Sophia C. reviewed The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (Millennium, Bk 3) on + 289 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
I'm so glad I picked up The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest in the terminals at Heathrow before starting the entire Millennium series! This final installment picks up moments after Fire leaves off, and instead of merely tidying up its aftermath, evolves into its own intriguing plot and counterplot between Lisbeth Salander and allies and those who have conspired against her and now seek to protect their own secret existence. It's difficult to write more about the plot without spoilers for Fire. Stieg Larsson introduces new supporting characters, captivating as ever, in his usual precise, point-blank prose that would make a screenwriter's job so simple. I could just continue reading about them, following them around Stockholm, but alas there will be no more Lisbeth, Blomkvist, et al. If only Stieg Larsson could have lived to enjoy his success (and write some sequels) ...!
Anna S. (annapi) reviewed The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (Millennium, Bk 3) on + 334 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
This thrilling conclusion to the Millenium Trilogy does not disappoint. It is SUPERB! It picks up right where the second volume left off - in fact, I would say the trilogy is actually two stories, the first book separate, and a humongous second story chopped into two books. The final volume opens with Lisbeth Salander being taken to the hospital, along with Zalachenko, also surprisingly still alive. Now, with the conspiracy that began so long ago threatening to break wide open, the members of the secret Section of Sweden's Security Police are in a desperate race to contain both of them or it will mean their end. And once again, Lisbeth Salander is to be the scapegoat as she is brought to trial for murder.
I could not imagine how Larsson could top the previous books, but once again I was blown away by the sheer magnitude of the work. It's hard to pick a favorite from the three - like the Lord of the Rings, the trilogy has to be taken in as a whole and just savored for its mastery of suspense and conspiracy. Even knowing that it just HAD to somehow come out right in the end, I was on pins and needles the whole time, racing through the book to find out just how it comes to its spectacular end. And it's all absolutely worth it. Reading this magnificent final volume and knowing there are no more to follow, I felt keenly the loss of this brilliant author who never had a chance to see his masterpiece come to fruition.
I could not imagine how Larsson could top the previous books, but once again I was blown away by the sheer magnitude of the work. It's hard to pick a favorite from the three - like the Lord of the Rings, the trilogy has to be taken in as a whole and just savored for its mastery of suspense and conspiracy. Even knowing that it just HAD to somehow come out right in the end, I was on pins and needles the whole time, racing through the book to find out just how it comes to its spectacular end. And it's all absolutely worth it. Reading this magnificent final volume and knowing there are no more to follow, I felt keenly the loss of this brilliant author who never had a chance to see his masterpiece come to fruition.
Irene G. (irenereads) reviewed The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (Millennium, Bk 3) on + 3 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
It was exciting race to the awesome end. You do have to read the first two books of this trilogy to appreciate the who experience. I would read these books again.
Vivian Q. (bellasgranny) -
Helpful Score: 1
Of course, I had to order this from the UK the minute that it became available, and it was definitely worth the money spent to read it months before its US publication. It was pure pleasure, and a fitting conclusion to the Salander/Blomkvist saga. Another intelligently written roller coaster ride with an unending cast of characters, but none as electrifying as Lisbeth Salander. The trilogy begs rereading and is definitely a keeper. The author's untimely death is a tragedy. Sadly, there will be no more books from this unbelievably talented writer. Very, very highly recommend.
Frank H. (perryfran) reviewed The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (Millennium, Bk 3) on + 1228 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
What a great conclusion to a great trilogy! I finished this one up this afternoon after reading the last 200 pages or so pretty much non-stop. This total work - the Millennium series - in my opinion is one of the great mystery/thriller series of all time. This book very nicely tied up all the loose ends from the first two books and was a great thrill ride right to the last few pages. I really hated to see the book end because, as everyone knows, the author passed away in 2004 and thus, there will be no more adventures of Lisbeth Salander. :( I know they have made the first book into a film in Sweden and I have heard they will also be doing the rest of the series. Looking forward to seeing these but not sure when they will be released in the States.
