# The SBHonline Community Daily > Books, Movies, and TV >  >   Just finished the second book by Stieg Larsson. I won't give away the plot but if you've read & enjoyed "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo", you'll be increasingly drawn into the story of Lisbeth S

## julianne

Just finished the second book by Stieg Larsson. I won't give away the plot but if you've read & enjoyed "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo", you'll be increasingly drawn into the story of Lisbeth Salander (more about her in this book then in the first) and Mikael Blomkvist. There are a few other characters from the first book who make a reappearance but, for the most part, it is about a new and different mystery (and, sorry, Amy, it is also around 500 pages). I am truly hooked and wish the author had lived to write many more books. Can't wait to read the third---"The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest".

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## JEK

I was happily surprised to find *The Girl* in the Kindle store and I'm engrossed in it from the start!

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## rivertrash

Thanks for the report, Julia.  I thought Lisbeth was a really fascinating character in the first book.  Can't wait to see the development in the new one.

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## andynap

A review:

"A huntress becomes the hunted
In this Swedish mystery, a talented computer hacker is suspected in three murders.

The Girl Who Played With Fire
By Stieg Larsson
Alfred A. Knopf. 512 pp. $26 



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Reviewed by Karen Heller


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In The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, published in September and on the best-seller list still, Stieg Larsson showed an enviable gift for writing mysteries, introducing not one but two indelible heroes.
Mikael Blomkvist is the more familiar, a hard-bitten journalist and ladies' man with a run of bad luck and a talent for trouble. His eventual partner in sleuthing, and complicated amorous entanglements, is the remarkable Lisbeth Salander, the Girl of the title, angry, tiny, an idiot savant of sorts - brilliant at hacking, socially a beast - carrying a vast reserve of hurt and anger while proving sexually game with both genders.

And now we have The Girl Who Played With Fire, the second in the Swedish writer's trilogy, already huge sellers overseas. Fire is far more Salander's story - Blomkvist seems an afterthought for much of the book - as she becomes the hunted, more than the natural (computer) huntress that she is. An honorable thief, prone to stealing from predators, Lisbeth is eventually suspected of three murders.

"The diagnoses of Salander in the press varied depending on which edition and which newspaper was doing the reporting. Sometimes she was described as psychotic and sometimes as schizophrenic or paranoid. All the papers subscribed to the view that she was mentally handicapped - she had, after all, not been able to finish school and had left without taking her exams. The public should have no doubt that she was unbalanced and inclined to violence." 

There is, of course, a bad guy. Superbad. Larsson doesn't do villains in half-measures. "Zala the gangster. The one people seem to be terrified of, and nobody wants to talk about." 

Fire's ambitious, though trying, plot construct keeps Blomkvist and Lisbeth, once allies, separated for much of the book; how long would be a spoiler, and reveal a devilishly brisk, even funny, denouement. Eventually, though, I longed to see the journalist and the hacker reunited as an improbable team of sleuths. I would have settled for them congregating in the same room. 

What Larsson has done is akin to enlisting two huge, enticing stars, then keeping them separated for much of the action, united only through e-mail. Consequently, Dragon Tattoo proves the more rewarding of the two books, even as its plot snowballs in the final chapters, growing improbably convoluted and more violent than necessary, a failing of many contemporary mysteries.

Larsson, dead from a heart attack in 2004, was a natural crusader. In journalism, he rallied against racism and right-wing extremism. In his novels, the cause is violence against women. In Fire, Blomkvist's Millennium magazine investigates the transport of young Eastern European women forced into prostitution by murderous thugs, "a sex mafia," an inquiry launched by a young couple whose end seems doomed at the moment of introduction. 

Victimized by an almost cartoonishly evil guardian, Lisbeth is an avenging demon, meting out punishment by tattooing his body with the confession "I AM A SADISTIC PIG, A PERVERT, AND A RAPIST," while adding another villain to a crowded roster. When the guardian shows up murdered, Lisbeth is the natural suspect since she's gone to ground for most of the action, her character and behavior growing mythic (and homicidal) in her absence.

Fire remains superior to many mysteries, and Larsson's gifts are substantial. The problem is that, except for erotic tussles with her girlfriend, Lisbeth dwells alone with her computers. The book becomes mired in prosaic writing detailing her monk-like life - her meals, her baths - which just goes to show that even angry, tiny, violent, antisocial hackers can lose their fascination weighed down by the minutiae of everyday life

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## JEK

> Can't wait to read the third---"The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest".



J,
According to Amazon it will be released in October.  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1906694176

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## JEK

> Just finished the second book by Stieg Larsson. I won't give away the plot but if you've read & enjoyed "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo", you'll be increasingly drawn into the story of Lisbeth Salander . . .



What a read! I am consumed with this book!

