This is everything I've come to expect from a Scandinavian noir. It's dark, complex, and disturbing, and I couldn't look away.
It's hard to nail down exactly what The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is in a few simple sentences. It's a multi-layered story with several different mysteries that are sometimes closely and sometimes loosely intertwined. There is a historical disappearance, a hunt for a serial killer, and even a financial mystery all wrapped up in one. Along the way, we are introduced to two compelling protagonists in Blomkvist and Salander, and together they make a fascinating and unstoppable team.
But first we must get to the exciting part. Now, this wouldn't be a proper Scandinavian noir without the requisite slow start or the long page count, and this one clocked in at just under 600 pages (at least in the version I read). It's fair to say that the first 300 pages was more or less setting up for the story and nothing exciting really happens until we are about halfway through. In the meantime, it does count on the reader to keep track of a large number of characters, several subplots, and multiple timelines.
That isn't to say it isn't an interesting or riveting start. The best books in this genre have a way of grabbing the reader and keeping them engaged, all the while expecting them to wade through gobs of backstory and tons of extraneous information—all of it dark and bleak—and then come out the other side still excited and wanting more. And so this book does too.
But make no mistake, this story is as dark and disturbing as they come and should carry pretty much every trigger warning you can think of. In fact, the original Swedish title is directly translated as "Men who hate women," which I think is a much more appropriate name and should give you a better idea of the grotesque directions this story takes. You have been warned.
And yet for all the darkness and monstrosity of the crimes depicted, the resolutions bring a surprising amount of satisfaction and buoyancy to the reading experience. While not every crime can have a just outcome for the victims, there is closure for all and every villain gets their comeuppance and then some on the pages, so we do end up in a place of light instead of darkness.
By the way, speaking of the title, I thought the English one is a complete misnomer. This book isn't about Salander so much as it is about both Salander and Blomkvist. In fact, Blomkvist plays a much more central role to the mysteries, at least up until near the end when Salander steps in. But the English translation must have happened during that crazed period when every thriller had to have "girl" or "woman" in its title, so here we are.
Oh, one last observation—this story seems to think that people of the opposite sex cannot possibly coexist in the same place without wanting to jump each other's bones immediately, no matter the circumstances or their backgrounds or really anything. If you thought romance books have got the lock on instalust, you obviously haven't read this yet.
Random thoughts aside though, I did enjoy this book. While I wouldn't say it was the perfect mystery for me, I did find it gripping and compelling and ultimately satisfying. If you're a fan of Scandinavian noir, I don't think you'll regret picking up probably the most famous and quintessential book of the genre.
Readaroo Rating: 4 stars
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