The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo / Stieg Larsson

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

category: thriller, author:

Stieg Larsson

translated from Swedish by Reg Keeland
book 1 of Millennium
published by Maclehose Press, original copyright 2005,
read in Jun 2010

Agamedes' opinion: 8 out of 10

That... is a very good book. Not perfect. Very good.

The writing style is almost clinical: straightforward, factual, detailed. It's easy to believe that Larsson wrote factual articles on difficult topics -- topics where there could be strong feelings with differing opinions. The main male character is in a similar role and the writing style reflects this background.

You're reading this story, watching a complex web of crime and deceit being meticulously uncovered. Suddenly -- there is rape, violence, family skeletons leaping out of closets... Yet even that is written in a straightforward fashion. No tricks of fancy phrasing. Just a factual account. Larsson lets the facts speak for themselves.

The facts are complex: unexpected twists unexpectedly uncovered. This is not plots within plots, it is a more believable discovery of unexpected depths and related nastiness. Each strand is simple in itself, it is the unexpected discovery of the new strand which provides the complexity of the story.

Even so, the unravelling is ordered: close off one crime, move on to the next. It's like a climb down into a dark pit via a set of deep and murky stairs -- where the climb out, is also via a set of stairs. One by one, safely up one step before attempting the next. Which all makes for a complex set of plots being dealt with in a very orderly manner.

It's a book that is hard to put down. You want to read on, to see what will happen next. The interest, though, is in the story rather than in the way that the story is presented. Nothing wrong with that! I mean, that this is an excellent story and that the author has written an excellent book. With no need to resort to "tricks" in an attempt to build up artificial excitement.

And you know what else is fascinating about this book? It's Swedish!

The prison system is, well, unique. The places, shops, general background, all emphasise that this is not Australia / US / England. Something different! (Unless, of course, you're Swedish.) The weather, the people, even the clothes... Just wait till you read what is worn by the rich & powerful industry magnate when he appears on TV!

There are also some comments which appear to be author's opinion and not essential to the plot: the lack of investigation by "investigative journalists" and the role of the stock market, for example. The first made me think. The second surprised me; I thought I was alone in my view. All add depth and interest to the book.

On the other hand, I would question the use of statistics to emphasis the theme of each section of the book.

"18% of the women in Sweden have at one time been threatened by a man." It may be true. Written like that, it has a strong impact. To be valid -- it needs to be set in context. What sort of threat? Was this a difference in power, or a difference of opinion? How many men were threatened? Statistics are based on fact. To understand the statistics, we need to know the factual basis.

Read the book. Enjoy it. Take away whatever message you will, about crime, punishment, and the potential misuse of differences in personal power.

..o0o..

These reviews are provided by Agamedes Consulting. For an independent and thoughtful review of your processes, problems or documents, email nickleth at gmail dot com.