The End of the Milenium?

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, by Stieg Larson. Say it ain't so! I've now finished all three of the Larson's books. And I'm not one bit happy. I hate to see it come to an end.

Of course, I knew that Lisabeth would come out the victor--who can beat the genius of Salander, particularly when she has the help of Blumqvist? Larson doesn't disappoint in weaving the story of how she comes out the victor, at least there's not much disappointment. Either way, the court room scenes, although very different from the procedure in American courts, are captivating and dramatic. Advokat Gianini systematically takes Dr. Teleborian apart, ultimately using Lisabeth's videotaped rape from the first book.

The only disappointment is that the second end seems a little forced. Like some stories, this book has a couple of endings--the end of the trial and Salander's acquittal; Salander's growing realization of what it means to be free of guardianship and to start to trust; and the end-end, where Salander confronts her half-brother. That's the ending that seems a bit strained. I figured that he'd have to make another appearance, but the coincidence of meeting him at a warehouse that she inherited from her father is a little much. I have to give it Larson, though--what a clever way to slow Neiderman down--nailed again!

Rumor has it that there is a draft of another Salander book that was left on Larson's computer before he died. I hope so. I'm not quite ready to say good-bye to Salander.


Reading: The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Listening: Medium Raw