Publications
Partners
I am a huge fan of the Millenium trilogy. I loved the characters, the slow building suspense, the climactic page-turning bits, the exploration of Western society’s misogyny and the bleak, windswept Swedish setting.
So when I found out that the Millenium series would be continued after author’s Stieg Larsson’s death, I was in two minds.
Even though I was keen for more, I felt the world first created in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo was so rich and so specific, and the characters so interesting and idiosyncratic that it would be almost impossible to recreate.
And when I heard that Larsson’s brother and father, to whom he wasn’t close, gave the go-ahead for the project even after Eva Gabrielsson, his partner of 32 years strongly objected, I was doubly worried.
Gabrielsson is convinced that Larsson’s voice could not be copied and that the book is basically just a money-making gimmick, while the publishers are certain this book will sell more millions.
So what’s the verdict?
Well, I am going to be maddeningly on the fence here.
I think it will sell a gazillion copies because it’s a perfectly enjoyable, crowd-pleasing novel and the characters are kept alive faithfully and the themes are worthy. That said, it does lack that special essence of Larsson’s original work and a bit of that gut-punching darkness.
I also found the technical talk a bit much. If you don’t have an acute interest in security programming and hacking the endless pages gets a bit much and I thought Lagercrantz was determined to show readers how clever he was. And the dialogue often felt a bit wooden, but that was also the case with Larsson and is maybe just a translation issue?
As with The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, the story starts slow and takes it’s time to pick up. There are also a host of seemingly random characters which are difficult to keep track of and picture in your mind and the setting.
The book catches up with a disillusioned Blomkvist who is thinking of quitting his beloved Millenium magazine when a story is presented to him: An unlikeable computer genius is in trouble with very sinister people and needs protection. But it’s only when Blomkvist hears of the involvement of a rude, skinny, pierced, tattooed woman that his interest is piqued.
Throw in an autistic savant son, a colourful group of hackers, and most enjoyably, Lisbeth’s beautiful but evil twin sister, Camilla and a good read is to be had.
Keen on reading this book? Buy your copy now.
Sign up for Women24 book club newsletter and stand a chance to win our top ten books from takealot.com.
