The Girl Who Played With Fire: Stieg Larsson
I read’The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ next to a swimming pool in India earlier this year. It was the perfect book to read on a sunbed in 35 degree heat with an endless supply of vodka, lime and sodas. It is not quite the same thing to read ‘The Girl Who Played with Fire’ on my sofa when the weather can’t make up its mind, and the medicine I’m taking means I’m restricted to endless cups of tea.
I didn’t enjoy this as much as the first one. Partly, I think, because Dragon Tattoo was a neater, more straightforward mystery investigation, where the focus was squarely on the two protagonists, Blomkvist and Salander. In Played with Fire, Blomkvist is just one of many people conducting the investigation. The various private investigators and police officers became very confusing. I want to concentrate on following the story, not remembering who is who.
Played with Fire also takes much longer to get going. The first third is a whole lot of nothing; Salander going shopping, Blomkvist having board meetings, both of them sleeping with people. The second third is a criminal investigation which mostly consists of various men saying: ‘there is no way Salander can have done this’ and the police relentlessly pursuing her anyway. There are important points being made about police prejudices – particularly homophobia – blinding them to alternative possibilities, about trials by media, and about the broader treatment of women and minorities in Swedish society, but these could have been made a lot more succinctly. So I read more out of frustration than enjoyment for a very long time. However, things really pick up in the final third. It’s definitely worth sticking with to find out what happens.
I find it interesting that Larsson found it necessary to describe the somewhat unorthodox sex lives of Berger and Salander in such detail. It feels both unnecessary and intrusive. Is it to show that ‘good’ women don’t have to have ‘pure’ or ‘boring’ sex lives? What do other people think?
It’s also a mystery to me why everyone Blomkvist meets wants to sleep with this averagely attractive middle aged journalist. Could it be because these books were written by an averagely attractive middle aged journalist?
This hasn’t made me want to pick up ‘The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest’ right away, but I certainly will get to it in the future.
Posted on June 20, 2010, in Uncategorized and tagged book reviews, books, crime, fiction, lisbeth salander, reading, steig larsson, the girl who played with fire, thrillers. Bookmark the permalink. 6 Comments.
Ooooooh I disagree. As I mentioned to you I read this one first in error, but I totally dug it more than the other two. I also read it half drunk and in the sun though. I like the whole carribean, maths conundrum stuff at the start. This book is more about salander, the 1st is more about blomkvist. I just prefer it when she’s kicking arse. The third one is like a John Grisham, mostly revolving around a court case with mildly tedious social commentary. Shall we go see the film- the second part is out soon. Jx
But dude, the whole maths/beach thing at the start is a MASSIVE DEAD END entirely unconnected to rest of book! We already knew she hates men who hate women, had the whole first book to tell us that. I DO want to see the film though. Maybe orange wednesday next week, broken back permitting?
Hmm… So I tend to agree. The first novel is self-contained and, as a single book, is better. On the other hand, my guess is by the second novel he know he was writing a trilogy so as a single book is less ace. (Empire Strikes Back is the best of the three but doesn’t work as a single film).
That said: of the three the first, IMO, is the best. *natch*
Good analogy, like it. Took me a long time (like, a whole morning) to work out what IMO means. Conclusion: I do not have the mind of Lisbeth Salander, and I need to get more down with abbreviations.
I agree and disagree all at once. You got every single thing in there that frustrated me about Larsson’s writing, but I think I enjoyed the intricacies of it a lot more. I did want Salander to stop being such a victim and kick more ass though!
I found the way he writes the police system fascinating – is Sweden that misogynist in general? (spelling?!) The next one gets even worse for that.
I can bring in Hornet’s Nest tomorrow if you like!
Thanks, but have already, thanks to Husband becoming obsessed with the series and *needing* to buy it.
I don’t know about Sweden though I believe there are Swedes reading this blog who may be able to help out. When I was doing my Masters, it was held up as *the* shining example of a liberated, egalitarian society, like the welfare state promised land, but I guess all societies have these problems.