Absolutely loved these 3 books! I read this one courtesy of my PUBLIC LIBRARY who had an English printing before it came out here but I wanted the book for my library. These books are the kind I hate to see come to an end--the detail and suspense surpassed most I've read with the possible exception of some of Nelson DeMille's or Stephen King's. The young lady in the movie was only PERFECT and she should have won the Oscar. Best entertainment I've had in years!
Susan R. (Sue-in-AZ) -
Thrilling conclusion to the Millennium trilogy!
This is a series that really needs to be read in order - the books build on each other and this is not a stand-alone book.
The book opens immediately following the 2nd book. Salinger is airlifted to the hospital - shot in the head. The police continue to chase their tails. Factions within the secret police plot an eloborate cover-up.
Finally all the threads from all three novels are brought together in a very satifying ending.
This is a series that really needs to be read in order - the books build on each other and this is not a stand-alone book.
The book opens immediately following the 2nd book. Salinger is airlifted to the hospital - shot in the head. The police continue to chase their tails. Factions within the secret police plot an eloborate cover-up.
Finally all the threads from all three novels are brought together in a very satifying ending.
Cathy C. (cathyskye) -
To those of you who aren't up to speed with Larsson's trilogy, I am going to try my best to avoid giving things away, but it's not going to be easy.
In the last book, The Girl Who Played With Fire, Lisbeth Salander-- portrayed as being worse than the Devil himself by media and police-- confronted her very real, very human, demons. In this book, she realizes that confronting them is not enough. She is going to have to destroy them. What goes against her grain is that she is forced to trust journalist Mikael Blomkvist, even to the point of letting him run large sections of the show.
This book even more than the previous two relies on intricate plotting and the pieces fitting together exactly. This book, more than the other two, showed unevenness and sections that needed a much sterner hand at editing. Because the plot was intricate, Larsson spent pages explaining various government agencies, how they were set up, the people they reported to, and so on. These were the sections of the book that made my eyes glaze over.
Another subplot involving Erika Berger, the former editor of Millennium magazine, although illustrating what many women have to deal with in male-dominated sections of the workforce, was really unnecessary and moved the focus away from the most fascinating characters: Salander and Blomkvist. Even Salander's trip to Gibraltar could have been shortened.
Any time the action moved away from that two-character focus, the book began to drag, which is why I feel that it would have benefited from stricter pruning. But was I greatly disappointed in the book? No. I had to see the outcome of Lisbeth Salander's story. Was she going to succeed? How was she going to succeed?
Larsson has given me a wonderful offbeat Dulcinea and her Don Quixote. I may always wonder what the books would have become if Larsson had been allowed to work on them himself, but the characters will always remain: a young woman who refused to accept that everyone else was more important than she, and the man who believed her.
In the last book, The Girl Who Played With Fire, Lisbeth Salander-- portrayed as being worse than the Devil himself by media and police-- confronted her very real, very human, demons. In this book, she realizes that confronting them is not enough. She is going to have to destroy them. What goes against her grain is that she is forced to trust journalist Mikael Blomkvist, even to the point of letting him run large sections of the show.
This book even more than the previous two relies on intricate plotting and the pieces fitting together exactly. This book, more than the other two, showed unevenness and sections that needed a much sterner hand at editing. Because the plot was intricate, Larsson spent pages explaining various government agencies, how they were set up, the people they reported to, and so on. These were the sections of the book that made my eyes glaze over.
Another subplot involving Erika Berger, the former editor of Millennium magazine, although illustrating what many women have to deal with in male-dominated sections of the workforce, was really unnecessary and moved the focus away from the most fascinating characters: Salander and Blomkvist. Even Salander's trip to Gibraltar could have been shortened.
