After all the hype and pretty much seeing this everywhere, I got around to reading it.
Mikael Blomkvist, a once-respected financial journalist, watches his professional life rapidly crumble around him. Prospects appear bleak until an unexpected (and unsettling) offer to resurrect his name is extended by an old-school titan of Swedish industry. The catch–and there’s always a catch–is that Blomkvist must first spend a year researching a mysterious disappearance that has remained unsolved for nearly four decades. With few other options, he accepts and enlists the help of investigator Lisbeth Salander, a misunderstood genius with a cache of authority issues. Little is as it seems in Larsson’s novel, but there is at least one constant: you really don’t want to mess with the girl with the dragon tattoo. – GoodReads
Though I really enjoyed this book, I’m not in love with the series. I’m satisfied where the story left off and I’m not in love with any of the characters that would make me want to continue reading the other books. As a reader of young adult fiction, I can see why this book is definitely marketed to an older audience. Other than the intriguing mystery of Harriet, there is nothing in this book that really appeals to me.
Honestly, I had a difficult time concentrating when the story led to things that were not about Harriet’s disappearance. I grew easily bored when the Millienium was discussed, and I couldn’t get myself to care about Wennestrom. I felt like I skimmed a lot more than I’d like to admit, especially at the beginning. The sex scenes throughout the book kind of grossed me out. I read scenes like that all the time in romance novels, so I didn’t mind at first, but sometimes it got too graphic especially with Salander or I was constantly reminded of the character’s age. I don’t think that makes me immature as a reader; I really would rather not read about it.
The mystery was fantastic. I’m a fan of those television shows like CSI, so it was enjoyable reading about a murder mystery. I loved reading about the extensive research that it took to uncover the mystery behind Harriet. I would have liked to be shocked in the end, but I really wasn’t. That was a bit disappointing, but I’m happy that I wasn’t able to completely guess the ending.
To me, the book was really drawn out at the end. The last fifty pages were almost excruciating, but I kept on reading just for the sake of finishing the book already. I guess Larsson just couldn’t leave readers hanging about Millenium and Wennestrom, but like I said previously, I didn’t much care for either throughout the whole book. So to me, it felt like the ending really dragged. The book had “finished” for me when the mystery had been solved.
I can see why this book is a best-seller. I agree that it is superbly written. I had a great time reading it, but it’s not for me. I can’t imagine myself reading another 400+ pages.
Rating: 