Happy New Year to all Book Worms! Here are the discussion questions for the first book of 2012, Stieg Larsson's The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest: the final novel in his Millenium Trilogy. Our meeting is in Crawley on 10th January.
1. To what do you attribute the literary sensation surrounding this trilogy?
2. What is the “hornet’s nest” of the title?
3. Each part of Hornet’s Nest begins with a brief history lesson about women warriors. What was Larsson trying to say? Is Salander a modern-day equivalent of these women? Is Berger?
4. What is the appeal of Salander as the protagonist?
5. Many characters in Larsson’s trilogy have some good and some bad in them. Can you name a few? What makes them different from the clear heroes or villains?
6. Can you imagine a group like the Section operating in this country? Why/not?
7. On page 168, Larsson writes about Salander, “She wondered what she thought of herself, and came to the realization that she felt mostly indifference towards her entire life.” What has made her feel this way? Do her feelings change by the end?
8. Again and again, men underestimate Salander because of her size. Why do they make these assumptions? How does she turn this into an advantage?
9. On page 295, Salander discovers a gruesome fact about Teleborian. “She should have dealt with Teleborian years ago. But she had repressed the memory of him. She had chosen to ignore his existence.” When did she decide to stop letting people get away with things?
10. Discuss the notion of revenge in this novel, and throughout the trilogy. Who, besides Salander, exacts revenge? What motivates them?
11. What role does Annika play in the novel? And Ekström?
12. On page 359, Salander reaches out to Berger and offers to help. Why?
13. What is the significance of the subplot about Berger’s stalker?
14. During his interview with She, Blomkvist agrees with the host’s suggestion that the Section’s behavior is akin to mental illness. Do you agree with that idea? How are accusations of mental illness wielded elsewhere in the trilogy?
15. “When it comes down to it, this story is not primarily about spies and secret government agencies; it’s about violence against women, and the men who enable it.” So says Blomkvist on page 514. What else is it about?
16. If she’s not in love with Miriam, why does Salander go to Paris?
17. When deciding what to do about Niedermann, Salander thinks of Harriet Vanger. Where do their stories diverge?
18. The very last sentence of the trilogy is, “She opened the door wide and let him into her life again.” How do you imagine things proceed from here for Salander? For Blomvkist?
