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Let the Right One In #1
螁蟽蔚 韦慰 螝伪魏蠈 螡伪 螠蟺蔚喂
螣 螌蟽魏伪蟻 蔚委谓伪喂 苇谓伪 未蠅未蔚魏维蠂蟻慰谓慰 伪纬蠈蟻喂 蟺慰蠀 味蔚喂 渭蔚 蟿畏 渭畏蟿苇蟻伪 蟿慰蠀 蟽蔚 苇谓伪 渭慰蠀谓蟿蠈 蟽蠀纬魏蟻蠈蟿畏渭伪 蟺慰位蠀魏伪蟿慰喂魏喂蠋谓 蟽蟿伪 蟺蟻慰维蟽蟿喂伪 蟿畏蟼 危蟿慰魏蠂蠈位渭畏蟼. 螣谓蔚喂蟻蔚蠉蔚蟿伪喂 蟿慰谓 伪蟺蠈谓蟿伪 蟺伪蟿苇蟻伪 蟿慰蠀, 蟺苇蠁蟿蔚喂 蟽蠀蠂谓维 胃蠉渭伪 魏伪魏慰蟺慰委畏蟽畏蟼 蟽蟿慰 蟽蠂慰位蔚委慰 魏伪喂 魏伪蟿慰蠀蟻喂苇蟿伪喂 蟺维谓蠅 蟿慰蠀 魏维胃蔚 蠁慰蟻维 蟺慰蠀 蠁慰尾维蟿伪喂.
螚 螆位喂 蔚委谓伪喂 蟿慰 谓蔚伪蟻蠈 魏慰蟻委蟿蟽喂 蟺慰蠀 渭蔚蟿伪魏慰渭委味蔚喂 蟽蟿慰 未喂蟺位伪谓蠈 未喂伪渭苇蟻喂蟽渭伪. 螖蔚谓 蟺畏纬伪委谓蔚喂 蟽蠂慰位蔚委慰 魏伪喂 未蔚谓 尾纬伪委谓蔚喂 蟺慰蟿苇 伪蟺蠈 蟿慰 蟽蟺委蟿喂 蟽蟿畏 未喂维蟻魏蔚喂伪 蟿畏蟼 渭苇蟻伪蟼. 螘委谓伪喂 苇谓伪 尾伪渭蟺委蟻 200 蠂蟻慰谓蠋谓, 伪喂蠋谓喂伪 蔚纬魏位蠅尾喂蟽渭苇谓慰 蟽蟿畏谓 蟺伪喂未喂魏萎 畏位喂魏委伪, 蟽魏位伪尾蠅渭苇谓慰 蟽蟿畏谓 伪谓维纬魏畏 蟿慰蠀 谓伪 蟺委谓蔚喂 蠁蟻苇蟽魏慰 伪委渭伪 纬喂伪 谓伪 蔚蟺喂尾喂蠋谓蔚喂. 螛蠉渭伪蟿伪 魏伪喂 慰喂 未蠀慰, 胃伪 纬谓蠅蟻喂蟽蟿慰蠉谓, 胃伪 纬委谓慰蠀谓 蠁委位慰喂 魏伪喂 胃伪 蠁蟿维蟽慰蠀谓 蟽蟿慰 蟽畏渭蔚委慰 谓伪 蔚尉伪蟻蟿维蟿伪喂 畏 味蠅萎 蟿慰蠀 蔚谓蠈蟼 伪蟺蠈 蟿慰谓 维位位慰谓.
螣 Lindqvist 渭蔚蟿伪蠁苇蟻蔚喂 蟿慰谓 渭蠉胃慰 蟿慰蠀 尾蟻喂魏蠈位伪魏伪 蟽蟿慰 蟽蠉纬蠂蟻慰谓慰 伪蟽蟿喂魏蠈 蟿慰蟺委慰 魏伪喂 纬谓苇胃蔚喂 苇谓伪 伪谓伪蟿蟻喂蠂喂伪蟽蟿喂魏维 蟻慰渭伪谓蟿喂魏蠈 胃蟻委位蔚蟻, 蟺慰蠀 纬谓蠋蟻喂蟽蔚 渭蔚纬维位畏 蔚蟺喂蟿蠀蠂委伪 蟽蟿畏谓 蟺蟻蠈蟽蠁伪蟿畏 魏喂谓畏渭伪蟿慰纬蟻伪蠁喂魏萎 渭蔚蟿伪蠁慰蟻维 蟿慰蠀 伪蟺蠈 蟿慰谓 韦蠈渭伪蟼 螁位蠁蟻蔚谓蟿蟽慰谓.
螚 螆位喂 蔚委谓伪喂 蟿慰 谓蔚伪蟻蠈 魏慰蟻委蟿蟽喂 蟺慰蠀 渭蔚蟿伪魏慰渭委味蔚喂 蟽蟿慰 未喂蟺位伪谓蠈 未喂伪渭苇蟻喂蟽渭伪. 螖蔚谓 蟺畏纬伪委谓蔚喂 蟽蠂慰位蔚委慰 魏伪喂 未蔚谓 尾纬伪委谓蔚喂 蟺慰蟿苇 伪蟺蠈 蟿慰 蟽蟺委蟿喂 蟽蟿畏 未喂维蟻魏蔚喂伪 蟿畏蟼 渭苇蟻伪蟼. 螘委谓伪喂 苇谓伪 尾伪渭蟺委蟻 200 蠂蟻慰谓蠋谓, 伪喂蠋谓喂伪 蔚纬魏位蠅尾喂蟽渭苇谓慰 蟽蟿畏谓 蟺伪喂未喂魏萎 畏位喂魏委伪, 蟽魏位伪尾蠅渭苇谓慰 蟽蟿畏谓 伪谓维纬魏畏 蟿慰蠀 谓伪 蟺委谓蔚喂 蠁蟻苇蟽魏慰 伪委渭伪 纬喂伪 谓伪 蔚蟺喂尾喂蠋谓蔚喂. 螛蠉渭伪蟿伪 魏伪喂 慰喂 未蠀慰, 胃伪 纬谓蠅蟻喂蟽蟿慰蠉谓, 胃伪 纬委谓慰蠀谓 蠁委位慰喂 魏伪喂 胃伪 蠁蟿维蟽慰蠀谓 蟽蟿慰 蟽畏渭蔚委慰 谓伪 蔚尉伪蟻蟿维蟿伪喂 畏 味蠅萎 蟿慰蠀 蔚谓蠈蟼 伪蟺蠈 蟿慰谓 维位位慰谓.
螣 Lindqvist 渭蔚蟿伪蠁苇蟻蔚喂 蟿慰谓 渭蠉胃慰 蟿慰蠀 尾蟻喂魏蠈位伪魏伪 蟽蟿慰 蟽蠉纬蠂蟻慰谓慰 伪蟽蟿喂魏蠈 蟿慰蟺委慰 魏伪喂 纬谓苇胃蔚喂 苇谓伪 伪谓伪蟿蟻喂蠂喂伪蟽蟿喂魏维 蟻慰渭伪谓蟿喂魏蠈 胃蟻委位蔚蟻, 蟺慰蠀 纬谓蠋蟻喂蟽蔚 渭蔚纬维位畏 蔚蟺喂蟿蠀蠂委伪 蟽蟿畏谓 蟺蟻蠈蟽蠁伪蟿畏 魏喂谓畏渭伪蟿慰纬蟻伪蠁喂魏萎 渭蔚蟿伪蠁慰蟻维 蟿慰蠀 伪蟺蠈 蟿慰谓 韦蠈渭伪蟼 螁位蠁蟻蔚谓蟿蟽慰谓.
572 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2004
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218694 people want to read
About the author
John Ajvide Lindqvist
78听books4,125听followersJohn Ajvide Lindqvist (John Erik Ajvide Lindqvist) is a Swedish author who grew up in Blackeberg, the setting for
Let the Right One In
. Wanting to become something awful and fantastic, he first became a conjurer, and then was a stand-up comedian for twelve years. He has also written for Swedish television.
His Let the Right One In was a bestseller in Sweden and was named Best Novel in Translation 2005 in Norway. He also is the author of Handling the Undead and Harbor .
Russian profile can be found here: /author/show...
His Let the Right One In was a bestseller in Sweden and was named Best Novel in Translation 2005 in Norway. He also is the author of Handling the Undead and Harbor .
Russian profile can be found here: /author/show...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 8,186 reviews
December 4, 2013
I finally got my revenge on Sweden. For most of my life I鈥檝e been bombarded with newspapers and radio telling me how Sweden is so much much very much absolutely completely better than Britain at practically everything. Here鈥檚 some random quotes from the BBC news archive :
鈥淪weden has probably the strongest freedom of information law anywhere in the world.鈥�
鈥淪weden has one of the best staffed health services in the world. But as a parent, Sweden seems the perfect place to have children.鈥�
鈥淏BC's Joe Wilson on how Sweden became a top athletics nation. What can Sweden teach GB?鈥�
鈥淪weden says it aims to completely wean itself off oil within 15 years, without building new nuclear plants..鈥�
鈥淚n a survey of the 26 most industrialised countries, only Sweden came out better.鈥� (Better at what? Oh鈥� life鈥ove鈥appiness鈥�)
鈥淪weden and Denmark show most clearly what spelling reform can do. Sweden has gradually given itself a fairly sound spelling system.鈥� (Yes, spelling reform is important too! Admittedly this didn鈥檛 make me as furiously jealous as the other stuff. But still 鈥� Sweden. Again.)
鈥淚f you want my answer, I think we should look at how they do it in Sweden. They have high taxation and a better standard of living which means everyone feels they should contribute鈥�
Blah blah blah. And Abba too! Is there no end to their tall blond pretty perfection and their warm fuzzy wraparound social democracy? But now, one grungy vampire tale Let the Right One In let鈥檚 me know in no uncertain terms that Swedes suffer too. Behind the perky teeth and healthy children and universal dentistry and free housing for all and trams and no nuclear waste and Mamma Mia there鈥檚 urban decay, neglected glue-sniffing kids, violence, drunkenness, wasted lives and compellingly unpleasant vampires. This is chicken soup for my soul, with swedes!
And not only that, but as many persons have pointed out, this is a kind of anti-Twilight, given that the only sexually attractive vampire around is a 200 year old 12 year old girl and the only attracting going on is with an adult paedophile and a miserable lonely 12 year old boy. So stick that up your sacro-iliac, Bella and Edward! I fart in your general direction!
This book gets major points for being so accurate about childhood terrors of the non-imaginary kind (bullying). In fact it's really about childhood neglect and the vampire stuff can be read as an extended poetic symbol. But the vampire stuff is also gory and it rocks, so you can have your sensitive cake and you can greedily gobble it up it too.
