The Girl in the Spider's Web

The Girl in the Spider’s Web (Millennium Series, #4) by David Lagercrantz
Fiction
2015 Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group
Read by Simon Vance
Finished on December 7, 2015
Rating: 3/5 (So-so)



Publisher’s Blurb:

Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist return

She is the girl with the dragon tattoo—a genius hacker and uncompromising misfit. He is a crusading journalist whose championing of the truth often brings him to the brink of prosecution.

Late one night, Blomkvist receives a phone call from a source claiming to have information vital to the United States. The source has been in contact with a young female superhacker—a hacker resembling someone Blomkvist knows all too well. The implications are staggering. Blomkvist, in desperate need of a scoop for Millennium, turns to Salander for help. She, as usual, has her own agenda. The secret they are both chasing is at the center of a tangled web of spies, cybercriminals, and governments around the world, and someone is prepared to kill to protect it . . .

The duo who captivated millions of readers in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest join forces again in this adrenaline-charged, uniquely of-the-moment thriller.

I have now read all four books in the Millennium series. I had a tough time getting interested in the first (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), but wound up giving it a rating of 4/5. I enjoyed the next two installments much better (perhaps seeing the movie of TGwtDT helped) and gave them both ratings of 4.5/5. When this fourth installment was released, under a new authorship, I was a bit hesitant. Could Lagercrantz pull it off? Well… yes and no. I enjoyed the audio production (Simon Vance does an excellent job of reading and accents), but once it was all said and done, I’m not exactly sure what took place! It was just a tad bit convoluted. The good news is that I couldn’t see any difference between Larsson and Lagercrantz’s writing, and, the book was entertaining. Just confusing!

Final Thoughts:

I think the only reason I finished this book (and it took me almost an entire month!) is due to the excellent narration by Simon Vance. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have stuck with the print edition after a chapter or two. The Millennium series has been fun, but I don’t plan to read any more.

You can read my thoughts about Stiegg Larsson’s books (and movies) here.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson
Fiction – Mystery/Thriller
2010 Random House Audio, Unabridged EditionRead by Simon Vance
Finished 4/1/11
Rating: 4.5/5 (Terrific!)



“It’s over! And I feel the same sense of pleasure and loss that I did when I watched the finale of ‘The Sopranos’ and the last episodes of ‘Battlestar Galactica’ . . . Salander is, I promise, someone you will never forget . . . Anyone who enjoys grounding their imaginations in hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of exciting pages about the way we live now ought to take advantage of this trilogy.”
—Alan Cheuse, Chicago Tribune

SPOILER ALERT

Product Description

The stunning third and final novel in Stieg Larsson’s internationally best-selling trilogy

Lisbeth Salander—the heart of Larsson’s two previous novels—lies in critical condition, a bullet wound to her head, in the intensive care unit of a Swedish city hospital. She’s fighting for her life in more ways than one: if and when she recovers, she’ll be taken back to Stockholm to stand trial for three murders. With the help of her friend, journalist Mikael Blomkvist, she will not only have to prove her innocence, but also identify and denounce those in authority who have allowed the vulnerable, like herself, to suffer abuse and violence. And, on her own, she will plot revenge—against the man who tried to kill her, and the corrupt government institutions that very nearly destroyed her life.

Once upon a time, she was a victim. Now Salander is fighting back.

END SPOILER ALERT

After reading the final pages of The Girl Who Played With Fire (and its cliff-hanger-of-an-ending), I knew it would be impossible to wait very long to read this third and final installment in Stieg Larsson’s marvelous trilogy. My husband and I had already seen both films and the third was waiting to be viewed as soon as I finished the novel. I couldn’t read fast enough. And yet, I found myself getting a little bogged down with some of the complicated details involving The Section and Sweden’s security police (aka Säpo). I was listening to the audio version and finally had to pick up the book just to see the words. I’m not sure why that helps, but simply hearing the names of the characters confused me greatly. So many of the Swedish names sound alike and I was afraid I’d miss out on a critical detail if I “skimmed” while listening. And it worked! Seeing the names helped to place the characters in my mind's eye.

Once I got to the courtroom drama, I found every excuse to listen to my Nano. Oh, no honey. I’ll do the dishes. You go read. No really. I don’t mind cleaning up the kitchen all by myself. Oh, look at the time. Annie-dog needs to go for another walk. No, don’t get up. Your foot is still hurting. I can walk her again. No, really. ;) I spent the next week with my headphones permanently attached to my head, listening with breathless anticipation to the outcome of the Salander’s trial. Annika Giannini (Mikael’s sister and Lisbeth’s attorney) was simply amazing. I loved her character and the smooth style in which she cross-examined Dr. Peter Teleborian. Excellent writing!

