devolves into stereotypical exaggerations of comic book or Hollywood thrillerese - cloak-and-dagger theatrics ( Lisbeth's multiple disguises in the Swiss hotels and banks scenes), Blomkvist frantically dodging bullets, then trapped in the killer's lair and literally hanging on for dear life, and the blood-rush-to-the-head of a speed chase along the highway.
Although Blomkvist isolates himself in his remote cabin to write a book exposing Wennerstrom's misdeeds, we as readers of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo are not privy to the specifics of the criminal activity this shadow character is guilty of, besides the stashing of his ill-gotten gains in exotic tax havens, and the alleged manipulation of the Swedish media. One can't help but wonder what Blomkvist's bestseller exposé, albeit a fictional one, could be, compared to this real-life novel.
At some point Blomkvist decides to take a break from his investigations of the murder/disappearance. To pass the time, he randomly chooses a crime fiction novel, one by Val MacDiarmid, if I'm not mistaken. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is just that - good enough for escapist reading, without the expectation of anything more substantial. ...more

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Mar 08, 2010 Raymond rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-adventure, fiction

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

The Girl with, etc. is defined by the publisher as a mystery suspense novel, but it is so much more. For one thing, there are, by my count, three plot lines nested within each other in the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Perhaps this is why my copy of the book runs to 590 pages.

Three important things about the central mystery (yes, there are one, or two, others) is that, one, it is linchpin that connects the three plots. Two, it will not be a spoiler that, I think, to ...more

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Oct 05, 2010 Akiva ꙮ rated it it was ok

Shelves: 3-fmt-f-novel, f-activism

I really don't get what the fuss is about. It gets more readable about 2/3 of the way in, if I remember correctly: it stops being a chore and starts being mildly entertaining. I can think of a lot of trashy mystery novels I have read with a lot more gusto.

I wonder if my problem is not being awestruck by Lisbeth. She is interesting---the bits following her investigations are some of the most interesting in the book---but her philosophy and approach to life really don't shock me or shake me up. Pe ...more

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Jan 23, 2010 Janet rated it liked it

I am not a big fan of crime novels but this one held my interest. I liked the fact that it took place in Sweden and find the story engaging. I did find it had some gratuitous sex/violence/porn/fantasy.

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Nov 13, 2010 Sandy rated it liked it

Shelves: mystery-crime-spy, fiction

I'm mixed on this. It seemed a bit slow at the beginning -- the set-up could have been done a bit more succinctly. About halfway through, it really got going, though. It's grisly in a very sadistic way so if that's not your cup of tea, be forewarned. The Wennerstrom wrap-up at the end seemed a little too easy and convenient. It seemed like the Wennerstrom story was mostly backstory for the main Vanger narrative but occupied more space than a backstory should but not in a satisfying sort of way. ...more

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May 24, 2010 Cheryl rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction

I enjoyed this book, and thought it was suspenseful and a page turner, however, it didn't quite live up to the hype for me. Also, I was deeply disturbed by the severe violent acts in this book, and it was a little bit hard to shake the images from my head, and it sort of cast a negative cloud over the rest of the book. It's like the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon...loved it but there was some sexual assault!

All in all, I will probably read the next in this series. ...more

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Jan 31, 2010 Scott rated it liked it

A fine murder mystery but no where near as riveting as everyone else seems to think. The main character seems to be Larsson's masturbatory fantasy for himself--no lack of play from desirable women of all ages. ...more

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