Group Read - The Girl in the Spider's Web the last Chapters 25-31 Spoilers Welcome

[Ann]

Part Three Asymmetric Problems
Chapters 25-31 The last chapters
The first to post please provide a brief description of this segment - SPOILERS Welcome

[BarryP]

25.
Salander identifies the people abusing August, the boyfriend, and another actor. She gives more math problems to the boy.
Blomkvist tries to learn of Needham, but public info is limited.
Zander is with Linda behind a double locked door. The scene moves form love to his being handcuffed and tied to the bed.
Blomkvist is worried because Zander knows of the steps they are taking to protect August. When he can not raise him, he goes off in search.What he learns sets off alarm bells, so he calls Bublanski and Berger.
Salader sleeps roughly, watching August as he draws. But sleep stops completely with a scream.
Blomkvist goes to Needham. Needham tells Blomkvist that he has impressed him. He tells Blomkvist that he works at NSA and that Lisbeth belongs behind bars for screwing with them. He asks that Blomkvist not quote him, and Blomqvist agrees. Needham admits that Lisbeth found that NSA had its own issues, hypocrites and double dealings. Needham was about to say more, but Blomkvist gets an alarming call and runs off.

26.
Salander heard August scream and sees a figure rushing at the glass door, and then through the glass door. The man shoots at the boy, Salander shoots at the man. She hits, and grabs August. She can see that August drew the man as the original attacker, but she also saw the house was surrounded. She sends a photo to Bublanski. She texts CRISES to Blomkvist who is racing her way with Needham. Bublanski calls Blomkvist to say his forces are on the way, but Blomkvist might be in big trouble.
Needham tells Blomkvist that he just wants to talk to Lisbeth, learn what she did, and never let her do it again.
The assassin lay on hte floor shot by Lisbeth, he tired to end it again, Lisbeth sturck him again. When he finally cam etoo, he saw the image of himself, and the annotation that it had been mailed to the police.

27.
The police find the assassin alive but bleeding, and two of his helpers shot. A neighbor confirmed the story of Lisbeth getting the drop on the gunmen and tossing their weapons away after gut shooting them. The neighbor saw others, a man and a beautiful woman in a Range Rover who were not happy.
Grane was figuring this mess just killed her career at age 33. But Grane getrs a call from the NSA telling her she did the right thing, because she had a mole on her team.
Salander texts Blomkvist that the boy is OK.

28.
Hannah was having her own troubles, the loss of her boy, the beatings by her boyfriend. But in a stroke of good fortune, Salander shows up at her door to return August. Salander walks in to the apartment and tells the boyfriend to pack. The boyfriend goes to attack Hannah when she also tells him to leave, but Salander floors him with a combination of punches and kicks.
Bublanski was happy with the solved cases and prisoners, but they were in bad shape, they were not talking, and the other law organizations with which he worked wanted more, such as wanting Lisbeth. He did get witness information of the honey trap that Zander fell into. (poor Zander, I liked him)
Salander tells the boyfriend all the ways she is going to ruin him, and all the things she will do if he or his friend return to August’s life in any way. Salander gives Hannah plane tickets and tells of the arrangements she has made for August’s education and care.
Blomkvist tries to arrange a meeting between Salander and Needham, though he somewhat suspects Needham’s motives and goals. After his talk with Salander, he thinks he knows what Needham really wants.

29.
The police have had no lluck even gettng a sketch of Salander’s fraternal twin Camilla. Prominent computer scientist visits Bublanski to explain the ramifications of Balder’s research and the danger that AI with quantum computing could unleash.
Salander thinks she might be getting better from the bullet wound, and knows there are risks of being found my her sister or the NSA. Boxing seems a good idea to her. She does not so so well at it.
Blomkvist has figured out that Needham was cooperating and giving information only because he had something bigger to hide. Blomkvist needs more to break the story though.

30.
Salander gets a text from her sister “till next time” and wonders if she regrets not shooting her when she had the chance. She works, sending equations to August to solve, and cracks the NSA file, finding filth and corruption beyond her worst dreams. The Needham shows up at her door.
He makes accusations of her, she makes more accurate accusations of him, knowing now what was in the file. Then they trade threats. Salanser has a pretty good one, to expose everything.