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## phil62

I got it yesterday!  I also got THAT OLD CAPE MAGIC by Richard Russo because I have loved all his stuff-

This week Pat Conroy's SOUTH OF BROADWAY comes out-ah, so many books so little time!!  AMY

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## MIke R

Wendi is bringing That Old Cape Magic down for me this weekend

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## julianne

He was truly an amazing writer. And to think he only began to write the mysteries a few years before his death! One wonders how far he would have taken the Millenium series and how much was finished of the fourth book that he started.

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## JEK

I finished it last night. You were right that the 2nd was better and that Salander is much more developed in the 2nd. Love the ending Kalle (@#$^&*0) Blomkvist :)

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## amyb

I surrender. I cave. I will begin it now!! Lisbeth wins out after all-all other books shelved for the time being, Amy

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## julianne

You won't be sorry!

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## JEK

NYT number 1 fiction book! Number 2 paperback is TGWTDT!

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## phil62

And we are ahead of the curve!! What a group!! Amy

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## JEK

> And we are ahead of the curve!! What a group!! Amy



 Thanks to Julia! She is such an harbinger of trends :)

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## phil62

Right you are. Thanks Julia for that tip. I started TGWPWF and had to put it down until Charlie goes back home to his folks. My book treat for next week.Bye bye, A

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## julianne

Amy, Your priorities are right-on. Lisbeth will wait for you; young Charlie shouldn't!

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## rivertrash

Wonderful book!  Finished it last night and can't wait till we get the third one.  I thought the character development in this one was much superior to the first.  And he had no trouble finding an ending.  Wow!  What an ending!

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## julianne

Agree. I rarely feel this way about a "series" but I can't wait to see what he does with the next one.

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## JEK

Amen!

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## phil62

And of course, ME TOO!  I guy


Stieg Larsson, a writer I had never heard of suddenly is at the top of the charts and sadly he is not here to enjoy the hoopla and the kudos.  

The fall will be better for having the third in the series book to read. Amy

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## andynap

I just got the first book-

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## MIke R

saving it for a long winters night by the fire

I'm backed up with books right now

I'll repeat...Havana Nocturne is pretty interesting

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## rivertrash

OK, MikeR.  You convinced me.  I just ordered Havana Nocturne from Amazon.

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## JEK

My wife is reading Dragon and when I asked her how she liked it, she said "Don't bother me, I'm almost done with it and I can't be interrupted" Another convert to Lisabeth :-)

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## andynap

She must be a fast reader.I only did 50 pages from last Saturday. I will catch up on vacation tho.

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## JEK

She's in two book clubs and this was an extra, so she really worked at-- several hours a day and late into the night last night. She says she is saving the 2nd one for our November Le Select trip. We'll see if she can hold out!

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## andynap

Actually I did 97 pages- I just looked. LOL

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## amyb

Glad to see another Larsson fan in the making. I am anxiously awaiting #3. Amy

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## JEK

Passed a London bookstore last night:

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## amyb

I so enjoyed seeing this window treatment of Stieg Larssons books in your post! Thanks for taking it and sharing it with us-you are one heck of a globetrotter!

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## andynap

Well I finished Fire and what a book! I thoroughly enjoyed Dragon but this was a better cliffhanger. I guess the actors are set in stone from the first movie but I didn't agree with the casting of Salander. Hopefully, that will change for this book. A shame there is only one left- I can wait knowing it will be the last one forever.

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## rivertrash

I missed something!  Who was cast as whom?  (Or however you say it.)

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## JEK

The Swedish movie came out a year ago and I posted the actors. I think it is in another thread.

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## JEK

Here it is

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## phil62

This actress looks too mature. I think they need a younger look. IMHO they changed Jmes Bonds-they can change Lisbeths. Andy, FYI, Larsson left 3 more outlines to bring the total to 6 stories of which the first 3 were complete manuscripts.. I am hoping that perhaps someone will finish the last 3 outlines and turn them into 3 more books. Amy

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## rivertrash

Thanks, JEK.  I remember now.

Amy, I agree she is too mature.  And not nearly goofy enough to fit how I imagined her.

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## KevinS

Lisbeth and Mikael must be SO over!  Amazon has both books in its   Gold Box deal of the day.   The Kindle edition and at least one of the paperback editions are still cheaper.

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## phil62

#1 NEW YORK TIMES today. Amy

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## JEK

Or maybe #2??

