I just finished reading Larsson’s last (or latest?) opus of the Millenium trilogy. As you know, the Swedish author died in 2004 after handing in the three books featuring Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander to his editor. Larsson never got to witness the success story his work deserves – worldwide best sellers, movies, huge fan base, etc.
I must say I really enjoyed the books. Stieg Larsson’s writing skills have to be good, after all he was capable of writing three 700-page books, which is a lot more than most books, and still captivate the attention of millions of readers. I, for one, did not find any minute spent reading wasted or boring. Authentic characters, thrilling storylines, unexpected twists and turns, etc. Top score.
What fewer know, is that Millenium was actually meant to be a 10 book series. For obvious reasons, it will now not be the case and it is a terrible shame. But if there could be a second chance for us to read more, would we seize it? I cannot answer that question.
Stieg Larsson’s partner, Eva Gabrielsson, claims that she has in hand the frames of what was to become volumes 4, 5 and 6 of the Millenium series. Furthermore, she declared in an interview that she was able to write these books and finish off what her lover had started. Being a big fan of Blomkvist & co. I would love to read more. But do I want to read something that would be a pale copy of Larsson’s style? I don’t think anybody does.