I think that the odd phrases and spelling issues in this book are due to the translation. I thought it was interesting that the word "palaver" was used so often - a word that I wasn't familiar with, even though I could infer the meaning easily enough. In The Dark Tower IV (Stephen King), the word "palaver" pops up again several times. I guess that is my "word for the day"!
I think Blomkvist is an ethical man who was faced with some tough choices. His career is about exposing dishonesty - taking down and exposing those that exploit others in the financial world. Then suddenly he is faced with two dilemmas: Salander is an expert hacker (very illegal!) and Henrik Vanger has two family members that are serial killers. Blomkvist likes both Salander and Henrik. He accepts Salander for who she is (which is why she loves him), and he decides not to take down the entire Vanger family because of the family members that he likes and respects - and there were a few of them. I don't think it was all about the money. I think Blomkvist wanted to spare Henrik and Harriet more pain than they had already experienced.
I'm not sure that Blomkvist is the right person for Salander....yet. He is still way too emotionally involved with Berger. Berger has been the person he has loved for too many years: lover, business partner, best friend. Salander was bound to get hurt. Salander is very young and vulnerable, despite the hard front she puts on. Blomkvist was honest with everyone he was "with" about his intentions of continuing with his relationship with Berger, no matter what. The relationship between Blomkvist and Salander is one of the reasons I would like to continue with the series though. I'd like to see if they eventually get together.
I can see how someone who hates women could get involved with the Nazi party. The sentiments are the same: hatred of a specific group of people because they are "inferior". Whether torturing people in the name of "science" or for sadistic pleasure, it all boils down to the same thing: not valuing a certain group as human beings. Gottfried was a seriously disturbed man who fed his beliefs to his son Martin at a young age. This doesn't excuse Martin however. Martin was evil, and worse, deceptively so. The two people who could have brought Martin down initially are Isabelle and Harriet, but they both chose not to. Isabelle ignored what was going on completely - and Harriet ran to rescue herself. Should she be excused? Why excuse Harriet, but not Blomkvist?
Wendy's Rating: ****
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