Any time the action moved away from that two-character focus, the book began to drag, which is why I feel that it would have benefited from stricter pruning. But was I greatly disappointed in the book? No. I had to see the outcome of Lisbeth Salander's story. Was she going to succeed? How was she going to succeed?
Larsson has given me a wonderful offbeat Dulcinea and her Don Quixote. I may always wonder what the books would have become if Larsson had been allowed to work on them himself, but the characters will always remain: a young woman who refused to accept that everyone else was more important than she, and the man who believed her.
Courtney H. (giftgal) reviewed The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (Millennium, Bk 3) on + 6 more book reviews
I found this book hard to get into unlike the previous two stories in this series. It was a good wrap up to the story though.
Tracy S. (Bernelli) reviewed The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (Millennium, Bk 3) on + 266 more book reviews
What a great series! Each book got better, more intriguing and built from the previous story while still adding more characters, more twists and turns. I don't want to give any spoilers, so I'll just say that I highly recommend this entire series.
Jean R. (optimist) reviewed The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (Millennium, Bk 3) on + 10 more book reviews
I thought the book was great. I didn't want to put it down. But, I have read other books that had negative reviews and I enjoyed them. So, this is just one opinion from one person that reads books about many topics. No need for me to summarize the book in this review. You will get that when read the book summary.
Larissa T. (leogrrrlll) reviewed The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (Millennium, Bk 3) on + 6 more book reviews
The trilogy is brilliant. I'm in awe of Stieg Larrson's writing, how he weaved the story and characters so artfully. I was always intrigued, invested in the characters and wanting more. His death is such a loss to the literary world. Lisbeth Salander is my new favorite fictional heroine.
Excellent ending to a wonderful ride.
Just finished this, the 3rd in the trilogy and was so downcast that I reached the end. Wanted more. These 3 books were great reading, they are lengthy so they lasted which is always a good thing when the information is peppered with action to keep it from getting boring. The drawbacks, the long street names and city names, since it takes place in Sweden but if you can ignore that you will not be disappointed. I can't wait to go out and rent the movie to see how close they kept to the story and if they just kept to the one book (Dragon Tattoo) or if they combined the story lines of all 3 in the movie. Also there is the original swedish version and the american remake, I may rent both since reviews of the movie seem to favor the original. Just hope its not with subtitles but I'll watch anyway. As soon as I listed this book it was snapped up.I am so sad that the author died shortly after turning in these manuscripts. I would have looked forward to anything else he wrote.
Stephanie M. (grinky22) reviewed The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (Millennium, Bk 3) on + 7 more book reviews
I thought this was a rather wordy conclusion to an otherwise fantasic trilogy of books. Unfortunately you HAVE to read it to complete the story, and it is still a very strong plot, but i felt that the preceeding two volumes were of better quality.
Catherine C. (c-squared) reviewed The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (Millennium, Bk 3) on + 181 more book reviews
Three nights. That's how long it took me to read this book because I couldn't put it down.
In one ass-kicking finale, Lisbeth Salander triumphs over all her enemies. I guess that's a bit of a spoiler, but if you've read the first two books, you know that's bound to happen.
In one ass-kicking finale, Lisbeth Salander triumphs over all her enemies. I guess that's a bit of a spoiler, but if you've read the first two books, you know that's bound to happen.
I liked all 3 books but I especially like the third book. Lots of twists in the story and in the end justice was served.
As the finale to Stieg Larsson's Trilogy, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest roars with an explosive storyline that blows the doors off the series and announces that the very best has been saved for last. A familiar evil lies in wait for Lisbeth Salander, but this time, she must do more than confront the miscreants of her past; she must destroy them. Much to her chagrin, survival requires her to place a great deal of faith in journalist Mikael Blomkvist and trust his judgment when the stakes are highest. This closing chapter to The Girl's pursuit of justice is guaranteed to leave readers both satisfied and saddened once the final page has been turned.
