Product Description

Brilliantly written ... the characters are superbly drawn and the story grips from first to last.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5 in Books
• Published on: 2008-07-24
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 542 pages

Review
A publishing sensation who seemingly came from nowhere ... crime fiction has seldom needed to salute and mourn such a stellar talent as Larsson s in the same breath - Sunday Times.

Just when I was thinking there wasn't anything new on the horizon, along comes Stieg Larsson with this wonderfully unique story. I was completely absorbed - Michael Connelly. --Reviews

Observer
A striking novel, full of passion, an evocative sense of place and subtle insights into venal, corrupt minds

Independent
Our surrender to the novel is guaranteed

Customer Reviews

Intelligent tense thriller with a conscience
Some incredible thrillers are coming from Scandinavian countries these days. Anyone who is a fan of the Kurt Wallander series of books by Henning Mankell will know what I mean. Now we have a new addition to the shelf, courtesy of deceased author, Stieg Larsson.

This is the first volume in the Millenium trilogy and after finishing this first book, I am very much looking forward to the next two volumes. Larssson died in 2004 soon after delivering the manuscripts for 3 crime novels to his publisher. It's a pity that this gifted author isn't around for a long time to come.

The tale is split between the shady secrets of a wealthy family and the murky dealings of a famous businessman. Mikael Blomkvist, a recently convicted journalist, is hired by Henrik Vanger to investigate the disappearance of his niece almost 40 years ago. Vanger promises Blomkvist the means to clear his good name as part of the payment and Blomkvist accepts.

The author manages to maintain an excellent pace throughout, but still delivers a strong social lesson while providing the thrills. It is an intelligent thriller with a conscience. Probably one of the best of its kind in recent years.

Totally Engrossing
This first novel of a trilogy more than satisfied all I
look for in a thriller/crime novel.The plot concerns itself
with a complicated international financial fraud, and the
buried evil past of a wealthy incestuous Swedish industrial
family.As the novel progresses a male journalist and young
female emotionally disturbed punk hacker join forces to
investigate both strands of the plot.In their different ways
both of these main characters are engaging ,and I am excited
to see how their relationship develops in the two further novels.
This is a totally engrossing novel ,full of suspense,characterisation,
and intelligent insights into contemporary culture and corruption.

Bleak but Involving
'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' is superior, morally ambiguous, crime writing, that involves the reader both cerebrally and emotionally.

The first thing that struck me when reading 'TGWTDT' is how Scandinavian it is. Any lovers of Nordic Crime, in particular Henning Mankell, will enjoy this too. Like Mankell's books, Larsson's novel is about so much more than merely solving the crime.

The author carefully dissects many aspects of modern life; in particular, journalistic ethics and society's treatment of women. The novel contains corporate skulduggery, family feuds and violent murder and in parts is very involving.

I found the novel rather dragged at the beginning; the opening two hundred pages really just set the scene for the following three hundred and I think the introductory chapters, could have been pared down substantially. That said, once the action began, thanks to the characters' carefully laid back stories, I was locked in and completely gripped.

'TGWTDT', won't appeal to everyone. In addition to the drawn out beginning, Larsson's outlook on human nature is pessimistically bleak and there are some violent scenes that make for uncomfortable reading. If you can see beyond these and are prepared to read past the sluggish opening, you will find yourself enjoying a significant addition to the crime fiction genre.