Girl With The Dragon Tattoo Book VS Film

POSTS MAY CONTAIN SPOILER ALERTS


The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is the first of a trilogy of novels by author Stieg Larsson. The novel is based on an anti-social, bisexual, highly intelligent computer hacker named Lisbeth Salander, and Mikael Blomkvist a head strong journalist convicted of libel. The two are brought together while Blomkvist investigates the 40 year old  disappearance of Harriet Vanger . The book really contains everything needed to make a compelling story; mystery, murder, suspense, disgust, and revenge. The complicated mind and life of Salander would be enough for the trilogy itself but somehow Larsson makes every character an integral part of the story. Larsson makes literary references to hot button issues like violence against women, the corruption and greed of large corporations, and the cowardice of some people. The web of lies of the Vanger family have you gripping the next page before you've even finished the first sentence. 

The books were not even published until after Larsson's death in 2004 and became a major hit across the world. The movie was made in 2009 was well received in North America even with the film being completely in Swedish. With Noomi Rapace as Salander I really felt that Salander character was well portrayed and came across how I envisioned her in the book. While the movie was quite good in many aspects there is absolutely no way the complexity of the over four hundred pages in the novel were fit into 153 minute movie adequately. The villain Martin Vanger did not appear nearly enough in the film as he should have and the life and romance between Blomkvist and his editor Erika Berger need far more attention.


While the movie was a great watch and sure to be compelling when released in english in December of this year, I still say you READ IT