Sweden: Stieg Larsson: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
I never had many heroes growing up: I saw so many flaws with the idolized pop stars and worshiped actors that they just weren’t significant to me. The irony is that now my role model is a fictional character. I don’t have a lot of space to do so, but if you have not, I implore you to read this book. It is not, as you would assume, a violent crime thriller suited to men without capacity for anything that attacks social stigmas or the position of sexism and exploitation hidden within a modern society. Oh no, it is quite the opposite. Lisbeth Salander is the fiercely unorthodox protagonist of the story, unconventional physically and psychologically. Reading this story taught me a lot about how I see myself, and how society sees me. Most importantly, it taught me not to give a fuck what anyone else thinks, and not to let any dare think any less of me because I am a woman. This novel is an eager dissection of modern Swedish society and economy, as well as an expertly written thriller, horror, and love story, which is why I believe it deserves a mention when exploring the wealthy spectrum of international writing. If you like Sherlock, you’ll love this. Seriously.
Words by Paige John