The Girl Who Played with Fire
Encyclopedia
The Girl Who Played with Fire is the second novel in the best-selling "Millennium series" by Swedish
writer Stieg Larsson
. It was published posthumously in Swedish in 2006 and in English in January 2009.
The book features many of the characters that appeared in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
, among them the title character, Lisbeth Salander
, a social misfit, and Mikael Blomkvist
, an investigative journalist and publisher of Millennium magazine.
Widely seen as a critical success, The Girl Who Played with Fire was also (according to The Bookseller
magazine) the first and only translated novel to be number one in the UK hardback chart.
underage girls, Blomkvist immediately throws himself into the investigation.
Blomkvist plans to run the story in an upcoming issue of Millennium. But shortly before the printing of the story, Dag Svensson and his partner are found shot dead in their apartment. Lisbeth Salander quickly becomes the primary murder suspect, as the police discover incriminating evidence against her at the scene of the crime. The next day, Salander's guardian, Nils Bjurman, is also found dead in his bedroom, shot with the same weapon.
Blomkvist tries to clear her name, although he can’t find her anywhere. When he does eventually make contact, it is to discover that Salander is more embroiled in his investigation than he could have thought possible. It turns out that for Salander, the trail of guilt leads close to home.
Carla McKay at the Daily Mail
said that, like its predecessor, the book is "not just a thrilling read, but tackles head-on the kind of issues that Larsson himself railed against in society".
Most of the reviewers concentrated mainly on the character of Lisbeth Salander, with Mark Lawson at the Guardian
saying that "the huge pleasure of these books is Salander, a fascinating creation with a complete and complex psychology".
Boyd Tonkin in The Independent
saying that "the spiky and sassy Lisbeth Salander – punkish wild child, traumatised survivor of the "care" system, sexual adventurer and computer hacker of genius" was "the most original heroine to emerge in crime fiction for many years".
is an actual person. He is a former boxer and television chef who has also dabbled in politics. He played himself in the film based on the book
.
In the first part of the book, Salander is exploring Dimensions in Mathematics apparently written by L. C. Parnault and published by Harvard University Press
in 1999. On February 9, 2009, Harvard University Press announced on their website that this book, as well as the author, is purely fictitious.
The mysterious Karl Axel Bodin, in whose house Salander finds Zalachenko and Niedermann, is a historical name. Bodin was born in Karlstad
and later moved to Sundsvall
. He went to Norway
to join the Waffen-SS
; at the end of World War II
, he was attached to the country's branch of the Gestapo
. At the war's end, Bodin and another Swedish volunteer stole a car in an attempted escape to Sweden. The car's owner saw the theft, and soon a gunfight erupted in which the car owner and Bodin's friend were shot. Bodin left his friend behind and crossed the border.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
writer Stieg Larsson
Stieg Larsson
Karl Stig-Erland Larsson , who wrote professionally as Stieg Larsson, was a Swedish journalist and writer, born in Skelleftehamn outside Skellefteå. He is best known for writing the "Millennium series" of crime novels, which were published posthumously...
. It was published posthumously in Swedish in 2006 and in English in January 2009.
The book features many of the characters that appeared in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is an award-winning crime novel by Swedish author and journalist Stieg Larsson. It is the first book in the trilogy known as the "Millennium series"....
, among them the title character, Lisbeth Salander
Lisbeth Salander
Lisbeth Salander is a fictional character created by Swedish author and journalist Stieg Larsson. She is the heroine of Larsson's award-winning "Millennium series", first appearing in the novel The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo...
, a social misfit, and Mikael Blomkvist
Mikael Blomkvist
Mikael Blomkvist is a fictional character created by writer Stieg Larsson who appears as a main character in the Millennium series along with Lisbeth Salander.-Name:...
, an investigative journalist and publisher of Millennium magazine.
Widely seen as a critical success, The Girl Who Played with Fire was also (according to The Bookseller
The Bookseller
The Bookseller is a British magazine reporting news on the publishing industry. Neill Denny is editor-in-chief of the weekly print edition of the magazine, while Philip Jones is deputy editor, having recently been promoted from the position of managing editor of the Bookseller.com...
magazine) the first and only translated novel to be number one in the UK hardback chart.