Taryn C. (TarynC) -
I was sad to see the series end. The third book did not disappoint in any way. The character of Lizbeth Salander was deeply developed and although a bit fantastical in many ways - she really came to life throughout this trilogy. I could not put these books down and got my step dad addicted, he read them all in about a week and totally enjoyed them. Fast moving, great plots, action, excitement, sex, violence, romance - it has it all.
Jan K. (banana101) reviewed The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (Millennium, Bk 3) on + 9 more book reviews
Great finish to great trilogy/mystery!
Halfway through this 3rd installment. Not as captivating as 1 and 2, but still pretty good.
Excellent book!
Joan W. (justreadingabook) reviewed The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (Millennium, Bk 3) on + 1728 more book reviews
Absolutely amazing. This series has been a wonderful to read. The depth of characters and the scope of the story keeps you turning the pages as quickly as you can. You can't wait for the ending. It's a wild ride.
Gina G. (norm) -
Easier to follow than first book.
Amy S. (ames302) reviewed The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (Millennium, Bk 3) on + 3 more book reviews
This book is exactly what you expect as the third book in the exciting series. It goes into a lot of detail about the running of the government which got a little confusing but other than that I loved it.
Jennifer P. (jenners) reviewed The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (Millennium, Bk 3) on + 121 more book reviews
This is the third book in the Millennium trilogy, and I would not recommend jumping in without having read the first two books. You'd be terribly lost! So, I'm writing this review with the assumption that you HAVE read the first two books. So if you haven't, scoot out of here before I ruin something for you ... but first read the next paragraph in which I make my pitch for why these books are something special.
In the Millennium trilogy, Steig Larsson creates unique and memorable characters and crafts thrillers that are truly thrilling but also morally complex and intelligent. The theme of violence against and the exploitation of women runs throughout all three books, and Larsson doesn't shy away from the dark side of human nature. There are multiple scenes of graphic violence that will make your stomach turn, but this ugliness is tempered by the strong moral code and sense of justice exhibited by the main characters of Mikael and Lisbeth. And Mikael and Lisbeth are what make these books so compelling and fascinating. Although at first glance, each may seem to be morally compromised by some standards (Mikael's "womanizing" and Lisbeth's hacking and sexual openness), I doubt you would find two characters with such clear-cut morality and drive to protect the exploited and abused. In fact, my only real complaint with the entire series is that I found the Swedish surnames and place names confusing at times. (But that certainly isn't Larsson's fault.) With each book, I became more enthralled with the series and the characters. In the end, I'm giving the entire series a rating of 4.5. I'm positive the series will be on my list of "best books I read in 2010." If I find another series that draws me in as completely as this series did, I'd be surprised (but happy).
So, for those of you who haven't started the series, be gone! The rest of you may continue on to find out the scoop on the third book, which is being released today. (I'm sure you have it on preorder or on hold at your library if you read the first two, am I right?)
Because this series is really one big interconnected story, let's recap briefly where we are at the start of Book 3.
Book 1 (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo) introduced us to Mikael Blomkvist (crusading journalist) and Lisbeth Salander (hacker extraordinaire). The book also introduces Mikael and Lisbeth to each other as they meet and team up to solve a 40-year-old murder and extricate Mikael from the mess of the Wennerstrom affair. The book ends with Lisbeth making off with Wennerstom's millions and realizing she cannot handle her feelings for Mikael. Her response? Take off with the money and cut Mikael out of her life.
Book 2 (The Girl Who Played With Fire) provides us and Mikael with the back story on why Lisbeth is like she is. As with anything related to Lisbeth, the story is complicated and multi-layered and fraught with violence. And when her past comes back to haunt her when she is framed for a triple murder, no one but Mikael and Dragan Armansky believe she is innocent. The book focuses on the police's hunt for Lisbeth Salander, while Lisbeth and Mikael race to uncover the conspiracy against her and find the real murderer. The book ends with Lisbeth confronting her past head on (literally!) and ending up with a bullet in her head.
