Kim Deister
This book, in my opinion, was equally as good as The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. But like that first novel, it is a hefty tome, and it takes a bit to get to the meat of the main story. However, although that is usually a negative point for me, there is something about the author’s storytelling that appeals to me so much that I am not bothered by that. It’s almost an exposition of character building, and with characters as complex as those in this series, I enjoy getting to know them that way.
It’s truly masterful in that Larsson has created a character in Lisbeth Salander that is somehow both morally charcoal grey and a heroine, often at the same time and in the same situation. She does things that are, at least on the surface, morally reprehensible. But it’s often difficult to feel all that bad for her so-called victims as they are always the worst of the worst, vile human filth. She is incredibly violent, but it’s difficult to judge her for that when it is only turned against those who have done horrible things. There’s the reality that oftentimes her violence saves others. There are times when she is over the top in the way she accomplishes her goals, but it never involves actual violence against innocents, although she’s not above a little intimidation in a crisis. It’s an odd dichotomy.
I also appreciate the fact that while Larsson often wrote incredibly misogynistic characters, there is never the feeling that he held those same ideas. Instead, it feels like a commentary against those thoughts and beliefs. Too often, male authors writing misogyny come off as holding those very same ideals.
