I quite liked this fast-paced thriller, but there was definitely something "off" while I read it. The language at times was stilted, and while mentioning this to my good book friend Zan, she informed me that there were indeed some problems with the tranlation, as commented on by the translator himself. It wasn't hugely detrimental, but it took me out of the story at times.

I've always been a huge fan of Michael Crichton fast-paced thrillers, and I've enjoyed Dan Brown's works as well. I just haven't ever gotten into any other mainstream thrillers besides these authors because of the genre's tendency towards triteness and rather lame characters. Stieg Larsson's novel, however, is different than the usual, and I think perhaps it's because of its European backdrop and sensibilities, along with interesting characters.

The story itself was intriguing as mystery thrillers should be, and I definitely stayed up nights trying to get to the next puzzle piece or solution. The two main plots of the book were intertwined, sort of, and when one gets resolved, I was confused by how many pages were left. I suppose it made sense, but the second plot wasn't wholly necessary. I understand the driving force of the book is its characters, which were interesting in their interactions and how they reacted to the plots and twists. I liked them so much, that I know I'll definitely be reading the next two books.