Has anybody out there read this trilogy?  It's hard to know how you feel about them until you've read all three, as each contains information assumed in the next. 

Larsson's hero, Michael Blomquist, has become a somewhat controversial character because, though he espouses and mainly follows feminist notions, he still manages to sleep with almost every female character around.  Also, the heroine of the book, Lizbeth Salander, ends up getting a breast enlargement at the beginning of book two, and supposedly, feels much better about herself for so doing.

The books also seem to need a good editing job--each text is filled with extraneous characters and information.  I've only seen the first of three Swedish films based on the books, but the first, "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," seems to be a great improvement on the book, as much as for what it leaves out as for what it keeps in.

Your feelings on this subject?

Welcome to the forums, Margo.

Please be careful not to spoil the books for those of us who have not read them.  If you intend to add spoilers, please state so in the subject line.

Thanks

Terri

Just started reading GWDT.  I agree its wordy, but I mark that off to the fact that the book was written in a different language and translated.  To be honest, I don't mind the extras especially if they help shape the characters and circumstances.

-RD

GEEZ!  Blomquist is a horndog and Lisbeth wants bigger TaTa's.

You ruined the book for me!  No use finishing it now! Some wishlister is going to be happy when I post this puppy!

Sorry if was misunderstood.  I did not mean to imply that the op spoiled the book.  Just that if the thread went in that direction to please add a warning to the subject line.  I have been considering reading the series and am interested in what others think of it.  However, I would hate to open the thread and read something would spoil it for me.

The Mystery/Thriller thread has traditionally been a thread kept free of remarks meant to inflame.  I would not want to see that change.

I enjoyed the series.  The extraneous scenes are ones I regard more as world building or even red herrings in some cases.  I think it gave some interesting insights into Swedish society and life, and for that alone it had value to me.

As for Blomquist sleeping around, I don't see how that makes him either more or less of a feminist.  IIRC, Blomquist's sex life was often casual but always consensual, and no one was demeaned for or by it.  Are feminist men not supposed to enjoy having multiple sex partners?  That reasoning just doesn't hold together for me.

Salander's breast enlargement isn't as straightforward as "got the boobs, now I feel better about myself."  But that said, is there some reason that a feminist can't augment her looks to her own satisfaction and still be a feminist?  Doesn't that kind of criticism play into the long debunked stereotype that feminists are trying to be men, rather than simply having equal rights with men?   Can you not be a feminist and also care about your appearance?  Again, it just seems like that argument panders to a decades old (mistaken) notion of what feminism is.

I'm glad to read the views here (and I too misunderstood, Terri, thought you meant it was spoiled), because I've started a couple times and found it slow going...and plan to start from scratch for the third time. I was warned it took a while to get into, but I guess I haven't gotten that far yet. Although the opinions seem to vary somewhat, the consensus is to keep perserving and it's worthwhile... 

Here's Diana Gabaldon's description of the writing style, which made me laugh because it's so true: "they're [Scandinavian writers] all pretty much like that--backstory, small amount of action, backstory, slightly more action, declarative sentence, declarative sentence, declarative sentence, moralizing about society, declarative sentence, declarative sentence....whoa, a line of DIALOGUE!!...backstory..."

FWIW, she also said she liked Larsson's books, and it was worth pushing on. I have the first 2 on my TBR pile, but haven't started them yet. [Link to the original quote.]

I love the trilogy, One of hte best I have read. I almost gave up on the first book, the first 50 pages were very dull. REally picked up after that.  The think that Lisbeth is one of the best written female characters in mystery series. Very complex. Highly recommend.

Alice

I am now listening to the audio The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, book 3 in the trilogy. IMO, the books drag until LIsbeth enters the scene. Then the pace of the mystery speeds ahead!!!!!!!  I think I have had the audio version of all 3 of the books. The first book was almost a DNF, but I read on until LIsbeth appeared.

Some authors, I always read the print versions and some are always audio. I would recommend the audio versions of this trilogy. AND DO NOT STOP READING UNTIL LISBETH STORMS INTO THE PLOT IN SOME BIZARRE WAY!!

MARY

I read the first two and decided not to read the third...they really seriously needed an editor, IMO, and I ended up just slogging through book two, took a couple of weeks to finish. I thought Bloomkvist was dead boring. I liked Salander, but the whole stories were just too scattered all over and not cohesive. I haven't seen the movie.

I don't have any problem with Bloomkvist's sexual exploits. They're a little less touchy about that sort of thing in Sweden I think. I don't think of being sexually promiscuous and a feminist as mutually exclusive.

As to Salander feeling better about herself after breast implants...why on earth would anyone have them if the goal wasn't to be more satisfied with their body?

Cheryl

I gave up after making it halfway through the first book.  It was so slow and boring.  After reading everyones opinions I may have to give it another go.  I think this time I may do an audio book  so I can clean and listen at the same time.

I loved this series and wish I hadn't read them just so I could read them again. As for Salander and her boob job she was described as having none, looked like a kid. I think it is hard for some to realize how that can affect your life. It has nothing to do with feminist issues, it is a personal choice.

Everyone I have reccomended them to has loved them!

I am sorry, but I really did not enjoy GWDT.  It was 600 hundred pages long - so much back story and so little plot. The book's sadism and rapes were too much for me to have to read.  I do not find that entertaining. Also, what's up with women finding a middle aged man so irrisistable that they throw themselves at him.  Sounds like a male fantasy being played out to me.

Here's the biggest problem I had with the book.  Wasn't Martin married?  How is it possible that the author doesn't mention her at all in regard to Martin's murders?  How could she not have known about the room?  How is that her husband disappears for hours and she isn't curious about where he is?  I mean the author doesn't even explore it at all.  He gives us no explanation of how it is possible that she is so clueless.

25 years of murders and no one saw him lug a body onto a boat ever?  Hard to believe.

Also the translation was terrible.  Full of cliches and odd word choices.

I am done with this series - I don't think I can take girls being tortured anymore.Gross. 

Hi all, hi Alice.....This time we don't agree!.  I honestly thought I was the only one who didn't like TGWTDT.....couldn't finish it....tried book 2 for about 75 pages, never picked it up again, and have book 3 on TBR.  I kind of doubt I'll ever read  them, with my having 400+ TBR's, I'll probably use the three of them, (plus a couple of duplicates someone gave me) for swaps or post them.