The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson ****

I just barely finished reading this book in time to post tonight. What a ride! I continue to be intrigued by the original name of the first book, Men Who Hate Women. Lisbeth Salander, the main character of this one, is described as "the woman who hates men who hate women." And it's a spot-on label. This time, the obvious ways men hate women were apparent - the domineering, scheming husband at the beginning, the sex trade scandal. But there were also more subtle ways. The police detective Faste is a perfect example of a misogynist pig. The female detective, Modig is kicked off the case at one point (even though she's on the right track) when one of the higher ups gets his ego bruised by her findings. But then asked to work unofficially on it because it wouldn't look right to have her back on in light of everything. Typical. In many ways I think it shows that the way men demean women continues daily in very subtle ways.

Now, I'm a feminist in the sense that I believe women should have "the vote" and should be able to be educated and all that. I'm all for equal pay for equal work. So, yes, in that sense I am a feminist. I don't find myself worked up to the point that I feel I need to become politically active over the issue or anything. But, in many ways I feel like the feminist movement is obsolete. In so many ways women have reached equality to men. And in other ways I think it's okay for men to have things that they tend to be better at and women have things that they tend to be better at. But then there are times when I encounter an old boy's club, or someone makes a comment, and I realize that it's not over. We're not done. I still don't get paid as well as a man would in my position. I have a loving husband who is supportive, kind, and genuinely wants me to seek out fulfillment and happiness that both involve him, and are independent of him. I know not all men hate women. I just can't understand how anyone can just lump an entire gender into a category labeled "worthless." It doesn't make me angry. It just makes me confused. It seems so outdated and ludicrous.

Enough of my ramblings. The book was another really fast read, and I found the plot moved much more quickly than the first. Spoiler: the ending is such a cliffhanger, I'm counting the weeks until I'll be able to read the last one.