Book Review - The Girl Who Played With Fire

The Girl Who Played with Fire By Stieg Larsson
Maclehose Press
ISBN 978-1906694180


It's great to get back into a book which has a familiar feel yet new and exciting at the same time. I'm always wary of sequels as they never seem to live up to the promises of the first. But I was first impressed by the Harry Potter series (well and if it comes to it The Famous Five weren't that bad.)However, Larsson pulled this second book in a trilogy very well. 


We get to know Lisbeth Salander even more in this book and what lengths she is prepared to go to. I really like her feisty, edgy and at times completely wacky character. It's so fulfilling to have a female MC who is prepared to mock traditional stereotypes. Salander certainly does this and takes a few down with her in the process. She is extremely intelligent yet at the same time a little rough around the edges, not afraid of anyone or anything it seems. We find out more about what made her like that, what drives her and the reasons for some of her actions.


Blomkvist is also still there as her wannabe protector (though she does her best to try and shake him off) and the underlying love story which is very subtle is quite beautiful. He is back at Millenium and working on exposing more bad people when things go very wrong for Salander. But she has been absent from his life for over a year and despite his efforts to contact her she is very reluctant to let him back into her life.


Some of the action towards the end of the book may come across as a little unbelievable but you must remember that this is fiction and it's thriller fiction. It is fast and pacey and has lots of nasty cliffhangers which just beg you to turn the page. It's a great read and the third is proving to be the same. It's a shame Larsson never lived long enough to see the fervour that his writing has stirred up. And now I hear that the trilogy is going to be filmed - I have some thoughts about who might be up for these two characters, what do you think?


Readability: 10 (didn't notice any translation hiccups)
Recommendation: 100%