The Girl Who Played With Fire

By: Stieg Larsson

Narrated by: Saul Reichlin

Length: 20 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

Lisbeth Salander is a wanted woman. Two Millennium journalists about to expose the truth about sex trafficking in Sweden are murdered, and Salander's prints are on the weapon. Her history of unpredictable and vengeful behaviour makes her an official danger to society - but no-one can find her.

Mikael Blomkvist, Millennium magazine's legendary star reporter, does not believe the police. Using all his magazine staff and resources to prove Salander's innocence, Blomkvist also uncovers her terrible past, spent in criminally corrupt institutions. Yet Salander is more avenging angel than helpless victim. She may be an expert at staying out of sight - but she has ways of tracking down her most elusive enemies.

©2006/ 2009 Norstedts Agency / Reg Keeland (P)2009 WF Howes Ltd

Critic reviews

"As good as crime writing gets." ( Times Literary Supplement)
"Even more gripping and astonishing than the first...this novel will leave readers on the edge of their seats." (Joan Smith, The Sunday Times)

Great conspiracy sparked with original characters.

What did you love best about The Girl Who Played with Fire?

Great description of characteristics of each individual involved in the story.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Kalle Blomqvist. Well balanced dedicated charming journalist.

What about Saul Reichlin’s performance did you like?

The way he can narrate each individual according to their nature is simply beyond pure talent. There's more!

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Haha, yes there were moments of glint in my eyes and definitely I was laughing my head off several times.

Any additional comments?

There must by something about the book when more than one film adaptations will have been done.

The Girl who played with fire

Stig Larson's books will be with me forever. I will listen to them again and again.

Great story

If you like a exciting book this is the one for you

Also great story teller!!!

Excellent

This was another great listen. I enjoyed it more than the first in the trilogy, but that is purely personal preference. The tone of this one is not quite as dark as the first, and as a result lacks some of the tension, but I thought the overall plot was more interesting. This may be because we learn more about Lisbeth, and she's more present in this novel than in the first.

Again, Larsson is devoted to a lot of minute detail. Easily bored readers may find that parts of this novel seem sort of out of place, especially as there are a number of episodes that aren't related to the overall mystery. I personally enjoyed all of the threads that weave through this novel, because they are so expertly character driven. Sadly, it appears the audio version of the third book in the trilogy will be abridged.

If I have one complaint, it's that the translator makes a few mistakes in his choice of certain English words, with slightly amusing results, e.g. "noisome."

Saul Reichlin is excellent again as the narrator. This is exactly the sort of narration I look for in an audiobook, rather than a dramatization of the work. As I said in my review of the first book, I think he captures the characters' voices perfectly, without affectation or awkwardness.

Mixed emotions about this one...

While this second book in the trilogy started off at a much better pace than the first, it was less riveting overall. We were much more involved with the heroine in this book and, sadly, saw less of the hero. And whereas "Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" felt like the book that wouldn't quit, delivering one "ending" after another, this book felt like a book that never ended at all. It seemed that he just stopped writing because he reached a certain page count. There was far too much of the story that was still unresolved.

When the recording stopped, I was driving down the road and all I could think was, "What the heck..." The opening chapter of the third book feels like it is simply the next chapter of "The Girl Who Played With Fire".

I like the story, but this particular book disappointed me in that it did not deliver the same level of tension as the first, did not let me get to see the hero in action and ended abruptly without resolving anything.

That said, I am now half way through "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest" and am already hoping against hope that the rumours of a posthumous fourth book are true.

Can't wait for the movie

The way this story played out was terrific. It didn't get lazy or trite. I hope Hollywood decides against wreaking their own mashed up version.

Fascinating read

Great story which turns and ebbs. The author keeps you guessing the entire time. Recommended reading.

excellent storyline and suspenseful

I spend a fair amount of time in vehicles and planes so I like listening to good mysteries and suspense stories.This series was excellent in narration,storyline and suspense.

Utterly Fabulous

This the second time I have listened to the trilogy as well as several viewings of the Swedish version of the movies. Its power remains undiminished and I am enraptured as much this reading as the last 12 years ago.
Sullender is one of the greatest characters ever drawn in the history of fiction.
The author was obviously setting the scene for a further series, but his sad death at such an early age robbed the world of the greatest fictional crime fighting couples further adventures which leaves us in mourning not only for him but for the stories that will never be written..though I understand he had outlined a further series that were left on the shelf by his family.

The following books by the ring in writer don’t even scratch the surface of the greatness of the original trilogy and are best avoided.

A few minor quibbles in that the trilogy really needed a good editing around the fringes and the many characters, many with similar names, can be a bit confusing, but they are minor issues that don’t seriously detract.
If you havent read this trilogy, you are missing a fantastic reading experience. Buy it, listen and be prepared to be enraptured.

In some ways better than the first part

Provides intense insight into Salanders past and why she is how she is.. well worth the long read and definitely needed to go on to the 3rd book!