Book Reviews
“Millennium”: The trilogy by Stieg Larsson
Stieg Larsson died in November of 2004 of a massive heart attack at the age of 50, a few days after delivering the first manuscript to his editor and before any of his “Millennium” novels were published.
The Millennium Trilogy
All the suspense and adrenalin of the crime novel.
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Little did he know just how successful his books would become. The immensely popular trilogy has sold over 14 million copies worldwide and has earned him the top spot in the crime novel genre. Not bad for a first-time, unknown writer. The books have also made their way into the big screen in Europe and Hollywood and a television series is in the works in his native Sweden.
According to news reports, Larsson planned to write a total of ten books in the Millennium saga. At his death he left an unfinished manuscript of a fourth novel in the series, but it is still unclear whether this will be published. Besides corrupt businessmen and politicians, sadists and sex traffickers, a recurring theme in Larsson’s novels is the sexual violence against women, especially in Sweden, a country often praised as pro-women, pro-gender equality.
The crime trilogy, available in Spanish from Grupo Planeta, is comprised of: “Los hombres que no amaban a las mujeres”, “La chica que soñaba con un cerillo y un galón de gasolina” y “La reina en el palacio de las corrientes de aire”.
In the first opus, the central character is a former journalism star, Mikael Blomkvist. For years he worked at a magazine, Millennium, covering sociology and economics. But lately he has been in the doldrums. One day, he gets a phone call from Henrik Vanger, the elderly former CEO of Vanger Enterprises. Vanger proposes Blomkvist a lucrative freelance assignment, one he cannot refuse: to investigate the disappearance of Vanger’s beloved young niece, who had vanished some forty years earlier. To find the culprits, he partners with Lisbeth Salander, a tattooed and pierced, bisexual computer hacker. She is one helluva protagonist.
In the second book, the reader remains hooked to the story. Ace researcher Lisbeth and the intrepid Mikael investigate a sex-trafficking ring. She is accused of three murders, forcing her to flee turmoil in Stockholm and find succor in the Caribbean, leaving no trace behind. Mikael is puzzled by Lisbeth’s disappearance and when she returns to Stockholm, she is shot in the head.
The third installment of the saga continues the adventures of Mikael and Lisbeth. The plot is no less thrilling and nail-biting. She survives the shooting, but it’s still too early to sing for joy: she remains as the prime suspect in the three murders and needs a miracle to remove the bullet in her skull. Bed-ridden, she remains alert. They communicate primarily online, but this link in no way diminishes the intensity of their relationship. Mikael knows that Lisbeth’s life and freedom do not depend on the judiciary system. He must save her.
The “Millennium” books have captured the attention of readers around the world and have been heralded as the most electrifying crime saga of the decade. No doubt, it is a literary phenomenon.
For more information on Larsson’s trilogy, please visit www.serielarsson.us
