I finally picked up the first mystery thriller in the Millenium trilogy by Swedish author, Stieg Larsson.
I have long avoided this book for many reasons, but I am so glad that I finally just read it, because I absolutely loved it.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is essentially a mystery where a journalist and a world-class computer hacker team up together to solve the mystery of someone's disappearance. While doing so, the author also delves into each of the character's own stories. I have to say that the character of the introverted and unique computer hacker, Lisbeth Salander - who is the girl with the dragon tattoo- has got to be one of the best written characters I've read about in a while. Though I can not relate with her as a character, I root for her to no end, as she lives her life exactly the way she wants to.
The plot behind the book is intelligent and complex, and the pacing was very fast. The mass paperback was 700 pages and I read it in two days, and I'm not a fast reader at all. It was exciting, suspenseful, and difficult to put down.
I have to say that the other thing that really engaged me here wasn't just the story itself, but the fact that this was written by someone like Stieg Larsson. The author said that when he was 15, he witnessed a gang rape and that started his abhorrence towards men that violate women.He became a political activist who truly fought and spoke up about what he believed was right. He was against violence towards women, racism, among others. Because of his background, it was easy to understand why there was so much graphic violence in here. These are things that happen in real life, and there's no use pushing it under the rug and denying it. So yes, it's dark and tough to read at times, and be warned that it can be triggering for some, but knowing the author's background makes it more profound and important, in my opinion.
I absolutely loved the book that I picked up the sequel the day after I finished it because I can't read anything else but this trilogy. So yes, at the end of the day, I highly recommend it! 5 stars!