The Millenium Trilogy - The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest

The Millenium Trilogy by Stieg Larsson, probably one of the most enthralling, obsessive, and entertaining novels I have read lately, is over. The last novel, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest doesn't spoil the amazing impression from the first two ones. On the contrary, I must say it is probably the best one. Maybe because it is the last one. Finally, after nearly 1500 pages we get to see how it all ends. Mikael Blomkvist, Lisbeth Salander, Dragan Armanski, Erica Berger, the policemen, the prosecutors, the criminals, they all gather for one last show. The audience (if there was such) must be on their feet, clapping. Larsson is incredible.

In The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest the author unravels the story he has been building for the past two novels. All secrets are now out and Mikael, Lisbeth, and company fight fiercely to make sure the guilty ones are punished. Throughout the last novel we see their struggle to prove Lisbeth's innocence, fighting corruption and secrets in the highest hierarchical level of the Swedish police. Finally, justice is recovered, thanks to Mikael's persistency and Lisbeth's impressive abilities. I won't spoil the ending but I will only say - it is worth the whole reading.

Interestingly, Mikael and Lisbeth meet only twice during the last two novels. Yet, I felt they were extremely connected. Not only their communication over the internet seems very real, but the reader feels they connect mentally as well. As if Mikael and Lisbeth are the two sides of a coin - one can never see the other, yet they cannot be separated. Far away from a typical love story, Mikael and Lisbeth's relationship is strong and robust. The last few pages indeed prove that.

In my last three novels I have shared so many superlatives about Stieg Larsson's writing style that now I feel I want to comment on some particular parts of the whole trilogy. Firstly, I kept thinking about his attitude towards sex relationships. None of his characters has a conventional love story. Erika and Mikael have been lovers for twenty years. Even though she is married (and her husband knows about her affair and approves of it) and he has a lot of other relationships, they never really lose passion for one another. Lisbeth, on the other hand, finds herself in relationship with both women and men, but Larsson never actually states her sexuality. Because it doesn't matter. I admire his openness about sex and love. He doesn't enclose his characters in the sugarcoated version of love we know from the American movies. On the contrary, his characters are mature individuals, ambitious and genial in their field of work; however, they do not undermine the importance of passion, and the imperfect human nature. They understand human beings are not born to be with only one person, they enjoy sexual freedom, and they are not ashamed to say that to the world. Bravo!

After this literary deviation, back to Larsson and the Millenium Trilogy. To summarize, the critics praises were not exaggerated at all. The Swedish journalist presents an incredible criminal trilogy, which doesn't bore the reader even for a second. You get the mafia, the sexual crimes, the drugs, the secrets, the corrupted police, but nothing of this is trivial or banal. As if Larsson manages to bring a whole new perspective of the typical criminal novel. He transforms what could have been a regular crime story into a literary masterpiece.

I am definitely going to miss Stieg Larsson. For the past month I have lived with these personages, I have thought about their behavior and issues and I have indeed learned from them. I keep repeating one of Lisbeth's phrases when I am about to do something I know will only hurt me at the end: ANALYZE THE EFFECTS.

PS: English translators are driving me crazy. They had a little blast with The Girl Who Played with Fire but in translating the last novel they have once again freed their imagination. The original Swedish title is The Blasted Air Tower. All of the three novels in their English translation start with the girl who. Lisbeth is indeed the main heroine but alternating the author's original choice of a title in such a way is simply unacceptable. Although, I kind of like the association with hornets.

The Millenium Trilogy - The Girl who Played with Fire

Yes! I finished the second novel from Stieg Larsson's famous Millenium trilogy and I am a human possessed. This guy is just so good that I have no words to explain it. Well, I will try of course but I am still excited and amazed. The Girl who Played with Fire ended so unexpectedly that it prompts the reader to grab the next book immediately. Unfortunately, I was in the gym and I wasn't able to do so, which resulted in 10 more minutes (which seemed like ages) when I was contemplating the fact that I didn't take the third novel as well.

In The Girl who Played with Fire we meet again Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander, our favorite investigating couple. The case from the first book is long gone, but its reflection on the two characters and on their destinies is still obvious. Larsson again focuses on a crime connected to sexual violence. Blomkvist and Salander are trapped in a life-or-death situation, where they investigate trade with sexual slaves and under-age prostitutes from the Soviet republics. The crime is connected to Lisbeth's secret past, about which Larsson only hinted in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I won't spoil the fun; I will just say that nothing in the book is what you expect it to be. I find most contemporary criminal novels highly predictable. Well, Larsson is nothing like that. He just takes you, swipes you of your feet, and then presents you with a solution that seems so logical. It is drawn on the events that have preceded it and it is never something that comes up out of the blue. The Swedish journalist simply possesses a great imagination, an enviable touch for details, and an enthralling style. Combined, these qualities make him a must-read novelist for each one of you that enjoy a really good piece of literature. Being even a criminal novel.

