Mikael Blomkvist
Encyclopedia
Mikael Blomkvist is a fictional character created by writer Stieg Larsson
who appears as a main character in the Millennium series along with Lisbeth Salander
.
, on characters from Astrid Lindgren
novels. For example, Salander throughout the three books sarcastically calls Blomkvist by the diminutive nickname "Kalle Blomkvist," referencing a boy detective who appears in several of Lindgren's novels. This nickname applies because Blomkvist's first notable journalistic story was uncovering the hideout of a notorious gang of bank robbers whom the press dubbed the Bear Gang.
and co-owner of the monthly magazine Millennium based out of Stockholm
, Sweden
. At the start of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
, he loses a libel case involving damaging allegations about billionaire Swedish industrialist Hans-Erik Wennerström, and is sentenced to three months in prison. Facing jail time and professional disgrace, Blomkvist steps down from his position on the magazine's board of directors. At the same time, he is offered a freelance assignment by Henrik Vanger, the former CEO of Vanger Enterprises and patriarch of the wealthy Vanger family, to help him solve the cold case of his great-niece, Harriet Vanger, who has been missing for over 40 years and presumed dead. Blomkvist reluctantly accepts the case in exchange for valuable information Vanger claims to have that would help him in his case against Wennerström.
During this time, Blomkvist meets and begins to work with Salander, who Vanger had hired prior to investigate Blomkvist while considering him for the job. The two would form an important relationship which each of their skill-sets proving invaluable in solving the Vanger case. At the end of the first novel, Salander saves Blomkvist's life from Vanger's great-nephew (and Harriet's brother) Martin, a serial killer
who had been preying on women throughout Sweden for decades. When Vanger's information about Wennerström proves to be useless, Salander uses her hacking skills to get sensitive information about Wennerström that was much more incriminating than what Blomkvist had in the past. With the information uncovered by Salander, Blomkvist publishes an exposé article and book that ruins Wennerström, clears his own name, and propels him and his Millennium newspaper to one of the most respected and profitable in Sweden. Forever in gratitude to Salander, Blomkvist becomes her most loyal advocate, fighting for her innocence — mostly against her wishes — when she is later accused of murder.
Blomkvist is divorced with one daughter and throughout the trilogy has many lovers, including a brief affair with Lisbeth Salander. His primary relationship in the series is an open relationship
with Erika Berger, his married business partner. Upon learning this, Salander abruptly cuts off all contact with him, although they ultimately reconcile after he fights for her innocence when she is accused of murder in the second and third novels.
According to the author, "Mikael Blomkvist is a graduate of the School of Journalism and had much of his professional life dedicated to revealing and report suspicious transactions, specifically in the field of banking and business," writes Larsson in the first volume of the trilogy. "It will give the typical image of guardian of the moral, incorruptible, facing the business world. And as such quite frequently invite you to comment on various issues in television."
.
Daniel Craig
has been cast as Blomkvist in David Fincher
's 2011 adaptation of the book
.
Stieg Larsson
Karl Stig-Erland Larsson , who wrote professionally as Stieg Larsson, was a Swedish journalist and writer, born in Skelleftehamn outside Skellefteå. He is best known for writing the "Millennium series" of crime novels, which were published posthumously...
who appears as a main character in the Millennium series along with Lisbeth Salander
Lisbeth Salander
Lisbeth Salander is a fictional character created by Swedish author and journalist Stieg Larsson. She is the heroine of Larsson's award-winning "Millennium series", first appearing in the novel The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo...
.
Name
Larsson stated in interviews that he based many characters, including that of Lisbeth SalanderLisbeth Salander
Lisbeth Salander is a fictional character created by Swedish author and journalist Stieg Larsson. She is the heroine of Larsson's award-winning "Millennium series", first appearing in the novel The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo...
, on characters from Astrid Lindgren
Astrid Lindgren
Astrid Anna Emilia Lindgren , 14 November 1907 – 28 January 2002) was a Swedish author and screenwriter who is the world's 25th most translated author and has sold roughly 145 million copies worldwide...
novels. For example, Salander throughout the three books sarcastically calls Blomkvist by the diminutive nickname "Kalle Blomkvist," referencing a boy detective who appears in several of Lindgren's novels. This nickname applies because Blomkvist's first notable journalistic story was uncovering the hideout of a notorious gang of bank robbers whom the press dubbed the Bear Gang.
