Title: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Publication Year: 2005
Plot: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson is a gripping mystery thriller that follows the unlikely partnership between investigative journalist Mikael Blomkvist and the enigmatic computer hacker Lisbeth Salander. Blomkvist is hired by wealthy industrialist Henrik Vanger to solve the decades-old disappearance of his niece, Harriet. As Blomkvist delves deeper into the Vanger family's dark history, he uncovers a tangled web of corruption and sinister secrets. Lisbeth, with her troubled past and unparalleled hacking skills, becomes an indispensable ally in the quest for truth, leading to a shocking revelation that exposes the darkest facets of Swedish society.
Trivia: Stieg Larsson was the first author to sell over one million e-books on Amazon.com.
We started right in on the conversation. The group thoroughly enjoyed this one. The discussion leader said he was hooked about 100 pages in. “Once we knew the characters, their motives, and what was at stake, I was hooked.” Other readers agreed that the book was not easy to put down. “I had to know what was going to happen.” One reader said he was nervous to see a family tree at the front of the book. He was worried it was going to be too complicated if the author led with a family tree. But to his relief, the writing was clear and engaging enough to keep everyone straight.
The readers had mixed results when they tried to guess who was the criminal, the findings of the investigation, and how things would end. There was a good red herring that kept us preoccupied and on our toes. There were a few convenient moments in the investigation but the readers were so engaged and wanted to know what happens that it didn’t really matter.
The title of the book in Swedish is Men Who Hate Women. This led to a discussion about whether the novel is misogynistic or not. By and large, the group was a little hesitant to label it as such. “Lisbteh is a powerful woman who takes control of her life and the investigation." Another reader mentioned that women take over the magazine board. And even a woman at the center of the crime has a lot of agency. There are some characters in the novel that hate women, yes, but they thought it did not make the entire novel misogynistic.
Lastly, we talked about what made this novel such a global phenomenon. The discussion leader pointed out that it is a crime thriller where the two investigators are not detectives or cops. They are a fallen journalist and a mysterious hacker. He thinks that helped to set it apart. He thought it was a really cool duo. Another reader said it is more than a simple crime novel. It mixes politics, business, journalism, relationships, family, and more. And it does it well. Another reader said the translation makes it so easy to read and ultimately made characters more alive and relatable. So there you have it, just follow that simple formula and you’ll write a novel that sells 15 million copies!
That’s it for this week’s discussion. Next week, we’ll be reading one of my favorite books of all time: Interpreter of Maladies. We hope you’re reading something good.
Until then,
E.
If you would like to read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, here are some links:
Listen, this book was transformative for me. Steig was able to encapsulate a character that all women, at one time or another in their life, they wish they could be. When you consider that 1 in 4 (or is it 3) women will be assaulted in their lifetime, you best believe we all wanted to be Lisbeth in these moments.
I am assuming your reading group is men, correct? I wonder if the women's take on these books would be different? Interesting to think about.
Thanks so much for your write ups, they are truly insightful and appreciated.