Book me fail... The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

I'm not doing very well with this one, I'm afraid - I'm not particularly enjoying it at all, which is odd, cos two people recced it, and someone else said it was on their to-read list! So what's gone wrong...

I think, for me, it's the writing style - I feel as if the story is being explained to me, rather than told in a way that makes me imagine it, makes me feel like I'm watching it, or a part of it, which is really why I read at all... For example:
Blomkvist regretted his decision before even he left for home, but by then it was too awkward to call and cancel. So on the morning of 26 December he was on the train heading north. He had a driver's licence but he had never felt the need to own a car.

or
Instead of giving Salander the boot, he summoned her for a meeting in which he tried to work out what made the difficult girl tick. His impression was confirmed that she suffered from some serious emotional problem, but he also discovered that behind her sullen facade there was an unusual intelligence. He found her prickly and irksome, but much to his surprise he began to like her.

It doesn't sound too bad in isolation like that, but page after page of it leaves me feeling kind of tired rather than interested to find out next... Why do I need to know the thing about the driving license? It just makes me stop and think you told me this because...? And I'd like to see the meeting with Salander, rather than be told about it, if you know what I mean...

Also, so far the characters are all absolutely perfect - Blomkvist has fallen for some trap, but he's a fine, upstanding man, has money, enough charisma to be on tv, is almost certainly good-looking. Salander is pretty but quirky, incredibly clever but rebellious, again charismatic "despite" being sullen and teenager-like. She's young, and turns up to work only when she wants to, is brilliant enough that she earns enough to do whatever she wants (including only working when she wants) and she also has time to visit sick mother in hospital and treat her with patience and tender care... Gaaargh! I'm waiting for the bad guy to be seen kicking a puppy, to be honest...

But there has to be a reason this book - trilogy in fact - is so well thought of. Does the plot turn out to be fabulous? Or...?

I might have to put this one down (I didn't say I had to finish every book on the list - and life's too short to be that bored... *g*) but I'd still like to know why other people like it so much?

Book me fail... The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

I'm not doing very well with this one, I'm afraid - I'm not particularly enjoying it at all, which is odd, cos two people recced it, and someone else said it was on their to-read list! So what's gone wrong...

I think, for me, it's the writing style - I feel as if the story is being explained to me, rather than told in a way that makes me imagine it, makes me feel like I'm watching it, or a part of it, which is really why I read at all... For example:
Blomkvist regretted his decision before even he left for home, but by then it was too awkward to call and cancel. So on the morning of 26 December he was on the train heading north. He had a driver's licence but he had never felt the need to own a car.

or
Instead of giving Salander the boot, he summoned her for a meeting in which he tried to work out what made the difficult girl tick. His impression was confirmed that she suffered from some serious emotional problem, but he also discovered that behind her sullen facade there was an unusual intelligence. He found her prickly and irksome, but much to his surprise he began to like her.

It doesn't sound too bad in isolation like that, but page after page of it leaves me feeling kind of tired rather than interested to find out next... Why do I need to know the thing about the driving license? It just makes me stop and think you told me this because...? And I'd like to see the meeting with Salander, rather than be told about it, if you know what I mean...

Also, so far the characters are all absolutely perfect - Blomkvist has fallen for some trap, but he's a fine, upstanding man, has money, enough charisma to be on tv, is almost certainly good-looking. Salander is pretty but quirky, incredibly clever but rebellious, again charismatic "despite" being sullen and teenager-like. She's young, and turns up to work only when she wants to, is brilliant enough that she earns enough to do whatever she wants (including only working when she wants) and she also has time to visit sick mother in hospital and treat her with patience and tender care... Gaaargh! I'm waiting for the bad guy to be seen kicking a puppy, to be honest...

But there has to be a reason this book - trilogy in fact - is so well thought of. Does the plot turn out to be fabulous? Or...?

I might have to put this one down (I didn't say I had to finish every book on the list - and life's too short to be that bored... *g*) but I'd still like to know why other people like it so much?