The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
The story, like any other decent suspense thriller, is quite riveting. There was, however, quite a lot of beating around the bush introducing all the main characters of the plot, their background stories, their personalities and what have you! I found myself getting a bit impatient wondering where is the mystery in all this. But when all the introductions were done and the protagonists' prowess had been successfully displayed, the heart of the matter finally emerged in the form of Harriet Vanger and her mind-boggling disappearance some 30 years ago.
We're introduced to a dozen more characters from the Vanger dynasty and I actually had to revisit a few pages to get all the pieces of the puzzle right in my head. Afterall, it was a mystery and I was as unequivocally an investigator as our protagonists Blomkvist and Lisbeth were. Infact I was 100% sure I'd crack the case before those two would ever be able to (without looking at the spoilers online). Well, that was not to be. The story, still, could not manage to impress me.
Mikael Blomkvist, a financial investigator looking for an exile after committing what was called the biggest fiasco in the journalism world, was contacted by Henrik Vanger who lures him into solving the 30 year old unsolved murder mystery of her beloved niece Harriet Vanger. Mikael accepts the offer partly to amuse himself, partly because he was promised in return that Henrik would provide him with sufficient arsenal against Mikael's archenemy(Wennerstrom), which would help him reclaim his reputation in the journalism world. Lisbeth Salander, our girl with the famous dragon tattoo, is later roped into the case by Mikael. She proves to be an invaluable asset in not only solving the case at hand but also with a couple of other side matters. This is the crux of the story.
Now let's discuss my issues. For the sake of the theme of this post, we'd stick to my issues with the book, not with life in general.
First, I fail to understand why the hell did Henrik Vanger hire Mikael Blomkvist - a financial investigator, and not Lisbeth Salander who was actually a criminal investigator. This, when Henrik very well knew about Mikael's failed attempt at blowing the industry dynamite Wennerstrom AND about Lisbeth Salander & the agency she worked for who were actually more qualified for the job. I simply do not understand. And I hate stories that are convoluted just for the sake of it. You cannot be a blockbuster and not have logic.
Second, Mikael knows how sensitive the case that he's trying to solve is and what a top secret it is but this guy goes on having a fling with one of the Vangers. Mixing professional life with personal pleasures, not something I approve of! But my personal opinions aside, not only does Mikael indulge in a fling, he also openly discusses the nuances of the case with this lover. Did he not realise that she could very well be a suspect herself? Oh wait, but Mikael is a financial investigator. I guess I should cut him some slack. Or should I?
Third, I understand that the back of the beyond where he's now placed is ultra-safe and nobody puts a lock on their doors but you're investigating a murder mystery for God's sake and the perpetrator of the crime, in all probability, is still lurking around. Yet he only thinks of putting a lock when his apartment & his documents have actually been compromised. My mind was blown!
Just recalling all these loopholes is making me angry. This is the reason I'm a little wary of everything that's over-hyped. And this book just reaffirmed my mistrust in general public opinion.
If we talk about the writing, I am a devourer of good ideas. I love it when an author can come up with simple yet unthought of ways to describe a situation or a moment. In this book, I found more than one place where the author has repeated the phrases to express a certain kind of reaction or a moment.
Also, there was just too much happening. Apart from the murder mystery, there was the whole Wennerstrom affair, which did not interest me in the least and just seemed like a terrible drag to the story.
The murder mystery just like any other book of the similar genre did manage to pique my interest but it just falls flat when you realise that the case is over but the story isn't and there are 100 or so more pages to go.
And if, like me, you look for depth in the stories you read, don't even bother to hope for it. It was just another story destined to be a movie blockbuster and absolutely nothing apart from that.
With that, I give 2 stars to this book on goodreads and set out in search for my next read. I almost feel like it's my duty to anoint my senses by picking up a historic fiction or some such genre to make up for the disappointment.
Until then,
Happy reading!
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