From a purely physical standpoint she didn't have a chance, but her attitude was that death was better than capitulation.

Nobody can avoid falling in love. They might want to deny it, but friendship is probably the most common form of love.

I believe that everyone has it in them to kill another person. In desperation, or hatred, or at least to defend themselves.

Every year Swedish society produces a new generation of threatened women who can testify to the lack of legal rights and the lukewarm interest shown by the police and other authorities.

She had put on make-up in a colour scheme that indicated she might be colourblind.

Blomkvist had indeed had many brief relationships. He knew he was reasonably good-looking, but he had never considered himself exceptionally attractive. But he had often been told that he had something that made women interested in him . . .that he radiated self-confidence and security at the same time, that he had the ability to make women feel at ease. Going to bed with him was not threatening or complicated, but it might be erotically enjoyable. And that, according to Blomkvist, was as it should be.

He comes off a little like Practical Pig in The Three Little Pigs.