Anyway, altogether, a maxillo-facial gothtastic read - 3.5 stars.
Update : the film rocks too. It pulls a few punches and cuts out a major zombie theme but otherwise a does a great job. Rent it!
Up-update - I was referring here to the movie Let the Right One In by Thomas Alfredson, made in Sweden in 2009 and not the Hollywood remake by Matt Reeves just released, which I haven't seen.
Upupupupdate : I saw the American remake and that's great too - I wouldn't lie to you, I was very surprised. So - rent that one too!
Upupupupupupdate : they're still at it! Now I'm being told that although Sweden gets a million tons of snow every day because of their extreme yet kindly efficiency no one ever falls down and no bus is ever late and no road is ever closed yet a couple of days of Swedish snow in Britain and all roads are impassable and all lorries immediately jack-knife and all schools immediately close.
Bite them, Eli, bite them all! Don't leave a single Swede unbitten!
鈥淪weden has probably the strongest freedom of information law anywhere in the world.鈥�
鈥淪weden has one of the best staffed health services in the world. But as a parent, Sweden seems the perfect place to have children.鈥�
鈥淏BC's Joe Wilson on how Sweden became a top athletics nation. What can Sweden teach GB?鈥�
鈥淪weden says it aims to completely wean itself off oil within 15 years, without building new nuclear plants..鈥�
鈥淚n a survey of the 26 most industrialised countries, only Sweden came out better.鈥� (Better at what? Oh鈥� life鈥ove鈥appiness鈥�)
鈥淪weden and Denmark show most clearly what spelling reform can do. Sweden has gradually given itself a fairly sound spelling system.鈥� (Yes, spelling reform is important too! Admittedly this didn鈥檛 make me as furiously jealous as the other stuff. But still 鈥� Sweden. Again.)
鈥淚f you want my answer, I think we should look at how they do it in Sweden. They have high taxation and a better standard of living which means everyone feels they should contribute鈥�
Blah blah blah. And Abba too! Is there no end to their tall blond pretty perfection and their warm fuzzy wraparound social democracy? But now, one grungy vampire tale Let the Right One In let鈥檚 me know in no uncertain terms that Swedes suffer too. Behind the perky teeth and healthy children and universal dentistry and free housing for all and trams and no nuclear waste and Mamma Mia there鈥檚 urban decay, neglected glue-sniffing kids, violence, drunkenness, wasted lives and compellingly unpleasant vampires. This is chicken soup for my soul, with swedes!
And not only that, but as many persons have pointed out, this is a kind of anti-Twilight, given that the only sexually attractive vampire around is a 200 year old 12 year old girl and the only attracting going on is with an adult paedophile and a miserable lonely 12 year old boy. So stick that up your sacro-iliac, Bella and Edward! I fart in your general direction!
This book gets major points for being so accurate about childhood terrors of the non-imaginary kind (bullying). In fact it's really about childhood neglect and the vampire stuff can be read as an extended poetic symbol. But the vampire stuff is also gory and it rocks, so you can have your sensitive cake and you can greedily gobble it up it too.
Anyway, altogether, a maxillo-facial gothtastic read - 3.5 stars.
Update : the film rocks too. It pulls a few punches and cuts out a major zombie theme but otherwise a does a great job. Rent it!
Up-update - I was referring here to the movie Let the Right One In by Thomas Alfredson, made in Sweden in 2009 and not the Hollywood remake by Matt Reeves just released, which I haven't seen.
Upupupupdate : I saw the American remake and that's great too - I wouldn't lie to you, I was very surprised. So - rent that one too!
Upupupupupupdate : they're still at it! Now I'm being told that although Sweden gets a million tons of snow every day because of their extreme yet kindly efficiency no one ever falls down and no bus is ever late and no road is ever closed yet a couple of days of Swedish snow in Britain and all roads are impassable and all lorries immediately jack-knife and all schools immediately close.
Bite them, Eli, bite them all! Don't leave a single Swede unbitten!
December 4, 2013
You know that bit at the beginning of Amadeus, where Salieri has composed this very uninspired little march, which he and the Emperor play for Mozart? Then Mozart sits down at the keyboard and says, hm, that's not quite right, is it? And he messes around with it for a couple of minutes, until he's suddenly transformed it into "Here's farewell to the games with the girls" from The Marriage of Figaro.
Well, it's like that L氓t den r盲tte komma in and Twilight. John Ajvide Lindqvist has looked at Stephenie Meyer's book and said hm, that's not quite right, is it? And he's somehow rearranged its elements into a bloody masterpiece. I wouldn't have thought it could be done.
I can hear Mozart's irritating high-pitched giggle. Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!
Well, it's like that L氓t den r盲tte komma in and Twilight. John Ajvide Lindqvist has looked at Stephenie Meyer's book and said hm, that's not quite right, is it? And he's somehow rearranged its elements into a bloody masterpiece. I wouldn't have thought it could be done.
I can hear Mozart's irritating high-pitched giggle. Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!
March 25, 2024
(A) 86% | Extraordinary
Notes: Tenderness with ferocity. It's lonely, desperate people living in ashen desolation. The grey makes the red stand out.
Notes: Tenderness with ferocity. It's lonely, desperate people living in ashen desolation. The grey makes the red stand out.
January 29, 2015
Yo, lesson for you, Stephenie: this is how you write a fucking vampire novel.
So you can run and tell THAT.
So you can run and tell THAT.
October 9, 2011
Soiled鈥oiled and a bit emotionally off-kilter.
That鈥檚 the best I can do to describe how this book made me feel. It鈥檚 dark, morose and...really鈥eally...REALLY鈥reepy. Not strange sounds and creaking doors creepy. Creepy听like that "overly affectionate" uncle who stares at you too often and always wants a hug that lasts for an inappropriate length of time. That kind of creepy.
This book oozes it.听
The working class Swedish suburb where the story takes place feels dingy, depressing and rundown. The people moving through the narrative are sad, detached and very weird (mostly) and the atmosphere is a kind of artsy fogginess that makes everything seem dreamlike and slightly鈥ell鈥�.off.
All of which adds up to a big, fat, musty pants load of CREEPY. 听 Of course, it鈥檚 horror, and Swedish horror at that, so creepy means its doing something right.
Beyond the high creepy quotient, this story is hard to pin down. While the main character is a vampire, this is not really a vampire story. It's more a violent, existential character study听about 鈥渙utcasts鈥� living on the fringe of society. It just so happens that one of these outcasts is a gothy, child vampire of dubious age and sexuality who moves into this economically depressed neighborhood and befriends an adolescent boy named Oskar.听Here鈥檚 Eli from the movie (which I have not yet seen):
good casting because that鈥檚 a pretty close approximation of how I visualizedher Eli.
The aforementioned Oskar, our main character, is a 12 year old whose life is a bit of a mess. He's sad, lonely and incontinent and splits his time between being mercilessly bullied by his schoolmates and indulging in a rich, twisted fantasy world where he murders his tormentors in sick, disgusting ways. Here鈥檚 a shot of Oskar 鈥渁t play鈥�
Oskar鈥檚 dad is an alcoholic who lives in the country and his mother, who is mentioned often but rarely heard from in the book seems both over-protective and incredibly neglectful. His life is bordering on tragic.听
However, as far from normal as Oskar and Eil may seem, the "I'm So VERY Odd" Award goes to Eli鈥檚 鈥淩enfield-like鈥� man-servant, Hakan. Hakan鈥檚 job, which he does out of *shudder* love for Eli, is to secure the vampire鈥檚 nourishment. In his spare time, Hakan is a sick, unhinged, pedophile (now you understand the shudder) who is constantly struggling with his predelictions and the awful things he has to do to keep Eli alive.
Again...*shudder* Trust me, by the end of the story, Hakan dumps a whole truckload of creepy all over the story. Oh and no spoilers but just remember...ACID....wow!!!
I struggled with the rating for this book because I don't want to mislead by having my rating indicate that I thought this was听鈥渕iddle of road good.鈥� Parts of it are much better than that...but parts are also worse. The book is a tad schizophrenic. There are some amazing 5 star aspects and some unappealing 1 and 2 star components, all of which coagulate into an overall rating of 鈥淚 liked it鈥� but didn't love it.听
On the positive side, the prose is excellent and the characters of Eli, Hakan and Oskar are very interesting. In addition, Eli is an original and superbly realistic vampire that I thought was just a wonderful take on the mythos. Had the story dealt more with those three components and with the unique form of vampirism that the novel postulates, I would have been far more happy with the book.
Unfortunately (and here we get to the bad), the story gets seriously bogged down with a handful of other characters in the town whose stories were just not compelling to me. I kept losing focus on the story whenever the narrative slipped to one of these ancillaries and it really degraded my enjoyment of the story. Also, the dreariness of the whole story did begin to weigh on me. It just got a bit too much.听
I thought the end was well done and kept pace with the level of realism that the author was going for with the story. Overall, I just found the "non central" aspects of the story a little too dull to keep my attention. That and the "life sucks" tone that never lets up kept my overall level of appreciation a bit muted.听
Still, good writing and a very original, character driven vampire tale. A strong 3.0 to 3.5 stars. 听Recommended.听
That鈥檚 the best I can do to describe how this book made me feel. It鈥檚 dark, morose and...really鈥eally...REALLY鈥reepy. Not strange sounds and creaking doors creepy. Creepy听like that "overly affectionate" uncle who stares at you too often and always wants a hug that lasts for an inappropriate length of time. That kind of creepy.
This book oozes it.听
The working class Swedish suburb where the story takes place feels dingy, depressing and rundown. The people moving through the narrative are sad, detached and very weird (mostly) and the atmosphere is a kind of artsy fogginess that makes everything seem dreamlike and slightly鈥ell鈥�.off.
All of which adds up to a big, fat, musty pants load of CREEPY. 听 Of course, it鈥檚 horror, and Swedish horror at that, so creepy means its doing something right.
Beyond the high creepy quotient, this story is hard to pin down. While the main character is a vampire, this is not really a vampire story. It's more a violent, existential character study听about 鈥渙utcasts鈥� living on the fringe of society. It just so happens that one of these outcasts is a gothy, child vampire of dubious age and sexuality who moves into this economically depressed neighborhood and befriends an adolescent boy named Oskar.听Here鈥檚 Eli from the movie (which I have not yet seen):
good casting because that鈥檚 a pretty close approximation of how I visualized
The aforementioned Oskar, our main character, is a 12 year old whose life is a bit of a mess. He's sad, lonely and incontinent and splits his time between being mercilessly bullied by his schoolmates and indulging in a rich, twisted fantasy world where he murders his tormentors in sick, disgusting ways. Here鈥檚 a shot of Oskar 鈥渁t play鈥�
Oskar鈥檚 dad is an alcoholic who lives in the country and his mother, who is mentioned often but rarely heard from in the book seems both over-protective and incredibly neglectful. His life is bordering on tragic.听
However, as far from normal as Oskar and Eil may seem, the "I'm So VERY Odd" Award goes to Eli鈥檚 鈥淩enfield-like鈥� man-servant, Hakan. Hakan鈥檚 job, which he does out of *shudder* love for Eli, is to secure the vampire鈥檚 nourishment. In his spare time, Hakan is a sick, unhinged, pedophile (now you understand the shudder) who is constantly struggling with his predelictions and the awful things he has to do to keep Eli alive.
