The Millennium Trilogy

I just finished reading the final book of the Millennium trilogy by Stieg Larsson (for a rundown of the narrative and a great review, read http://www.mg.co.za/article/2009-10-23-the-new-millenium

Somehow in SA I think this trilogy has been dismissed by many as just another thriller blockbuster series, without much substance. If anything, the opposite is true. I have not read such a monumental and intricate work of fiction in a long time. Without wanting to sound disrespectful, it is not surprising that Larsson dropped dead of a massive heart attack after giving the Millennium manuscripts to his publisher. (In the third book, a character drops dead of a heart attack after working too hard, eerily forshadowing the author's death in many ways.) Not for a long time have a read such detailed and descriptive fiction. Whether it is in the realm of journalism, medicine, law, politics, women's rights or computer hacking (to name just a few of the many subjects this series delves into), Larsson presents it in researched, painstaking detail and knowledge. The result is a book where you have to concentrate on the intricate details you are presented with, and where you learn about everything that Larsson incorporates into his story.

Not only this, but Larsson exposes his country, Sweden, in all its flaws and flavours. What is startling to the reader is how this book is so deeply entrenched in Swedish society, and how un-Americanized it is. Larsson shamelessly splashes Swedish names, places and words throughout the text, so that it is completely and utterly steeped in that society and its history. The result is refreshing and powerful- even if it is just for the fact that you feel like you have travelled Stockholm's streets by the end of it. Larsson leaves it up to the reader to orientate themselves with the unfamiliar Swedish words and names that fill the narrative, which gives the reader a sense of empowerment as he orientates himself in a new landscape.

Or perhaps I should say she. If anything, Larsson is a champion of women's rights, and this emerges brutally and beautifully throughout the trilogy, as the theme is woven throughout the narrative, the characters, and the structure of the book itself. The heroine of the series, Lisbeth Salander, it the epitome of this motif, standing as both a victim and a champion of the rights of women. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Girl who Played with Fire both examine the abuse of women, particularly in human trafficking. Before each section of The Girl who Kicked the Hornets' Nest there are detailed descriptions of how women have fought in battle in history, foreshadowing Lisbeth's own battle against the forces of injustice have ruined her life. As it says in the article I mentioned above, in the concluding pages of the final book, 'Blomkvist sums up the nature of Salander's experience: "When it comes down to it, this story is not primarily about spies and secret government agencies; it's about violence against women, and the men who enable it."'

Finally, Larsson's trilogy is a perfect, meaty, magnificent story. It is complex, fast-paced yet detailed, and utterly addictive. He masterfully weaves together a fleshed-out cast of characters and a nuanced, multidimensional narrative.

This trilogy is about morality and justice and the systems that enable these to flourish or die. It is about the victims of systems and the power of words and actions. After reading the series, the loss of Larsson as a literary talent is all the more potent and poignant, and it is a tribute to his legacy that we read his thrilling fiction.