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about half the book. once lisbeth and mikael meet it greatly improves.

I was told that it takes a long time to get into. I listened to the audiobook and the beginning was really hard to like. I thought it got a lot better. I think you should stick with it :)

If you think the first book takes a long time to get into, wait till you get to the second! Took me forever to engage, and then I only ended up frustrated.

I want to say I was told 100 pages and I stuck it out. I do think that I got interested earlier than you have. I ended up reading all 3 and liked them all. I hope you enjoy!

I was the exact same way and on about the same page as you, Tina when I finally wanted to know more. I'm SO glad I did though. It ended up being an awesome trilogy and Lisbeth sticks with you long after you're finished! Good luck and don't give up :)

You get gripped by this story once Lisbeth story folds out. I read the book because of the movie and a mix of factors that got me intrigued at the time: Sweden, Lisbeth and the mystery of Harriet's vanishing. I also think that the book should have kept its original title: Men who didn't love women.

My problem with getting into this book was I kept waiting for Lisbeth story to materialize. Then my buddy in work told me it was more about Blomkvist then her. When I concentrated gave in and paid attention to the murder mystery I got into it. The second book is page 1 till the end. The third book was spotty for me.

The first half is slow-going, but it lays the foundation for the rest of this and the other books in the series. After I finished it, couldn't wait to read the second, then the third. There are lots of twists and turns, and keeping up with all the characters and their Swedish names makes it harder.

about 5 minutes...but then I'd already seen the movie so I was keen...

I had to read a little more than about 100 pages in before the book got much better

I would say you have to get into about half of the book before you're hooked. Something that worked for me but usually doesn't is watching the American movie.
I threw the book down cause I couldn't get into it, but after watching the movie I was eager to pick it up. And that spark continued through the whole trilogy.

Definately try and stick it out as it does get going about 75-100 pages in.

I have to admit, I couldn't finish it. I started it a few times and probably eventually got about three-quarters of the way through, at which point I realised I still wasn't gripped and that life was too short!

Because the author lays out so much back story and much of it is political or geography related, it took me almost half the book to get into it. I think I actually put it down for a few weeks and then went back to it. Glad I kept going though, and once I'd got into the rhythm of the writing, I absolutely devoured the next 2 books. Well worth toughing it out.

Its an engaging book....the story pulls you in. Its a little dark but doesnt leave you with a bad feeling.I am yet to read the second and the third one in the series .... cant wait to get my hands on them.

It took 50-100 pages - Had to get really comfortable with 'Sweden'. And I usually don't read high finance info. Realized I was probably fighting it so I quit complicating things, wound up ignoring the rest of the world for several days - could not put the series down. I found them all fascinating.
The books probably just aren't for you - no one likes every book they pick up. Maybe you expected something else because of all the hype.

Tina wrote: "I'm on page 227 and still have zero interest. I know that the book does take some time to get into and that it contains nearly 600 pages, but this is getting ridiculous. This book was raved by so m..."
Hey thats unbelievable!I got glued to it right from the beginning...I'd urge you to hang on.. you wont regret this one!

Tina wrote: "I'm on page 227 and still have zero interest. I know that the book does take some time to get into and that it contains nearly 600 pages, but this is getting ridiculous. This book was raved by so m..."

Tina, I tried 3 different times to read this book and found it impossible. I, like you, heard so many rave reviews by friends. I figured that there must be some redeeming value to it. I finally decided that some books are not worth the effort, especially when there are so many thousands of books out there just waiting to be read and enjoyed. If, after 227 pages, you are not pulled in by the book it's time to move on.

As I flipped over that last painful page, I realized that I was never going to get into it.

It took me about 75 pages. My friend told me not to give up on on it. so I didn't give it my 50 pages and out rule. I really enjoyed it. Good mystery

I battled through the first part of that book, but it was well worth it. Couldn't put it down.

I stuck with it because I found the premise interesting. I didn't mind the business stuff, but I felt the last 100 pages could have been the beginning of a second book --- once I had it figured out, it was painful to keep reading and reading and reading..... I normally find an author and read right through the series, but in this case, I have made it through only the first few. The last one still is sitting on my to read shelf.

I have to say that it takes almost half the book to get hooked. And once you are, it's a surprise because it just snuck up on you. The first half sets the stage. The second half tells the story. And the movies (Swedish and English) are the same. You spend half the movie plodding along and then all of a sudden everything starts racing along.

I've read all three, and I loved them all. I think because of the character development. You get to delve into their psyches, find out how they tick. And once you have an idea, the story just flows and the characters' actions make sense.

They are all flawed, and as time progresses through the books we get to see the consequences to their actions in the previous books. And it makes us wonder "what if she/he had done something else?"

Stick with the series. Each book builds on the previous. Don't let the 'background' slow you down. It explains the story.

24/04/2012: I was thinking about why some people get caught up in this series and others don't. And I wonder, could it be that that people who are into the book are those who tend to continually seek the answer to 'why' or 'what motivates'? I know I'm not phrasing this correctly, but in just about everything I am interested in what brought the current situation into being. And with this series, I want to understand the background. How Blumqvist got to where he is. What motivates Salander. Why they interact so well. What prompted the people to do what they did? And that is what makes this all the more interesting to me. I get to delve into the psyche. I get to see the complex spiderweb of events, motivations, actions, interactions. There are those of us who like a good read that is straightforward. And there are those of us who want to dive right in. So, I'd say it all has to do with reading style and preference. The folks I know who loved this series are people who enjoy trying to piece the puzzle together while reading the story.