As soon as I finished the book, I couldn’t wait to watch the movie. Lucky for me, it was next in our Netflix queue. Unfortunately, my enthusiasm was quickly dashed. What a disappointment! The movie lacked the finer details of the book and completely eliminated one of the best subplots of the novel. As much as I enjoyed the first two movies, this one fell short, leaving me rather anxious to see what Hollywood does with the same stories. And Daniel Craig is much easier on the eyes than Michael Nyqvist. Just sayin’.

Michael Nyqvist

Daniel Craig

Funny aside: I was listening to the book while out walking the dog one afternoon. I knew I was nearing the final chapter, but was quite honestly surprised when the story ended and Nowhere to Run To (Martha Reeves and the Vandellas) started to play. I assumed it was part of the audio version of the book and, quite honestly, the timing was very apropos. As I was returning home, another song (You Never Give Me Your Money by The Beatles) came on. Once again, I thought it was perfectly suitable for the conclusion of the story. But I had this niggling feeling that I’d missed something. It was the first time I had downloaded an audio book directly from our city library, so I decided to check my desktop just to be sure I hadn’t missed anything. Good thing I did. I had missed an entire track of narrative! While on my walk, my Nano had inadvertently switched over from the audio book to one of my iTune’s playlists! Boy, did I feel silly. But I was also pleased to have the opportunity to continue listening to Stieg Larsson’s final words.

Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy is an E-ticket of a ride. What a shame he didn’t live to see how popular his books turned out to be. I will truly miss Lisbeth Salander.

Movie News

From Shelf Awareness:

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest, based on the book by Stieg Larsson (Knopf, $27.95, 9780307269997/030726999X), opens this Friday, October 29. Noomi Rapace and Michael Nyqvist star in this final part of the Millennium trilogy.

Go here to read more and view the trailer.

The Girl Who Played With Fire

The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson
Mystery/Thriller
2009 Random House Audio, Unabridged Edition
18 1/2 hours/ 15 compact discs
Read by Simon Vance
Finished on 9/13/10
Rating: 4.5/5 (Terrific!)


Product Description

Mikael Blomkvist, crusading journalist and publisher of the magazine Millennium, has decided to run a story that will expose an extensive sex trafficking operation between Eastern Europe and Sweden, implicating well-known and highly placed members of Swedish society, business, and government.

But he has no idea just how explosive the story will be until, on the eve of publication, the two investigating reporters are murdered. And even more shocking for Blomkvist: the fingerprints found on the murder weapon belong to Lisbeth Salander—the troubled, wise-beyond-her-years genius hacker who came to his aid in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and who now becomes the focus and fierce heart of The Girl Who Played with Fire.

As Blomkvist, alone in his belief in Salander’s innocence, plunges into an investigation of the slayings, Salander herself is drawn into a murderous hunt in which she is the prey, and which compels her to revisit her dark past in an effort to settle with it once and for all.

Wow. For those of you who struggled with the opening chapters of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, you can rest assured that the second installment in the late Stieg Larsson's trilogy does not disappoint. I enjoyed The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, but I loved The Girl Who Played with Fire. I felt the latter was less confusing and more evenly paced and I was immediately drawn in to the narrative, eager to discover more about Lisbeth Salander and her dark past. What an interesting character, so complex and so seriously flawed that one might think she exhibits sociopathic traits; yet, I found her completely sympathetic and likeable.



And, unlike the first in this series, I had no trouble with the Swedish names and locations thanks to Simon Vance's superb reading. Listening to an audio book is so helpful when it comes to a book set in a foreign country. The repetition of hearing the pronunciation of city names, as well as those of the characters, makes for a much more enjoyable reading experience. (Although I did need to glance at the book as I got toward the end, since a few of the names are very similar and I was having trouble keeping track of who the good guys were.)

And speaking of the ending, the final chapter had me holding my breath with trepidation and as the last words were read, I was stunned by the silence. My first reaction (after getting over the initial shock of the cliff-hanger) was relief in the knowledge that Larsson had written the third book prior to his death. My second thought was to hope that he didn't leave his readers with a similar cliff-hanger at the end of The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest.

Final thoughts: The Girl Who Played with Fire is a riveting sequel. I can hardly wait to read the final book in this series.

Movie News

From Shelf Awareness (8/17/10):

Rooney Mara Will Be Lisbeth Salander

Rooney Mara has been chosen to play Lisbeth Salander in the English-language adaptation of Stieg Larsson's The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Sony Pictures Entertainment and director David Fincher selected Mara after "one of the most drawn out and closely watched casting searches for an actress in years," Deadline.com reported, noting that Mara, who recently worked with Fincher in The Social Network, had been considered to be the director's first choice.

Deadline.com called Mara "a strong match: she is the right age and looks like Salander." Fans of both Stieg Larsson and professional football may be interested to know that Mara great-granddaughter of New York Giants football team founder Wellington Mara and Pittsburgh Steelers founder Art Rooney.

****************

Rooney Mara may look like Salander, but Noomi Rapace will always be Lisbeth Salander...at least in my mind.

