JLee22

This was audiobook #2 for me. It's definitely a different experience than reading the book again. That is to say, it took a heck of a long time to finish listening to it. If I'm not mistaken this second book is longer than the first in the Millennium trilogy in print, so it may be advisable to just read it next time.

Serving as a bridge between the first and third book, there is a lot more focus on new characters in relation to Lisbeth. The main plot this time revolves around the mystery of Lisbeth's past and the implication that she has been involved in the murder of three people. All of Lisbeth's problems stem from the fact that her antisocial behavior and legally checkered past, all of which she ignored because she just didn't care, actually make her look like a villain to the uninformed public in the book. A rather interesting look at how the reality of knowing someone in person contrasts to how they will be portrayed in media and the various presumptions and stereotypes about their personality will crop up amidst public speculation.

The same triggers for misogyny, murder, rape, prostitution, etcetera, still apply as from the first book. Extra horror implications due to the fact that nothing described is beyond the realm of possibility and, given the author was a journalist who probably met and saw a lot of crap happen in the world, probably really did happen to someone somewhere.

On the one hand, I like the social commentary that results from the dialogues and omniscient remarks via the narrator. On the other hand, the extensive flashbacks covering the same periods of time - mostly from Blomkvist and Salander's perspectives - are tedious. There could have been a different way to tell the story that would have dramatically cut down it's length.