Anyone read "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"?

[Goblinmonger]

It keeps coming up as a suggestion on several sites I go to for books. I can get it for the Nook for $5. Recommendations? I like a good mystery, if that helps.

[Time for change]

1. I thought it was very good

I'd recommend it to anyone.

[cbayer]

2. I am in the middle of it (also got it from Nook)

The start is slow, but it gets much better as it goes along. I recommend it.

I really want to see the movie, but won't do that until I finish the book.

:hi:

[Goblinmonger]

9. I don't physically get my nook until Christmas

even though I know I'm getting it (wife didn't know if I wanted Nook or Kindle so I appreciate her asking), so I've been addition some books to my account for the big unwrapping.

[DemFromMem]

3. I hated it

I know a lot of people liked it, but I found all of the characters generally unlikeable and the story not particularly compelling. I kept reading hoping it would get better and when I finished it I had no desire to read the second book.

[fadedrose]

21. me too

Got it at the library..just happened to open it to somewhere around page 50, and read just a few pages and decided it wasn't for me.

I don't mind adultery, prostitutes, and any other kind of sex stuff, but when I didn't know what an anal plug (or was it an anal stopper?) was, I figured the book wasn't for me. The lady was forced into some painful sex and I glanced thru the book and saw more of the same stuff.

There's an audience for this book, but not a 72-year old lady who is too embarrassed to ask what some of the stuff is...

That was a couple of weeks ago. Waited 38 weeks for the book to come in. I thought I come in here to ask someone who had read the book to explain a few of the things they do in the book, but felt too stupid for not knowing what some of the things were. What does one need with a stopper or plug anyway? Wonder if my mailman would know ;)

[haikugal]

24. I think any questions you have

would be answered here. Just remember you aren't alone in not knowing about some things.

[Jim__]

30. No need to be embarrassed - just google it.

I just googled "anal plug" - lots of hits.

[haikugal]

31. Excellent Suggestion!!

You win the prize...those of us who grew up writing letters and living with phones that had party lines sometimes need a reminder...LMAO!!

[fadedrose]

32. Went to a site . . .

that showed pictures of anal plugs. I'd get one if I could only make up my mind about the color I like best. Maybe get 7 colors - one for every day of the week.

Oh ya, party lines were safer than "cookies."

Hope my cookie doesn't turn into an f'n rabbit. ;)

Also saw chastity belts. It's too late but I can see where that would be more beneficial to most women than an anal plug.

[Donnachaidh]

4. yes -- awesome book

It's a great read. I just have the last one to read, because I had to read the others after reading the first.

[haikugal]

5. Very Good Read

with timely topics. I'm on the last book of the series and it's been a pleasure reading these books. The movie is on Netflix and I watched it last night...very well done. 5$ is an extremely good price...go for it.

[Goblinmonger]

11. $5.20, actually, now that I went to buy it.

It is amazing how cheap the "non-new" books are for Nook.

[northoftheborder]

6. One of the best stories I've read lately.

The characters and setting, the Swedish political, legal, and journalistic world, are colorful, memorable, and the story riveting. The only things I didn't enjoy about the book were the brutal violence portrayed. But the main character, Lisbeth, is unique, and the violence and injustice inflicted upon her are the heart of her character, and the heart of the plot. The third book unwraps the mysteries behind the main story. I recommend the series. I don't know about the movies - haven't seen them. But usually movies based upon books disappoint me.

[haikugal]

25. There's more than one movie?

This movie followed the book really well...I usually don't like movies from books I've enjoyed..this one was different.

[PoliticAverse]

29. Yes.

There have been three movies made (based on each of the three books in the trilogy):

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1132620 /
The Girl who Played with Fire: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1216487 /
The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1343097 /

[tigereye]

39. it was very cool to see a movie with subtitles, with every

seat filled! The films seems to be very well done, and the actress playing Salander was very good.

[MaineDem]

46. I loved the Swedish movie

I had just finished the book and then watched it on Netflix. I loved the Salander actress. Awesome!

It was pretty much true to the movie but not 100%. But still great. Now I don't even want to see the Hollywood version.

On to Book 2.

[kalli007]

7. You have to push through the first 80 or so pages

but then it's worth it. Make sure to read the next 2 sequels as well.

[Goblinmonger]

8. I pushed through 80 pages of confusion in Sound and Fury

Granted that was more confusion than tedium, but I'm a "pusher." :rofl:

[uppityperson]

35. Some was good, some a bit nasty for me. I'd agree, read all 3 to have it make more sense.

[fadedrose]

53. I hated pp. 50-55 or so - wasn't the sex, it was too rough.

But since so many people liked this book, I just reordered it and will give it another try. I never even read the first page when I had it after browsing thru and reading a few pages in the 50's.

