Maybe I'm not a good listener

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
Audio recording

Published September 2008 by Random House Audio
ISBN13: 9780739370643
Listened April 2011


I had seen this title for several weeks now on Twitter and various blogs. A week ago, I was in the office and everyone was gone. It was so silent and I couldn't stand it. I decided to look at what was available at my digital download library in audio books. I asked for suggestions and the ones that were made were not available. Then I remembered this title and though I did not know what the story was about decided to download it.


These are the 5 audio book I've listened to: Harry Potter, Twilight, a Miss Marple/Agatha Christie mystery, and Consequences on "tape". I enjoyed the first three, but I couldn't follow Consequences. I thought it was because Consequences jumped back and forth between the present and the past. But after listening to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (TGDT), maybe it is me. Often when I'm listening to a book I am also doing something else so my attention is divided. 

TGDT was a bit hard to follow for me listening because the cast of characters is kind of large and sometimes the people were referred to by there first name and sometimes by their last names. I have trouble remembering names of people I know and now I had to learn a bunch of names for fictional characters. 

It started off as an ok story for me. It had a bit of government/corporate conspiracy. When the girl was introduced, she seemed like such a minor character that I wasn't sure how she tied into the story. When I first became a little lost in the story I thought I was trying too hard to put the pieces together. I tried to not over think it. Then about half way through the story, suddenly I was thrown a curve ball. My eyes about popped out of my head. I could feel them bulging from their sockets. Now I knew I had to finish it because I had no idea how sexual assault played in to the financial corruption that started the story.


Maybe this wasn't my kind of story or maybe I need to improve my listening skills, but I don't think I will be continuing this series (which is a bit hard for me to contemplate - who'll see what I mean in an upcoming review).