When reading goes epic! Stieg Larsson's "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"

Location>> bed.

Weather>> sunny/cloudy.

Mood>> like I want to do something..

I think all of us have gone through it before: the epicness of reading a book. (That is, if you're the type of psycho who has yet to discover the dire epicness of reading books). For the last few day I've been spending hours on the couch/deskchair/bed in awkward and uncomfortable positions ripping through all 800+ of "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" by Stieg Larsson. Heck, it was one of the most EPIC books I've read!

The rage about it happened about a month or two ago in Vancouver. I have to I'm late in joining the rage...(sadly, missed the trilogy 30% off sale). It's a hit in Sweden and other places in Europe, and has been for a few years. But recently the thrilling movie started a stir and it looked fantastic, so I decided to read the book.

Let me first say: THIS BOOK IS NOT FOR KIDS. I've been reading adult novels for a while, but some of the violence in this one is really shocking...so be ready. The first sections of the book were albeit slow - it discussed the backgrounds of the first two characters. Blomkvist is a financial journalist who's magazine has just fallen apart due to a libel conviction by a big businessman. The other is a somewhat psychopathic personal investigator/hacker (Salander) and she's one of the most intriguing characters I've met. She becomes his sort of sidekick, and just wait till you see what her definition of revenge is. Basically, Blomkvist is hired to ghostwrite a family chronicle for the wealthy/successful Vanger family (owner of the Vanger Corporation) and at the same time try one last time to aid Henrik Vanger to solve the mystery of the disappearance of her niece almost 40 years ago.

The beginning is a bit slow because he cannot find any new leads the police haven't. But once the first breakthroughs are introduced you're swept into a whirlwind of conspiracy, corruption, and violence for violence's sake. The plot is not worthy of any other word except for "ingenious". Also, you can't help but feel a little disturbed by what the rich business folks arereally doing.

Hopefully, along the course of my summer reading, I'll enjoy more books like these. Looking forward to more cramped nights with the rest of the Millennium Trilogy.

What kind of epic reading have YOU done?