The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest

At first I felt kind of blah about reading this book—almost 600 pages and what on earth was Larsson's characters going to do? But once I got into it, I really enjoyed it. The layered political scandal and corruption fit with women's rights and the power of women, as Lisbeth and Giannini conveyed. I think it's really interesting as well how certain book titles are translated to other languages the way they are. For example, The [b:Girl with the Dragon Tattoo|2429135|The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium, #1)|Stieg Larsson|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1275608878s/2429135.jpg|1708725] was once Men Who Hate Women—a more apt and fitting title for the beginning of this series.

Though Larsson had other books planned in this series, I think that the way this book ended tied the series up well, since the other manuscripts are unfinished. The trial was unbelievable!

Eh. A grudging 3. I was irritated or bored through much of it, and if I'm editing sentences as I read they are really bad. And even though I was less bored during the Erica segments, why the hell were they in the book? Anyways, I'm giving it 3 because it was satisfying to have the series wrapped up.

This was one immensely satisfying book. And it wound up the trilogy beautifully. I don't intend on reading the Lagercrantz books. This is where I'd like it to end.

The novel is a continuation of the events of the 2nd book. It's huge, it's detailed yet as described in a blurb on the back cover - it is “to be read in great hungry chunks”.

We get to see a lot more of Salander this time. Her interactions with other humans, thoughts running around in her head, her personality, sassy replies and the cool confident demeanour, without being a “perfect person” is my favorite part of the trilogy.

From the beginning till about 80% of the novel, Blomkvist and allies make tactical moves to worthy opponents. Controlling the information flow, with a touch of (totally necessary) paranoia,an insanely motivated group of people on either sides fight to their wits' end that culminates quite eventfully in a court room - a chapter that will give you goosebumps.

I felt this book as an improvement over the last one. Without question, a must-read if you have read the previous two books.

The last book of the Millennium trilogy, this one ends the series with both a bang and with a whimper. It's a very slowly paced book (even compared to the first two in the series), and while there is a lot of interesting delving into conspiracy and crime throughout it, a lot of that delving is done through remotely accessing hard drives and setting up private Yahoo groups to share data without being observed, which aren't exactly thrilling ways to advance the plots.

If you enjoyed the first two, you'll definitely want to read this one, but it does have many of the same thematic elements - crusading journalists bringing the truth to light, strong, independent women overcoming the misogyny of those around them, and delving into the dirty secrets that a modern nation can be built upon. Fun reads if you're so inclined (and I am), although each of them could probably stand to be a couple of hundred pages shorter.

This book was very difficult to get through. The first one, was amazing I read that pretty fast, the second I read basically to the very end on the edge of my seat and then stopped before finishing it a year later due to some other factors.

This one however, felt painful. Of course I wanted to know how the series ends, and what happens to everyone but it was just too long. Too much details that weren't necessary that I think were supposed to add suspense. I fell asleep reading this book way too many times. When I get really into a book nothing will keep me from finishing it, even staying up all night, but this was not the case. I hated the random little side issues with Berger, and how that was resolved. It didn't add to the story at all. Her leaving Millennium and then coming back at the end of the book felt useless to be honest. We could have been just fine without any Berger in this book. I understand that part of it was to make Blomkvist become less of a womanizer and the way to do that would be for him to reject her once he starts dating Figuerola but honestly at that point I really didn't care about his personal life and wanted to see what happens to Lisbeth and the trial and Niedermann.

Overall I felt that at least it wrapped up most things so I wasn't left annoyed and wanting more but not actually wanting to read anymore.

As a series, my interest decreased as the novels continued. My biggest issues were with the third but the character development included in the second is relevant to my thoughts.

The theme of feminism, women's rights, etc is common in all of the books and I really admired it in all three. My issue is with Blomkvist.

It is strange that for having many strong female characters and all the previously mentioned themes a character like Blomkvist exists. He is almost God-like in his mission for justice. He is flawless: the only “flaw” is that women fall for him in ALL of the books and end up disappointed that is he is not wired for monogamy. I say flaw in quotations because there is nothing wrong with that and therefore he is flawless. It is other people that have a problem with him, not the other way around. Everyone likes him, unless they are a bad, and if it doesn't begin that way their feelings ultimately change. I feel as if his character was a means to an end guiding the story, and almost not human.

