sweden

If the book wasn't bad enough for you, the movie is even worse. Avoid unless you are a fan or profess sadistic tendencies.

This movie leaves out the few things in the book that are actually interesting and leaves us with a dull hodge-podge of a film. Only watch if you're curious. I expect that the English adaptation will be far better.

This is the Swedish adaptation of Stieg Larsson's book of the same name. I watched it a couple of years ago when it came out and rated it a 6. However, now that I've read the books, I decided to give it a rewatch. Oddly, I could barely remember much of it. But, I do now know that it's quite a ridiculous adaptation of a good book. There are way too many changes and some of them are drastic. Characters are killed off. The police are involved in matters which were hushed up in the book. The Daniel Craig adaptation appears to be a work far truer to the book than this one.

The final book in the Millennium trilogy continues the story from book two. It ties up many of the loose ends, documents Lisbeth's fight in the courts, and provides closure on a few topics. However, it does this by inventing the clichéd freemason-like secret department within the secret service. This department, apparently very powerful, is also populated by idiots and the plot fails completely because of this.

But, if you liked books one and two, you can consider this book the longest epilogue ever written and enjoy it for that reason. Disappointing.

Book two in the Millennium trilogy explores Lisbeth Salander's past. While not nearly as tight as the first book, it still makes for entertaining reading. However, the background with the villain, "Zala", feels a little too contrived and the plot has a few too many holes in it. But, if you liked the first book, you'll enjoy this one too.

This book by Stieg Larsson is an entertaining mystery-thriller and something of a coming-of-age story as well. The reader is always rooting for the female protagonist, Lisbeth Salander, who is a reclusive, reticent, abused woman with hidden "superpowers". A good read without any major holes in its plot as long as you suspend a little sense of disbelief in the build-up. The setting in Sweden gives it that extra something as well.