The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
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| The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo | |
 1st English edition cover |
|
| Author | Stieg Larsson |
|---|---|
| Original title | Män som hatar kvinnor |
| Translator | Reg Keeland, pseudonym of Steven T. Murray |
| Country | Sweden |
| Language | Swedish |
| Series | Millennium Trilogy |
| Genre(s) | Crime / Mystery novel |
| Publisher | Norstedts Förlag (Swedish) |
| Publication date | 2005 |
| Media type | Print (Paperback & Hardback) |
| ISBN | ISBN 978-9113014081 (Swedish) ISBN 978-1847242532 (English) |
Män Som Hatar Kvinnor (renamed in the English translation as The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) is an award-winning novel by the late Swedish author and social conscience journalist Stieg Larsson, the first in his "Millennium Trilogy". At his death in November 2004 he left three unpublished novels that made up the trilogy. Critically compared with the epic War and Peace for its depth, it became a postumous best-seller in Europe.[1]
Contents |
[edit] Introduction
This novel supplies a sprawling genealogical table for keeping track of the vast number of characters. Its Swedish language title literally translates as: "Men Who Hate Women".[2]
An epic tale of serial murder and corporate trickery spanning several continents, the novel takes in complicated international financial fraud and the buried evil past of a wealthy Swedish industrial family. Through its main character, it also references classic forbears of the crime thriller genre while stylistically follows and mixes aspects of the sub-genres. There are mentions of Enid Blyton, Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers; as well as Sue Grafton, Val McDermid, Sara Paretsky and several other key figures in the history of the detective novel. As a journalist and magazine editor in Stockholm until his death, Larsson reveals a knowledge and enjoyment of both English and American crime fiction. He declared that he wrote his opus in the evening after work for his own pleasure.[3]
The towns mentioned are real, with exception for Hedestad, and the Millennium magazine featured in the books parallels Larsson's own Expo magazine in the real world, which also had financial difficulties and where he was journalist and editor.[4]
[edit] Plot summary
A middle-aged journalist, Mikael Blomkvist, publishes the magazine Millenium in Stockholm. He is hired one day by the aged CEO of a wealthy dynasty to chronicle their history. His real purpose, however, is to solve a cold case - the disappearance of his niece when she was sixteen. Blomkvist encounters "the old Miss Marple closed-room scenario with all the wealthy suspects marooned on the family estate on an island; a village we grow familiar with, full of hostile locals peering out from behind their curtains"[5]. The real main character of the story is Lisbeth Salander, an asocial punk who has been victimized by authorities throughout her whole life. By accident she meets Blomkvist and the unlikely couple become another classic detective pair where the hunters become the hunted.
The opening courtroom drama where Blomkvist as publisher loses a libel case brought by corrupt Swedish industrialist Hans-Erik Wennerström, has serious repercussions for his Millennium magazine's future.
Blomkvist reads crime novelists Sue Grafton, Val McDermid and Elizabeth George and enjoys amateur sleuthing and investigative journalism. Later, he is asked to investigate a family mystery by Henrik Vanger, the elderly scion of a wealthy but dysfunctional family. Henrik has questions about the disappearance of his 16-year-old niece Harriet 40 years before. Ever since, on her birthday Henrik has received an unusual flower from various parts of the world, which he believes to be sent by the killer. Blomkvist is certain that he can discover nothing new, but delving into family secrets produces shocking results. When he teams up with Salander they shed disturbing light on the four decade long puzzle.[6]
The historic scenario of a locked-room mystery applies since the island on that fateful day was cut-off due to a road-tanker crash on the only bridge that connects the inhabitants to the mainland. Henrik Vanger believes that Harriet (his brother’s granddaughter) was murdered by one of his family members, as the island was sealed from the mainland when she vanished. In disgrace due to losing his libel defense, Blomkvist takes on the Vanger case when the old man offers him not only to help his financially strapped magazine, but also promises to give him information to prove Wennerström is corrupt. His cover is spending a year writing the Vanger family history.
[edit] Characters
Mikael Blomkvist, journalist, publisher of Millennium magazine, and amateur sleuth. Lisbeth Salander, violent and asocial but extremely intelligent hacker. Henrik Vanger, aged CEO of Vanger Corporation. Hans-Erik Wennerström, corrupt Swedish industrialist and Blomkvist's nemesis. Harriet Vanger, great-niece of Henrik and vanished for 40 years. Martin Vanger, brother of Harriet and President of the Vanger Corporation. Nils Bjurman, rapist lawyer and Lisbeth's nemesis. Cecilia Vanger, Harald's banished daughter.
[edit] Sites
- Hedeby Island, scene of the cold case murder.
[edit] Major themes
As well as literary references to the genre's classic forerunners, Larsson comments on contemporary Swedish society. Reviewer Dessaix reports that "His favourite targets are violence against women, the incompetence and cowardice of investigative journalists, the moral bankruptcy of big capital and the virulent strain of Nazism still festering away ..." in Swedish society.[7]
He further enters the debate as to how responsible a criminal is for his or her crimes and how much is blamed on upbringing or society. He has Salander say, It's as if we no longer believe anyone has a will of their own.[8] Salander has a strong will and assumes that everyone else does, too. She is portrayed as having suffered every kind of abuse in her young life, including sexual assault and time in a psychiatric clinic. Since she holds others responsible for their actions she takes revenge on those who behave badly – which moves the plot along. Salander, sullen, single-minded and sometimes vicious, is also incorruptible, a complete contrast to even the good guys in Larsson's world.[9]
[edit] Reception
As a tale of contemporary culture and corruption, the novel was released to great acclaim in Sweden and later, on its publication in many European countries. In the original language it won Sweden's Glass Key Award in 2005 for best crime novel of the year.
[edit] Awards and nominations
The novel was awarded the Glass Key award as the best Nordic crime novel in 2006.
[edit] Film, TV or theatrical adaptations
The Swedish film production company Yellowbird, will be producing the film version of the Millennium Trilogy –The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo along with the second novel in the trilogy, The Girl Who Played with Fire and the third yet to be named. It will be co-produced with Nordisk Film and TV company.[10] with Danish filmmaker Niels Arden Oplev directing. Filming is planned for early 2008.
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ Sydney Morning Herald Feb 22, 2008, book review by Robert Dessaix p1
- ^ "Men who Hate Women" - Spock Search
- ^ SMH, R. Dessaix p1
- ^ Nils Andersson review
- ^ SMH, R. Dessaix p1
- ^ Timesonline Jan 18, 2008, Marcel Berlins
- ^ SMH, R. Dessaix p2
- ^ SMH, R. Dessaix p2
- ^ SMH, R. Dessaix p2
- ^ Nordisk Film & TV Fond Yellow Bird Puts SEK 106m Millennium Project In Production
[edit] Publication details
- 2005, Swedish, Norstedts (ISBN 978-9113014081), pub date ? ? 2005, paperback (poss 1st edition)
- 2008, UK, McLehose Press, (Quercus Imprint) (ISBN 978-1847242532), pub date 10 January 2008, hardback (trans as The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Reg Keeland)
[edit] See also
Books by other Swedish crime novelists:
