The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a best-selling crime novel by Swedish author Stieg Larsson. It's the first book in a trilogy called the Millennium Trilogy.
The novels became famous after Larsson's death in 2004. At the time of his death, there were 3 unpublished novels that make up the trilogy.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo ascended best-seller lists in several European countries and eventually the United States. Larsson's book was inspired by the gang rape of a young girl he witnessed when he was 15. The girl's name was Lisbeth - like the young heroine of his books, herself a rape victim. Larsson introduced the theme of sexual violence against women in his books.
There has been a Swedish film adaptation of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and currently director David Fincher is making a Hollywood version of the book that is set to be released at the end of December 2011.
