wow, had to chuck it...

[[deleted user]]

two of my friends highly recommended this but i thought perhaps I was screwed up that i could NEVER get into this book. Don't know what page I got to before saying "to hell with it". Then my friend Kristy validated my reaction, thankfully. I put it on my "defenestrate" shelf. Phew.

[lawyergobblesbooks]

I liked it OK, but I couldn't stand Salander, and now I can't get through the second book. If you like the genre I'd check out Henning Mankell. He writes a detective series and has put out other novels and mysteries. http://www.whatbookshouldireadtoday.c...

[[deleted user]]

As a follow-up to the book ~ a friend dragged me to the actual movie a month ago. I had to stare at the floor a couple of times during the violent scenes and felt like a I had been dragged behind a tractor by the end of the movie. Not sure what made me think I'd find the movie more compelling/interesting than a book I would chuck out a window!

[Michael]

I am about halfway through the third book.

The series is ok but far from brilliant. The first one is probably the most interesting of all of them.

[Kirby]

Anna wrote: "two of my friends highly recommended this but i thought perhaps I was screwed up that i could NEVER get into this book. Don't know what page I got to before saying "to hell with it". Then my friend..."

tee hee- "defenestrate shelf," that's awesome. :)

[Vinyessa]

Yeah, the first half of the book is tortuous as times, but it got better around page 350...can understand why you'd bail though. I think it was poorly edited. There was much of the novel that provided useless background details about the Vanger family that could have been cut and no one would have known the difference.

[Vinyessa]

Lulu wrote: "I liked it OK, but I couldn't stand Salander, and now I can't get through the second book. If you like the genre I'd check out Henning Mankell. He writes a detective series and has put out other ..."

Yeah if you dont like Lisabeth, than I dont see why you'd continue reading it. Shes the best character.

[Chelley]

If you can make it past the first 150 pages, you won't be able to put it down!!

[Marisa]

I thought this book was grotesque and disturbing at times. Some aspects of the book particularly like the first 100 or so pages could have been edited down to like 20 pages at the most. It was to long of a read. Plus it freaked me the hell out. I read this as a freshman in high school for my book club and I got nauseous at some parts. It was gross.

[Nathaniel]

Marisa wrote: "I thought this book was grotesque and disturbing at times. Some aspects of the book particularly like the first 100 or so pages could have been edited down to like 20 pages at the most. It was to l..."

One of the book's most prevalent themes is the often unchecked violence against women present in modern society. Gross is an understatement. The fact is, many of the events are meant to be disturbing, grotesque, and uncomfortable. I personally found the book very compelling, if a little bloated. Larsson does a great job of balancing the pulp of a pop-fiction novel with some well explored thematic elements. It's a modern day noire mystery that is presented well. I understand some people just won't like the style and content, but if you give it a chance you may find that it is actually quite good.

[Jennifer]

I never made it through the first third of the book. But it took a while to get into Dune, and I kept thinking everyone raves about this book, but I see nothing special. In fact, I am bored nearly to tears, and then the story opens up and begins. By this point, you are so engaged, you cannot stop reading.

Maybe that is how this book is: slow opening and then all of a sudden the book just blooms. Maybe.

[Trike]

Anna wrote: "two of my friends highly recommended this but i thought perhaps I was screwed up that i could NEVER get into this book. Don't know what page I got to before saying "to hell with it". Then my friend..."

Don't worry, you aren't alone. This was easily the worst book I've ever read. And I've read Atlas Shrugged.

[Trike]

Jennifer wrote: "I never made it through the first third of the book. But it took a while to get into Dune, and I kept thinking everyone raves about this book, but I see nothing special. In fact, I am bored nearly to tears, and then the story opens up and begins. By this point, you are so engaged, you cannot stop reading.

Maybe that is how this book is: slow opening and then all of a sudden the book just blooms. Maybe. "

Maybe not. Did you skip over all the endless prattle about which laptop is best and the state of Swedish publishing and the rest of that seemingly interminable crap? I find that most people who like the book just skipped that stuff.

The content of this book is a novella at best. It is so padded with completely unnecessary junk that I found it unbelievable anyone could have looked at it and found it compelling.

[Jennifer]

I had to give up. And, my mom gave me the third one, The Girl Who Played with Fire or maybe it is the first. I do not know. I really don't plan to read it unless it is radical departure from the Tattoo book. That one was worse then the first maybe 120 pages of Dune, and that's bad considering Dune opens with an in depth look at the histories of the families, and the spice trade. OMG, soooooo boring, but sometime after all that slogging through, the book literally flowers. That was what I was hoping with Tattoo Girl, but I just could't do it..... Stieg Larsson

[Jeff]

Anna wrote: "I put it on my "defenestrate" shelf. Phew."

You have a shelf for books that you want to throw out the window? What an odd and seemingly unnecessary step.

I don't share the distaste for this book, but it was my least favorite of the three. Each one is different, and this one has the least action and the most character development of characters other than Salander. I'm also not surprised that the graphic violence puts some readers off.