Character biography
Blomkvist is an investigative journalistInvestigative journalism
Investigative journalism is a form of journalism in which reporters deeply investigate a single topic of interest, often involving crime, political corruption, or corporate wrongdoing. An investigative journalist may spend months or years researching and preparing a report. Investigative journalism...
and co-owner of the monthly magazine Millennium based out of Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. At the start of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is an award-winning crime novel by Swedish author and journalist Stieg Larsson. It is the first book in the trilogy known as the "Millennium series"....
, he loses a libel case involving damaging allegations about billionaire Swedish industrialist Hans-Erik Wennerström, and is sentenced to three months in prison. Facing jail time and professional disgrace, Blomkvist steps down from his position on the magazine's board of directors. At the same time, he is offered a freelance assignment by Henrik Vanger, the former CEO of Vanger Enterprises and patriarch of the wealthy Vanger family, to help him solve the cold case of his great-niece, Harriet Vanger, who has been missing for over 40 years and presumed dead. Blomkvist reluctantly accepts the case in exchange for valuable information Vanger claims to have that would help him in his case against Wennerström.
During this time, Blomkvist meets and begins to work with Salander, who Vanger had hired prior to investigate Blomkvist while considering him for the job. The two would form an important relationship which each of their skill-sets proving invaluable in solving the Vanger case. At the end of the first novel, Salander saves Blomkvist's life from Vanger's great-nephew (and Harriet's brother) Martin, a serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
who had been preying on women throughout Sweden for decades. When Vanger's information about Wennerström proves to be useless, Salander uses her hacking skills to get sensitive information about Wennerström that was much more incriminating than what Blomkvist had in the past. With the information uncovered by Salander, Blomkvist publishes an exposé article and book that ruins Wennerström, clears his own name, and propels him and his Millennium newspaper to one of the most respected and profitable in Sweden. Forever in gratitude to Salander, Blomkvist becomes her most loyal advocate, fighting for her innocence — mostly against her wishes — when she is later accused of murder.
Blomkvist is divorced with one daughter and throughout the trilogy has many lovers, including a brief affair with Lisbeth Salander. His primary relationship in the series is an open relationship
Open relationship
An open relationship is an interpersonal relationship in which the parties want to be together but agree to a form of a non-monogamous relationship. This means that they agree that a romantic or sexual relationship with another person is accepted, permitted, or tolerated...
with Erika Berger, his married business partner. Upon learning this, Salander abruptly cuts off all contact with him, although they ultimately reconcile after he fights for her innocence when she is accused of murder in the second and third novels.
According to the author, "Mikael Blomkvist is a graduate of the School of Journalism and had much of his professional life dedicated to revealing and report suspicious transactions, specifically in the field of banking and business," writes Larsson in the first volume of the trilogy. "It will give the typical image of guardian of the moral, incorruptible, facing the business world. And as such quite frequently invite you to comment on various issues in television."
In film
In the 2009 film The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and its two sequels, Blomkvist is played by Michael NyqvistMichael Nyqvist
Rolf Åke Michael Nyqvist is a Swedish actor. Educated at the School of Drama in Malmö, he became well known from his role as police officer Banck in the first series of Beck movies made in 1997. He is recently most recognized for his role in the internationally acclaimed Millennium series as...
.
Daniel Craig
Daniel Craig
Daniel Wroughton Craig is an English actor. His early film roles include Elizabeth, The Power of One, A Kid in King Arthur's Court and the television episodes Sharpe's Eagle, Zorro and The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles: Daredevils of the Desert...
has been cast as Blomkvist in David Fincher
David Fincher
David Andrew Leo Fincher is an American film and music video director. Known for his dark and stylish thrillers, such as Seven , The Game , Fight Club , Panic Room , and Zodiac , Fincher received Academy Award nominations for Best Director for his 2008 film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and...
's 2011 adaptation of the book
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011 film)
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is an upcoming English-language drama thriller film that is the second film based on the Swedish novel of the same name by Stieg Larsson. The first film was the 2009 Swedish-language adaptation. The upcoming film is written by Steven Zaillian and directed by David...
.
See also
- The Girl with the Dragon TattooThe Girl with the Dragon TattooThe Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is an award-winning crime novel by Swedish author and journalist Stieg Larsson. It is the first book in the trilogy known as the "Millennium series"....
. - The Girl Who Played with FireThe Girl Who Played with FireThe Girl Who Played with Fire is the second novel in the best-selling "Millennium series" by Swedish writer Stieg Larsson. It was published posthumously in Swedish in 2006 and in English in January 2009....
. - The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' NestThe Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' NestThe Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest is the third and final novel in the best-selling "Millennium series"by Swedish writer Stieg Larsson.The novel is the sequel to The Girl Who Played with Fire....
.