The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2005/2008) Stieg Larsson translated by Reg Keeland

I read this the summer I broke my ankle. Because of that, much of my memory of it was fuzzy, both because I read a lot that summer and because I was taking a lot of pain killers.

So I figured I was due for a re-reading. I read the next two books in the series in the last months of Grandmom’s life, so for different reasons, my memory of those books is hazy.

I did remember that the books were very good, and that memory held up over time.

Interestingly, the scene that I wasn’t looking forward to re-reading (the rape of Salander) was far shorter than I remembered it being, which–while still horrible–was actually less horrible than I had remembered.

Despite the horribleness that happens to Salander, there are amusing bits throughout the book.

Salander was dressed for the day in a black T-shirt with a picture on it of E.T. with fangs, and the words I AM ALSO AN ALIEN. She had on a black skirt that was frayed at the hem, a worn-out black, mid-length leather jacket, rivet belt, heavy Doc Marten boots, and horizontally striped, green-and-red knee socks. She had put on make-up in a colour scheme that indicated she might be colourblind.

every photographer and pictures department is convinced that the pictures contain a historical documentation of incalculable value, so they never throw anything away.

The first email was from < demokrat88@ yahoo.com >: I HOPE YOU SUCK COCK IN THE SLAMMER YOU FUCKING COMMIE PIG. He filed it in the “INTELLIGENT CRITICISM” folder.

Apropos of nothing, I started tracking the mystery authors that Blomkvist, on the off chance there was someone I hadn’t read before. (I may have missed an earlier author.)
Elizabeth George
Wahlström (Manhattan series)
Mickey Spillane
Enid Bloyton
Sivar Ahlrud – The Metro Mystery
Val McDermid – The Mermaids Singing
Sara Paretsky
Åke Edwardson

So… I’ve got some authors to look up.

Published by Vintage

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