Again...*shudder* Trust me, by the end of the story, Hakan dumps a whole truckload of creepy all over the story. Oh and no spoilers but just remember...ACID....wow!!!
I struggled with the rating for this book because I don't want to mislead by having my rating indicate that I thought this was听鈥渕iddle of road good.鈥� Parts of it are much better than that...but parts are also worse. The book is a tad schizophrenic. There are some amazing 5 star aspects and some unappealing 1 and 2 star components, all of which coagulate into an overall rating of 鈥淚 liked it鈥� but didn't love it.听
On the positive side, the prose is excellent and the characters of Eli, Hakan and Oskar are very interesting. In addition, Eli is an original and superbly realistic vampire that I thought was just a wonderful take on the mythos. Had the story dealt more with those three components and with the unique form of vampirism that the novel postulates, I would have been far more happy with the book.
Unfortunately (and here we get to the bad), the story gets seriously bogged down with a handful of other characters in the town whose stories were just not compelling to me. I kept losing focus on the story whenever the narrative slipped to one of these ancillaries and it really degraded my enjoyment of the story. Also, the dreariness of the whole story did begin to weigh on me. It just got a bit too much.听
I thought the end was well done and kept pace with the level of realism that the author was going for with the story. Overall, I just found the "non central" aspects of the story a little too dull to keep my attention. That and the "life sucks" tone that never lets up kept my overall level of appreciation a bit muted.听
Still, good writing and a very original, character driven vampire tale. A strong 3.0 to 3.5 stars. 听Recommended.听
October 27, 2010
After watching the Swedish movie this book is based on, I thought it was an intensely creepy film and promptly got the book to check out the full story. I figured that the planned American film version would be a pale shadow of the original because there鈥檚 no way that a Hollywood movie studio is going to show that messed up tale in it鈥檚 original form to audiences in the U.S. Little did I know that even the Swedish producers didn鈥檛 have the collective nutsack to give us the full story on how goddamn twisted the book is.
Set in the early 鈥�80s, it features a 12 year old boy named Oskar whose alcoholic father and overprotective mother are divorced. Oskar is an outcast and is badly bullied by other kids in his class, and he鈥檚 developing a pretty good case of homicidal rage because of it. In fact, he鈥檚 well on his way to becoming the kind of guy who dances around his basement while screaming at his latest victim to put the lotion on it鈥檚 skin or else it gets the hose again.
Before Oskar completely turns into Buffalo Bill, he meets Eli, a deadly vampire who appears to be a 12 year old girl. Oskar and Eli strike up an unlikely friendship that鈥檚 almost a pre-adolescent romance, but things are going off the rails around them. Eli鈥檚 version of Renfield is a creepy pedophile who is jealous of their relationship and can鈥檛 be counted on to keep Eli supplied with fresh blood. When Eli鈥檚 need for food makes her sloppy, the results are victims and traces that threaten to reveal her. Juvenile delinquents, Swedish alcoholics, a strict cop, a jar of acid and a herd of cats all collide in a variety of terrible ways.
This is a gloriously gruesome and disturbing horror novel that would probably cause Stephanie Meyer to have a stroke if she ever even dared to hold a copy of it in her hackish little hands. Like the best horror novels, the gore and monsters aren鈥檛 the scary parts, it鈥檚 the way that the 鈥檔ormal鈥� people treat each other that will really haunt you.
Set in the early 鈥�80s, it features a 12 year old boy named Oskar whose alcoholic father and overprotective mother are divorced. Oskar is an outcast and is badly bullied by other kids in his class, and he鈥檚 developing a pretty good case of homicidal rage because of it. In fact, he鈥檚 well on his way to becoming the kind of guy who dances around his basement while screaming at his latest victim to put the lotion on it鈥檚 skin or else it gets the hose again.
Before Oskar completely turns into Buffalo Bill, he meets Eli, a deadly vampire who appears to be a 12 year old girl. Oskar and Eli strike up an unlikely friendship that鈥檚 almost a pre-adolescent romance, but things are going off the rails around them. Eli鈥檚 version of Renfield is a creepy pedophile who is jealous of their relationship and can鈥檛 be counted on to keep Eli supplied with fresh blood. When Eli鈥檚 need for food makes her sloppy, the results are victims and traces that threaten to reveal her. Juvenile delinquents, Swedish alcoholics, a strict cop, a jar of acid and a herd of cats all collide in a variety of terrible ways.
This is a gloriously gruesome and disturbing horror novel that would probably cause Stephanie Meyer to have a stroke if she ever even dared to hold a copy of it in her hackish little hands. Like the best horror novels, the gore and monsters aren鈥檛 the scary parts, it鈥檚 the way that the 鈥檔ormal鈥� people treat each other that will really haunt you.
November 5, 2022
鈥淟et the right one in,
Let the old dreams die,
Let the wrong ones go,
They cannot do what you want them to do"
Set in Blackeberg, Stockholm in 1981 鈥楲et the Right One In鈥� centers around a bullied 12 year old boy called Oskar who befriends the strange new girl who has moved in next door, Eli. As Eli and Oskar鈥檚 relationship grows, the town of Blackeberg experiences a rise in deaths. When Oskar realises that Eli is a vampire, he must decide if Eli is the one truly to blame.
This book was brilliant. It鈥檚 dark, it鈥檚 bleak, it鈥檚 written so well and I loved every second of it! I was in shock and awe throughout the majority, whether it was from the writing, the story, or some of the more gruesome/disturbing parts. There is definitely a lot in here that makes you cringe and I can see why this book could be a bit much for some. For me, as awful as some of this stuff was, it added to how dark and bleak this story is. On the flip side, the story has a beautiful friendship woven into it. So tender and pure. I loved the way the Author captured that childhood curiosity and innocence, even in such a dark setting. I was taken over by the simple, sweet, tender, and at times brutally horrific and feral, story of innocence.
This is definitely one that will stick with me for a very long time. I can confidently say this book is easily one of the best horror novels I've read and has cemented a spot in my Top 10!
I can鈥檛 recommend this highly enough.
Let the old dreams die,
Let the wrong ones go,
They cannot do what you want them to do"
Set in Blackeberg, Stockholm in 1981 鈥楲et the Right One In鈥� centers around a bullied 12 year old boy called Oskar who befriends the strange new girl who has moved in next door, Eli. As Eli and Oskar鈥檚 relationship grows, the town of Blackeberg experiences a rise in deaths. When Oskar realises that Eli is a vampire, he must decide if Eli is the one truly to blame.
This book was brilliant. It鈥檚 dark, it鈥檚 bleak, it鈥檚 written so well and I loved every second of it! I was in shock and awe throughout the majority, whether it was from the writing, the story, or some of the more gruesome/disturbing parts. There is definitely a lot in here that makes you cringe and I can see why this book could be a bit much for some. For me, as awful as some of this stuff was, it added to how dark and bleak this story is. On the flip side, the story has a beautiful friendship woven into it. So tender and pure. I loved the way the Author captured that childhood curiosity and innocence, even in such a dark setting. I was taken over by the simple, sweet, tender, and at times brutally horrific and feral, story of innocence.
This is definitely one that will stick with me for a very long time. I can confidently say this book is easily one of the best horror novels I've read and has cemented a spot in my Top 10!
I can鈥檛 recommend this highly enough.
May 31, 2019
2.5 to 3 stars
This is probably going to be an unpopular opinion. I don't think I have ever seen on statuses for books I have read before so many people professing their love for a book! But, for me it was everything from just okay at times to drawn out and boring. Sorry everyone! *ducks as things are thrown his way*
Another thing thing that I am not sure I liked or disliked, or if it even added to the story, was the excessive gore and shocking content. Let me be clear, I am all about gore and shock, but I like for it to have a role in progressing or adding to the story. If it seems like the author is just thinking,"let's add some weird sex or someone having their toenails pulled off with a staple remover - that should get the readers moaning and groaning!" well, then I tend not to care quite as much for it. In this case, the gruesome shocks and twisted behavior are, in my opinion, borderline useful for the story.
Regarding my drawn out comment - I feel like if this book was 200 pages shorter it would have been just fine and I would have enjoyed it a lot more. I kept feeling like I was lost in the weeds of the odd occurrences in this dark town. I often wondered if the book was still on point or if the author had gone off on an extended tangent for some reason. The ramblings did not a tight and fulfilling reading experience make.
This book was originally written in Swedish. It often reminded me style wise of other Swedish authors I have read (specifically Jo Nesbo and Stieg Larsson). So, there definitely seems to be a Swedish fiction writing style.
I think many horror fans will enjoy this book despite my feelings on it. With so many positive vibes from others, I am just sad that I couldn't see it myself!
This is probably going to be an unpopular opinion. I don't think I have ever seen on statuses for books I have read before so many people professing their love for a book! But, for me it was everything from just okay at times to drawn out and boring. Sorry everyone! *ducks as things are thrown his way*
Another thing thing that I am not sure I liked or disliked, or if it even added to the story, was the excessive gore and shocking content. Let me be clear, I am all about gore and shock, but I like for it to have a role in progressing or adding to the story. If it seems like the author is just thinking,"let's add some weird sex or someone having their toenails pulled off with a staple remover - that should get the readers moaning and groaning!" well, then I tend not to care quite as much for it. In this case, the gruesome shocks and twisted behavior are, in my opinion, borderline useful for the story.
Regarding my drawn out comment - I feel like if this book was 200 pages shorter it would have been just fine and I would have enjoyed it a lot more. I kept feeling like I was lost in the weeds of the odd occurrences in this dark town. I often wondered if the book was still on point or if the author had gone off on an extended tangent for some reason. The ramblings did not a tight and fulfilling reading experience make.
This book was originally written in Swedish. It often reminded me style wise of other Swedish authors I have read (specifically Jo Nesbo and Stieg Larsson). So, there definitely seems to be a Swedish fiction writing style.
I think many horror fans will enjoy this book despite my feelings on it. With so many positive vibes from others, I am just sad that I couldn't see it myself!
April 30, 2009
As seen on
I can't even find the words to describe how much I LOVED this novel. But let me start by warning Twilight lovers that this book is not about sexy sparkly vampires and teenage love. If you are not ready to read about ugly realities of human life, do not open this book.