So, that brings us to Book 3 (The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest), which opens with Lisbeth being choppered to a hospital with severe injuries, the worst of which is the bullet in her brain. Mikael then embarks on a mission with other "Idiot Knights" (those who believe in Lisbeth and work on her behalf, including Dragan Armansky and Olaf Palmgren) to redress the wrongs that have been done to Lisbeth since childhood. Naturally, this involves nothing less than uncovering a decades-long conspiracy that reaches up to the highest levels of the Swedish government.
The book is long (576 pages ... but you still want more!) and stuffed to the gills with non-stop action and revelations, culminating with the trial of Lisbeth Salander in which her life is laid bare and her fate decided. Will she end up in jail? Be committed to a psychiatric facility? Escape from the authorities and vanish? Be vindicated once and for all? I'm not telling ... nor would you want me to. I'll just tell you this ... Larsson puts the pedal to the metal and doesn't let up once.
One of the revelations is a physician's assessment that Lisbeth suffers from Asperger's Syndrome, which may account for her poor social skills and seeming lack of empathy. (Yet I would argue that she is empathetic to a degree that hurts her, and it simply manifests itself in action instead of sympathy ... witness her response to Berger's problems in this book for an example of this.) I'm not sure I buy into this though. Considering what she experienced in her childhood, I think Lisbeth's anti-social behavior is completely explainable and understandable. I would venture to say Lisbeth demonstrates resilience and emotional intelligence far beyond those of most people. I sincerely doubt whether most people could withstand what Lisbeth did and walk away with the the self-control and ability to assess options in a logical and impartial manner. To me, Lisbeth is damaged and protecting herself the only way she knows how ... by keeping her distance emotionally and socially.
Although this series has always been about Lisbeth at its core, Larsson takes time to focus on the beleaguered staff at Millennium (who are reeling from Erika Berger's decision to depart to be the editor of a large daily paper) and gives Berger a storyline of her own that was just as compelling as anything going on with Lisbeth. (Let's just say, Berger finds her new job to be a bit of a hostile work environment.) In addition, Mikael has a new love interest, but I personally didn't care for this development as I kind of liked the idea of Lisbeth and Mikael someday being an item. Mikael's sister Giannini also has an expanded role in this book, taking on the role of Lisbeth's lawyer.
I was worried how the book would end as Larsson originally planned to write more than three books before his untimely death. However, I'm pleased to report that this book ties up the loose ends and provides a satisfying conclusion to the story that started way back in Book 1. By the end of Book Three, almost all loose ends are tied up in a satisfying manner (though I have to admit, I wonder about Lisbeth's never seen twin sister Camilla), and you can close the book on these characters and walk away satisfied.
Farewell, Mikael and Lisbeth. I'll miss you.
In the Millennium trilogy, Steig Larsson creates unique and memorable characters and crafts thrillers that are truly thrilling but also morally complex and intelligent. The theme of violence against and the exploitation of women runs throughout all three books, and Larsson doesn't shy away from the dark side of human nature. There are multiple scenes of graphic violence that will make your stomach turn, but this ugliness is tempered by the strong moral code and sense of justice exhibited by the main characters of Mikael and Lisbeth. And Mikael and Lisbeth are what make these books so compelling and fascinating. Although at first glance, each may seem to be morally compromised by some standards (Mikael's "womanizing" and Lisbeth's hacking and sexual openness), I doubt you would find two characters with such clear-cut morality and drive to protect the exploited and abused. In fact, my only real complaint with the entire series is that I found the Swedish surnames and place names confusing at times. (But that certainly isn't Larsson's fault.) With each book, I became more enthralled with the series and the characters. In the end, I'm giving the entire series a rating of 4.5. I'm positive the series will be on my list of "best books I read in 2010." If I find another series that draws me in as completely as this series did, I'd be surprised (but happy).
So, for those of you who haven't started the series, be gone! The rest of you may continue on to find out the scoop on the third book, which is being released today. (I'm sure you have it on preorder or on hold at your library if you read the first two, am I right?)
