The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (Millenium, #1)

By Stieg Larsson

Publisher: Vintage Books, 2008

644 pages, paperback

Date Finished: 23/9/2011

Genres: Adult, Some Action, Realistic Fiction, Romance, Mystery

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.
~from goodreads.com~

~First Line: "It happened every year, was almost a ritual."
~Last Line: "She tossed Elvis into a dumpster."

Review: I started reading this book last August, but forgot all about it and never finished it. This year, thanks to a BuddyRead, I started it again and am happy to say that the novel was amazing! The first 200 pages were really slow, but I'm glad that I kept reading! :D

Mikael "Kalle" Blomkvist is a financial journalist who has just been sentenced to serving 3 months of gaol (Swedish for jail). Our second main character (or secondary, she can be both) is Lisbeth Salander. She works a security agency; besides her tattoos and piercings, which she has a lot of, she definitely isn't very social.

Mikael is hired by Henrik Vanger, a legend of the Vanger Cooperation, to solve the mystery of his niece that's been missing for over 30 years. Eventually, Mikael learns of Lisbeth and they end up solving the mystery together.

The characters in Dragon Tattoo were really awesome, too. I loved Lisbeth's the best, though; Blomkvist definitely came very close behind her. Lisbeth's character was so . . . wow. I honestly can't think of a word to describe her. She's spunky and cool, but not afraid to give you a hard time if she (a) doesn't know you, or (b) doesn't trust you.

The plot of the novel was superb! It definitely wasn't like anything I've ever read before. I looved the "solve the mystery" stuff. The only thing that's kind of close to this that I've read is Angels and Demons (and all other Dan Brown books). But even still, Larsson just had an element that made this book so much different. Truly amazing.

I can't say too much more about this book without spoiling it. Just go buy a copy and read it. Then we can all celebrate by going to see the American movie version next year in theaters. An ahmazing novel indeed!

Plot Rating: 5
Character Rating: 5
Cover Rating: 4
GoodReads Rating: 5

Overall rating:
and three-fourths :)

Quotes from the book:

" 'Martin was dafter than a syphilitic polecat -- where do I get these metaphors from?' "

"This was how much time she had needed in the darkness of the building's stairwell to run through her plan one last time, consider alternatives, steel herself, and mobilise the courage she would need."