31.
Solofin stock crashes ad Blomkvist breaks his corruption story. There was a memorium to Zander, found dead on a freighter in Hammarbyhammen.
Grane leaves Sapo for a UN human rights job.
Needham came back to the NSA insisting on a full shake-up.
Hannah resolves to become a better mother.
Berger buys her independence with the help of a donation from a front company owned by Salander.
The police are still considering charges against Salander.
Salander goes and visits Blomkvist.

[Ann]

Wow, a lot to discuss here. I finished the book this afternoon. I think I need a keyboard for this segment. this last part was jam packed. August's drawing of his abusers resulting in recognition and the cessation of the abuse was very satisfying. Lisbeth's boxing paid off. (What on earth made her think she was ready for more workouts!?!)
His mathematical abilities are amazing, and it reminds us of impact on August from the loss of his father all over again. Especially now knowing Balder intended to rescue him from the suspected abuse.
When August started to speak we realize what the boyfriend's abuse was doing to him and how sad that is. I was heartbroken when he didn't want Lisbeth to leave, she was the only one left who understood him up to now.

[Ann]

A lot in this last part takes place off stage. I admire the skill of putting it all together, the construction of the scenes when the summer "safe" house is breached are very well done, and yet finding out some of the details of what happened "from a neighbor's corroboration" was less satisfying than some action scenes from Lisbeth's pov would have been or from someone in real time recounting her kicking some rear ends. I frankly thought Lisbeth and August didn't both make it out when she returned to search for the photo.

[Ann]

Was I the only one who thought of Sherlock Holmes and arch nemesis Professor Moriarty when twin sister Camilla texted Lisbeth "till next time"?
And on another note, both sisters have amassed or taken over huge fortunes of money from ill gotten or shady provenance; we like one and despise the other. From a distance that feels odd (But one is Lisbeth and we are glad!)

[Sandi]

Ann wrote: "A lot in this last part takes place off stage. I admire the skill of putting it all together, the construction of the scenes when the summer "safe" house is breached are very well done, and yet finding out some of the details of what happened "from a neighbor's corroboration" was less satisfying than some action scenes from Lisbeth's pov would have been or from someone in real time recounting her kicking some rear ends. ..."

I found the above to be a rather curious choice by the author. The whole last third of the book there seemed to be an awful lot of characters just telling each other what happened instead of action on the page, especially Camilla's whole backstory, so I would have thought any scenes with Lisbeth would have been from her pov.

[Ann]

Sandi
I wondered if all of the action off the page in the last third of the book was a conscious choice or if Lagerkrantz was not comfortable in Lisbeth's head enough to write more of the details from her POV.
I have gotten so used to books written like screenplays with choreographed fight and action scenes that it seemed quite odd from a series that had been very much in your face with action in previous books.

[Sandi]

Ann wrote: "Sandi
I wondered if all of the action off the page in the last third of the book was a conscious choice or if Lagerkrantz was not comfortable in Lisbeth's head enough to write more of the details from her POV..."

I think you could be on to something. Lisbeth would be a rather intimidating character to write and I did think the new author did a fairly good job with her.

[Ann]

Sandi i do think he did a decent job portraying Lisbeth.
This review has some good points about it falling just short in the end.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/06/boo...

[Sandi]

Ann wrote: "Sandi i do think he did a decent job portraying Lisbeth.
This review has some good points about it falling just short in the end.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/06/boo......"

Thanks for the very interesting review. I think I pretty much agree with everything he wrote, especially the greatness of the Martin Beck series by Per Wahlöö and Maj Sjöwall.

[Ann]

Sandi
Thanks for the recommendation of the Martin Beck books. I may be able to get them on Kindle from the library!
Sandi wrote: ". I think I pretty much agree with everything he wrote, especially the greatness of the Martin Beck series by Per Wahlöö and Maj Sjöwall. "

[Sherry]

The whole last third of the book there seemed to be an awful lot of characters just telling each other what happened instead of action on the page, especially Camilla's whole backstory, so I would have thought any scenes with Lisbeth would have been from her pov.

i agree- i actually found some parts tedious to read- i'd have preferred more action, rather that so much dialog.