Because this series is really one big interconnected story, let's recap briefly where we are at the start of Book 3.
Book 1 (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo) introduced us to Mikael Blomkvist (crusading journalist) and Lisbeth Salander (hacker extraordinaire). The book also introduces Mikael and Lisbeth to each other as they meet and team up to solve a 40-year-old murder and extricate Mikael from the mess of the Wennerstrom affair. The book ends with Lisbeth making off with Wennerstom's millions and realizing she cannot handle her feelings for Mikael. Her response? Take off with the money and cut Mikael out of her life.
Book 2 (The Girl Who Played With Fire) provides us and Mikael with the back story on why Lisbeth is like she is. As with anything related to Lisbeth, the story is complicated and multi-layered and fraught with violence. And when her past comes back to haunt her when she is framed for a triple murder, no one but Mikael and Dragan Armansky believe she is innocent. The book focuses on the police's hunt for Lisbeth Salander, while Lisbeth and Mikael race to uncover the conspiracy against her and find the real murderer. The book ends with Lisbeth confronting her past head on (literally!) and ending up with a bullet in her head.
So, that brings us to Book 3 (The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest), which opens with Lisbeth being choppered to a hospital with severe injuries, the worst of which is the bullet in her brain. Mikael then embarks on a mission with other "Idiot Knights" (those who believe in Lisbeth and work on her behalf, including Dragan Armansky and Olaf Palmgren) to redress the wrongs that have been done to Lisbeth since childhood. Naturally, this involves nothing less than uncovering a decades-long conspiracy that reaches up to the highest levels of the Swedish government.
The book is long (576 pages ... but you still want more!) and stuffed to the gills with non-stop action and revelations, culminating with the trial of Lisbeth Salander in which her life is laid bare and her fate decided. Will she end up in jail? Be committed to a psychiatric facility? Escape from the authorities and vanish? Be vindicated once and for all? I'm not telling ... nor would you want me to. I'll just tell you this ... Larsson puts the pedal to the metal and doesn't let up once.
One of the revelations is a physician's assessment that Lisbeth suffers from Asperger's Syndrome, which may account for her poor social skills and seeming lack of empathy. (Yet I would argue that she is empathetic to a degree that hurts her, and it simply manifests itself in action instead of sympathy ... witness her response to Berger's problems in this book for an example of this.) I'm not sure I buy into this though. Considering what she experienced in her childhood, I think Lisbeth's anti-social behavior is completely explainable and understandable. I would venture to say Lisbeth demonstrates resilience and emotional intelligence far beyond those of most people. I sincerely doubt whether most people could withstand what Lisbeth did and walk away with the the self-control and ability to assess options in a logical and impartial manner. To me, Lisbeth is damaged and protecting herself the only way she knows how ... by keeping her distance emotionally and socially.
Although this series has always been about Lisbeth at its core, Larsson takes time to focus on the beleaguered staff at Millennium (who are reeling from Erika Berger's decision to depart to be the editor of a large daily paper) and gives Berger a storyline of her own that was just as compelling as anything going on with Lisbeth. (Let's just say, Berger finds her new job to be a bit of a hostile work environment.) In addition, Mikael has a new love interest, but I personally didn't care for this development as I kind of liked the idea of Lisbeth and Mikael someday being an item. Mikael's sister Giannini also has an expanded role in this book, taking on the role of Lisbeth's lawyer.
I was worried how the book would end as Larsson originally planned to write more than three books before his untimely death. However, I'm pleased to report that this book ties up the loose ends and provides a satisfying conclusion to the story that started way back in Book 1. By the end of Book Three, almost all loose ends are tied up in a satisfying manner (though I have to admit, I wonder about Lisbeth's never seen twin sister Camilla), and you can close the book on these characters and walk away satisfied.
Farewell, Mikael and Lisbeth. I'll miss you.
