Book Vs Movie: The Girl Who Played With Fire

“Power is a flame that burns from within…”

I finished reading The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo in February (you can check my review in here), and all of those who have read the book would know that the book leaves us at a bit of a cliffhanger at the end to ensure you’ll pick up The Girl Who Played With Fire to find out what happens to the heroine, Lisebeth Salander next. And by now, it wouldn’t be news to most of you all that the Millennium Trilogy is a series which dwells around strong social critique and conspiracy, which exposes the state of the morally bankrupt world of business in the first book, and misogyny and damage done to women by corrupted philanderers in here.

(This post doesn’t contain spoilers, so you can keep on reading, yet, I’d recommend you all to read the book or watch the movie first!)

Jumping straight into the book, I must say in this book also the opening was not much into my preference. Yes, the whole escapade of Salander in Grenada did enhance the character building of her’s to a whole new level, from a tattooed, pierced, bisexual computer hacker to a mathematical genius, who would try tackling Fermat’s Last Theorem while having her morning coffee. Yet, conversely, this methodical background detailing would go overboard at times and hinder the story, making it dull to be read. Anyhow, after that the story lives up to its predecessor, unraveling the real masterminds behind the three murders, for which the incompetent caricatures of the police make Salander the prime suspect, and also portraying the depths eminent public figures who are rapists and sexual criminals, would go to cover their tracks. So, overall, although the book disappointed me at first, I’d give it 5 stars (to the book).

Next, turning to the movie, I’d say this time the movie was not much of a disappointment when compared with its predecessor. True it had abandoned the whole Grenada hurricane catastrophe scene, nevertheless, it stays faithful to the book in most scenarios, reminding us the books of law don’t mean anything unless they could be translated into lived experience, while bringing the events of Salander’s childhood and traumas to live. Yet, I must also admit that I found the absurd scene where Salander asks for the help of Mikael to be unbelievably hilarious!!!

And now its time to pick the winner.

To me,  the winner is the The Girl Who Played With Fire book, which very much delineates the quote “Men, their rights, and nothing more; women, their rights, and nothing less” by Susan B. Anthony.

Do share your thoughts, in line with me or not?