It is not an easy book to read. The story is complex and involves many characters, whose presence sometimes is just momentary. The action moves from one character to another very quickly. But once you understand the pace and get used to foreign names, the story consumes you.
I will not relay the plot here, if you want to know what exactly the book is about, there are many reviews here that describe the story well. What I am going to say is that this is simply the best vampire novel I've ever read. Yes, I am putting it higher even than legendary Bram Stoker's "Dracula." This story is so much more complex and interesting in a way that not only does it show vampires from the point of view of their victims, but it also shows the world through the eyes of the vampires. We find out how very often innocent people become those feared monsters, we go through the transformation with them, we feel their guilt and shame, we learn about their relationships with their "Guardians" (who sometimes are worse monsters than vampires themselves).
But this book is not only about vampires, it explores the world of adolescent boys (the world I know nothing about). Surprisingly, I found out how important presence of a father in a boy's life. Without the guidance a love of a father, boys are lost to violence and abuse.
With all the horridness described in this book, it is strangely full of love and tenderness, understanding and forgiveness.
I highly recommend this book. You simply will not be able to walk away untouched by it.
I can't even find the words to describe how much I LOVED this novel. But let me start by warning Twilight lovers that this book is not about sexy sparkly vampires and teenage love. If you are not ready to read about ugly realities of human life, do not open this book.
It is not an easy book to read. The story is complex and involves many characters, whose presence sometimes is just momentary. The action moves from one character to another very quickly. But once you understand the pace and get used to foreign names, the story consumes you.
I will not relay the plot here, if you want to know what exactly the book is about, there are many reviews here that describe the story well. What I am going to say is that this is simply the best vampire novel I've ever read. Yes, I am putting it higher even than legendary Bram Stoker's "Dracula." This story is so much more complex and interesting in a way that not only does it show vampires from the point of view of their victims, but it also shows the world through the eyes of the vampires. We find out how very often innocent people become those feared monsters, we go through the transformation with them, we feel their guilt and shame, we learn about their relationships with their "Guardians" (who sometimes are worse monsters than vampires themselves).
But this book is not only about vampires, it explores the world of adolescent boys (the world I know nothing about). Surprisingly, I found out how important presence of a father in a boy's life. Without the guidance a love of a father, boys are lost to violence and abuse.
With all the horridness described in this book, it is strangely full of love and tenderness, understanding and forgiveness.
I highly recommend this book. You simply will not be able to walk away untouched by it.
September 14, 2020
An unlikely FLAT-OUT MASTERPIECE that contains the most visceral type of horror fiction elements. He expertly expands them toward a precipice of dread. A one-of-a-kind experience, a delicious sassy slap to the moribund reader.
To be read AT ONCE. Do it! NOW! Nothing comes as close as this one to a true modern EXPERIENCE (that feels simultaneously as old as time itself). Take the title of this work literally. Find the time to seek this one out--nothing American comes even close to its gorgeous monster tale. So worth it!
To be read AT ONCE. Do it! NOW! Nothing comes as close as this one to a true modern EXPERIENCE (that feels simultaneously as old as time itself). Take the title of this work literally. Find the time to seek this one out--nothing American comes even close to its gorgeous monster tale. So worth it!
November 21, 2011
Imagine for a moment that you were at an event, like the 1995 Rugby World cup where South Africa both hosted and won. Imagine being there in the heat of that moment - the cheer and ebulation. That light, almost unreal sense that the world has faded away and there is only that moment. Nothing else is important and you want to quietly capture the complete bliss you are experiencing and put it in a bottle somewhere. Hopefully at some future date you can take it out and rekindle those emotions and bask in that one, perfect moment again.
Then imagine that you are standing outside of a train station. A train has just crashed in front of you. Pleople are screaming, and the stench of smoking meat is tickling your nose as your eyes sting and water. There's that same feeling. That feeling of, "Is this really happening?" Light. Dizzy. Disbelief. Overwhelming to the point of nausea. You can't forget that moment. It will haunt you. Every time you catch a wiff of smoke those memories will come flooding back, whether you want them to or not.
Same feelings, at their most basic level, but entirely different in their mode. In the first situation you jump and holler. You'll hug those around you, even if you don't know them, and celebrate together. Knitted into temporary friendship because you're experiencing the same, awesome event. For weeks later you'll tell anybody who listens that you were there. You'll tell them about how incredible it was and try to impart on them some semblance of what you felt.
Cut back to the second scenario where you'll stand quietly in solidarity with those around you. Once again, knitted together. Brothers and sisters formed from tragedy. You may hold each other and gather around silently. When other people ask you about it, you'll get that look in your eyes that tells them you've seen things.
You're just as altered as the first scene, but where there was ebulation then, there is horror now.
This is what happens when I read certain books. Books like fit in the first category. They touch me and move me, so I run around telling everyone that I read it. It was amazing. Share in this experience with me. I want to help you feel what I felt.
Then there are books like this. Now I quietly tell you that I read it. That it touched me. Changed me. I look you in the eye and I don't want to elaborate. I quitely turn away and think a little bit more on what I've seen and read, and how it made me feel.
And maybe if you've read a book like this too, you might be able to understand why there's really nothing more for me to say.
Then imagine that you are standing outside of a train station. A train has just crashed in front of you. Pleople are screaming, and the stench of smoking meat is tickling your nose as your eyes sting and water. There's that same feeling. That feeling of, "Is this really happening?" Light. Dizzy. Disbelief. Overwhelming to the point of nausea. You can't forget that moment. It will haunt you. Every time you catch a wiff of smoke those memories will come flooding back, whether you want them to or not.
Same feelings, at their most basic level, but entirely different in their mode. In the first situation you jump and holler. You'll hug those around you, even if you don't know them, and celebrate together. Knitted into temporary friendship because you're experiencing the same, awesome event. For weeks later you'll tell anybody who listens that you were there. You'll tell them about how incredible it was and try to impart on them some semblance of what you felt.
Cut back to the second scenario where you'll stand quietly in solidarity with those around you. Once again, knitted together. Brothers and sisters formed from tragedy. You may hold each other and gather around silently. When other people ask you about it, you'll get that look in your eyes that tells them you've seen things.
You're just as altered as the first scene, but where there was ebulation then, there is horror now.
This is what happens when I read certain books. Books like fit in the first category. They touch me and move me, so I run around telling everyone that I read it. It was amazing. Share in this experience with me. I want to help you feel what I felt.
Then there are books like this. Now I quietly tell you that I read it. That it touched me. Changed me. I look you in the eye and I don't want to elaborate. I quitely turn away and think a little bit more on what I've seen and read, and how it made me feel.
And maybe if you've read a book like this too, you might be able to understand why there's really nothing more for me to say.
September 29, 2013
Dear Stephenie,
This is how you write a "vampire" book.
Sincerely,
The World
This is how you write a "vampire" book.
Sincerely,
The World
January 10, 2020
Loved it.
Scary as hell and so violent.
Loved both films
Scary as hell and so violent.
Loved both films
September 2, 2023
Oskar is 12 almost 13, with a loving mother, absent dad, and a love for the macabre; Eli is also 12, but Eli has been alive for over 200 years old! This is the story of their friendship, this is also a horror story. With multiple well thought out multi-facetted characters in a town under siege by a 'monster' the 'Ritual Killer' who drains the blood of their victims!
Wiki does a great summary of the themes of this book - a book that "grapples with the darker side of humanity, including such issues as existential anxiety, social isolation, fatherlessness, divorce, alcoholism, school bullying, paedophilia, genital mutilation, self-mutilation, and murder"! This is a horror read for mature audiences that packs a huge bite, taking vampiric storytelling to a completely new and dare I say more human and thus much darker level! A very strong 9 out of 12 Four Star read. The most adult coming of age story you will ever read?
"Let the right one in
Let the old dreams die
Let the wrong ones go
They cannot do
What you want them to do"
Morrissey - 'Let The Right One Slip In'
2023 read
Wiki does a great summary of the themes of this book - a book that "grapples with the darker side of humanity, including such issues as existential anxiety, social isolation, fatherlessness, divorce, alcoholism, school bullying, paedophilia, genital mutilation, self-mutilation, and murder"! This is a horror read for mature audiences that packs a huge bite, taking vampiric storytelling to a completely new and dare I say more human and thus much darker level! A very strong 9 out of 12 Four Star read. The most adult coming of age story you will ever read?
"Let the right one in
Let the old dreams die
Let the wrong ones go
They cannot do
What you want them to do"
Morrissey - 'Let The Right One Slip In'
2023 read
February 2, 2011
Terrifying, engrossing and a book that encompasses many different topics. Not just a story about vampires; this book takes on such issues as bullying, revenge, pedophilia, prostitution, drug use, alcoholism and the sheer desperation of loneliness. Beautifully written and terribly disturbing. This book sets the bar for the genre.
October 10, 2021
4.0 Stars
This is a beautiful story of friendship and also an incredibly dark vampire novel. The character work of Eli and Oscar was incredible. I connected deeply with these two characters and loved their relationship. This was a difficult book to read but also an important one. The subtext surrounding sexuality and gender were very interesting, although I wish the author had been more explicit with his representation. Huge content warnings for abuse pedophilia. If you can handle the difficult subject matter, then I highly recommend this character driven horror story.
This is a beautiful story of friendship and also an incredibly dark vampire novel. The character work of Eli and Oscar was incredible. I connected deeply with these two characters and loved their relationship. This was a difficult book to read but also an important one. The subtext surrounding sexuality and gender were very interesting, although I wish the author had been more explicit with his representation. Huge content warnings for abuse pedophilia. If you can handle the difficult subject matter, then I highly recommend this character driven horror story.
November 17, 2017
Wow. I know this is one of those sensational books coming out of Sweden and all and there's already two movies made which I haven't seen but STILL I hadn't gotten around to reading it until now. And now? Wow.
Seriously creepy. I mean, if it wasn't for the pedophile PoV creeping the freaking hell out of me for a grand swath of the beginning, I'd still have been digging the early eighties references, the crisp and delightful prose (even if translated), and the details of life around Kiss and Rubic's Cubes. Even better, it captures the life and times of the children very well. Bullying, especially. And then there's a 200-year-old 12-year-old girl who, out of loneliness, courts that pedo until she makes friends with an outcast 12-year-old-boy. Did I mention this is a vampire novel?
It's easily one of the most delightful and disturbing vampire novels I've read and not just for the pedo stuff. It has a very Swedish sensibility and the willingness to go all out with the difficult subjects and do it with fantastically drawn characters that are both flawed, trying, and full of heart. Even the ones we don't like are relatable in some ways.
The novel has the breath of life in it. It's not technically good. It's just plain good.