Back to my point: Blomkvist is the idealized hero. He saves all of the women from their problems and everyone falls for him. Despite the themes of feminism that reach across the novel, he still exists as the knight in shining armor at all times. No matter how strong a (main) female character is, they cannot resist him. They NEED him. This is a strange contradiction.

I liked the second novel immediately for learning more about Salander and seeing her grow. Then in the third she is back in a child like state. She is neglected for most of the first half of Hornets nest even when events related to her are going on.


**SPOILER PARAGRAPH: scroll pastOne specific example: when Zala is killed little to no time is spent highlighting Salanders thoughts about his death. Obviously she would be glad he was dead. Was she confused as to how it happened? Did she believe it was a random attack or did she see through it? Was she glad it was over or would she have preferred to do it herself?end spoiler*


While her thoughts remained a mystery, the story bounced back and forth between groups of people investigating. Events unfold, without much character interaction except the many background introductions when someone new appears. The only two events that occur is a new relationship for Blomkvist (already discussed) and a side story for Berger that I enjoyed reading, but simply appeared out of nowhere and then was resolved and seemed really out of place.

Altogether the second and third novels in the Millennium series were not as well executed as the first and were, in my opinion probably too long for their purpose. It is very unfortunate the author is deceased because I feel that this could have improved if they were cleaned up a bit more. I am happy I read them, but the contradictory elements ultimately caused significant damage for my opinion.

Better than I had expected. Rather hamfisted, and the main character is totally a Mary Sue... but I found myself enjoying the story and the characters. Larsson had a strong sense of justice and moral outrage, and dammit it's just fun to watch some übercompetent good guys fight and win (spoiler alert: yeah, like there's ever any doubt) against bullies.

The third of the trilogy, but really it's the Jedi of the trilogy in that the second and third books are two volumes in the same story. I found the plot of this one getting rather thin, reminding me somewhat of Robert Ludlum with the spy organisations within spy organisations, but it still held my attention well enough for me to ditch my podcasts for a few days to get through the final eight hours of audiobook.

The showdown in the brick factory at the end was pretty good, but the end of the book seemed to come with the court case that we were waiting for for the whole book. I couldn't believe that there were still two hours of audio to go after the end of the court case. But there were some loose ends to be sure.

I think my favourite part of the book was when Erika Berger had a showdown with the news editor at SMP. I wish the author had made a bit more of that!

All in all, an average book with three stars. Not even a 3.5 for me!

It has been several years since I read the first two instalments of Steig Larsson's Millennium Trilogy, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and The Girl Who Played With Fire. I had begun reading The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets Nest but had always left it unfinished and only recently when thinking about unfinished trilogy's did it begin annoying me that never did I get round to following through the story of Larsson's alternative and feisty heroine Lisbeth Slander.

Although written as a trilogy I found that the first novel, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, could have been a standalone book due to the slightly isolated subject matter whereas books 2 & 3 were very definitely linked and followed on more directly from the other. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo reads as a murder mystery whereas The Girl Who Played With Fire and The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets Nest are more politically driven and seek to raise questions over the ethical dealings of the Swedish Government.

I'm not quite sure why I did not complete this book during my initial attempt at reading it some years ago, I was literally hooked on it this time around. I had to do a fair bit of reminding myself who was who and perhaps because of it's translation from Swedish to English I found many of the character names to be similar and I had to keep reminding myself who was whom and whether they were a good or bad guy.

That aside this is a wonderful novel. Picking up immediately after book 2 we find Lisbeth being rushed to hospital grievously wounded and facing several criminal charges against her, not to discount her psychopathic father being in the hospital room next door. Trying to help her, old friend and Millenium journalist Mikael Blomkvist begins to undertake all kinds of espionage style dealings and from there it's very much about mapping out who is going to be victorious in either destroying or saving Salander.

It is gripping, fast paced, engaging and although Lisbeth is in no way a traditional heroine we root for her the whole way through. Her lawyers examination of dodgy psychiatrist Telborian was one of the most gripping pieces of writing I've ever had the pleasure of devouring.

