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The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson (ISBN 9780307269751)
Book Genre: Mystery
Summary: Mikael Blomkvist, a once-respected financial journalist, watches his professional life rapidly crumble around him. Prospects appear bleak until an unexpected (and unsettling) offer to resurrect his name is extended by an old-school titan of Swedish industry. The catch - and there's always a catch - is that Blomkvist must first spend a year researching a mysterious disappearance that has remained unsolved for nearly four decades. With few other options, he accepts and enlists the help of investigator Lisbeth Salander, a misunderstood genius with a cache of authority issues. Little is as it seems in Larsson's novel, but there is at least one constant: you really don't want to mess with the girl with the dragon tattoo.
Swap details: I've set the sign-up date for about three weeks from now to give folks time to pick up a copy and read it a bit (if you wish) before you decide to join this swap, but you can start reading whenever you'd like. For this swap, you can either hand-write or type and send (via snail mail) the answers to your questions. Please use your best judgment. If it elicits a yes or no, please answer it with at least one complete sentence. I would say most questions should be answered with a minimum of a few sentences. The purpose is to create a dialog, a discussion about the book - with your assigned partner, perhaps you will be in touch via e-mail, or private message or through the forum as part of a larger group, or you just want to see what someone else thinks about what we've read. If you only answer yes or no, it doesn't really leave room much room for a discussion.
Category 1 (answer all 6 of these questions for your partner)
Have you ever read this book before? Did this book fall in the usual genre of books you read? As an overall experience, how did you feel about this book? Did you enjoy it, hate it, did it make you irritated, angry, sad, did you find it easy to read or did it take you a while to get into, was it entertaining, annoying or something else entirely? Did you have a favorite part of the book? Describe what it was. If you didn't like the book, please tell more about why. Would you recommend this book to others? On a scale of 1 to 10 (one being low and 10 being high), how would you rate this book? Does this book remind you of others you have read? if so, recommend a book that has some likeness in your opinion (even if the likeness is not apparent). Please include the title, and author and a brief description about the book, or why it reminded you of this one.
Category 2 Please pick 10 of the following questions (below) to answer with the above questions. These questions are taken directly from the discussion guide on bookmovement.com. Please be honest in your answer and use constructive criticism. You can choose to answer more questions below, but you must choose a minimum of 10. If there is something not asked in the questions that you'd like to share, please feel free to discuss that too.
Who do you consider the novel's protagonist, Lisbeth or Mikael? Why? What point was Larsson trying to make with the themes running through this novel? How do issues such as violence against women, journalistic integrity, and more general notions of trust tie in with each other throughout the book? What function do the sex-crime statistics on each section's title page serve? Reread the passage from Mikael's book on page 103. What is its significance in terms of the plot? On page 156, Henrik tells Mikael, "If there's one thing I've learned, it's never engage in a fight you're sure to lose. On the other hand, never let anyone who has insulted you get away with it. Bide your time and strike back when you're in a position of strength—even if you no longer need to strike back." Over the course of the novel, who puts this advice to the best use? How, and why? How does the involvement of several Vanger brothers with Swedish fascist groups cloud Mikael's investigation into Harriet's disappearance? What role does Harald play? Why does Henrik become an investor in Millennium? Does his plan succeed? Discuss the character of Lisbeth. Some think she is a "perfect victim" (p. 409), others find her intimidating, and Mikael wonders if she has Asperger's, but the reader is allowed to see exactly how her mind works. How do you see her? How do you think she sees herself? What do you think about the way Lisbeth turns the tables on Bjurman? Is it admirable, or a sign that she's unstable? On page 254, Lisbeth says her new tattoo is "a reminder." Of what? Several times in the novel, Mikael's journalistic ethics are challenged. Do you consider him to be ethical? In your opinion, is anyone in the novel truly honorable? If so, why? After reserving judgment for most of his investigation, Mikael determines that Harriet was, in fact, murdered and that he's hunting for a killer. What prompts this decision? How does this affect the rest of his investigation? Discuss the role of parents in the novel. Who is a good parent, and why? How might Harriet's story have changed if her mother had behaved differently? What about Lisbeth's? Is Mikael a good father? Blackmail is used several times in the novel, for different ends. Who uses it most effectively, and why? On page 507, Mikael tells Lisbeth that to him, friendship requires mutual respect and trust. By those standards, who in this novel is a good friend? Is Mikael? What about Anita? Discuss Henrik's request that Mikael never publish the Vanger story. Is it a reasonable request? Does Mikael's acquiescence change your opinion of him? Do Lisbeth's demands mitigate his ethical breach? What ultimately drives Lisbeth to take action against Wennerström on her own? Does she go too far? Reread Mikael's statement about the media's responsibility at the top of page 575. Can you think of a situation in the American media that is analogous to the Wennerström affair? Discuss the ending. Was it satisfying to you? Why or why not?
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