I've heard others describe this as a much, much better Twilight, but other than the fact that it has children and vampires and it's very popular, that's about it for the comparison. Sure, I could nitpick, but the feel, the subject matter, the crazy divergences in character, the location, the time period... all of that is wildly different. Just saying. :)
I got wrapped up in this tale and rooted for the kids like crazy, too. I can't say that about Bella and Edward. I mean, there was this one scene in Twilight I liked: the one where she gets all bent out of shape because it looks like Eddie thinks she stinks. That was about all I did like tho. But this novel? Well, I consistently got creeped out, got invested with the characters, and loved the level of detail. The story had one hell of a good ending, too. I call this one Superior. :)
Seriously creepy. I mean, if it wasn't for the pedophile PoV creeping the freaking hell out of me for a grand swath of the beginning, I'd still have been digging the early eighties references, the crisp and delightful prose (even if translated), and the details of life around Kiss and Rubic's Cubes. Even better, it captures the life and times of the children very well. Bullying, especially. And then there's a 200-year-old 12-year-old girl who, out of loneliness, courts that pedo until she makes friends with an outcast 12-year-old-boy. Did I mention this is a vampire novel?
It's easily one of the most delightful and disturbing vampire novels I've read and not just for the pedo stuff. It has a very Swedish sensibility and the willingness to go all out with the difficult subjects and do it with fantastically drawn characters that are both flawed, trying, and full of heart. Even the ones we don't like are relatable in some ways.
The novel has the breath of life in it. It's not technically good. It's just plain good.
I've heard others describe this as a much, much better Twilight, but other than the fact that it has children and vampires and it's very popular, that's about it for the comparison. Sure, I could nitpick, but the feel, the subject matter, the crazy divergences in character, the location, the time period... all of that is wildly different. Just saying. :)
I got wrapped up in this tale and rooted for the kids like crazy, too. I can't say that about Bella and Edward. I mean, there was this one scene in Twilight I liked: the one where she gets all bent out of shape because it looks like Eddie thinks she stinks. That was about all I did like tho. But this novel? Well, I consistently got creeped out, got invested with the characters, and loved the level of detail. The story had one hell of a good ending, too. I call this one Superior. :)
April 10, 2020
Like wrapping a blood-drenched knife in cotton wool, this is a five star novella wrapped in a 2 star novel. There's just way too much unnecessary fluff.
On re-read with the fine folk over at Horror Aficionados it has become clear to me that this is an extremely flawed book.
The core of the story is the relationship between Oskar and Eli, everything else is secondary to that. Unfortunately, subplots relating to Tommy, Lacke, Virginia, Jocke, and especially Hakan litter the pages with distracting stuff that is largely irrelevant to the main narrative.
Half of the book could have been cut to produce a tightly written, pacey novella that carried all the scare, chills and horror implicit in the story.
But, instead we got a bloated novel that spends pages and pages on irrelevant relationships and the mental drivel of a guilt-ridden child rapist and serial killer who doesn't have the courage to end his problem once and for all.
As for the core narrative, 5 stars for creating a character in Eli that transgresses so many boundaries at once as to be quite unforgettable, as for Oskar - he's mostly a prat.
As for the narrative as a whole, this is a dark, and chilling book, and I'm left with the sneaking suspicion that Eli is simply replacing Hakan with Oskar, who will be the latest in a two-hundred year long line of stooges that he has bent to his will.
Oskar, being the prat that he is, will welcome the iron servitude to a dark master wrapped in the velvet glove of acceptance and friendship.
Unfortunately not recommended, 2 'Too Much of the Pedophile Hakan Drivel,' stars.
On re-read with the fine folk over at Horror Aficionados it has become clear to me that this is an extremely flawed book.
The core of the story is the relationship between Oskar and Eli, everything else is secondary to that. Unfortunately, subplots relating to Tommy, Lacke, Virginia, Jocke, and especially Hakan litter the pages with distracting stuff that is largely irrelevant to the main narrative.
Half of the book could have been cut to produce a tightly written, pacey novella that carried all the scare, chills and horror implicit in the story.
But, instead we got a bloated novel that spends pages and pages on irrelevant relationships and the mental drivel of a guilt-ridden child rapist and serial killer who doesn't have the courage to end his problem once and for all.
As for the core narrative, 5 stars for creating a character in Eli that transgresses so many boundaries at once as to be quite unforgettable, as for Oskar - he's mostly a prat.
As for the narrative as a whole, this is a dark, and chilling book, and I'm left with the sneaking suspicion that Eli is simply replacing Hakan with Oskar, who will be the latest in a two-hundred year long line of stooges that he has bent to his will.
Oskar, being the prat that he is, will welcome the iron servitude to a dark master wrapped in the velvet glove of acceptance and friendship.
Unfortunately not recommended, 2 'Too Much of the Pedophile Hakan Drivel,' stars.
January 28, 2021
Me encant贸. Un libro en el que el vampiro es el menor de los monstruos comparado con la perversi贸n y desolaci贸n de la humanidad. Retrata una Suecia totalmente distinta a la que nos imaginamos como una sociedad ideal. Eli se queda en mi coraz贸n por siempre.
July 3, 2012
I finished reading 鈥淟et the right one in鈥� last night and immediately started reading a book about some nice people having a nice Catholic life in a nice part of Northern Ireland with a nice summer house and a nice family. It was all very nice. (for those of you who are wondering the nice book is The Heather Blazing by Colm Toibin - it鈥檚 on the 1001 books list.)
I鈥檝e had this nice book on my shelf for about three years and never bothered to read it till now. So, why now? I can only conclude that some inner part of me was secretly yearning for the application of a healing literary salve, to be applied against all the abrasions caused by reading Let the right one in. Plus if anything is sure fire protection against vampires then it has got to be Catholicism, right?
鈥淟et the right one in鈥� is not a summer read. It is not light hearted or joyous or merry. There is no feel good. There is feel bad or feel dead. And then there is the undead feeling you. You will soon realise which is worse.
The two principal characters, Eli and Oskar, are tweenagers (ok one wears a tweenage meat suit but has racked up enough birthdays to ensure a candle covered cake which would look more like a towering inferno), so by all rights this should be YA? YA -no way! Because vampirism generally takes a back seat to predatory adults, the torments of bullying, drug abuse, alcoholism, unemployment and clinical depression. So this is Trainspotting with Vampires? No, because Trainspotting was funny and this is most decidedly not.
Oskar and Eli form the unlikely friendship generated by their outcast status, where their fringe existence will cancel out all the other issues such as eternal life and a murderous blood-lust, which might otherwise act as a barrier. With Eli鈥檚 arrival in the community, Oskar鈥檚 life and self confidence is much improved. His chances of survival against his bullies actually increases. Sadly the same cannot be said for the rest of walking blood banks and a spate of vicious bungled attacks sends shock waves through the unsuspecting community. On a side note, as alcoholism is the principal diversion within the town, it is frankly a wonder that Eli does not spend most of the book recovering from a monster hangover.
All jokes aside, this book is dark and a bit grubby. It would smell of mould and damp cloth and empty buildings. It probably tastes like rust and decay. It is rotten, but in a good way. Even in the blackest moments, towards the end where violence is heaped on tragedy and tragedy is heaped upon everyone, there is a tiny pin prick of light, and it comes from Oskar because he has developed resilience and you know he might just survive after all.
鈥淟et the right one in鈥� is a book to be read with a lit fire, a blanket and the curtains drawn against cold starry nights and the things that stand outside the window in the dark. The things you cannot see because in your brightly illuminated living room, you see only your own reflection on the inside of the glass. So don鈥檛 forget to draw those curtains and only let the right ones in.
I鈥檝e had this nice book on my shelf for about three years and never bothered to read it till now. So, why now? I can only conclude that some inner part of me was secretly yearning for the application of a healing literary salve, to be applied against all the abrasions caused by reading Let the right one in. Plus if anything is sure fire protection against vampires then it has got to be Catholicism, right?
鈥淟et the right one in鈥� is not a summer read. It is not light hearted or joyous or merry. There is no feel good. There is feel bad or feel dead. And then there is the undead feeling you. You will soon realise which is worse.
The two principal characters, Eli and Oskar, are tweenagers (ok one wears a tweenage meat suit but has racked up enough birthdays to ensure a candle covered cake which would look more like a towering inferno), so by all rights this should be YA? YA -no way! Because vampirism generally takes a back seat to predatory adults, the torments of bullying, drug abuse, alcoholism, unemployment and clinical depression. So this is Trainspotting with Vampires? No, because Trainspotting was funny and this is most decidedly not.
Oskar and Eli form the unlikely friendship generated by their outcast status, where their fringe existence will cancel out all the other issues such as eternal life and a murderous blood-lust, which might otherwise act as a barrier. With Eli鈥檚 arrival in the community, Oskar鈥檚 life and self confidence is much improved. His chances of survival against his bullies actually increases. Sadly the same cannot be said for the rest of walking blood banks and a spate of vicious bungled attacks sends shock waves through the unsuspecting community. On a side note, as alcoholism is the principal diversion within the town, it is frankly a wonder that Eli does not spend most of the book recovering from a monster hangover.
All jokes aside, this book is dark and a bit grubby. It would smell of mould and damp cloth and empty buildings. It probably tastes like rust and decay. It is rotten, but in a good way. Even in the blackest moments, towards the end where violence is heaped on tragedy and tragedy is heaped upon everyone, there is a tiny pin prick of light, and it comes from Oskar because he has developed resilience and you know he might just survive after all.
鈥淟et the right one in鈥� is a book to be read with a lit fire, a blanket and the curtains drawn against cold starry nights and the things that stand outside the window in the dark. The things you cannot see because in your brightly illuminated living room, you see only your own reflection on the inside of the glass. So don鈥檛 forget to draw those curtains and only let the right ones in.
May 12, 2017
螤伪蟻维胃蠀蟻慰, 蟽' 伪谓慰委纬蠅:
谓伪 渭蟺蔚喂 蟿慰 蠁蠅蟼, 谓伪 尾纬蔚喂 畏 味蠅萎.
危伪委尉蟺畏蟻, ''巍蠅渭伪委慰蟼 魏伪喂 螜慰蠀位喂苇蟿伪''
螒蠀蟿蠈 蟿慰 尾喂尾位委慰 萎蟿伪谓 纬喂伪 渭苇谓伪 渭喂伪 伪谓伪纬谓蠅蟽蟿喂魏萎 蟻慰蠀蠁萎蠂蟿蟻伪 蟺慰蠀 渭蔚 蟿蟻维尾畏尉蔚 蟽蟿畏 未委谓畏 蟿畏蟼 伪蟺慰 蟿喂蟼 蟺蟻蠋蟿蔚蟼 蟽蔚位委未蔚蟼.