It's really no wonder this trilogy has become so highly regarded, it is collectively wonderful to read.

This is the third book in Larsson's Millennium Trilogy. The first book in Trilogy (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) can be read as a stand alone work. The second and third books, however, form one long story. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest picks up exactly where The Girl Who Played with Fire ends. (So, you need to read that book first.)
In TGWKtHN, Lisbeth Salander can no longer go it alone. At start of the book she is badly hurt, confined in a hospital, and has very limited communication with the outside world. She is forced to confront her basic distrust of people and to accept the aid of Mikael Blomkvist, Dragan Armansky, and others in order to avoid being locked up, possibly for life, in a mental institution.
(Avoiding spoilers) TGWKtHN, like Larsson's other books, is a long and meandering story. But, it is far from dull. A decades-long criminal conspiracy run by totally ruthless men must be uncovered and dealt with. Lisbeth's innocence must be proved. And, Lisbeth and Mikael must accomplish the rather important task of staying alive to do so. The story proceeds along several story lines that eventually come together in multiple climaxes involving both action and courtroom drama. The ending is oddly satisfying.
I will say no more. Read all three books.

Blast it all, Larsson made me eat my words – many of them, anyway – about his ability to write a decent thriller with his third Millennium book. If anyone else had written this, I'd probably have given it 2.5-3 stars, but in comparison to his first two books, this one looks sooo much better.

A lot of the weaknesses of the first two books are still present–the persistent eye for irrelevant, and momentum slowing detail; an overabundance of characters; plotlines that do little-to-nothing to serve the main plotlines; stock characters abound; etc., etc.

But we see some real growth in Lisbeth, some potential growth in Blomquist, and a courtroom scene at the end that makes one wonder if there's another female character that's supposed to be the real hero of this set. In my book, that scene covers a multitude of crimes against fiction that Larsson committed.

Am I glad I slogged through the series? Not really. But having made it through the first book, and suffered through the second, I really enjoyed this one.

But man, am I so glad there's not a #4

I'm left feeling let down and frustrated. This was a reread for me, and going into it I remembered being in awe of the entire series. However, upon rereading Dragon Tattoo, Played with Fire, and Hornet's Nest, I've realized I'm really only in love with Dragon Tattoo. Played with Fire and Hornet's Nest are basically one giant story split into two books, and that story is all about the abuse Salander has faced and how she's going to continue to face it while all these evil authority figures keep trying to lock her up in an institution. Played with Fire was interesting, but it ended on a cliffhanger. Hornet's Nest felt really drawn out and full of filler. In the first two books, Larsson weaves boring exposition/scene/dialogue that gives the reader necessary information with other exposition/scene/dialogue that is really fascinating to read. It's an interesting balance. Hornet's Nest, however, has SO MANY instances of just boring boring boring exposition/scene/dialogue. Maybe this is on me because I love Salander and for the majority of this book she's unable to be at the center of the action. I'm not going to spoil anything, of course, but I just didn't care about all these other characters. This story was about Salander, and yet she wasn't really aroung. Like I said, I'm feeling let down and frustrated. I'm sad that Larsson wasn't able to write anymore in the Millennium series, and originally I thought I wouldn't be picking up the books written by Lagercrantz. However, I've changed my mind. I don't know when I'll pick up the next book, Spider's Web, but I'm now willing to read it if only to see Salander in action.

These are just my quick thoughts after just completing the book. A more comprehensive review will be coming on my YouTube channel (youtube.com/allisontheresa) and on my blog (allisontheresa7.wordpress.com).

A wonderful finish to a great trilogy. And, it goes to show you if you've been shit on your entire life by the government, the police, doctors, and everyone around you the best people to have in your arsenal are the head of a private security business, a pigheaded investigative journalist, and a women's rights lawyer who has no idea what she knows she's doing until she does.

Book Review: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest - A good conclusion to the popular thriller. This is really just the second half of the second book. It is not a seperate book, but just a second part. This continues to be more about Lisbeth than Blomkvist, although Blomkvist is quite present. It is interesting how the different legal system plays such a heavy roll in the books.

Click through for the longer review. http://bookwi.se/girl-hornet/