mass market paperback, 566 pages
English language
Published Sept. 10, 2010 by Alfred A. Knopf.
Lisbeth Salander—the heart of Larsson’s two previous novels—lies in critical condition, a bullet wound to her head, in the intensive care unit of a Swedish city hospital. She’s fighting for her life in more ways than one: if and when she recovers, she’ll be taken back to Stockholm to stand trial for three murders. With the help of her friend, journalist Mikael Blomkvist, she will not only have to prove her innocence, but also identify and denounce those in authority who have allowed the vulnerable, like herself, to suffer abuse and violence. And, on her own, she will plot revenge—against the man who tried to kill her, and the corrupt government institutions that very nearly destroyed her life.
Once upon a time, she was a victim. Now Salander is fighting back.
Glad I finished the trilogy. Each book is provocative, entertaining, outrageous, and informative in its own way, while forming a very consistent and satisfying whole.
This was the best book in the trilogy. I loved the way it all ended.
Excellent end of an excellent trilogy! Read this if you haven't already.. :)
Down in my building's laundry room is a place where people can leave the books they're getting rid of, and since I'd seen the movie of the first book I grabbed this one, not knowing where it fell in the trilogy.
It falls third, and it became obvious early on that like a lot of mid-trilogy books, the book right before this one had ended on a cliffhanger.
Because of this, the book is full of references to things you should know about, and answers to questions I didn't have. And I want to mention that up front, because reading the third book without the context of the second is not going to be the best experience with a book like this.
In spite of being a bit puzzled, I figured I would read through and once the explanations were out of the way and they started introducing new characters …
Down in my building's laundry room is a place where people can leave the books they're getting rid of, and since I'd seen the movie of the first book I grabbed this one, not knowing where it fell in the trilogy.
It falls third, and it became obvious early on that like a lot of mid-trilogy books, the book right before this one had ended on a cliffhanger.
Because of this, the book is full of references to things you should know about, and answers to questions I didn't have. And I want to mention that up front, because reading the third book without the context of the second is not going to be the best experience with a book like this.
In spite of being a bit puzzled, I figured I would read through and once the explanations were out of the way and they started introducing new characters and plot elements I could still enjoy it. But I didn't.
First off, it is a poorly written book. I don't know if the original is badly written or if it's just a bad translation, but there are moments so out of tune and awkward as to be slightly embarrassing. It's not wretched, like a romance novel, but the writing is certainly poor.
Characters are uninteresting and poorly drawn. But perhaps they were all drawn in the first book and the author is just being lazy.
What finally stopped me reading it was an almost OCD obsession with details. The book wants to explain exactly what everyone is doing and thinking. Sometimes that's somewhat interesting, as when you follow the lead woman's thought process as she plans for eventualities, but sometimes it's painful, as in a long, tedious section in which the bad guys plan out their strategy in excruciating detail.
As I say, if I'd read the second book I would probably have found more of interest in the third, but if the flaws of the third book are the same in the second, I never would have read that one either. I'll just stick to the movies.
OK. Not as good as the first two.
This really is a non stop read that provides a comprehensive and satisfying solution to the trilogy.
Better than I had expected. Rather hamfisted, and the main character is totally a Mary Sue... but I found myself enjoying the story and the characters. Larsson had a strong sense of justice and moral outrage, and dammit it's just fun to watch some übercompetent good guys fight and win (spoiler alert: yeah, like there's ever any doubt) against bullies.
What a great ride this trilogy has been.
Great conclusion to a great trilogy!
I enjoyed the first novel, but the second two were unoriginal and at times boring. The first book in the series took a modern take on the who done it genre, but the second two books just were too generic.
A very satisfying ending to the series, with complex characters (especially the women, which is refreshing for a mainstream novel and especially for a crime novel), a fairly tight plot, and good pacing. There are a few places where Larsson veers off into excessive exposition or lovingly details the history of some bureaucratic government office of some sort, and the whole Erika Berger sublot is completely pointless, but you can skim those parts and get right back to the action. Lisbeth Salander is still interesting to read about even when she's confined to her hospital bed for most of the book. I had a great time reading this, and I'm glad I read all three of these books.
If I could, I would give this 3.5 stars. It was a fun read but thinking back on it, not much really happens. Once again, as in the first one, way too much exposition, this time on the history and background of the Sapo, the Swedish CIA. Too many pointless details and too black and white. The bad guys were both inept and had more problems than necessary, while the good guys had it all under control. [b:The Girl Who Played with Fire|5060378|The Girl Who Played with Fire|Stieg Larsson|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255570680s/5060378.jpg|6976108] was easily my favorite of the three.
The final of the trilogy (read #1 and #2 first); almost an obligatory read after finishing #2, and because of the condition of Salander, not quite as good as the others, being honest. A good book, nonetheless.
Lots of characters to keep track of, but ultimately satisfying. Good end to the trilogy.
Great end to a great series.