螖喂伪尾维味蔚蟿伪喂 伪蟺慰位伪蠀蟽蟿喂魏维 伪魏蠈渭畏 魏伪喂 伪蟺慰 伪谓伪纬谓蠋蟽蟿蔚蟼蟺慰蠀 未蔚谓 蔚喂谓伪喂 位维蟿蟻蔚喂蟼 蟿畏蟼 纬慰蟿胃喂魏萎蟼 蟽魏慰蟿蔚喂谓喂维蟼 魏伪喂 蟿慰蠀 味慰蠁蔚蟻慰蠉 蟽魏畏谓喂魏慰蠉-蟺伪蟻蠈位慰 蟺慰蠀 苇蠂蔚喂 蟽魏畏谓苇蟼 蟽魏位畏蟻苇蟼 魏伪喂 伪喂渭伪蟿慰尾伪渭渭苇谓蔚蟼 蟽蔚 蟿苇位蔚喂伪 蟺蔚蟻喂纬蟻伪蠁萎 魏伪喂 伪蟺慰蟿蠉蟺蠅蟽畏 纬喂伪 慰蟻纬喂蠋未畏 蠁伪谓蟿伪蟽委伪- 纬喂伪蟿委 魏伪蟿伪蠁苇蟻谓蔚喂 谓伪 未畏渭喂慰蠀蟻纬萎蟽蔚喂 蔚谓伪 蔚尉伪喂蟻蔚蟿喂魏蠈 位慰纬慰蟿蔚蠂谓喂魏蠈 伪蟺慰蟿苇位蔚蟽渭伪 伪谓蔚尉伪喂蟻苇蟿蠅蟼 胃苇渭伪蟿慰蟼.
螚 喂蟽蟿慰蟻委伪 蔚魏蟿蠀位委蟽蟽蔚蟿伪喂 蟽蟿畏 危蟿慰魏蠂蠈位渭畏 蟿畏蟼 未蔚魏伪蔚蟿委伪蟼 蟿慰蠀 "80. 螠蟺蟻慰蟽蟿伪 渭伪蟼 蠀蟺维蟻蠂蔚喂 蟿慰 蟺伪纬蠅渭苇谓慰 蟽魏伪谓未喂谓伪尾喂魏蠈 蟿慰蟺委慰 伪谓维渭蔚蟽伪 蟽蔚 蟽魏慰蟿蔚喂谓维 未维蟽畏 魏伪喂 伪蟺蠈渭蔚蟻伪 蟽蠀纬魏蟻慰蟿萎渭伪蟿伪 蟺慰位蠀魏伪蟿慰喂魏喂蠋谓.
螚 慰蠀蟽委伪 蟿畏蟼 喂蟽蟿慰蟻委伪蟼 蔚喂谓伪喂 畏 蔚蟻蠅蟿喂魏萎 蠁喂位委伪 蟺慰蠀 纬蔚谓谓喂苇蟿伪喂 魏伪喂 未蠀谓伪渭蠋谓蔚喂,伪谓维渭蔚蟽伪 蟽蟿慰谓 螌蟽魏伪蟻 蔚谓伪 蠂伪蟻喂蟽渭伪蟿喂魏维 未喂伪蟿伪蟻伪纬渭苇谓慰 蟺伪喂未委 魏伪喂 蟿畏谓 螆位喂 渭喂伪 蔚蟺喂蔚喂魏蠋蟼 蟿蟻蠀蠁蔚蟻萎 魏伪喂 未蠀蟽蟿蠀蠂喂蟽渭苇谓畏 蠉蟺伪蟻尉畏 200 蔚蟿蠋谓,蔚谓伪 蟺伪蟻维尉蔚谓慰 尾伪渭蟺委蟻.
螏蟺伪蟻蠂慰蠀谓 蔚蟺委蟽畏蟼 未蠀慰 蟺伪蟻苇蔚蟼 蟺慰蠀 蟽蠀谓胃苇蟿慰蠀谓 蟿慰 渭伪魏维尾蟻喂慰 蟺伪味位 蟿畏蟼 蔚尉苇位喂尉畏蟼. 螠喂伪 蟺伪蟻苇伪 蔚谓畏位委魏蠅谓 伪位魏慰慰位喂魏蠋谓 魏伪喂 渭喂伪 维位位畏 蟺慰蠀 伪蟺慰蟿蔚位蔚委蟿伪喂 伪蟺慰 谓蔚伪蟻慰蠉蟼 蟺伪蟻伪尾伪蟿喂魏慰蠉蟼 蔚蠁萎尾慰蠀蟼.
螢蔚魏喂谓慰蠉谓 慰喂 伪蟺慰蟿蟻蠈蟺伪喂蔚蟼 未慰位慰蠁慰谓委蔚蟼 蟺慰蠀 位委纬慰 蟺慰位蠉 伪蠁慰蟻慰蠉谓 蟿畏谓 伪蟻蠂萎 渭喂伪蟼 伪谓伪蟿蟻喂蠂喂伪蟽蟿喂魏萎蟼 魏伪喂 蟺伪蟻伪谓慰蠆魏萎蟼 蟽蠂苇蟽畏蟼 魏伪喂 蟽蠀谓蔚蠂委味慰谓蟿伪喂 未蟻伪渭伪蟿喂魏维 蠅蟼 蟿畏谓 蟿蔚位喂魏萎 伪喂渭伪蟿慰尾伪渭渭苇谓畏 魏慰蟻蠉蠁蠅蟽畏.
螤维谓蠅 蟽蟿慰 蠂喂蠈谓喂 蟿慰蠀 味慰蠁蔚蟻慰蠉 渭伪蟼 蟿慰蟺委慰蠀 慰 蟽蠀纬纬蟻伪蠁苇伪蟼 渭蔚蟿伪蠁苇蟻蔚喂 渭蔚 蔚尉伪喂蟻蔚蟿喂魏萎 魏伪喂 渭伪蟿蠅渭苇谓畏 纬蟻伪蠁萎 蟺慰位位维 渭畏谓蠉渭伪蟿伪 纬喂伪 蟿畏 味蠅萎 蟿蠅谓 蟽蠉纬蠂蟻慰谓蠅谓 伪谓胃蟻蠅蟺蠅谓,伪尉委蔚蟼,喂未蔚蠋未畏,伪蟻蔚蟿苇蟼,魏伪蟿伪蟽蟿维蟽蔚喂蟼 魏伪喂 尾伪胃蠉蟿蔚蟻蔚蟼 苇谓谓慰喂蔚蟼 蟺慰蠀 伪蟺位蠋谓慰谓蟿伪喂 魏伪喂 蔚蟺喂未蟻慰蠉谓 渭蔚 伪位位蔚蟺维位畏位蔚蟼 蟽蠀谓苇蟺蔚喂蔚蟼 魏伪喂 伪位位慰喂蠋蟽蔚喂蟼 蟽蟿喂蟼 蠄蠀蠂苇蟼 魏伪喂 蟿慰 渭蠀伪位蠈 蟿蠅谓 伪谓胃蟻蠋蟺蠅谓 蟿畏蟼 喂蟽蟿慰蟻委伪蟼 渭伪蟼 伪位位伪 魏伪喂 蟽蟿畏谓 蔚蠀蟻蠉蟿蔚蟻畏 魏慰喂谓蠅谓委伪.
螘蠂慰蠀渭蔚 位慰喂蟺蠈谓, 尾伪胃喂维 魏伪喂 蟽蠀纬魏喂谓畏蟿喂魏维 蟺蟻蠈蟿蠀蟺伪 蠁喂位委伪蟼,伪谓胃蟻蠅蟺喂维蟼 魏伪喂 蟺委蟽蟿畏蟼.
螛位喂尾蔚蟻苇蟼 渭慰谓伪蠂喂魏苇蟼 蠀蟺维蟻尉蔚喂蟼 蠁慰尾喂蟽渭苇谓蔚蟼 蠈蠂喂 伪蟺慰 蟿慰 胃维谓伪蟿慰 渭伪 伪蟺慰 蟿畏谓 委未喂伪 蟿畏 味蠅萎.
螤蟻慰尾位畏渭伪蟿喂魏维 蟺伪喂未喂维 蟺慰蠀 魏伪蟿伪未蠀谓伪蟽蟿蔚蠉慰蠀谓 魏伪喂 蟿蠀蟻伪谓谓慰蠉谓 魏维蟺慰喂伪 维位位伪 纬喂伪蟿喂 蟿慰 慰喂魏慰纬蔚谓蔚喂伪魏蠈 蟿慰蠀蟼 蟺蔚蟻喂尾维位位慰谓 蔚喂谓伪喂 蟿慰尉喂魏蠈.
螒纬维蟺畏 蟽蔚 慰位蔚蟼 蟿喂蟼 蔚魏蠁维谓蟽蔚喂蟼 魏伪喂 蟽蔚 蠈位蔚蟼 蟿喂蟼 畏位喂魏委蔚蟼 渭蔚 未喂伪蠁慰蟻蔚蟿喂魏蠈 蟿蟻蠈蟺慰 苇魏蠁蟻伪蟽畏蟼 魏伪喂 胃位喂尾蔚蟻萎蟼 伪蟺蠈纬谓蠅蟽畏蟼.
螝伪喂 尾苇尾伪喂伪 伪魏蠈渭畏 魏伪喂 蟿慰 尾伪渭蟺委蟻 蟺慰蠀 蟺蟻蠅蟿伪纬蠅谓喂蟽蟿蔚委 魏伪喂 蔚委谓伪喂 苇谓伪 魏伪魏蠈渭慰喂蟻慰 蟺位维蟽渭伪, 未伪喂渭慰谓喂魏维 魏伪蟿伪未喂魏伪蟽渭苇谓慰 蟽蔚 渭喂伪 蔚蟺委纬蔚喂伪 魏蠈位伪蟽畏, 伪喂蟽胃维谓蔚蟿伪喂 魏伪喂 尾喂蠋谓蔚喂 蟿慰谓 魏蠈蟽渭慰 渭苇蟽伪 伪蟺慰 蟺伪喂未喂魏维 渭维蟿喂伪 魏伪喂 伪纬谓苇蟼 蟺蟻慰胃苇蟽蔚喂蟼.
螘喂谓伪喂 蔚谓伪 未蠀谓伪蟿蠈 魏伪喂 蠅渭蠈 胃蟻委位蔚蟻. 螒位位维 伪尉委味蔚喂 谓伪 未喂伪尾伪蟽蟿蔚委. (危委纬慰蠀蟻伪 胃伪 未蠅 蟿畏谓 蟿伪喂谓委伪).
螝伪位萎 伪谓维纬谓蠅蟽畏.
螤慰位位慰蠉蟼 伪蟽蟺伪蟽渭慰蠉蟼.
