Lisbeth Salander as a Cultural Symbol: An Underdeveloped Cultural Criticism That Had to Be Gotten Out of My System Re A New Semester Beginning With Plenty More Scholarly Papers Pending

These articles raise fascinating questions about the veracity and ethics of continuing a deceased author's work, especially once an eponymous character transcends the original work and becomes a pop-culture figure. In general, where literary debates are concerned, I'm inclined to side first with the author, second with the theoretical (as opposed to popular) critics, and thirdly with the publisher. In this case, though, there isn't a clear indication of Stieg Larsson's intentions. With Robert Jordan, who passed away in 2007, there was an explicit, "Hey guys, finish my books, ok?" And while I didn't love the result and would dispute its artistic relevance to the original work, I don't dispute his right to request that the narrative be completed. Here, the books weren't published in the author's lifetime, and three people close to him– widow, father, and brother– have two different opinions on the continuation of the Millennium series.

First and most famous novel of the original Millennium series...

... the heroine/cultural symbol, Lisbeth Salander...

... the new novel, billed specifically in context of Lisbeth, with a nod to the Millennium series.

Two cool quotes: “First we seek our heroes in old myths, and now we seek them in popular culture," from David Lagercrantz, who's continuing the series. And, "Lisbeth Salander is one of the heroines, I think, of the 21st century," from Sonny Mehta, head of the publisher behind the novels. The feeling almost seems to be that Lisbeth Salander, and her relevance to contemporary culture's (i.e., our) understanding of itself (ourselves), is more important than the novels themselves. I don't know whether I agree more with Eva Gabrielsson, Larsson's widow, who feels strongly that the new novel tarnishes his legacy and shouldn't be published, or with the voices interpreting Lisbeth as having become a cultural symbol whose story should be continued, but it's fascinating and raises tons of somewhat unresolvable questions either way.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/29/books/in-stieg-larssons-head-but-anxious-to-be-his-own-man.html?smid=fb-nytimes&smtyp=cur

http://www.npr.org/2015/08/27/434916317/the-girl-who-outlived-her-creator-salander-returns-in-spiders-web