While I was reading the first two novels, I kept thinking - why is Larsson so obsessed and disgusted with sexual violence crimes? I researched it a bit and I found an interesting fact. When he was 15 he witnessed a gang raping a young girl, named Lisbeth. He never forgave himself for not being able to prevent the crime. Obviously, he named his heroine after that girl.

Another thing that grabbed my attention is a little bit more trivial. Whenever Michael or Lisbeth are in the process of investigating or thinking about the crimes (and this is most of the times) they make a coffee and sandwiches. I can't remember how many times I read the phrase "he (she) made coffee and sandwiches and..." but it was A LOT. I know it may sound stupid but it was one of those things that kept sticking up in my mind. The more I thought about it, the more I noticed it. I have my own interpretation of the fact. Larsson, like Michael, is an investigative journalist. Probably, the author here draws from his own experience. It is funny though, as if the only food these people are eating is sandwiches. They surely help with the brain action, or at least that is what Mr. Larsson believes.

This time, the title of The Girl who Played with Fire is the same in Swedish, English, and Bulgarian. No unauthorized liberties from the English translators here.

I already started the last novel, The Girl who Kicked the Hornets' Nest. I am both excited and disappointed. I just do not want it to be over. I have enjoyed the trilogy so much that I feel I can keep reading about Michael and Lisbeth for quite a long time.

On the brighter side, The Girl who Kicked the Hornets' Nest is the longest novel. This means nearly 700 pages of blissful enjoyment.

The Millenium Trilogy - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

I have never quite believed the book reviews in the newspapers. Whenever I see that a novel is far too popular, I have the feeling it is a bit overrated. Of course, I always buy it to see what the fuss is all about, but I read with suspicion.

Something similar happened when I bought Stieg Larsson's Millenium Trilogy. In fact, I was quite furious because in most bookstores the novels were actually all sold out. This in fact tuned me up against the trilogy even more, but as a rule in life, the more you can't have something, the more you want it. So I walked around all bookstores until I was one of the obviously chosen few that have the privilege to read Larsson's books. When I saw the back cover review (a journalist investigates a crime) I was even more convinced that I wouldn't like it. I just can't understand how my mother has the patience to read Lee Child, John Grisham, and all those Russian criminal authors, when the story is ALWAYS the same. Crime. Policeman (alternatively journalist, retired GI, etc). Beautiful and smart woman. They have a relationship. They solve the crime (drugs, prostitutes, money laundering, mafia, you name it). Finito.

Stieg Larsson's first book from the trilogy The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo though is amazing. Yes, it is a criminal novel. Yes, there is an investigating journalist and a girl. However, they are far from the typical personages we meet. Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander are contradictory, quick tempered, impulsive, yet extremely smart. They cooperate to solve a dramatic crime that happened 40 years ago. Only to discover the dirty and disgusting secrets of a big and wealthy family. The novel kept me excited and questioning until the end. Absolutely not a regular criminal literary piece.

Stieg Larsson is a famous Swedish journalist and writer, whose investigations expose a world of immoral financial affairs, extremist conspiracies, sexual violence, and antidemocratic practices. The Millenium Trilogy deservingly brings him many awards, among which are Best Scandinavian Novel for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Best Swedish Criminal Novel for The Girl Who Played with Fire. Unfortunately, the author never lived to see his trilogy being published. Some people believe his death is connected to his work as an investigative journalist. Whether these are rumors or not, I doubt we will ever know. The point is, Larsson has an amazing talent, which is a great loss to contemporary literature. I must admit the first 150 pages of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo are a bit like a journalist article - long descriptions, dry and mostly informative style. However, after that I simply dove into the novel and I just didn't want to let go. I expect the other two books to be as great, and maybe even better.

An interesting trivia is that the Bulgarian translation is The Men Who Hated Women. This in fact is the original translation from Swedish. I have no idea why the English translation is The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo but I don't like it even a bit. I just hate when translators simply decide to alter an author's original choice as they fit. They just ruin a huge part of the explanatory power of the book.

Of course, we shouldn't doubt the Hollywood industry, which takes ANY bestseller and tries to win millions from it. Understandably, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo has also been turned into a movie, which this year has been presented in Cannes. I suppose the other two novels from the trilogy will be soon to follow.

Next on my list - The Girl Who Played with Fire. I can't believe I am so excited about a criminal trilogy but I am. Imagine, it must be really good!