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Showing posts from March, 2014

Book Review: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2005) by Stieg Larsson

Executive Summary You have heard of this book from watching one or both of the movies that have sprung from it, but do yourself a favor: take the time to read through this one. It is a fantastic story involving a complex mystery and engaging real-world characters. The overarching theme though is the spotlight that the author, Stieg Larsson, places on Swedish culture’s egregious acceptance of violence against women. Lisbeth Salander is the tattooed girl referred to in the book’s title. She is an orphan, a ward of the state, a hacker with a photographic memory who works for a private investigation firm, and a young woman who refuses to be a victim. She is an amazing character, a real woman with strengths and flaws but who can be held up to us all as an example to admire and to aspire to in regard to her drive, intelligence, and agency. It is written well, despite being translated into English from Swedish, and because the hacking described within is not exaggerated and could actual