The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

Set in Sweden, the plot revolves around two protagonists with very different outlooks but who unite in the name of justice. Lisbeth Salander (she’d the one with the dragon tattoo) and Mikael Blomkvist are their names and hacking and investigative journalism are their games.

Blomkvist, a respected and  revered investigative journalist (and ladies man!) reveals a financial scandal at the beginning and becomes involved in a libel case against him, for which he offers no defence. Wanting to hide away in preparation for a prison sentence, he takes some freelance work from a wealthy man, Henrik Vanger, who wants him to investigate the disappearance of his niece, Harriet, over 30 years ago.

Blomvkist enlists the help of a private investigation firm and assigned to the role is their best analyst, Lisbeth Salander. Salander is a physically and emotionally under-developed woman who has been sexually abused in her life and is currently under the watchful eye of a benevolent guardian. Salander is a genius. She is a proficient hacker and has a photographic memory. Coupled with a deep sense of justice, she makes a terrifying adversary for anyone who crosses her. As the mystery of Harriet Vanger unfolds in the Vanger residence, the secrets of the family are revealed. The pair become closer as they learn about each other and they close in on the mystery.

Larsson is an ardent supporter of women’s rights, this is obvious from the outset as each new section opens with statistics about violence towards women in Sweden. Having Salander, the kick-ass heroine on the outskirts of society, as an emotionally stable and powerful woman who, despite her issues, has achieved sexual freedom and autonomy is a nice touch and steers well clear of the ususal woman = victim card.

Some of the secrets discovered in the Vanger closet ring true, given Larsson’s work against right-wing extremism. The most heinous crimes you can think of are part of the story and are dealt with in a sensitive manner without the usual gratuitous violence or sex we see in many modern crime fiction novels. Larsson writes from the heart about issues he is passionate about. Additonally, the details of the financial scandal are broken down for the reader and, refreshingly, the reader is assumed to be an intelligent onlooker as, by the end, no stone is left unturned or loose end left untied.

The Girl Who Played With Fire

The action-packed sequel develops further into the back-story to Lisbeth Salander and her motivations.

When Salander becomes a suspect in three murders, her name is dragged through the mud. It is Salander against the world. Well, the world and her faithful friend Blomkvist and her old boss at the PI firm, Armansky.

Focussing less on right-wing extremism, Larsson really hones in on sex crimes such as trafficking, abuse, rape and torture. Being issues close to Salanders heart we really start to understand her motivation and her perceived anger from the first installment turns to righteousness when we begin to understand where she has come from.

Blomkvist again uses his people skills to navigate his way through this thriller, ever raising our estimations of him as his unwavering support for his friend Salander leaves him with some scrapes and close shaves under his belt. But don’t worry, our lovable rogue ensures that a ‘few scrapes’ aren’t the only thing that get under his belt!

The sequel takes on the character development of the first book and runs with it, taking us on a journey through the minds and hearts of the protagonists which, by the end, weaves its way into a level of conflict that only the finest showdown can resolve.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest

Beginning with Salander in a hospital bed, a bullet lodged in her brain, the finale kicks off with a tense start. In the hands of the police and still wanted for murder, Salander and Blomkvist fight for justice in the biggest battle of them all. Ducking and diving from enemies in every direction, Salander must watch her back. Using technology to communicate with the outside world, she enlists the help of her hacker community while Blomkvist asks for the help of his sister, a lawyer renowned for her work on women’s rights.

Salander must fight tooth and nail for her freedom as the authorities attempt to rescind her freedom yet again. She has a trick up her sleeve that will embarrass and shame the authorities. All she needs is for them to walk right into her trap.

The final book in the trilogy changes focus, yet again, and we’re now observing a team anyone would want on their side. They work tirelessly to uncover a governmental plot spanning several agencies and buried so deep you can’t be sure it won’t just stay buried. Once again, the characters are fantastically written, with many of them displaying complexities and contradictions. Larsson meanders us through many narratives and plot-lines, adding just enough information where necessary. The pace is consistent for most of the book, but the final push at the end uncovers many more secrets and is the final nail in the coffin, so to speak for some.

As a whole, this is fantastic work  by Larsson. He maintains action, intelligence, empathy and mystery throughout and barely breaks gaze with the reader. There are a couple of elements of the ridiculous in the series, but none of it is for convenience or contrived and one can ‘overlook’ anything that might seem incredulous in favour of awe at such a well thought-out trilogy.

One word to describe: Contemporary (Maybe I shouldn’t have restricted myself to one word!)

Where to read: On a really long journey so you can read the trilogy from start to finish.

Who to recommend it to: Any kick-ass chicks in your life.

Spike Milliagn documents his experience of WWII in a six-part series, the first of which being the aforementioned. In true Milligan style; the jokes and puns come thick and fast.

While clearly written in a comedic tone, the account is nevertheless a depiction of war. Opening before the war and spanning to his posting to North Africa, we are shown the details of his uniform, characters he meets and journeys he makes – all illustrated with his own sketches which add to the absurdity.  Parts of the book are sorrowful and touching, as is to be expected from a WWII autobiography. In particular when he revisits the old haunts of yesteryear.

Milligan has suffered from depression, perhaps an affliction that gives rise to the comedy of his depictions, but his woe is understandable and it depicts very well the irrationality of war. The cycle of mania and depression is, quite probably, what we’d call bi-polar these days but with it, Milligan is astute (although he hides behind naivety) and sensitive.

One word to describe: Tragic

Where to read it: In the garden on a sunny day

Who to recommend it to: Your dad/uncle/brother, someone who likes autobiographies or someone who can’t get on board with war stories but wants to.

As the title suggests, Heart of Darkness paints a black picture of the occupation of Congo by the Belgian King Leopold II  in the early 20th century.

This short novel has been described as hard to read. With its frame narrative and ‘Conradian’ prose, I can see why. However, the slog of the read reflects the emotional journey taken by our narrator, Marlow, as he recounts an incident to a group of men during his time as a ferry boat captain in The Congo. The ‘incident’ takes place from dusk through the night and the symbolic darkening of the sky magnifies the menacing feeling of impending doom as the ferry progresses closer to its destination.

This is a book that challenges the reader intellectually and emotionally to address issues of the time using some language that is not only out of date, but viewed as incredibly offensive nowadays. Characters in the book are rich and seemingly complex, which is a skill of Conrad’s as the novella is only 100 or so pages long. While you may not like some of them, the issues they address and their humanity (or lack thereof) makes them accessible and, as such, has given fuel to the ‘realist’ camp who claim Heart of Darkness is a factual account of what happened to Joseph Conrad during his time in Congo.

One word to describe: ‘Dark’

Where to read: Under the covers with a torch

Who to recommend to: Someone interested in imperialism or a lust for awkward words.

If you love History, Etymology, Classics, Greek and Roman Mythology, facts, trivia and piecing together the puzzle of life then this book is for you. Although you probably already know the majority of what is in here.

This book weaves a chronological path through the often muddled waters of our classical history. Well, some of it anyway. We learn about Greek Mythology and the star players; the Roman Names for the Greek Gods and Goddesses; the inventions, innovations and improvements; the civilisations giving rise to words we use today, and much, much more. All littered with tit-bits of information designed to fill in the gaps from school.

The book doesn’t go too deeply into any one area, but every word is necessary and each component is tied together succinctly using befitting lanaguage. Taggart’s style is colloquial and, due to occasional references to sex and booze, reading the book feels like talking to an old friend over a glass of wine. In fact, her writing style is so fun that it is what I like to refer to as ‘stealth learning’!

One word to describe: informative.

Where to read: On a journey

Who to recommend to: A friend