Reviews tagging 'Stalking'

Verblendung by Stieg Larsson

39 reviews

ashlwy's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I feel like the sexual violence toward the female main character was unnecessary. Also the female characters in general aren’t given any substantial depth besides being a sexual objects. The mystery plot was fairly good and kept me going but the sexual violence subplot in the first half almost had me putting the book down.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Incest, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Stalking, and Car accident

bibicornxx's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

I honestly dont know how to feel about this book. Its very definitely of its time, and also very obviously a predecessor of every trope to do with crime media of modern day. 

Lisbeth is an amazing character and also awful. she makes me want to rip my hair out, but i can also respect that shes so unique and different from every flimsy protagonist of today that i have to respect her.

blomkvist bored me to tears in some parts, but was oddly likeable in a few others? definitely found his perspective the most difficult to read at the start of the book.

the complicated family tree and legal issues definitely killed a few brain cells off, but the action parts (although few) brought them back.

overall, not a book i want to read again in a hurry, but one i have an odd amount of respect for.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Incest, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Child abuse, Antisemitism, and Stalking

padsworth's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Antisemitism, Kidnapping, Stalking, Abortion, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment

cclopton's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gore, and Blood

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Incest, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Murder, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Stalking

rcaudf's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This is my second read of the book in several year, and I still haven’t figured out how I feel about it. On one hand, it’s violent and explicit and the usage of the “all the women want to sleep with the male main character” trope greatly annoys me makes it feel a bit like the author’s self insert. On the other hand, it is still one of the best and most technically written mysteries that I have ever read, and the effort of the character building shows through in the thoroughness and complexity of the details. Maybe I’ll revisit it again in several years and try to figure out how I feel about it. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Stalking, Car accident, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

mbrogs2024's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Rape, Torture, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Car accident, Murder, Pregnancy, and Abandonment

Minor: Body shaming, Cursing, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Suicide, Antisemitism, Colonisation, and War

boogiebeez's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

this shit insane

• I never read mystery but this was actually very good!
•  definetly was a good book to make into a movie cause the dialogue in the book feels like a movie script.
• I 🖤 lisbeth salander
• i feel like I'm probably not gonna read the other books in the series but you never know 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Kidnapping, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Car accident, and Alcohol

Minor: Cancer, Chronic illness, Confinement, and Abortion

keelya's review against another edition

slow-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

2.0

How this book was a National bestseller is beyond me. The actual mystery plot was good but there was so much wrong with the book it was hard to focus on the mystery. 

 

My main grievances lay with how the author wrote about Lisbeth. My first grievance is way the author presents the character Lisbeth. She is first described by her boss in the most disrespectful and misogynistic way. And guess what, her boss’s weird infatuation has no connection to the plot! It’s just a weird way to sexualize Lisbeth for no reason! Second, the brutal rapes of Lisbeth also have no bearing on the plot!! What was the reason for the creepy conservator?! It was not needed. Women’s assault and rape is not a plot device!! The second rape is graphic, cruel, and violent. There was absolutely no reason for this. Third, every person who comes into the book has something mean to say about Lisbeth’s body. Why? She is described as anorexically thin several times. When she is looking at her body in the mirror she says because she’s thin “She didn’t have much to offer”. Why all the body shaming of this character from everyone? The male characters body is NEVER described in a negative way, only Lisbeth’s.  Fourth, Lisbeth has a “photographic memory” - which does not exist. The author essentially gave her a magical power to further the plot. Lazy. Sixth, the author hints that Lisbeth is autistic. Oh this made me mad. Lisbeth is described as anti social - because she had a rough past and doesn’t want people to know she’s under state conservator. Not wanting to talk much doesn’t mean you’re autistic. I hate when people minimize autism like this. 

Blomkvist’s character was okay. The most annoying thing was that every woman couldn’t help but throw themselves at him. Literally he sleeps with everyone woman who he talks to in this book. He’s also an absent father. Also Lisbeth, who he sleeps with (of course) is closer in age to his daughter than to him. Gross. 

Lastly, I knew Martin was involved from the beginning. I didn’t know to what extent but I knew he wasn’t innocent. It was not that big of a plot twist. 

Overall, this book was terrible. I only finished it to see if the creepy boss and rapes of Lisbeth would add to the plot - which they didn’t. I would not recommend this book to anyone.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Incest, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, and Antisemitism

ekmsmith's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, and Murder

Moderate: Incest and Stalking

Minor: Gun violence

sammygordon13's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Incest, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Antisemitism and Stalking

Minor: Suicide and Abortion