Why am I not enjoying Stieg Larsson?

I loathed the first one and would not go back for more

Horribly sickeningly violent and so bloomin' long winded, endless descriptions of people's sandwiches and their aoftware. The hero was obviously a fantasy extension of Stieg, knobbling every woman who came within his orbit and the "girl" was so self-consciously quirky and damaged

Emperor's new clothes imvho

I really enjoyed them all but liked the second one the most. It took me quite a while to get through the last one but that's because I knew it was the last and didn't want to finish them so was reading extra slowly.

Don't read the back cover of the third one if you've not finished the second because there's a bit of a spoiler there.

Loved them. In fact the first one kept being one of the rejected books on our book club lists, but we seem to have got to the point where all the ones that are chosen are shit so I thought perhaps I'd missed out on these.

I started off only buying the first one, but was then really impatient to get on with the others. I never read stuff like this and am usually a horrible snob about anything I see everyone reading on the train / in the window of every book shop. Might have to reassess whether I really am right about that

I enjoyed them. I think the financial stuff and indeed the violence against women were a couple of pet hates of the writer - he did a lot of campaigning for women's rights and freedom of information.

I disliked the third most. I actually probably enjoyewd the first most, satisfying mystery and stands on its own better. I did give up on Roberto Bolano's 2666 to start them though. Anything is better than that.

It took 300 pages before I thought the first one got interesting - I only ploughed on so long because DH thinks they are the best crime books he has ever read (and he reads a lot). Am finding the second one much better (at least it gets going more quickly) but have to skim through the Millenium bits as it they are so tedious - I really don't care about some boring 'controversial' financial rag. And I agree with the comment above re the character's sex lives - boring boring boring.

So far the outstanding highlight of the trilogy for me has been her trip to Ikea

I loved them.

You must read them in order.

I agree the first one is slow to start, but I enjoyed all three.

Too much gratuitous violence, particularly towards women.
Wierdly so and eventually disturbing

Oh dear! I have to read the first one for my book group in 2 weeks time and keep putting it off because it looks tedious....

I'm just not into detective stuff I find it really boring! A friend of mine has gone on and on about how good the books are and leant them to me.....she's said this before about other stuff and I haven't liked it. She's one of those people who finds it really hard to accept when people aren't into stuff she's passionate about. Hmmm bit worried about reading it now.

I really struggled with the first one. The first few chapters are all about business dealings and not very interesting. It got going in the end but could easily have been 50% shorter. Have not bothered to buy the other two but might get them out if I saw them in the library.

I loved all of them (though the first was the weakest by my reckoning). I've just finished the third but had quite a big break between number 2 and 3 so the repetition was useful as I'd forgotton a lot of the things that had happened....

i bought all 3 books because they were on offer but after struggling through the first one I can't be bothered to read the other two.

They badly need editing and the language used is poor (maybe something got lost in translation).

One particular thing that annoyed me is the unnecessarily detailed descriptions of the protagonists apple computers and IT software.

Also too much time is devoted to the protagonists "unconventional" sex lifes which I guess is supposed to be daring and controversial but is actually just dull.

Thanks HB...

I loved the first two and waited (tight arse) for the paperback of the 3rd- and have read about half and given up. I was very disappointed

Yes it was Puppy!

So was it? Eh? EH? The first one? Someone answer me!!!

Same as you mousymouse,just could'nt get into it. Tend to find the swedish detectives a bit slow and depressing,I know there are thousands who will disagree just a matter of preference.

wash was

Not pissed, honest!

I wash CRUSHED with disappointment. They desperately needed an editor. If he hadn't rather glamorously dropped dead before the manuscripts were found, he would've worked with an editor to reduce them by about 30%, and they'd've been fantastic.

I ploughed through the first 150 pages and lost patience. When I saw the film, they managed to cover those first 150 pages in about 10 minutes...

I just cant seem to get into it. hoped that they are a bit like the wallander books but its quite different.

Can't say I was a fan of the subject matter and thought 'so what' at the end ...

Life is too short to be persevering with books you don't like, but as others have said, you should read them in order...

I read the first one and thought it was shit.

Is the Girl with the DragoN Tattoo the first then? I had no idea it was even part of a trilogy, I just liked the book cover! I have nearly finished it... rather good I thought.

GOD NO DONYT START WITH THE LAST BOok
that was shit anyway and i was a hardbackbuyer of the otehrs such was my addiction

Yes you must start with the first (although they do go back over some of it in the third) I am about half way through the third now and I agree about all the Swedish names - I keep having to remind myself who's who!

no no you must read them in order and the first one takes about 50 or so pages to get inot. I thought they were brilliant and I hate crime fiction