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Kelli Marko's Reviews > The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium #1)
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** spoiler alert **
This is really a 1.5 stars. Ok, there was a good mystery during the middle third of the book. THere were alot of characters. There was suspense. AND there was also those first 200+ painful pages of character introduction and back story. That equals 1/3 of the whole book. Who slogged through those first 200 to find out that the mystery picks up? How did this series get so huge?
And there was also a plot that revolved around rape, violence, torture, murder and endless degredation of women. My question is: is this necessary to fictionalize? What do we gain from it?
Of the two main characters, only LisBeth Salander was a character that I cared about and wanted the best for. She also seemed crucial to the plot. Mikael "Kalle" Blomvquist had no character arc. He was not a dynamic character - just a detective with no growth or change.
I just didn't get it, but I slogged through for book club and the right of free expression!
And there was also a plot that revolved around rape, violence, torture, murder and endless degredation of women. My question is: is this necessary to fictionalize? What do we gain from it?
Of the two main characters, only LisBeth Salander was a character that I cared about and wanted the best for. She also seemed crucial to the plot. Mikael "Kalle" Blomvquist had no character arc. He was not a dynamic character - just a detective with no growth or change.
I just didn't get it, but I slogged through for book club and the right of free expression!
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Reading Progress
November 19, 2009
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Started Reading
November 23, 2009
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Finished Reading
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Karin
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rated it 2 stars
Feb 28, 2011 02:57PM
Glad to find someone else who didn't think this book was "all that". I only really finished it so I could find out who was sending the flower pictures.....
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after having watched the movies, i set out to read the book, but... i abandoned it after some 100 pages. can't stand it, especially knowing what's to happen.
I gave it a 1. If there had been a lower rating, I would have given it that!!
I'm trying to read this now, but I'm just not getting into it!
It almost killed me to finish this book. Your review was exactly the way I felt.
My thoughts exactly! I will not be reading the other 2. I'm so over it! I need a light, "fluff" book to read after this. :/
I think it's about relating to the characters...For me I related to Lisbeth Salander from the first sentence until the very end of the third book...Everything about her: the character, the struggles, her inner strength, her excellence in work..It was her that made me finish the book in a day, and the three books in a week...Having said that though, the story gets too unrealistic at times, with too many elements jammed at the same time...The male characters in the series are portrayed mostly as pitiful hateful sadists, the only two decent male characters in the series are "casual sex" Kalle Blomkvist and "sexual affair wannabee" boss...
It's ironic though that the author died from a heart attack (prob. from his heavy smoking) while climbing the stairs to his office, would've loved to see more of his work!!
Okay so I thought it was me! It's really boring and not sure what the plot is. I'm on page 40, but wow, I'm still utterly confused!
You truly have Nerves of steel to read such a mind numbing horrible excuse for literature. The character development barely existed unless it centered on sex. Any mystery or suspense was crushed with useless explanation of Swedish bankers or other useless garbage. It took forever for anything to happened. It's OK to explain the environment if it has purpose or can entertain. After the third "sex scene" I was done. It was horribly written and i worn all who wish to read it to just watch the movie's trailer. It made about as much sense as the book did.
i have to agree, it did hook me but it was not an amazing book.
I'm still only up to page 70. I can't seem to will myself to keep reading. Maybe the movie will be better?
Kelli, I agree with everything you say about this book (see my review of it), except I'd like to point out that while the degradation of women had a larger role than the degradation of men, men were also degraded. But the degradation is not done by the author or the narrator, but by the men you are supposed to hate, nd would like to see them punished. After all, making the villains so hateful and sadistic makes the reader extremely interested in seeking revenge.
2/3 of the way done. (Cat just died.) I couldn't agree with you all more! Kat, we could be friends!
I have tried several times to read this book; it is too slow moving. Once again I have put it down.
Wow, no one here knows how to just enjoy a book. Just read it. If you honestly don't like it, then stop reading it. And also stop whining about how bad it is in your opinion and go discover books that suit your terrible tastes. Cripes, I'm sick of people who think it is trendy to go against the masses. They say they don't like a popular, (and excellent) book, just to get a reaction and pretend they are to good for a book that everyone enjoys. It sickens me.
Ancientbilbo, But isn't the whole purpose of this group to discuss their opinions on the books they've read or on which they've given up?By the way, have you read this book? If so, what is your opinion?
You misspelled the word a lot... am I supposed to take your review seriously?
@Ancientbilbo Plenty of us here DO know how to enjoy a book. Unfortunately, this was not one we enjoyed. See our reading histories and take note of all the 4 and 5 star reviews. Sometimes honesty goes against the grain. Last time I checked, being honest wasn't "trendy."
Kat wrote: "@Jeffrey - Since Kelli has read approximately 115 more books than you, I think I'll overlook her little slip-up."I just got onto this site, so all of the books that I have listed are just a few of the ones that were right on top of some of the lists that I had clicked.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who felt this way about the book. I was wondering why it got such rave reviews.
I tried to read this. I've read that Lisbeth Salander is the character that "makes" the book. I can't even get far enough into the book to read about her. The first couple of chapters are brutal.
I just finished this book tonight. I had put it down about a third of the way through a couple years ago, but decided to give it another chance. I'll admit that this time I got to a point where I wanted to find out what happens, but it sure was painful getting there. I just don't get the hype at all. Maybe it's less tedious in the original Swedish?
It's one of those books, dare I say it....the movie is better than the book!
Kat wrote: "Raz wrote: "It's one of those books, dare I say it....the movie is better than the book!"That wouldn't be hard to accomplish!"
Yeah. But if you really really liked the book. The movie would do it no justice. But my friend read the book and then watched the movie, and she preferred the movie. Yaa feel me
I relate to many of you, all the fuss about this book got me really interested... But I can't pass page 30...And then I saw the movie, and I really want to finish thE book, but I feel it's dragging the story forever... I guess the movie is better than the book in this case!
@Kelli - Yes! I just reviewed the book and also divided it into thirds: 1)increadibly long back story, 2)action focusing on bondage, rape, and incest and 3)drudgery of tying up loose ends. While Lisbeth's character was the most intriguing, I found it maddening when she was pleased that the drunk hotel guest hit on her and touched her fake breast while she was in disguise. Where was the "evaluate the consequences" mantra and rage toward anyone who entered her space without permission? Poor character development.
I absolutely agree with the review! I trudged through it because of all the hype, and I was very disappointed.
Was all of that necessary to fictionalize? Yes. Stieg Larsson clearly is trying to shine light on a very sore subject in Sweden that has almost altogether been swept under the rug by a majority of Swedes and the World.
TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU HERE: And there was also a plot that revolved around rape, violence, torture, murder and endless degredation of women. My question is: is this necessary to fictionalize? What do we gain from it?