This time I'll start with page 1, and go to at least page 80 as you suggest. After page 80, it's back to the library she goes...

[TheOther95Percent]

10. I agree with the others

It gets off to a slow start, but than it launches into a real page turner. There are so many strands in the first book that get picked up again in the sequels. As for the movies, I found those to be a disappointment. The movie plots just butchered the books.

[savannah43]

12. The book is great. The second one is

even better, and I didn't think that was possible. I finished it last Sunday, and I'm going to buy the hard cover of the third one tomorrow as it is a kind of continuation of the second. I can't wait for the paperback. If you like mysteries, you're going to love these books.

[TomClash]

13. A good page turner

Enjoyable and good.

[bullimiami]

14. I wanted to but kept stalling out.

Ill take the advice of you that said it was slow to start but good and give it another go.

[PoliticAverse]

15. "Men who Hate women" was the original Swedish title.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennium_Trilogy

There have been three movies made (based on each of the three books in the trilogy):

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1132620/
The Girl who Played with Fire: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1216487/
The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1343097/

A remake of the first movie will be released in 2011: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1568346/
A remake of the second movie is suppose to follow.

I enjoyed the 3 books and the movies.

I think the plot of the first book/movie fits the 'mystery' category best.

[haikugal]

26. Are these Hollywood remakes?

I liked the Swedish version...the only thing I thought was if I hadn't already read the book, would I be able to follow the movie? They changed very little...Hollywood, I'd expect them to butcher it.

[PoliticAverse]

28. Yes.

Being done by Columbia Pictures. Apparently the first one will be in theaters Dec. 2011.

I thought the Swedish versions were very well done and self contained and you didn't need to read
the book to follow them, but you really did need to see the movies in order.

Of course anyone that hates having to read English subtitles on a foreign language film will have
to wait for the American version which, like you, I expect them to butcher.

[virgogal]

16. I read the three in the series and also saw the 3 movies. Great reads,great movies.

[GeorgeGist]

17. Better than average.

[DURHAM D]

18. I have read all three books in the series.

I am very sorry there will not be more given that the author died.

[pscot]

19. One of the best reads

of the year. I read all three pretty much straight through. I have to admit skipping a paragraph here and there.

[eyeofdelphi]

20. i thought it was great

but it definately had a very slow start, i almost didn't make it. honestly i liked the third one the best. and now i'm sad because the author has been dead for years, so we will not be seeing anymore of his work. someone else mentioned he threw in swedish politics, which i enjoyed, but i kept getting sidetracked looking up the stuff he was talking about. so i learned something too.
as for the movies, all three swedish movies have been made. i think the last comes to dvd for the states next month. but of course hollywood has to redo them for the american audience, because reading subtitles is too hard or something. i thought the swedish versions were well done, and i love noomi rapace.

[applegrove]

22. Much action. Great, original characters. The main characted smokes, drinks coffee and eats

frozen pizzas all the time. feels much more realistic than most thrillers. Buy it. You'll enjoy it.

[Goblinmonger]

23. Thanks for the great response.

For $5, I ordered it. I now know to give the exposition a shot. I'll be interested to see if I fall on the love it or hate it side.

[haikugal]

27. I'd be interested in your reaction as well...

[Goblinmonger]

33. Reactions from half-way-ish into the book.

I am currently on page 272 of 426. Love the book. I didn't mind the first 89 pages at all, but I guess I can say that I like a good character sketch more than most (though I will admit it was a long jog from the info in the prologue to the actually conflict of that teaser being brought to fruition). It was nice getting to know these people. I am just past the point where the two story lines really intersect and I like the two main characters.

[Paladin]

34. Great Book---Highly Recommended.

And be sure to watch the Swedish movie of the same name after you've read the book---phenomenally faithful to the novel, beautifully done. They're gearing up to do a Hollywood version of it, but I can't imagine it being nearly as good.......

[Dulcinea]

36. I loved it!

I read the first 2, and will start the 3rd one as soon as the kids go back to school. Yes, it's violent, but I love true crime, mysteries & thrillers!

[YankeyMCC]

37. I finally got my hands on a copy from the library

and I'm only a couple of chapters in and so far I'm enjoying the writing style. I like how he introduces each character, the background details are just the right flavor to give you a sense of the character and the setting and then good physical descriptions, and it feeds right into the details he gives each scene that make it form so clearly in your mind.

on edit: just a note that I've seen the first two movies, the Swedish version already, before reading the books. It'll be interesting to see how the story told in the books feels against what I think were very well done films.