Plot summary
Mikael Blomkvist, publisher of Millennium magazine, has made his living exposing the crooked and corrupt practices of established Swedish figures. So when a young journalist named Dag Svensson approaches him with a meticulously researched thesis about sex trafficking in Sweden and those in high office who abuseChild sexual abuse
Child sexual abuse is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent uses a child for sexual stimulation. Forms of child sexual abuse include asking or pressuring a child to engage in sexual activities , indecent exposure with intent to gratify their own sexual desires or to...
underage girls, Blomkvist immediately throws himself into the investigation.
Blomkvist plans to run the story in an upcoming issue of Millennium. But shortly before the printing of the story, Dag Svensson and his partner are found shot dead in their apartment. Lisbeth Salander quickly becomes the primary murder suspect, as the police discover incriminating evidence against her at the scene of the crime. The next day, Salander's guardian, Nils Bjurman, is also found dead in his bedroom, shot with the same weapon.
Blomkvist tries to clear her name, although he can’t find her anywhere. When he does eventually make contact, it is to discover that Salander is more embroiled in his investigation than he could have thought possible. It turns out that for Salander, the trail of guilt leads close to home.
Main Characters
- Mikael BlomkvistMikael BlomkvistMikael Blomkvist is a fictional character created by writer Stieg Larsson who appears as a main character in the Millennium series along with Lisbeth Salander.-Name:...
, journalist and publisher at Millennium magazine. - Lisbeth SalanderLisbeth SalanderLisbeth Salander is a fictional character created by Swedish author and journalist Stieg Larsson. She is the heroine of Larsson's award-winning "Millennium series", first appearing in the novel The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo...
, antisocial private investigator, hacker, and accused triple-murderer. - Alexander Zalachenko (Zala), alias Karl Axel Bodin, former Soviet spy who turns out to be deeply involved in Salander's dark past.
- Ronald Niedermann a.k.a. "The Giant", Zalachenko's henchman who is connected to Salander in way which she herself does not realize.
- Carl-Magnus Lundin, president of Svavelsjö Motorcycle Club (Svavelsjö MC). Sells drugs and is commissioned to kidnap Salander for Zala.
Related to Millennium Magazine
- Erika Berger, editor in chief of Millennium magazine and Blomkvist's on-off lover.
- Malin Eriksson, managing editor of Millennium magazine.
- Christer Malm, art director and designer of Millennium magazine.
- Dag Svensson, journalist who is writing an exposé on the Swedish sex trade.
- Mia Johansson, Dag's girlfriend and doctoral student.
- Henry Cortez, part-time journalist at Millennium magazine.
- Lotta Karim, part-time journalist at Millennium magazine.
- Monika Nillson, journalist at Millennium magazine.
Related to Milton Security
- Dragan Armansky, Salander's former boss and director of Milton Security.
- Sonny Bohman, former policeman and part of the team Armansky assigns to support the police investigation.
- Johan Fräklünd, chief of operations at Milton Security and assigned to support police investigation.
- Niklas Hedström, works for Milton Security and is assigned to support police investigation but sabotages it. A heart problem kept him from becoming a police man. He hates Salander since she caught him blackmailing a client.
Related to Police Investigation
- Jan Bublanski, police officer in charge of Salander's case, nicknamed Officier Bubble.
- Sonja Modig, a detective in Bublanski's team.
- Richard Ekstrom, prosecutor of Salander's case.
- Hans Faste, working in Bublanski's team, causing trouble with his sexually discriminating attitude.
- Curt Andersson, police officer in Bublanski's team.
- Jerker Holmberg, police man in Bublanski's team.
Other Characters
- Annika Gianinni, Blomkvist's sister and an attorney.
- Miriam "Mimmi" Wu, kickboxer, university student and Salander's sometime lover.
- Nils Bjurman, attorney and Salander's current guardian since Palmgren had a stroke.
- Paolo Roberto, former professional boxer and Salander's boxing instructor.
- Gunnar Björck, a Swedish Security PoliceSAPOSAPO , Servidor de Apontadores Portugueses, is a brand and subsidiary company of the Portugal Telecom Group...
officer and former punter abusing women. He is also the lead source for Blomkvist on Zalachenko. - Holger Palmgren, Lisbeth Salander's former guardian; she visits him in a rehabilitation home and they play a game of chess together. In her memoir "There Are Things I Want You to Know" About Stieg Larsson and Me"There Are Things I Want You to Know" About Stieg Larsson and Me"There Are Things I Want You to Know" About Stieg Larsson and Me is a memoir written by Eva Gabrielsson, the life partner of Stieg Larsson, about life with the author and all of the complications surrounding his legacy...
