The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

I've just finished reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson, and it was a very long book. And when I say "reading," I mean listening, because I've started using an audiobook platform to listen to my stories when I'm working out, (I mean jumping on the bike for 10 minutes), and when I'm commuting to and from work.

For me this is a very different way to experience a book, and in a way you experience the story differently, so this is a little unusual for me. I’m used to listening to technical books but not so much fiction, although the convenience of it means that this is possibly a new habit I’ll try to maintain.

In terms of the story, it was very long. The audiobook was over 18 hours, so that's a big commitment. But anyone who's seen a physical copy of the book also knows it's a doorstopper. It's huge. But that's irrelevant. It's about the story.

It's well written. It's logical, the plot is strong, and it flows. The characters are relatable. The one thing I would say, though, is that every character seems to have similar names. There’s lots of V names and lots of similar-sounding names. So I often found myself confused and wondering, "Hang on, which character is this again?" Maybe that would be easier if I were reading it in hard copy. I'm not sure.

It's definitely what I would call a slow burn. It seemed to me that it took quite a long time to get into the crux of the story. The prologue was good and had me hooked, but then the first couple of chapters had me wondering, "Where does this all connect?" Of course, eventually it did all connect up, but it was a challenge for me, and I did struggle to keep going in those earlier chapters.

The ending of the book also felt like it was three chapters too long. By that, I mean there were three chapters at the end of the book that I really didn't think were necessary. They cleaned up the plot nicely, and they cleaned up the character stories and subplots nicely, but I didn't exactly feel like they added value.

Having said all of that, I actually really enjoyed the story. Once I got into it, it moved at a decent pace and it made sense. And if I'm really honest, I'm pretty sure I've seen the movie because, as I was listening to parts of the story, scenes were popping into my head. Maybe that's just really good imagery. It’s unusual for me to read a book when I've already seen the movie. I've probably forgotten that I've seen it, and then reading the book reminded me of those moments.

Like I said, I enjoyed it. It's not for the faint of heart because it is a long read, but it is a good read. I'd call it a solid read, just not something I'd probably be in a rush to pick up again.

If you are looking for a fast paced thriller then this is probably not for you, but if you appreciate a slow burn that is a well thought out mystery delivered with the time and patience to really immerse the reader, then this is for you.