The Girl in the Spider's Web (Millennium Series) by David Lagercrantz (2015-08-27)

I've now read this twice. Didn't enjoy it much the first time around so read it again, to see if I'd been blind but no - it still wasn't Millenium. Dull, stodgy: it was hard to keep picking it up and plodding grimly on through to the end. So ... I re-read Larsson's "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest" just to remind myself that I wasn't viewing the original books through rose-tinted spectacles or some such. I wasn't: it was fast, pacy (most of the time :) and SO difficult to put down. I resented any interruptions when I was reading the original trilogy but when reading "The Girl in the Spider's Web", interruptions came as a welcome relief. So sad :(

I can't help thinking that this is the Salander and Blomkvist of the extremely underwhelming Swedish film trilogy, and not not that of Stieg Larsson's wonderfully drawn and nuanced original Millennium trilogy .It's full of illogical non sequitur's and both the characterizations and relationships at the core of Stieg Larssons trilogy appear to me to have been fundamentally altered by Laggercrantz. They lack any of the subtlety of Larsson. Salander now appears to have been turned into some sort of "Super-Woman-esque" Superhero by Lagercrantz. I also can't help speculating that the Salander and Blomkvist of Larsson would have strongly disapproved of Lagercrantz's self same characters.Characters reappear unblemished in Lagercrantz's world who had been left in disgrace in Larssons original. (e.g. Ekstrom, Faste)Characters disappear into the ether in Lagercrantz new book without explanation who were fundamental to Larrsons original (e.g. Figuerola/Edklinth)It is almost as if the Millenium magazine expose had not been published.I also have to wonder whether there is a degree of "product placement" involved in this text with obsessively repeated references to certain drinks brands. Additionally there were a hat-full of references to meals and food prep that add nothing to the plot. There are also obsessive references that could have come out of a Stockholm route finder app. When Larsson used these devices sparingly, they had purpose and added to the story. In Lagercrantsz's hands it just felt like interminable padding.Moments from Larssons original are represented and re-hashed with slight if any alteration.I only read this under prompting from a book club, having previously decided to respect Eva Gabrielsson,s views and immediately regretted it. I hope that no further books along these lines are commissioned and will avoid any further Largercrantz adaptions of Stieg Larssons.( I would however consider reading a book based upon Eva Gabrielsson,s original archives/notebooks of Larsson)

The Millennium Trilogy was always going to be a really hard act to follow. This book was well enough written, but the main characters felt like strangers, especially Lisbeth. The storyline was complicated and too far fetched to be credible, and the 'spider's web' reference just did not ring true. As for Camilla, the 'plot' was frankly nonsensical. In short a very disappointing read. But, as previously stated, Stieg was a hard act to live up to!

Having read the original three books in the Millenium series, and thoroughly enjoyed them, I was eagerly awaiting the sequel even although I knew it was not written by the original author. However I spent the first quarter of the book wondering why I had wasted my money and whether I really wanted to persist with trawling my way through what was turning into a very long winded tale. It was so slow going that I found myself struggling to stay awake whilst reading it.Eventually it suddenly started getting interesting and from that point on I have to say that I did find it much easier to read and discovered I was really looking forward to the next chapter and the excitement started to grow. The ending was a bit of a wind down but I suppose that was only to be expected as the build up to it had been so intense.I would certainly say that this one was nothing like as good as the Stig Larsson novels and I feel that if David Lagercrantz does write another part of the series I will probably not bother to buy it, but on the other hand, once it had got going, I quite enjoyed this one.

I've been hanging onto this since last July, wondering whether I would be disappointed. It's readable but that's all, in no way does it resemble the writing of Larsson stories other than characters high jacked from it. It's a shame because it would have been far better if the collaboration had been with Larsson's partner and not his family who had little interest in his work.The trilogy I have read around 3 or 4 times, enjoying them just as much as the first time. This will never get read again. If I read the next one it will be because the price has dropped substantially.May be the half finished book by Larsson will eventually get published, that I would read.

Stieg Larsson... ah the voice that is silenced far, far, far too early. David Lagercrantz proves to be more than up to the task. Though of course, such things as taste is to each their own. David Lagercrantz has said that in an interview, he personally does not like writing of the violence towards women that plays quite a heavy part in Larsson's original. The main focus of both his Girl in the Spider's Web and Girl who Takes an Eye for an Eye is Lisbeth. His Lisbeth is a seamless continuation from Larsson's original creation. I do miss the Millennium trilogy very much, and David Lagercrantz,is doing a very difficult job exceptionally well.

but this didn't work for me. Clearly not written by Larsson, lacking as it is in the same level of suspense and intrigue. I can understand the desire to move 'The Girl ...' stories on, but for me the original trilogy stand head and shoulders above this sequel.