The Man Who Left Behind A Legacy by Deepa Rajan

Stieg Larsson

At the risk of over simplification, Stieg Larsson is identifiably the Van Gogh of crime fiction. 

Just like the tempestuous painter, Larsson died an untimely death- much before he could bear witness to the phenomenal success of his trilogy. More importantly, in one of his letters, Van Gogh is known to have admitted that as he did not have any children, he viewed his paintings as his progeny. Larsson too, has no heirs to call his own, apart from the girl with the dragon tattoo, the one that kicked the hornet’s nest, and the one that played with fire.

Since they were posthumously published in 2005, Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy has catapulted Nordic Noir into the global literary space. Already hugely popular in Europe, so far, over 27 million copies of the Millennium novels have been printed, and the books have been made into three wildly successful Swedish films.

What really seems to make these books work is their setting. A completely Scandinavian crime thrillers crafted around journalist Mikael Blomkvist and his firebrand, tattooed, pierced, prodigious, bisexual computer hacker partner Lisbeth Salander- a duo that takes on corrupt businessmen, sex traffickers, violent bikers, junkies and crooked politicians. The main attraction of the books is the Sweden portrayed through the eyes of Larsson. There is meticulous attention to detail in Larsson’s work and as you read, every page paints a striking picture. The author, who clearly loved this place, and made it a point in his books to use real addresses and locations.  At the same time, the Sweden he gives us is real- freeing readers from the constraints of imagining it as a streamlined Ikea-esque paradise.  It has its share of demons too, very much like our own countries.

And then there are the characters. Blomkvist proves to be a complete antithesis to standard crime fiction detectives doomed to a perpetual state of brooding unhappiness. Identified as Larsson’s alter ego of sorts, Blomkvist is remarkably upbeat and socially well adjusted- exactly how Larsson is remembered by his friends.

Salander, is an infinitely more complicated conundrum- described as elfin, barely 90 pounds and as having dyed black hair “short as a fuse”, she possesses a sordid past to match her Goth appearance. Abused and wrongfully institutionalized as a child, Salander exhibits a world of scepticism about the potential of human goodness. Not really your average hero. What’s important though is that she represents the mistrust and cynicism that exist in the bowels of every human mind- doubting figures of authority, the people we love and even ourselves. Pippi Longstocking, the strong-willed character of Astrid Lindgren’s children’s books is cited as Larsson’s inspiration for Salander. Salander is a testament to all those who survive torturous childhood experiences and somehow grow into adults with notable skills and an intact distinction between right and wrong. But there are also perhaps elements of Larsson himself in her- they shared a diet consisting almost entirely of coffee, cigarettes and fast food- one of the reasons cited for Larsson’s heart attack- a fanatical disposition towards research and a resolute sense of justice and fairness.

Lisbeth itself is the namesake of a rape victim that Larsson in his childhood is said to have been unable to help. It is perhaps for this reason that through the Millennium trilogy there is a feminist undercurrent, and Larsson brings to prominent focus his abhorrence of violence against women. Despite numerous suggestions Larsson refused to change the rather grim Swedish title of the first volume, “Man Som Hatar Kvinnor,” or “Men Who Hate Women.”

Larsson died without leaving a will. This has resulted in an intense struggle between his partner Eva Gabrielsson and Larsson’s father and younger brother.  Although legally Gabrielsson has no claim, she possesses a crucial piece of the Larsson legacy: a laptop computer containing roughly three-quarters of a fourth novel. According to Gabrielsson, in 2005 the Larsson’s offered to give her Stieg’s half of their apartment in return for the laptop. She refused, calling the offer extortion, and they eventually relented, very likely under the weight of public opinion, and let her have the whole apartment for nothing. Last November, the Larsson’s told a journalist that they were willing to settle the dispute for 20 million kronor (roughly $2.6 million). Gabrielsson didn’t respond.

In 1995 Larsson co-founded Expo, an anti-racist Swedish publication on which Millennium is loosely based. Despite its humble beginning the magazine nevertheless succeeded in upsetting the people Larsson was writing, about exposing him to multiple death-threats as an “enemy of the white race.” Such right-wing extremism was a legacy from World War II, when some Swedes secretly supported the Nazis, particularly rampant in the 90s.  This convoluted history has invariably fuelled speculation regarding Larsson, embroiling him in a variety of conspiracy theories that persist on calling his death an assassination. Life doesn’t necessarily imitate art but in this case, Larsson himself has now become one the opinionated, upright Swedish characters in his own books- entwined in a tale of envy, vested interests and mysterious manuscripts.