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The Girl Who Played with Fire  By  cover art

The Girl Who Played with Fire

By: Stieg Larsson, Reg Keeland - translator
Narrated by: Simon Vance
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Editorial reviews

Stieg Larsson was a crusading Swedish journalist, committed to the fight against political extremism and racism in his home country. In his spare time he completed a trilogy of striking crime novels, which he delivered to his publishers just before his untimely death in 2004. The first novel, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, centred on Mikhail Blomkvist, a crusading journalist with a social conscience; its sequel, The Girl Who Played with Fire, shifts focus onto the socially awkward computer hacker Lisbeth Salander, who becomes entangled in an investigation into sex trafficking, murder, and establishment corruption. This unusual central character is the story's main strength, allowing it to stand apart from the raft of contemporary and classic crime novels which Larsson fondly draws on. An expert hacker and mathematics-obsessive, Salander is a clenched fist of a character; difficult, psychologically traumatised, and capable of extreme violence.

Simon Vance endows her with the accent of an East London street urchin, a fitting voice for this embattled woman. While his narration is crisp, Vance's other characters range from working-class Northern English accents for Blomkvist, assorted police, and journalists, while others are given accents somewhere between Scandinavian and Bela Lugosi. However, as the plot thickens, such incongruities are forgotten, and a compelling social reality is created by Vance's skilled performance, which includes a sensitive rendition of a stroke victim's voice. Vance's cool delivery also suits the reportage feel of much of the writing; characters are introduced through their occupation, address, and educational background, while a mass of tiny observations (such as coffee mugs decorated with the logo of the civil service union) at times convey the tone of a police report. It is a tribute to Vance's delivery that the narrative thrust carries the accumulation of detail effortlessly from one action-packed set-piece to the next.

Larsson's published books have been a European phenomenon, due less, perhaps, to any narrative or thematic innovations as to the author's visceral anger at social injustice and the mistreatment of the vulnerable, particularly women. Violence against women is the work's central motif: the Swedish title of the first book in the series translates as Men Who Hate Women, and Salander is "the woman who hates men who hate women". In fact, there is an element of salacious revenge fantasy to much of her actions as she fights fire with fire; the story treads a fine line between condemning sadism and revelling in sadistic imagery. The real enemy of the tale is institutionalised machismo: policemen are loutish, rape is endemic, and villains enjoy guns, motorbikes, and magazines about motorbikes. Everyone, meanwhile, summers in wood shacks in the Swedish countryside.

While very much part of a larger whole (there are numerous references to events that occurred in the first part of the trilogy), The Girl Who Played with Fire stands alone as a highly enjoyable, if not always smooth - and often disquieting - mixture of classic crime tropes, searing violence, and vivid characterization. Dafydd Phillips

Publisher's summary

The electrifying follow-up to the phenomenal best seller The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo ("An intelligent, ingeniously plotted, utterly engrossing thriller" The Washington Post), and this time it is Lisbeth Salander, the troubled, wise-beyond-her-years genius hacker, who is the focus and fierce heart of the story.

Mikael Blomkvist, crusading journalist and publisher of the magazine Millennium, has decided to publish a story exposing an extensive sex trafficking operation between Eastern Europe and Sweden, implicating well-known and highly placed members of Swedish society, business, and government.

On the eve of publication, the two reporters responsible for the story are brutally murdered. But perhaps more shocking for Blomkvist: the fingerprints found on the murder weapon belong to Lisbeth Salander.

Now, as Blomkvist, alone in his belief in her innocence, plunges into his own investigation of the slayings, Salander is drawn into a murderous hunt in which she is the prey, and which compels her to revisit her dark past in an effort to settle with it once and for all.

Listen to the rest of The Millennium Trilogy.
©2009 Stieg Larsson (P)2009 Random House

Critic reviews

“Boasts an intricate, puzzle-like story line . . . even as it accelerates toward its startling and violent conclusion.” (Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times)
“[A] gripping, stay-up-all-night read.” ( Entertainment Weekly)
“Gripping stuff. . . . A nail-biting tale of murder and cover-ups.” ( People)

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If you're looking for an audiobook in an accent, check out these listens from our favorite British narrators. Authenticity is something many listeners value in their audiobook experiences, and that often boils down to narration style and accents. Although so many audiobooks are narrated by many talented actors with wide ranges, sometimes it's just nice to listen to an audiobook performed by someone in their native accent. If you're searching for the best British narrators, look no further. We’ve done the tough job of picking just ten of our favorite British narrators that you'll love listening to.

What listeners say about The Girl Who Played with Fire

Average customer ratings
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awsome!!!!

this book was as good as the first. lizbeth is one tough cookie, a woman after my own heart.

the narrative was fantastic. he made the book come to life. I can't wait for the third book.

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I highly recommend this novel

This book and series as completely consumed me. I am truly sad to only have one book left to listen to. I would highly recommend this novel and audio book to anyone who likes a good mystery!

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the girl who played with fire

second time I read this or heard it. liked it the first time so did the second.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Better than the first!

Excellent book, but not for the faint of heart. I remember the first one had some slow parts, but I don't remember that in this book. Looking forward to the third (and sadly final) book.

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Into the fire

If you could sum up The Girl Who Played with Fire in three words, what would they be?

unbelievable tough spot

What did you like best about this story?

Lisbeth is revealed more and more

What does Simon Vance bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Outstanding characterization, especially with the accents

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When Lisbeth kicks the hell out of the bikers

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Riveting

Just as compelling as the first novel. It was hard to get out of the car and go to work. Stieg Larsson could sure write a good mystery, and Simon Vance is an incredible actor.
Looking for a total escape? Get this book.

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Beware... but also be sure to buy this book.

It's a wonderful 2nd book- no disappointments, except for the 4 hours of having to listen to sex descriptions. There is so much language surrouding sexual encounters (pleasant and not so pleasant) that I skipped parts just to get back to the plot. It isn't as bad as other books I've read, but just beware. It is so worth getting through all that to read the rest of the story, though. Be prepared to buy the third book immediately after finishing this one!

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Equal to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

Any additional comments?

Looking forward to the final, The Girl who Kicked the Hornets Nest. Hoping for great ending to the trilogy.

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  • 11-03-12

Life in the raw.

When you strip off layers of social niceties, you get to real life as told by Stieg Larsson, and he really can tell it. (And so can Simon Vance.) Makes me almost want to move to Sweden. It's the interplay between his characters that's so appealing - such unique characters, too, each one. Such a pity he died - like a character out of his books? - and will write no more.

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love wasp's story

loved it, the continuing story draws you further into their lives.
the narrator's voice makes it all very vivid.

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