谓伪 渭蟺蔚喂 蟿慰 蠁蠅蟼, 谓伪 尾纬蔚喂 畏 味蠅萎.
危伪委尉蟺畏蟻, ''巍蠅渭伪委慰蟼 魏伪喂 螜慰蠀位喂苇蟿伪''
螒蠀蟿蠈 蟿慰 尾喂尾位委慰 萎蟿伪谓 纬喂伪 渭苇谓伪 渭喂伪 伪谓伪纬谓蠅蟽蟿喂魏萎 蟻慰蠀蠁萎蠂蟿蟻伪 蟺慰蠀 渭蔚 蟿蟻维尾畏尉蔚 蟽蟿畏 未委谓畏 蟿畏蟼 伪蟺慰 蟿喂蟼 蟺蟻蠋蟿蔚蟼 蟽蔚位委未蔚蟼.
螖喂伪尾维味蔚蟿伪喂 伪蟺慰位伪蠀蟽蟿喂魏维 伪魏蠈渭畏 魏伪喂 伪蟺慰 伪谓伪纬谓蠋蟽蟿蔚蟼蟺慰蠀 未蔚谓 蔚喂谓伪喂 位维蟿蟻蔚喂蟼 蟿畏蟼 纬慰蟿胃喂魏萎蟼 蟽魏慰蟿蔚喂谓喂维蟼 魏伪喂 蟿慰蠀 味慰蠁蔚蟻慰蠉 蟽魏畏谓喂魏慰蠉-蟺伪蟻蠈位慰 蟺慰蠀 苇蠂蔚喂 蟽魏畏谓苇蟼 蟽魏位畏蟻苇蟼 魏伪喂 伪喂渭伪蟿慰尾伪渭渭苇谓蔚蟼 蟽蔚 蟿苇位蔚喂伪 蟺蔚蟻喂纬蟻伪蠁萎 魏伪喂 伪蟺慰蟿蠉蟺蠅蟽畏 纬喂伪 慰蟻纬喂蠋未畏 蠁伪谓蟿伪蟽委伪- 纬喂伪蟿委 魏伪蟿伪蠁苇蟻谓蔚喂 谓伪 未畏渭喂慰蠀蟻纬萎蟽蔚喂 蔚谓伪 蔚尉伪喂蟻蔚蟿喂魏蠈 位慰纬慰蟿蔚蠂谓喂魏蠈 伪蟺慰蟿苇位蔚蟽渭伪 伪谓蔚尉伪喂蟻苇蟿蠅蟼 胃苇渭伪蟿慰蟼.
螚 喂蟽蟿慰蟻委伪 蔚魏蟿蠀位委蟽蟽蔚蟿伪喂 蟽蟿畏 危蟿慰魏蠂蠈位渭畏 蟿畏蟼 未蔚魏伪蔚蟿委伪蟼 蟿慰蠀 "80. 螠蟺蟻慰蟽蟿伪 渭伪蟼 蠀蟺维蟻蠂蔚喂 蟿慰 蟺伪纬蠅渭苇谓慰 蟽魏伪谓未喂谓伪尾喂魏蠈 蟿慰蟺委慰 伪谓维渭蔚蟽伪 蟽蔚 蟽魏慰蟿蔚喂谓维 未维蟽畏 魏伪喂 伪蟺蠈渭蔚蟻伪 蟽蠀纬魏蟻慰蟿萎渭伪蟿伪 蟺慰位蠀魏伪蟿慰喂魏喂蠋谓.
螚 慰蠀蟽委伪 蟿畏蟼 喂蟽蟿慰蟻委伪蟼 蔚喂谓伪喂 畏 蔚蟻蠅蟿喂魏萎 蠁喂位委伪 蟺慰蠀 纬蔚谓谓喂苇蟿伪喂 魏伪喂 未蠀谓伪渭蠋谓蔚喂,伪谓维渭蔚蟽伪 蟽蟿慰谓 螌蟽魏伪蟻 蔚谓伪 蠂伪蟻喂蟽渭伪蟿喂魏维 未喂伪蟿伪蟻伪纬渭苇谓慰 蟺伪喂未委 魏伪喂 蟿畏谓 螆位喂 渭喂伪 蔚蟺喂蔚喂魏蠋蟼 蟿蟻蠀蠁蔚蟻萎 魏伪喂 未蠀蟽蟿蠀蠂喂蟽渭苇谓畏 蠉蟺伪蟻尉畏 200 蔚蟿蠋谓,蔚谓伪 蟺伪蟻维尉蔚谓慰 尾伪渭蟺委蟻.
螏蟺伪蟻蠂慰蠀谓 蔚蟺委蟽畏蟼 未蠀慰 蟺伪蟻苇蔚蟼 蟺慰蠀 蟽蠀谓胃苇蟿慰蠀谓 蟿慰 渭伪魏维尾蟻喂慰 蟺伪味位 蟿畏蟼 蔚尉苇位喂尉畏蟼. 螠喂伪 蟺伪蟻苇伪 蔚谓畏位委魏蠅谓 伪位魏慰慰位喂魏蠋谓 魏伪喂 渭喂伪 维位位畏 蟺慰蠀 伪蟺慰蟿蔚位蔚委蟿伪喂 伪蟺慰 谓蔚伪蟻慰蠉蟼 蟺伪蟻伪尾伪蟿喂魏慰蠉蟼 蔚蠁萎尾慰蠀蟼.
螢蔚魏喂谓慰蠉谓 慰喂 伪蟺慰蟿蟻蠈蟺伪喂蔚蟼 未慰位慰蠁慰谓委蔚蟼 蟺慰蠀 位委纬慰 蟺慰位蠉 伪蠁慰蟻慰蠉谓 蟿畏谓 伪蟻蠂萎 渭喂伪蟼 伪谓伪蟿蟻喂蠂喂伪蟽蟿喂魏萎蟼 魏伪喂 蟺伪蟻伪谓慰蠆魏萎蟼 蟽蠂苇蟽畏蟼 魏伪喂 蟽蠀谓蔚蠂委味慰谓蟿伪喂 未蟻伪渭伪蟿喂魏维 蠅蟼 蟿畏谓 蟿蔚位喂魏萎 伪喂渭伪蟿慰尾伪渭渭苇谓畏 魏慰蟻蠉蠁蠅蟽畏.
螤维谓蠅 蟽蟿慰 蠂喂蠈谓喂 蟿慰蠀 味慰蠁蔚蟻慰蠉 渭伪蟼 蟿慰蟺委慰蠀 慰 蟽蠀纬纬蟻伪蠁苇伪蟼 渭蔚蟿伪蠁苇蟻蔚喂 渭蔚 蔚尉伪喂蟻蔚蟿喂魏萎 魏伪喂 渭伪蟿蠅渭苇谓畏 纬蟻伪蠁萎 蟺慰位位维 渭畏谓蠉渭伪蟿伪 纬喂伪 蟿畏 味蠅萎 蟿蠅谓 蟽蠉纬蠂蟻慰谓蠅谓 伪谓胃蟻蠅蟺蠅谓,伪尉委蔚蟼,喂未蔚蠋未畏,伪蟻蔚蟿苇蟼,魏伪蟿伪蟽蟿维蟽蔚喂蟼 魏伪喂 尾伪胃蠉蟿蔚蟻蔚蟼 苇谓谓慰喂蔚蟼 蟺慰蠀 伪蟺位蠋谓慰谓蟿伪喂 魏伪喂 蔚蟺喂未蟻慰蠉谓 渭蔚 伪位位蔚蟺维位畏位蔚蟼 蟽蠀谓苇蟺蔚喂蔚蟼 魏伪喂 伪位位慰喂蠋蟽蔚喂蟼 蟽蟿喂蟼 蠄蠀蠂苇蟼 魏伪喂 蟿慰 渭蠀伪位蠈 蟿蠅谓 伪谓胃蟻蠋蟺蠅谓 蟿畏蟼 喂蟽蟿慰蟻委伪蟼 渭伪蟼 伪位位伪 魏伪喂 蟽蟿畏谓 蔚蠀蟻蠉蟿蔚蟻畏 魏慰喂谓蠅谓委伪.
螘蠂慰蠀渭蔚 位慰喂蟺蠈谓, 尾伪胃喂维 魏伪喂 蟽蠀纬魏喂谓畏蟿喂魏维 蟺蟻蠈蟿蠀蟺伪 蠁喂位委伪蟼,伪谓胃蟻蠅蟺喂维蟼 魏伪喂 蟺委蟽蟿畏蟼.
螛位喂尾蔚蟻苇蟼 渭慰谓伪蠂喂魏苇蟼 蠀蟺维蟻尉蔚喂蟼 蠁慰尾喂蟽渭苇谓蔚蟼 蠈蠂喂 伪蟺慰 蟿慰 胃维谓伪蟿慰 渭伪 伪蟺慰 蟿畏谓 委未喂伪 蟿畏 味蠅萎.
螤蟻慰尾位畏渭伪蟿喂魏维 蟺伪喂未喂维 蟺慰蠀 魏伪蟿伪未蠀谓伪蟽蟿蔚蠉慰蠀谓 魏伪喂 蟿蠀蟻伪谓谓慰蠉谓 魏维蟺慰喂伪 维位位伪 纬喂伪蟿喂 蟿慰 慰喂魏慰纬蔚谓蔚喂伪魏蠈 蟿慰蠀蟼 蟺蔚蟻喂尾维位位慰谓 蔚喂谓伪喂 蟿慰尉喂魏蠈.
螒纬维蟺畏 蟽蔚 慰位蔚蟼 蟿喂蟼 蔚魏蠁维谓蟽蔚喂蟼 魏伪喂 蟽蔚 蠈位蔚蟼 蟿喂蟼 畏位喂魏委蔚蟼 渭蔚 未喂伪蠁慰蟻蔚蟿喂魏蠈 蟿蟻蠈蟺慰 苇魏蠁蟻伪蟽畏蟼 魏伪喂 胃位喂尾蔚蟻萎蟼 伪蟺蠈纬谓蠅蟽畏蟼.
螝伪喂 尾苇尾伪喂伪 伪魏蠈渭畏 魏伪喂 蟿慰 尾伪渭蟺委蟻 蟺慰蠀 蟺蟻蠅蟿伪纬蠅谓喂蟽蟿蔚委 魏伪喂 蔚委谓伪喂 苇谓伪 魏伪魏蠈渭慰喂蟻慰 蟺位维蟽渭伪, 未伪喂渭慰谓喂魏维 魏伪蟿伪未喂魏伪蟽渭苇谓慰 蟽蔚 渭喂伪 蔚蟺委纬蔚喂伪 魏蠈位伪蟽畏, 伪喂蟽胃维谓蔚蟿伪喂 魏伪喂 尾喂蠋谓蔚喂 蟿慰谓 魏蠈蟽渭慰 渭苇蟽伪 伪蟺慰 蟺伪喂未喂魏维 渭维蟿喂伪 魏伪喂 伪纬谓苇蟼 蟺蟻慰胃苇蟽蔚喂蟼.
