|
Loading... The Girl Who Played with Fire (2006)by Stieg Larsson
Female Protagonist (159) » 13 more Pageturners (3) Carole's List (319) 2000s decade (70) Feminist Fiction (36) Noir Fiction (89) Best of World Literature (178) Biggest Disappointments (222) Unread books (918)
 col2910 | Apr 17, 2014 |  A sequel that is just as good as the first in the trilogy and does its job at opening up the story to maintain interest and sets up the final book in the trilogy. The heroine remains to be kick ass and keeps you rooting for her in her personality and actions. At no place does she stray from when we loved about her in the first book. Well done. (  ) cfranson | Apr 7, 2014 | Hooked. Totally, completely, utterly hooked! (  ) FAR2MANYBOOKS | Apr 5, 2014 | When I finished [b:The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo|2429135|The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium, #1)|Stieg Larsson|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1293975922s/2429135.jpg|1708725], I thought to myself, "Man, there really is something to this Stieg Larsson hype". I absolutely loved it. However, when it ended, I thought, "Is there really a need for a 2nd and 3rd book?" Granted, I loved all of the characters but it seemed like everything was tied up pretty nicely. This was probably the reason I waited several months before picking up the sequel, [b:The Girl Who Played with Fire|5060378|The Girl Who Played with Fire|Stieg Larsson|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1293976153s/5060378.jpg|6976108]. I could not have been more wrong. Pardon my french, but I fucking LOVE Lisbeth Salander. When I put down the first book, I had a great appreciation for the character but after finishing the 2nd installment - I think I fell in love with her. It could create some problems seeing as I'm married and my wife may be a tad bit upset by this revelation but she's a fictional character (Salander, not my wife), so I'm sure it's all good. Also, I don't think I'd really have a chance with her anyway. She's just a little out of my league. The book moves a tad slower than I would have liked but it was more or less along the same lines as the first one - so it's hard to call out Larsson on that. However, when he's writing the action scenes, he seems to do so with a sense of urgency that comes across as very exciting. I was sucked in deep when Salander was caught up in more than a few confrontations. While she's missing from a good portion of the novel, Larsson does not leave you waiting impatiently for her return. Probably due to how strong the supporting cast is and the few subplots that he's woven throughout. Also, it's worth noting that he really dug deep and unearthed his violent side as the final few chapters have some of the most brutal scenes he's yet to write. I really don't want to give a lot away in regards to specifics but there's a few weapons that do some pretty gruesome damage. I'm really looking forward to the next entry, which I have bumped up my "to-read" list. This one ends with you wanting more and some questions are left unanswered. It's such a shame that Larsson passed away, Salander is such an iconic character. I can probably guess that she'll be farmed out to other writers in an effort to keep the series going - the potential to make more money is a hard thing to deny. Let's hope that the quality does not suffer because I'd be willing to keep reading. ( ) branimal | Apr 1, 2014 | While I really enjoyed the first installment of this trilogy by Stieg Larsson, I was somewhat disappointed by "The Girl Who Played with Fire." It just wasn't as gripping or interesting as the first book. This book focuses on Lisbeth Salander, framing a mystery around everything that makes her tick. Unfortunately, it took forever for the book to get going... (so many lists in the beginning.... Here is what Lisbeth bought at the grocery store, here is what she bought at IKEA... ugh!) Once the story started picking up steam the book got more interesting, but the major reveal was pretty obvious so it didn't take me half as long to put the puzzle pieces together as it did for all the characters. I will probably read the third book in the series just because it's the last one... I'm not super excited about it. (  )1  amerynth | Mar 31, 2014 |
 When a novel moves or affects me deeply, I think about it when I’m walking around. I don’t find myself thinking about The Girl Who Played With Fire, but while I was reading it, I was useless until I got to the end. In retrospect, my experience of the book, like it’s characters, seems unreal. As, of course, it was. When Larsson gets down to the business of telling a story, he tells a nerve-tingling tale. For all the complications of the melodramatic story, which advances at a brisk, violently cinematic clip in Reg Keeland’s translation, it’s clear where Larsson’s strongest interests lie — in his heroine and the ill-concealed attitudes she brings out in men. Mr. Larsson’s two central characters, Salander and Blomkvist, transcend their genre and insinuate themselves in the reader’s mind through their oddball individuality, their professional competence and, surprisingly, their emotional vulnerability.  What follows is a combination of urgent, multilayered thriller, traditional police procedural and articulate examination of the way a supposedly open-minded country like Sweden treats both its vulnerable women and children in care. Is contained in
No descriptions found. On the eve of publisher Mikael Blomkvist's story about sex trafficking between Eastern Europe and Sweden, two investigating reporters are murdered. And even more shocking for Mikael 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 years before. Lisbeth Salander is a wanted woman. Her history of unpredictable and vengeful behaviour makes her an official danger to society; but no-one can find her anywhere. Meanwhile, Mikael will not believe what he hears on the news. Knowing Salander to be fierce when fearful, he is desperate to get to her before she is cornered and alone. He vows to clear the girl's name and find the true killer.… (more) |
 Google Books — Loading...
Popular coversRatingAverage: (4.14)
Is this you?Become a LibraryThing Author. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
18
Wikipedia in English (1)
4
Lisbeth Salander is a wanted woman. Two Millennium journalists about to expose the truth about sex trafficking in Sweden are murdered, and Salander's prints are on the weapon. Her history of unpredictable and vengeful behaviour makes her an official danger to society - but no-one can find her. Mikael Blomkvist, editor-in-chief of Millennium, does not believe the police. Using all his magazine staff and resources to prove Salander's innocence, Blomkvist also uncovers her terrible past, spent in criminally corrupt institutions. Yet Salander is more avenging angel than helpless victim. She may be an expert at staying out of sight - but she has ways of tracking down her most elusive enemies.
My son read this late last year and enjoyed it more than the first book in the trilogy. I would have to say his conclusions mirror my own.
I usually have a reluctance to pick up books over a certain length, more from an aspect of time management reasoning that I could read 2 @ 250 pages long; in the same time it would take to read 1 @ 500 pages. This doesn’t always ring true and a lot depends on the pace of the narrative as to how quickly I plough through something.
At 569 pages long I was expecting to take just under a week or so to finish, but in reality it took a little under 3 days – probably because even though I felt not that much happened in the first 150-odd pages, I was still enjoying it.
The action in the second half of the book more than made up for the plodding start.
Not the best book I have ever read, but far from the worst. Fairly predictable conclusion insofar as I was reading safe in the knowledge that there is a third book to follow, so unless Salander and Blomkvist needed to acquire Lazarus-like tendencies they were both sure to survive.
That said, within the narrative there were decent periods of action and violence, likeable and unlikeable characters – mainly within the investigating officers in the police force, and a reasonable plot with only a slight stretch on the boundaries of credibility in my honest opinion.
I’ll be back for the 3rd instalment sometime whenever, depending on whatever turns my head in the meantime.
4 from 5
Acquired second hand sometime last year from one of Leighton Buzzard’s charity shops.
(