Millennium trilogy
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
The Girl Who Played with Fire
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest
The 4th Book
Millennium Stockholm Map
Maps of Hedeby
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The swedish site:
Stieg Larsson - mannen bakom Lisbeth Salander
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Millennium-trilogy
The Millennium-trilogy consist of "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo", "The Girl Who Played With Fire", and "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest".
A well prepared debutant
Stieg Larsson began thinking about writing detective novels back in the early 90's, according to co-worker Anna-Lena Lodenius in an interview with the Swedish newspaper Veckans Affärer. He had always been interested in particularly Anglo-Saxon literature and knew the works of Elizabeth George, Minette Walters and Sara Paretsky very well. He knew what ingredients a good detective story should have, and he even reluctantly decided to spice it up with a bit of sex as it would probably please his readers.
A regrettable refusal
As for his work as a journalist, his preparations for the series were thorough. Before he started writing, he had made a detailed synopsis for ten books. He started writing in 1997, and it was not until he had finished the first two books and had the third one under way that he contacted a publisher in the summer of 2003. His first contact was with publisher Piratförlaget, which refused his script twice, perhaps the biggest mistake in Swedish publishing history. Instead, it was the publisher Nordstedts which got the opportunity to sign him in late 2003. With them, Stieg Larsson signed a contract of three books, an exceptional opportunity for an unpublished writer. The publishing rights were also bought by German and Norwegian publisher before it was even published in Sweden. During 2004 Stieg Larsson made minor adjustments to his two finished books and finished the third. When he died in November 2004, it was only a few months before the first book of the Millennium-series was released to the Swedish audience and became an immediate success.
Pippi Longstocking as a source of inspiration
Kenneth Ahlborn, a former colleague of Stieg's at TT, says in an interview with Veckans Affärer that Stieg got the idea for the character Lisbeth Salander after a discussion during a break from work. They were talking about how different characters from children's books would manage and behave if they were alive and grown up. Stieg especially liked the idea about a grown up Pippi Longstocking, a dysfunctional girl, probably with attention deficit disorder who would have had a hard time finding a regular place in the "normal society", and he used part those characteristics when he created lisbeth Salander.
- "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo"
- "The Girl Who Played With Fire"
- "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest"
Screen versions of the trilogy
It early became clear that the very popular books would be made in screen versions. In 2008 production began in Sweden, and the three books was shot back-to-back into three movies during the following year. The three movies were given the same names as the books. In the Swedish versions, male actor Michael Nyqvist plays Michael Blomkvist, while Noomi Rapace plays Lisbeth Salander.
Meanwhile the books were a major hit all over the world and it did not take long for Hollywood to see the huge potential in the thrilogy. The legal rights for the novels were set between Columbia Pictures, Stieg Larssons brothers and father and Yellow Bird, the production company behind the swedish films. Production was put on a fast track and the the search to fill the roles started.
In the end Rooney Mara and Daniel Craig were casted as leads playing Lisbeth Salander and Michael Blomkvist.
Read more about the films here
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just finished all three, wonderful...couldn't put them down. Would have loved more, but alas we won't be able to enjoy the adventures anymore.
- Denise Martin, 17 May 2012
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After finishing The Girl That Kicked the Hornet's Nest have a longing for more... Great characters - fabulous plots - spectacular writing. Am saddened that the other 7 will forever be left undone...
- jkb, 12 May 2012
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LOVED Dragon Tattoo, couldn't put it down. Reading the Girl That Kicked the Hornet's Nest now
- Jessica White, 9 May 2012
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Amazing - just finished "Dragon Tattoo, I have really enjoyed this - Lisbeth rocks!
- Phil, 9 May 2012
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nie mozna przestac czytac,czytac,czytac-jedne z najlepszych ksiazek jakie w zyci przeczytalam-nie chyba NAPEWNO!!!szkoda ze nie dane mu bylopokazac swego talentu dluzej.
- bozena grad z londynu, 14 April 2012
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I was afraid to open up the 3rd book when I've reached the very last chapter, knowing that that would be indeed the end to the story. The Millenium series had been a long-lasting roller coaster ride for me. It is an absolutely amazing trilogy terse in both plot and purpose. It has resulted my greatest sympathy toward real women that has been subjected to such violations as illustrated in the thriller. It has also roused my deepest contempt and indignance toward those in the real society that allow such violations be carried. There might not be much a seventeen years old Chinese girl can do regarding the uproot of women rights violators. But Stieg, you are truly heard...
I know you won't be seeing this, but thank you. Thank you very much indeed to your contribution to humanity and of course, to the fulfillment of my thrill. :)
Blomkvist and Salander are legendary!
- Coco, 8 April 2012
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The Most Amazing Movie Trilogy I Have Ever Seen!
I just caught the movie "The Girl With The Dragon Tatoo" after seeing the academy awards. It was an AMAZING MOVIE ... so I researched it, and the original version in Swedish (dubbed for English) .. well, the entire trilogy was already out .... done a year ago. This is one of the most amazing series I have ever seen. I sat riveted throughout. It is master storytelling at it's best and totally different than the American Version (Note: I loved the American Version too ... but you can see the final 2 trilogies before they're filmed here). Every Serious Movie Watcher should see these movies. Moviemaking at it's finest
I just purchased the books. It's a shame this author died at a young 50. His stories just stick in your brain days after, consume your thinking. I've never experienced that with other works.
- Professor Petrocelli, 6 April 2012
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I have just fell into Stieg Larssons books and films and having just found out he died in 2004 I am truly gutted beyond words. I was seriously becoming if not I have become a fan already. Very sad that he cannot give us more of his books.
- Plug1, 3 April 2012
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I've just been introduced to the first book by my granddaughter, after hearing vaguely about this "Millennium Trilogy" of books and films for a while. I'm still only a quarter of the way through this first one, and the two main characters are still being drawn, but it is already clear that this author's premature death robbed the world of a truly great crime writer, and the translation from the original Swedish into English is truly masterly - I feel sure that none of the quality of the original writing has been lost. I'm enjoying this first book so much that I am very torn - I don't want it to end, but at the same time I'm eager to get on to the next two books to see what other treats the author has in store for us! I won't bother with the films until I've finished all the books, as I'm sure they will fall short in some way, though I'm assured by a nephew who has watched the original Swedish ones with English subtitles that they are very well done indeed. Hollywood, though, is another matter....... A great writer! RIP
- Brian Heath, England, 3 April 2012
the Hollywood movie was was well done also......so the big debate i\n the blogosphere is who played a better Salander.
- harry, 22 April 2012
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Stieg Larsson
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loved the first book. can't wait to start the second!
- christine, 18 May 2012