Did anyone else fall down while trying to pronounce "Blomkvist " in your mind while reading the freakin BORING parts? Also, honestly, wasn't it obvious who the villain was at the laborious ending?

The Millineum Trilogy is a particular book for people who can really invest in a story whole heartedly. It's a lot like a movie, like one of those movies where you have to pick up every detail and store it away for later because it will come in handy. You have to be patient and interested to read these series. I stared it in the eighth grade and I always read a few books in between each of them so I won't have an overload. These books are really good though and it's so good because of the way they are written.

TM wrote: "I'm on page 227 and still have zero interest. I know that the book does take some time to get into and that it contains nearly 600 pages, but this is getting ridiculous. This book was raved by so m..."

I did tell friends that it takes about 100 pages to get interesting, which is the such a bad strategy for a mystery / thriller. He sets the premise well in the initial scene but then drags it along. But, it is worth it once it kicks in.

This is a long read but it's a good-thing-I-read book for me. The mystery of this novel pulls me in.

I was into it right away, even all the financial scandal stuff. If it's the financial stuff that's making it unlikable for you, it gets better in January and really starts to pick up around May/June in the book timeline. If it's the style of writing that's making it hard to get into, you're better off dropping the book. The style of writing is consistent throughout.

this book took me awhile to get into. the first half took me awhile to get through because i wasn't that interested (which was awhile considering the book is relatively long). once i got into it i enjoyed it more but it definitely took awhile i think because the first half was a lot of detailed background info/history.

100% echo what most everyone else said. Bout 80-100 pages of slogging through the overly done financial backstory, then bang it's a pageturner.

The first half can at times be a little dull. Be patient as the second half of the book is really good. It can be tough to read any book that does not grab you from the beginning. This is one of those books.

It does take a while to get into the book but once you do, your hooked. The beginning is overwhelming when you are trying to learn the family's history but as you go on there is something about it that you get attached to, which makes you constantly crave more. Lisbeth is a great character and she's someone you easily get caught up with and want to know more about.

I bought the book at an airport bookshop. If I hadn't been stuck on a plane with with it for four hours I would not have made it through the first 100 pages (or so). I'm glad I made it, and went on to read the rest of the series.

It took me 45 pages to get into it. I think the whole beginning, used as background i guess, was completely unnecessary. Could have just given a paragraph and then got right to it. the rest of the story seems to pick up right from there. I have to say the next book is my favortie of the series and the last one drags its ass until the last 100 pages.

The Millineum Trilogy is a particular book for people who can really invest in a story whole heartedly. It's a lot like a movie, like one of those movies where you have to pick up every detail and store it away for later because it will come in handy. You have to be patient and interested to read these series. I stared it in the eighth grade and I always read a few books in between each of them so I won't have an overload. These books are really good though and it's so good because of the way they are written.

It's like James Clavell's Tai Pan as it is only after both protagonists meet that you can get into it.

I can't say anything based on page number, since I read the trilogy on a Kindle, but the three had a pretty much identical formula. They were boring for about 25%-35% of the book, then something happens and the pace spikes. The third book was a little different in this respect, it did get more interesting about 1/3 of the way in, but not as interesting as the previous two. I felt like the third was just the second half of the second, since the second is a cliffhanger, this made the third hard to get through because it felt very protracted.

I'm so glad to read all these comments that agree with the way I felt about this series. IT GOT WAY TOO MUCH HYPE, way more than it deserved!

I'm FINALLY to a point where I want to keep reading it and honestly, I'm more than halfway through the book. I have been promised by all however, that from this point on I won't want to put not just this book down but the other two as well. I'm excited I'm finally to a point where I can see that happening. All I can say is... keep going and hopefully you'll get to this point too.

The firat book took me awhile to get into. I would say the first part of the book was difficult. But it greatly improves if you stick with it.

Tina wrote: "I'm on page 227 and still have zero interest. I know that the book does take some time to get into and that it contains nearly 600 pages, but this is getting ridiculous. This book was raved by so m..."

Don't give up - it's worth it!

It took me awhile to read that book, but once I was more than half way through I couldn't put it down. Then went on to read the next one immediately! Great series! Don't give up!

80 Pages

I thought the character of Lisbeth was the key to the Millennium trilogy. Lisbeth Salander is to the trilogy what Elizabeth Bennett is to Jane Austin! You just want to know more about her and how her life unfolds.
Blomkvist is certainly not Darcy!

I am usually very determined to finish a book once I have started. However, I probably would have stopped reading this one if a friend had not warned me about the slow start. I think I read almost half the book before I really got into it and then I couldn't put it down. It is well worth being patient and persistent!

it took me about 100 pages! but then i would lose interest in the middle and come back. but the last 100 pages i couldn't put the book down.

I had no difficulty getting into the book. I had even been to Sweden right before starting the trilogy (I'm an American living in Finland), so I was really excited to read it. I devoured the entire series in about a week and must admit that I really liked it.

Here's my Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ review:

I read about 60 pages of this and the financial stuff was mind-numbingly boring. I posted a review here on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ that said I would rather poke my eye out than finish this book. Then I visited another favorite reading website and saw that some trusted reviewers thought this was the best book they had read in years. So, I took down my review here and continued reading. Wow! This is quite a book. I got hooked, and will definitely read the others. I will say that after I finished this violent and disturbing book I feel like I did poke my eye out.

Trust me, it is worth it in the end. I understand the feeling because I had to power through it too, but after a while you won't be able to put it down. :)