Hardcover Fiction
Top 5 at a Glance
1. THE LOST SYMBOL, by Dan Brown
2. I, ALEX CROSS, by James Patterson
3. UNDER THE DOME, by Stephen King
4. THE HELP, by Kathryn Stockett
5. U IS FOR UNDERTOW, by Sue Grafton

Hardcover Nonfiction
Top 5 at a Glance
1. GOING ROGUE, by Sarah Palin
2. HAVE A LITTLE FAITH, by Mitch Albom
3. ARGUING WITH IDIOTS, written and edited by Glenn Beck, Kevin Balfe and others
4. STONES INTO SCHOOLS, by Greg Mortenson
5. OPEN, by Andre Agassi

Paperback Trade Fiction
Top 5 at a Glance
1. THE SHACK, by William P. Young
*2. THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, by Stieg Larsson*
3. PUSH, by Sapphire
4. THE PIANO TEACHER, by Janice Y.K. Lee
5. THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY, by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

Paperback Mass-Market Fiction
Top 5 at a Glance
1. DEAR JOHN, by Nicholas Sparks
2. THE ASSOCIATE, by John Grisham
3. ARCTIC DRIFT, by Clive Cussler and Dirk Cussler
4. THE LOVELY BONES, by Alice Sebold
5. CROSS COUNTRY, by James Patterson

Paperback Nonfiction
Top 5 at a Glance
1. THE BLIND SIDE, by Michael Lewis
2. THREE CUPS OF TEA, by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
3. FREAKONOMICS, by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
4. GLENN BECKS COMMON SENSE, by Glenn Beck
5. BLINK, by Malcolm Gladwell

Hardcover Advice
Top 5 at a Glance
1. GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS 2010, edited by Craig Glenday
2. MASTERING THE ART OF FRENCH COOKING, VOL. 1, by Julia Child, Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle
3. THE PIONEER WOMAN COOKS, by Ree Drummond
4. THE 4-HOUR WORKWEEK, by Timothy Ferriss
5. IT'S YOUR TIME, by Joel Osteen

Paperback Advice
Top 5 at a Glance
1. MORE DINERS, DRIVE-INS AND DIVES, by Guy Fieri with Ann Volkwein
2. DINERS, DRIVE-INS AND DIVES, by Guy Fieri with Ann Volkwein
3. NEW MOON, by Mark Cotta Vaz
4. THE LOVE DARE, by Stephen and Alex Kendrick with Lawrence Kimbrough
5. THE FIVE LOVE LANGUAGES, by Gary Chapman

Children's Books
Top 5 at a Glance
1. SPLENDIFEROUS CHRISTMAS, by Jane OConnor
2. THE CHRISTMAS SWEATER, adapted by Chris Schoebinger from the story by Glenn Beck
3. THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS, by Clement C. Moore
4. NUBS, by Brian Dennis, Mary Nethery and Kirby Larson
5. WADDLE!, written and illustrated by Rufus Butler Seder

Graphic Books
Top 5 at a Glance
1. THE BOOK OF GENESIS: ILLUSTRATED, by R. Crumb
2. THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ, by Eric Shanower and Skottie Young
3. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, by Nancy Butler and Hugo Petrus
4. WOLVERINE: OLD MAN LOGAN, by Mark Millar and Steve McNiven
5. BATMAN: BATTLE FOR THE COWL, by Tony Daniel

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## KevinS

> #1 NEW YORK TIMES today. Amy



I haven't gotten that deep in the Times yet.  I save the Book and Travel sections for next-to-last, and start the Magazine during the First Quarter of the footsball game.  And Then... And Then... there's the Crossword!  (In ink SVP.)  

I sit in the corner by the fireplace at my local, where my friends leave me alone, but make sure that I have a cigar, and freshen my drink on a regular basis...  They know my routine, and know that I'll come up for air in the second half.

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## andynap

I have been seeing James Patterson hawking I- Alex Cross on TV- never saw that before. He must be hard up altho the book is selling well.

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## phil62

Sorry-Wrong book! Right author, but still wrong book! Amy

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## KevinS

> Or maybe #2??
> 
> Hardcover Fiction
> Top 5 at a Glance
> 1. THE LOST SYMBOL, by Dan Brown
> 2. I, ALEX CROSS, by James Patterson
> 3. UNDER THE DOME, by Stephen King
> 4. THE HELP, by Kathryn Stockett
> 5. U IS FOR UNDERTOW, by Sue Grafton
> ...




That's not what is printed in the paper.  Millions of on-line readers are going to be misinformed...  The Horror!  The Horror!

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## phil62

Thanks Kevin. Good eye..........Amy

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## JEK

I see that now. Interesting!

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## andynap

Maybe the online version is an update.   :Wink:

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## KevinS

> Maybe the online version is an update.



1984.

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## phil62

The online is probably is a later edition. the printed one already had gone to bed-my guess too. Amy

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## NYCFred

Gee, Sarah Palin's STILL #1 non fiction?

Amazing. LOL

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## MIke R

yup..it is tied for my best selling hardcover book, tied with "When The Game Was Ours" and "American Lion" this week

but I bet they all get eclipsed by Greg Mortenson's
"Stones into Schools: Promoting Peace with Books, Not Bombs, in Afghanistan and Pakistan " before the week is up

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