Movie News

From Shelf Awareness (7/27/10):

Craig Is Blomkvist

The name is Blomkvist. Mikael Blomkvist. Rumors that Daniel Craig--best known as the latest James Bond--was in talks to star in the English-language version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Shelf Awareness, July 22, 2010) have proven to be true. Deadline.com reported that Craig has closed a deal to appear in the adaptation of Stieg Larsson's first novel that also "factors in options for two sequels based on The Girl Who Played with Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets' Nest."

Casting for the Lisbeth Sander role is still underway, with candidates including Ellen Page, Mia Wasikowska, Emily Browning, Sara Snook, Rooney Mara and Sophie Lowe. Sony has set a release date of December 21, 2011.





Go here for my review of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
Translated from the Swedish by Reg Keeland
Mystery/Thriller
2008 Knopf
Finished on 8/16/09
Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)




Product Description

A sensation across Europe—millions of copies sold.

A spellbinding amalgam of murder mystery, family saga, love story, and financial intrigue.

It’s about the disappearance forty years ago of Harriet Vanger, a young scion of one of the wealthiest families in Sweden . . . and about her octogenarian uncle, determined to know the truth about what he believes was her murder.

It’s about Mikael Blomkvist, a crusading journalist recently at the wrong end of a libel case, hired to get to the bottom of Harriet’s disappearance . . . and about Lisbeth Salander, a twenty-four-year-old pierced and tattooed genius hacker possessed of the hard-earned wisdom of someone twice her age—and a terrifying capacity for ruthlessness to go with it—who assists Blomkvist with the investigation. This unlikely team discovers a vein of nearly unfathomable iniquity running through the Vanger family, astonishing corruption in the highest echelons of Swedish industrialism—and an unexpected connection between themselves.

It’s a contagiously exciting, stunningly intelligent novel about society at its most hidden, and about the intimate lives of a brilliantly realized cast of characters, all of them forced to face the darker aspects of their world and of their own lives.

One of the things I love about book clubs (in addition to all the great food, wine and conversation) is that I am encouraged to read books I may not have otherwise picked up on my own. Such was the case with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. When it first came out in hardcover, I barely gave it a second look. But August was the month for our mystery selection and Larsson's thriller won the vote by a wide margin.

I don't read a lot of mysteries, but after thoroughly enjoying Tana French's In the Woods and The Likeness, I was ready to give this Swedish author a try. I picked it up toward the end of July and didn't finish until mid-August. This is quite a chunkster!! The mass market is 644 pages in length. And, this was definitely not the sort to grab me from the first page. I struggled with the first 60 pages or so, trying to sort through the various secondary characters (there's a family tree at the beginning of the book, which helped as I got further into the story), as well as the setting and background information. I know nothing about Sweden, so I had no point of reference when trying to envision a certain location or public figure or historical reference.

I really was ready to skip this book, in spite of the fact that it was for book club (and I was hosting). Thanks to a bunch of comments here, I decided to keep plugging along. Once the main characters and main plot were established, I was quickly sucked into the mystery and couldn't put the book down, anxious to get home from work so I could resume reading. My book is littered with sticky notes, not to mark lyrical passages, but rather key points and hints that might help me solve the murder mystery. I followed all the red herrings, suspecting all the wrong people for all the wrong reasons.

While discussing the book with my book club (every member of which, by the way, liked the book -- those who hadn't finished still planned to keep reading even though the ending was discussed), I said it reminded me a little bit of The Silence of the Lambs. I hadn't even read the back cover of the book until today and discovered the following quote from USA Today:

"Mesmerizing... Imagine the movies of Ingmar Bergman crossed with Thomas Harris's novel The Silence of the Lambs."

Well, there you go.

I don't know if I'd go as far as saying this was a good as Tana French's mysteries, but it was definitely entertaining. So much so that I plan to read The Girl Who Played with Fire. Maybe I won't have such a tough time getting interested in it since it's the second in the trilogy. And don't you just love the title for the third installment -- The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest. Yep, that certainly sounds like Lisbeth Salander.

And, yes, there's a movie! You can view the trailer here and a slide show of photos here. There's no release date for the United States, but I've got it saved on Netflix. Hopefully, now that the books are gaining popularity in the U.S., the movie will become available, as well.


Of all the covers I discovered online, this one (from the UK) is my favorite. I love that red comforter!

About the Author

Stieg Larsson, who lived in Sweden, was the editor in chief of the magazine Expo and a leading expert on antidemocratic right-wing extremist and Nazi organizations. He died in 2004, shortly after delivering the manuscript for this and two subsequent novels.

Editorial Update:

I received a nice comment from Reg Keeland (Larsson's translator for the trilogy). He has translated the two maps of Hedeby Island (which were in the original Swedish edition of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo) and is happy to send them to any interested reader. Please visit Reg's blog for background information on Larsson's novels. Thanks, Reg! Very nice blog.