The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson is an enticing thriller that reached #1 on The New York Times Bestseller List.In the novel, Michael Blomkvist is a fairly successful editor and partner of the widely circulated magazine Millennium. When an old friend turns him on to a story that could expose an up and coming business tycoon as corrupt and manipulating, Blomkvist feels the need to research the story and publish it in Millennium. His friend betrays him as a source, resulting in a libel conviction with fines that nearly wipe out all of Mikael's savings and even forces him to serve a few months jail time. Mikael is then offered a free lance job offering millions if he makes an attempt to solve a 40 year old unanswered murder investigation. The job is far away from his problematic situation at home and puts him under contract to stay there for an entire year. The Millennium is at risk of going under due to investors pulling their advertising after the risqué court decision. Mikael could make enough money to revive the magazine with the free lance job, but also is choosing to leave his magazine partner and lover Erika to run the magazine on her own at a time when she needs him the most.
Mikael Blomkvist is aided in his libel suit by punk prodigy Lisbeth Salander. Salander is rough around the edges and has a colorful past, but she is the best research detective around. She becomes very involved with Mikael's murder investigation in the Vanger family, and together, Blomkvist and Salader discover unfathomable decades of corruption, leading the reader on a fascinating travel through their gathered evidence and discoveries.
Discussion Questions:
1. Mikael is thrown into a problematic situation due to the betrayal of a trusted friend. Have you ever betrayed a friend that trusted you, or were you ever betrayed by someone you thought you could trust? What were the consequences?
2. Do you think Mikael was justified in choosing to pick up the free lance job? Is money powerful enough of a motivator to leave Erika and the magazine at a time of unmanageable turmoil?
6 comments:
To answer the first question, betrayal happens all the time. Even when the person betrayed is a really good friend, it ends up in a loss of trust and often loss of friendship.
I agree with you Kaitlyn that betrayal in relationships occurs frequently, but do you think it happens in 100% genuine relationships or just shallow friendships?
I think money is powerful enough to make anyone to do anything.
1. When trusting someone you think is reliable, and having them turn around and "back stab" you, it is a very hard thing to overcome. It may ruin a lot of relationships and destroy future relationships as well.
2. Greed is a powerful emotion. Extras are always nice things to have, but many people get carried away and have so many material items that they just forget the true value of being happy. Money does not solve all problems, and generally does not make people happy for a life time.
Good points about money representing greed. I certainly agree Brad. In this case, money may temporarily solve the issue with the magazine, but it may put a permanent toll on the personal relationship between Mikael and Erica as co-owners of the magazine along with on an intimate level.
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