Great book, heaps better than the first in the series. Salander grows ever more intelligent and amazing the more we find out about her. Not only is she a hacker wunderkind, a master chess player, a boxer (come on, really?), she also happens to be a genius mathematician despite the lack of any mathematical training. Of course she can solve Fermat's last theorem just by reading a pop-culture mathematical history textbook. Sigh. Incidentally there is a great book about Fermat's last theorem if you are interested. And why did Larsson make her a boxer? So ridiculous, I was perfectly happy with her as a hacker with a taser.
Speaking of ridiculous, the ending was one of the most overdone, totally implausible, stupid things I have ever read. I don't want to give away any plot here. You'll know what I mean when you read it.
Larsson has an annoying habit of inserting massive amounts of unnecessary detail. Consider this boringly complicated description of a dinner at Blomkvist's sisters' family:
Annika had two children: Monica, thirteen, and Jennie, ten. Her husband Enrico, who was the head of the Scandinavian arm of an international biotech. firm, had custody of Antonio, his sixteen-year-old son from his first marriage. Also at dinner were Enrico's mother Antonia, his brother Pietro his sister-in-law....
Of the eleven people he introduces in this passage, none of them play even the most minor role in the story. We never hear from them again. Where were you editor?
Speaking of editing, I found the use of the word 'dyke' fairly offensive in some places, even when it wasn't supposed to be (ie. Faste didn't say it). In Australia (and most of the English-speaking world I believe) it is typically derogative. I suspect the same is not true in Swedish and it was just a bad translation choice.
Oh, and every single character in this book is going to have serious health problems from the amount of coffee they drink - it's like Phillip Marlowe, but with caffeine instead of alcohol.
One more thing. Berger is a complete bitch for even considering deserting Millenium at the time of crisis.
Now that I have all that off my chest, I need to say again this is a great book. I didn't pick the major revelation about Zala, and thought it was quite clever. I couldn't put it down and stayed up to 1:30am to finish it.
4.5 stars.
Update: I forgot something else that really annoyed me! What is with the product placement in this book? It's everywhere!
She went shopping at H&M and Kappahl department sores and bought herself a new wardrobe...
Her most extravagant purchases were from Twilfit...
...sat down at her PowerBook...
...a jumbo pack of Billy's Pan Pizza...
Ikea should have payed thousands of dollars for the advertisement below - I'm expecting a "Buy Lisbeth's Salander's Furniture" link on the Ikea website any day now. I suspect the Larsson estate didn't make any money off the gratuitous advertising since the contracts would have to be in place before publishing - so why is it still there? I think Anna is right about them being reluctant to edit, see her comment.
She drove to Ikea at Kungens Kurva...She bought two Karlanda sofas with sand-coloured upholstery, five Poang armchairs, ... a Svansbo coffee table and several Lack occasional tables. From the stoage department she ordered two Ivar combination storage units and ...
Checked the Ikea website, and most of those models don't even exist anymore.
G - I think you need an editor to make sure the balance of negative and positive comments in your review reflects your rating!! I also liked this book way more than the first. The plot kept moving along more freely and Salander was in it heaps more - she's awesome and I have no problem with over-the-top skill sets in a crime novel (I found Blomkvist a bit boring at times in the first book, but really started to dislike him and his casual approach to relationships in this one). I liked how the central mystery is being investigated by four different groups of people in different ways (with some interlinkages). I didn't like how the back of the book gave away stuff that didn't happen till half way through the book (bad publishers, bad!) I definitely agree that this book needed stuff edited out (although not nearly to the extent of the first book) - I wonder if they were a bit hesitant to change things too much seeing as the author is dead. So, not without flaws but a very addictive read with one of the best characters I’ve come across recently and a more intelligent approach to a crime thriller than most. Will look forward to part 3 ...
ReplyDeleteYou're right I probably do need an editor :) Unfortunately it is much easier to be critical, there are only so many ways you can say a book is good :)
ReplyDeleteI added another criticism :) Product placement!
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