Ok, ok.....I got hooked like everyone else....and, also like everyone else, I yelled out loud at the ending; "Nooo! Don't end it there!"....and then I whined a little. And then I went straight to bn.com and downloaded the next book. LOL

Some thoughts:

Being of the Christian faith, I found the tactics of the killer both interesting (the religious references drew me in because I was familiar with them) and yet disgusting. Let's face it - there's some pretty vile stuff going on in this book. Nevertheless, when it's revealed what those numbers on Harriet's list actually referred to, my attention sharpened and I couldn't wait to see how that would all play out. I sure wasn't disappointed.

The narrative was well paced once you got past the first 100 pages or so.....I kept at it because I knew all this boring stuff in the beginning was going to figure into the story at some point, so I'd best be paying attention.

Salander is an interesting character to me - I related to some degree with her persona - the type that doesn't want to get close to people and just live their life the way they see fit. Misunderstood. Low-self esteem. Capable of some pretty horrible things, super smart yet socially withdrawn. (She refers to herself as a freak many times - people had looked at her as one for so long I think she finally came to believe it.)

Blomkvist on the other hand....seemed too two-dimensional to me. Usually I get a feel for how a character "looks" on paper....I did not have a lot to go on with Blomkvist. Got no indicator of his physical attributes or downfalls.....is he fat? Sexy? Bland middle-aged? Straight teeth? Does he look his age or much older?? Stuff like this. It's just a picture I get while reading that evaded me this time.

Still unsure about how things ended between the elder Vanger and Blomkvist...it was a dirty rotten trick on Vanger's part, true, but in a way I could understand how he felt in light of how the search for Harriet turned out. Once faced with reality, you sometimes aren't willing to let everyone else in on the truth, because it can be so much uglier than you anticipated; in a way that reflects on YOU and your family. *sigh* Tough decisions.

Oh well. I liked this one enough to get the second installment. I've heard #2 is the best of the three. Will let you know!

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Likewise Book Reviews

237 Reviews