Why am I not enjoying Stieg Larsson?

[annh]

Ok, I admit I have started with the third book, The Girl who Kicked the Hornets Nest, as I saw it in the library on Sat, but I just can't get into it. Am only on about page 90 but finding it difficult to identify with any of the characters or indeed even keep all the various policemen straight in my mind. Two of the characters also have confusingly similar names. Should I persevere or would I be better trying the first book in the trilogy?

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.

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 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.

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.

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

I loved them.

You must read them in order.

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

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 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.

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 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.

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

annh - why are you not enjoying it? cos it's dull, turgid and badly translated will that do for starters?

Goodness I am suprised that so many people dislike this series of books ?

I loved it, I read both of the first two in about 10 days and then held out for the third in paperback. I have really really enjoyed them, and everyone I know who has read them from work collegues to my friends and parents and in-laws have also found them a riviting read.

Please some-one else say they liked them

You are not enjoying it, because it's like a re heated soup of all that's been already written in this genre.
You are much better off with a vintage key scarpetta, imho

Loved them!

First time I've come across anyone who didn't like them on this thread!

DH watched the film/tv series and was blown away by it (not enough to actually read though).

They are very popular here in France and were translated into French long before English - I wonder if the French translation is better?

Just finished the third. Lots of people with similar names that I kept losing track of - Neidermann and Niemnen (?), Jonas and Jonasson and Ekstrom and Edkinth (?) to name but a few. I preferred it to the second which had too much detail about rape and torture. Agree about the lack of editing. The translation sometimes didn't make sense and was too wordy in places. Overall though I enjoyed them. Shame there won't be any more.

not read the other posts yet, but I am currently listening to 'girl who played with fire' as an audio book. Apart from the slightly monotone voice of the reader, its pretty good, as I already have an idea in my head of who she is, and its now being read for me! The first book was great, the first book i have read for a while that has not bored me so much i put it down. It did have boring areas where he goes on a bit and i skipped/scan read those bits.

No I didn't get them either. I read just about anything and everything but I just couldn't connect with any characters in the book. I struggled through all of the first book, gave up on the second and haven't bothered at all with the third.

I've just started the first and finding it a bit hard going...

I have read all 3. The first was extremely slow I didn't ge into it for ages and only perservered because of the hype. Loved the 2nd one best of the 3 IMO. You could read that without the 1st I think the 3rd is a very long winded continuation of the 2nd. It definitely could have been written it half the pages. Overall would say they were good but not worthy of the praise and promotion they received. I think a lot had to do with the fact that the author had died. Have definitely read better books with none of the hype these 3 had.

I absolutely loved them. Being swedish I could read them in the original language though and I've been told that the translation is somewhat clumsy.

I really enjoyed the three films as well although I shudder to think what Hollywood will do with them.

They are a bit crap, not very well written, with rather 1-D wish fulfillment characters, and some of the WORST sex scenes I've ever read (he makes it sound BORING FFS).

BUT they are well plotted and very exciting, but you have to plough through the first 1/2-2/3 before it gets unputdownable.

You do need to read them in order.

I thought they were a fun read and a cut above most thrillers, bonus for learning about Swedish politics

regarding the films, did not know there was more than one, want to watch it but not the Hollywood version

Oh thank god!! Thought I was the only one not liking Girl with Dragon Tattoo! Tedious, overly wordy, too much description, not enough action. Life's too short to read a book that hasnt gripped you by chapter 4. And I love crime fiction. And am not daunted by 1100 page novels (can read those in a weekend if motivated by a good plot). Jog on, Mr Larsson (oh wait, he already did )