, Eva GabrielssonEva GabrielssonEva Gabrielsson is a Swedish architect, author, political activist, feminist, and the long-time partner of the late Swedish mystery novelist Stieg Larsson....
tells readers that this chess game was inspired by her brother Björn who Stieg Larsson used to play the game with and with whom he was very close. - Greger Beckman, Erika Berger's husband
- George Bland, teen boy Salander has an affair with in Grenada.
- Richard Forbes, reverend and Salander's hotel room neighbour in Grenada.
- Geraldine Forbes, wife of Richard Forbes and abused by him.
- Sonny Nieminen, part of Svavelsjö MC and involved in trying to kidnap Salander.
Reception
The English version was published in January 2009 and immediately became a number 1 bestseller. It received reviews from most of the major UK newspapers. Many reviewers agreed with Joan Smith at the Sunday Times that this novel was “even more gripping and astonishing than the first”.Carla McKay at the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
said that, like its predecessor, the book is "not just a thrilling read, but tackles head-on the kind of issues that Larsson himself railed against in society".
Most of the reviewers concentrated mainly on the character of Lisbeth Salander, with Mark Lawson at the Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
saying that "the huge pleasure of these books is Salander, a fascinating creation with a complete and complex psychology".
Boyd Tonkin in The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
saying that "the spiky and sassy Lisbeth Salander – punkish wild child, traumatised survivor of the "care" system, sexual adventurer and computer hacker of genius" was "the most original heroine to emerge in crime fiction for many years".
Cultural notes
The character of Paolo RobertoPaolo Roberto
Paolo Roberto is a Swedish ex-boxer, actor, and TV host of partial Italian descent.-Outside boxing:...
is an actual person. He is a former boxer and television chef who has also dabbled in politics. He played himself in the film based on the book
The Girl Who Played with Fire (film)
The Girl Who Played with Fire is a 2009 Swedish thriller film directed by Daniel Alfredson, and the sequel to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. It is based on the best-selling novel of the same name by the late Swedish author and journalist Stieg Larsson, the second in his "Millennium series".The...
.
In the first part of the book, Salander is exploring Dimensions in Mathematics apparently written by L. C. Parnault and published by Harvard University Press
Harvard University Press
Harvard University Press is a publishing house established on January 13, 1913, as a division of Harvard University, and focused on academic publishing. In 2005, it published 220 new titles. It is a member of the Association of American University Presses. Its current director is William P...
in 1999. On February 9, 2009, Harvard University Press announced on their website that this book, as well as the author, is purely fictitious.
The mysterious Karl Axel Bodin, in whose house Salander finds Zalachenko and Niedermann, is a historical name. Bodin was born in Karlstad
Karlstad
Karlstad is a city, the seat of Karlstad Municipality, the capital of Värmland County, and the largest city in the province Värmland in Sweden. The city had 61,685 inhabitants in 2010 out of a municipal total that during the first quarter 2010 was 84,885 inhabitants...
and later moved to Sundsvall
Sundsvall
-External links:* - Official site from Nordisk Familjebok - Sundsvalls tourist information bureau. - The alternative guide to Sundsvall. - Blog with photos from Sundsvall....
. He went to Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
to join the Waffen-SS
Waffen-SS
The Waffen-SS was a multi-ethnic and multi-national military force of the Third Reich. It constituted the armed wing of the Schutzstaffel or SS, an organ of the Nazi Party. The Waffen-SS saw action throughout World War II and grew from three regiments to over 38 divisions, and served alongside...
; at the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he was attached to the country's branch of the Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
. At the war's end, Bodin and another Swedish volunteer stole a car in an attempted escape to Sweden. The car's owner saw the theft, and soon a gunfight erupted in which the car owner and Bodin's friend were shot. Bodin left his friend behind and crossed the border.
Film and TV adaptations
- The Girl Who Played with Fire (film)The Girl Who Played with Fire (film)The Girl Who Played with Fire is a 2009 Swedish thriller film directed by Daniel Alfredson, and the sequel to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. It is based on the best-selling novel of the same name by the late Swedish author and journalist Stieg Larsson, the second in his "Millennium series".The...
- Millennium (Swedish miniseries)Millennium (Swedish miniseries)Millennium is a Swedish six-part television series that aired in 2010, which was based on the film trilogy of Stieg Larsson's Millennium series. The series was produced by Yellow Bird in cooperation with several production companies, including SVT, Nordisk Film and Film i Väst. Unlike the films,...