[jobycom]

38. It doesn't follow a standard mystery format, for better and worse.

First, I love the book.

Second, it's a bit of an odd thing. It starts out as an entrepid reporter story, then turns into a mysterious outcast story, then turns into a murder mystery (a neat variation of the locked room scenario), then moves back across the genres. The second and third books of the trilogy likewise don't fit neatly into genres, and even change from the first ones.

Larrson originally planned ten books with the central characters, focusing on the muck-raking reporter and the sociopathic outcast, but unfortunately died after the third was written, and before any were published, so the trilogy has the feel of part of something larger. He was a muckraking, investigative reporter himself, and took on corporations and government abuse, and the series hits on those subjects, and seemed to have greater plans.

Anyway, I loved the books, and the characters. Lisbeth Salander was a brilliant heroine.

[mainer]

40. I hated how every woman wants to screw the hero -- and does

His publishing colleague. A female suspect. Lisbeth Salander. They all throw themselves at him, and they all accept the other women in his bed, and everyone's all hunky dory with the arrangement because, well, this is Sweden after all and women don't feel any sort of need for a man to be faithful.

It's a male author's wet dream, is what it is. I'm amazed more female readers aren't disgusted by the way this book turns women into such compliant bedmates.

[fadedrose]

41. I only read about 4-5 pages somewhere in the middle of the book

but I hated it too.

I wonder how many of those who loved this book are females...

[Sabriel]

43. I didn't love it, but I am female. I liked it a lot.

It's a "ripping yarn," as my grandmother used to say.

The women operate on their own terms, IMO. And sex doesn't = submission.

[eablair3]

45. disagree

Erica Berger, his publishing colleague, beds the hero while her husband knowingly waits at home like a cuckold. Doesn't sound to me like she is all that "oppressed.". and, I don't think Salander accepted other women in his bed too well, esp at the end and esp when you read the next two books. Just finished the third volume this past weekend. Really good series, imo.

[mvccd1000]

47. That may be the minority opinion.

A female co-worker is the one who has been buying the books and movies and passing them on to me as she finishes them. She thought they were great stories. Salander is clearly the dominant character in this series.

[MaineDem]

42. I thought I was the last person left who hadn't read it

I have it now. I'm actually enjoying it.

[mainer]

44. what's funny is, I haven't met many editors who really loved this book

And most of my friends who are avid mystery readers are sort of lukewarm about it because the writing (in the first part of Tattoo, anyway) was so clumsy.

I think it's a bit like DA VINCI CODE. Readers who don't read many thrillers have nothing to compare it to, so of course DA VINCI CODE struck them as the best darn book they'd ever read. Whereas those who've been exposed to the genre a great deal will compare it to really great thrillers -- and shake their heads.

[Dr. Strange]

48. It's an excellent story wrapped in some mediocre writing.

It doesn't surprise me that editors wouldn't care for it--they would probably be reading it, saying, "This needs to be cut; why is this here? Fix this dialog, etc."

[WhaTHellsgoingonhere]

49. I was at an airport and saw The Girl Who Played With Fire...

...never having read Tatoo. 200 pages in and I'm hating it. Have any of you read both? Do you think reading Tatoo first is important?

Thanks.

[some guy]

50. I'd say no, maybe.

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo pretty well stands alone.

The Girl Who Played With Fire and The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest are a pair of books that go together.

Dragon Tattoo is the first of the series, so by skipping it, you miss some historical interplay among the various characters, but the essential stories are separate.

Having written this much, I'm not trusting my memory. The Lisbeth Salander character is essential, so being able to understand her is also essential. Skipping the first book skips a lot of her development . . .

[closeupready]

51. I haven't read Hornet yet, but I have read the first two, and IMO, Tattoo was better than Fire.

Fire seemed not to move so fast, and got bogged down a bit. I liked them both, but I guess part of why I liked the first better was its freshness.

[Luciferous]

52. I read the first one and thought it was okay, but not good enough to

continue the series.

[fadedrose]

54. I was wrong about this one..

When I first got this book, months ago, I had opened the book somewhere around l/2 way through where a girl went to an apartment and got herself raped pretty bad. I didn't read the couple of pages line by line, just a word here or there. For some reason I thought she was a spy who sold herself for secrets, whatever. I had to read from the start of the book to see that she was the creep's ward and had to go to him.

Anyway, starting from page 1, this is a terrific book and it is nowhere near porn material, and sadly, it's the way things are, like it or not.

I still have 20 pages left to read and am saving them up till bedtime.