Book Review - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Synopsis:  Harriet Vanger, a scion of one of Sweden's wealthiest families disappeared over forty years ago. All these years later, her aged uncle continues to seek the truth. He hires Mikael Blomkvist, a crusading journalist recently trapped by a libel conviction, to investigate. He is aided by the pierced and tattooed punk prodigy Lisbeth Salander. Together they tap into a vein of unfathomable iniquity and astonishing corruption.

First Line:  "It happened every year, was almost a ritual."

Random Quote:  "Behind the cabin there were a wood and tool shed with a scythe, rake, hammer, and a big box with saws, planes, and other tools.  He took a chair on the porch and poured coffee from his thermos.  He lit a cigarette and looked across Hedestad Bay through the veil of undergrowth."

Review:  Believe the hype - this book really is that good.

Somewhere in northern Sweden - Image via Wikipedia

I bought this because I got tired of waiting for it at the library.  I could always get the second book, but the first one was forever on the wait list.  I guess everybody else was like me and wanted to read them in order.  In any event, both books were on sale at Target for 20% off in the trade paperback version so I gave up and paid for them.

I literally devoured this book in one huge almost uninterrupted gulp.  Once I got into this I just kept reading (and didn't do lots of other things I probably should have done).  I loved the characters, the story is wonderfully convoluted and complicated, and I didn't figure out whodunit until the author revealed it.

It's hard to tell about the writing since I'm reading this in translation, but the translation is pretty good.  The translator obviously speaks/writes British English which is fine, but there are some additional odd moments here and there that pulled me out of the story and I hate that.  This is an extremely minor quibble - overall I thoroughly enjoyed this.

Reading Challenges:  2010 100+ Reading Challenge