The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Score Modern
What it's about
Forty years ago, Harriet Vanger, a young member of one of Sweden's wealthiest families, disappeared, and her elderly uncle is sure she was murdered. He hires Mikael Blomkvist, a crusading journalist just disgraced in a libel case, to find out what happened. Blomkvist is helped by Lisbeth Salander, a 24-year-old, tattooed genius hacker, and together they uncover a story of corruption and violence.
Why it's worth reading
It's one of the best-selling novels ever, with about 30 million copies sold, it spent 184 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists, and it's on the Guardian's list of the best books of the 21st century. Lisbeth Salander is one of the great characters of modern crime fiction.
You'll love it if you liked
Gone Girl, The Silent Patient or In the Woods
Good to know
The opening chapters about finance and journalism are slow; once the investigation starts, it's hard to stop. It contains graphic sexual violence.
Quick answers
Is The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo worth reading?
Yes. It's one of the best-selling novels ever, with about 30 million copies sold, it spent 184 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists, and it's on the Guardian's list of the best books of the 21st century. It ranks #143 of the 2,819 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 85.2 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo about?
Forty years ago, Harriet Vanger, a young member of one of Sweden's wealthiest families, disappeared, and her elderly uncle is sure she was murdered. He hires Mikael Blomkvist, a crusading journalist just disgraced in a libel case, to find out what happened. Blomkvist is helped by Lisbeth Salander, a 24-year-old, tattooed genius hacker, and together they uncover a story of corruption and violence.
How long does it take to read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo?
About 12 hours (465 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo?
If you liked it, try Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides or In the Woods by Tana French.
By the numbers
- Readers73 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics51 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller87 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
On the Guardian 100 Best Books of the 21st Century list. One of the best-selling books ever (about 30 million copies).
Where it ranks
- #10 of the 555 mysteries and thrillers we rank
- #76 of the 1,575 modern books we rank
- #143 of the 2,819 books we rank
Bestseller
- One of the best-selling books ever (about 30 million copies)
- 184 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists since 2008
On the lists
- Guardian 100 Best Books of the 21st Century
Reads as
Gripping
