lip lit: stieg larsson, the girl with the dragon tattoo

Contemporary crime novels were neatly fitting into predictable plots with universally understood characters. The excitement of Sherlock Holmes and Hannibal Lector were becoming stories from the past, and there were no modern publications to challenge them. Then, in 2005, Stieg Larsson`s The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo was published in his native Sweden. The combination of sex, revenge, crime and suppression set in the depths of Stockholm creates a unique sense of mystery. Larsson has produced a kick-ass crime novel that combines  social commentary on technological security and the concealment of social inequality in modern times.

Beginning with the trial of the determined journalist and co-editor of the Millennium magazine, Mikael Blomkvist, the story is already on the rollercoaster of corporate corruption. Mikael is then pulled into a murder mystery where his investigative skills are highly-valued yet threatening. Alongside this, is Lisbeth Slander, a ward of the state who is only paid to make coffee and file papers at Milton Security. Despite reporting to her legal guardian this is all she is paid for, Lisbeth`s lightning hacking talents and her photographic memory allows her to work as an private investigator. Thus the two characters` line of work consequently brings them together in the hunt for feminist justice and family revenge.

While The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo does file under the genre of crime,  its compelling combination of relatable issues must be noted. In this day and age, eccentric ideas are not only kept secure in one`s mind, but also in their private technology. The consequence of this opens up a whole unexplored carton of worms and dives into the world of hacking. Larsson explores the ripple effect of what would happen if this skill was used for good or evil, and who decides what is good and evil. This invasion of security on the most private level is becoming a common crime, thus imbeds corruption into societies day-to-day activities.

This raises the most compelling aspect of the book, the character of Lisbeth Salander, who is the physical example of social corruption and simply giving her the title of heroine would undermine her journey throughout the story.   Lisbeth`s  friendship with Mikael makes for one of the most interesting pairings in literature – how can a clinically ‘insane’ young woman bring down a financially corrupt billionaire? How can a journalist piece back together a broken family and identify a serial killer?  Their different, yet righteous motives, is what brings Mikael and Lisbeth together. Their unique bond is not only interesting, but also attractive to readers searching for a new form of heroism.

Larsson`s portrayal of the stock good vs evil plot, has revitalised crime. His layering of  plot, characters and settings creates an addictive reading experience for all audiences. The story reaches out to personal qualities in the individual and delivers a refreshing novel that the bookshelves have not seen in a long time.

-Samantha Jones