螘喂谓伪喂 蔚谓伪 未蠀谓伪蟿蠈 魏伪喂 蠅渭蠈 胃蟻委位蔚蟻. 螒位位维 伪尉委味蔚喂 谓伪 未喂伪尾伪蟽蟿蔚委. (危委纬慰蠀蟻伪 胃伪 未蠅 蟿畏谓 蟿伪喂谓委伪).
螝伪位萎 伪谓维纬谓蠅蟽畏.
螤慰位位慰蠉蟼 伪蟽蟺伪蟽渭慰蠉蟼.
November 25, 2023
Amazing, amazing, amazing. As a diehard horror book reader and listener, I have to say this is one of the best I have had the pleasure of experiencing. A vampire novel like no other - to say the least. John Ajvide Lindqist is a genius.
As an audiobook this is the ultimate in psychological horror. Oh my.... Steven Pacey is fabulous as the solo narrator. Terrified me for 17 hours as he seamlessly provided a unique and individual voice for each and every character. - children, adults, vampires - without missing a beat. Hearing this was hypnotic (ironic considering it's about vampires ;) and pausing was always with great angst. I HIGHLY recommend this as a listen if you want to turn the terror up twofold.
As an audiobook this is the ultimate in psychological horror. Oh my.... Steven Pacey is fabulous as the solo narrator. Terrified me for 17 hours as he seamlessly provided a unique and individual voice for each and every character. - children, adults, vampires - without missing a beat. Hearing this was hypnotic (ironic considering it's about vampires ;) and pausing was always with great angst. I HIGHLY recommend this as a listen if you want to turn the terror up twofold.
January 11, 2014
If I listed the things that scared me most, vampires running around looking for blood wouldn't rate in my top 10. They wouldn't rate in my top 50. That said, John Ajvide Lindqvist's Let the Right One In (translated and distributed in the U.S. as Let Me In) unsettled me in multiple ways. I actually started reading it in 2012, then again in 2013, before finally making it through its house of horrors. And I'm sure glad that I did.
The title is a play on the Morrissey tune "Let the Right One Slip In", but the story takes place in the winter of 1981 in a suburb outside Stockholm, Sweden called Blackeberg. Let that slip in for a moment. Lindqvist does a marvelous job setting the table in a neighborhood with no past, no future, where even the angles of the apartment buildings seem a little strange somehow.
Oskar is a 12-year-old latchkey kid, raised by a single mother, with no siblings, no friends. He's tormented so relentlessly at school that he has trouble controlling his bladder. He shoplifts, and fills his head with morbid thoughts of taking revenge against his tormentors. While my school experience was nowhere near as hopeless, I related to Oskar's plight much more than I wanted to.
In the dead of night, Oskar receives new neighbors, including a young girl about his own age who gives the name Eli. Meeting in the courtyard playground after dark, Eli talks like an adult, smells like an old bandage, seems impervious to the cold and solves a Rubik's Cube without effort. In no time, a teenager is found murdered in the forest, drained of blood, and Blackeberg's nightmare begins.
Rather than crank out another tired tale of vampires, Lindqvist's narrative is about how we alienate each other and keep even loved ones at arm's length. Much more than the Swedish or U.S. film versions, the novel expands its scope to characters who were mere extras in the movies, or not included at all. Lindqvist has an ability to invest us in even minor characters introduced very quickly, for example, a bachelor driving home from a blind date that's gone very well for him, until he encounters something on a bridge.
This is hardcore horror fiction. There were moments where I thought, "That's as fucked up a thing as any human could experience" only to have something even more dreadful happen next. Pedophilia, skin burns, razorblades, drowning, mean cats and being locked in a dark room freak me out and Lindqvist works them all into the story to maximum effect. There are horrors as potent as anything in Thomas Harris' Red Dragon or The Silence of the Lambs.
Reviewers have cited a somewhat inconsistent and clunky English translation as posing pacing problems, but I was so absorbed in the characters -- particularly Eli, who would tear all of Stephenie Meyer's vampires limb from limb as a mercy killing -- that I barely noticed. My complaint was the last scene, which feels anti-climactic and poses more questions of logic than it answers.
Lindqvist's footing doesn't seem as strong in his final paragraphs, but the rest of the novel is so emotionally visceral that five stars was never a question.
The title is a play on the Morrissey tune "Let the Right One Slip In", but the story takes place in the winter of 1981 in a suburb outside Stockholm, Sweden called Blackeberg. Let that slip in for a moment. Lindqvist does a marvelous job setting the table in a neighborhood with no past, no future, where even the angles of the apartment buildings seem a little strange somehow.
Oskar is a 12-year-old latchkey kid, raised by a single mother, with no siblings, no friends. He's tormented so relentlessly at school that he has trouble controlling his bladder. He shoplifts, and fills his head with morbid thoughts of taking revenge against his tormentors. While my school experience was nowhere near as hopeless, I related to Oskar's plight much more than I wanted to.
In the dead of night, Oskar receives new neighbors, including a young girl about his own age who gives the name Eli. Meeting in the courtyard playground after dark, Eli talks like an adult, smells like an old bandage, seems impervious to the cold and solves a Rubik's Cube without effort. In no time, a teenager is found murdered in the forest, drained of blood, and Blackeberg's nightmare begins.
Rather than crank out another tired tale of vampires, Lindqvist's narrative is about how we alienate each other and keep even loved ones at arm's length. Much more than the Swedish or U.S. film versions, the novel expands its scope to characters who were mere extras in the movies, or not included at all. Lindqvist has an ability to invest us in even minor characters introduced very quickly, for example, a bachelor driving home from a blind date that's gone very well for him, until he encounters something on a bridge.
This is hardcore horror fiction. There were moments where I thought, "That's as fucked up a thing as any human could experience" only to have something even more dreadful happen next. Pedophilia, skin burns, razorblades, drowning, mean cats and being locked in a dark room freak me out and Lindqvist works them all into the story to maximum effect. There are horrors as potent as anything in Thomas Harris' Red Dragon or The Silence of the Lambs.
Reviewers have cited a somewhat inconsistent and clunky English translation as posing pacing problems, but I was so absorbed in the characters -- particularly Eli, who would tear all of Stephenie Meyer's vampires limb from limb as a mercy killing -- that I barely noticed. My complaint was the last scene, which feels anti-climactic and poses more questions of logic than it answers.
Lindqvist's footing doesn't seem as strong in his final paragraphs, but the rest of the novel is so emotionally visceral that five stars was never a question.
July 14, 2020
鈥淲hat he was scared of was not that maybe she was a creature who survived by drinking other people's blood. No, it was that she might push him away.鈥�
John Avjide Lindqvist feels a little bit like the Swedish Stephen King. Bodies drained of blood are showing up in a small town in Sweden. At the same time an unlikely friendship forms between a lonely schoolboy and a young girl who only comes out at night...
Let the Right One In is an incredibly dark book - there鈥檚 pedophilia, self-harm, child sexual abuse, relentless bullying, murder. The bullying is heartbreaking to read about as is seeing Oskar live such a lonely existence. So when Oskar finds some companionship in Eli, you can鈥檛 help but be moved and subsequently root for their friendship.
It鈥檚 incredibly atmospheric, set in a working class Swedish suburb, which only adds to how bleak it all feels. I also appreciated how disturbing and violent and graphic it was - weird statement, yes, but when I鈥檓 seeking out 鈥済ood鈥� horror sometimes I just need it to be visceral, I need it to cut right to the bone. The entire Hakan storyline is just fucking insane! Some of the imagery is burned into my brain FOREVER - and for me, that鈥檚 a good thing!
One of my favourite parts was when Lindqvist explored the psychological trauma of turning into a vampire. Knowing that something is not quite right within your own body as the lust for blood intensifies. The realisation that you are putting those you love at risk. It鈥檚 a terrifying concept, that lack of control, and yet he depicts it all so perfectly.
One of the best vampire novels I鈥檝e ever read. It was exactly what I hoped it would be! 4.5 stars.
John Avjide Lindqvist feels a little bit like the Swedish Stephen King. Bodies drained of blood are showing up in a small town in Sweden. At the same time an unlikely friendship forms between a lonely schoolboy and a young girl who only comes out at night...
Let the Right One In is an incredibly dark book - there鈥檚 pedophilia, self-harm, child sexual abuse, relentless bullying, murder. The bullying is heartbreaking to read about as is seeing Oskar live such a lonely existence. So when Oskar finds some companionship in Eli, you can鈥檛 help but be moved and subsequently root for their friendship.
It鈥檚 incredibly atmospheric, set in a working class Swedish suburb, which only adds to how bleak it all feels. I also appreciated how disturbing and violent and graphic it was - weird statement, yes, but when I鈥檓 seeking out 鈥済ood鈥� horror sometimes I just need it to be visceral, I need it to cut right to the bone. The entire Hakan storyline is just fucking insane! Some of the imagery is burned into my brain FOREVER - and for me, that鈥檚 a good thing!
One of my favourite parts was when Lindqvist explored the psychological trauma of turning into a vampire. Knowing that something is not quite right within your own body as the lust for blood intensifies. The realisation that you are putting those you love at risk. It鈥檚 a terrifying concept, that lack of control, and yet he depicts it all so perfectly.
One of the best vampire novels I鈥檝e ever read. It was exactly what I hoped it would be! 4.5 stars.
October 9, 2018
Google the word atmospheric and this book should be the first result of the search. This story is a full sensory experience transporting you back to 1981 in a cold, gray suburb in Sweden. What is billed as a horror story is less horror and more heartbreak. The sheer terror of this story is brilliantly tempered with the tragic lives of two children, Oskar and Eli, who both find themselves living on the periphery of a life they desperately wish to belong.
"Why can鈥檛 I be allowed to live? Because you should be dead."
This is so much more than a vampire story. Even in the world of vampire novels this one is head and shoulders above any other modern-day interpretations.
I've read so many reviewers express the heartbreak they felt over Oskar, and while that is a given, it is little Eli that captured my heart and then crushed it. Although the glimpses we were allowed were horrifying beyond compare, I really wish the author would have allowed the readers an even broader view of Eli's backstory. Actually, I would love to read a prequel novel on Eli's life and death prior to our meeting her on the playground with Oskar. And that alone is my only criticism of this beautifully tragic book, although I would hardly describe wanting more as a criticism.
I am a super fan of the movies based on this book, both of them doing a splendid job at reducing this story into the time allotted without completely destroying it's complexion. But, as with all page-to-screen endeavors, the magic is in the details, more so in this story than most. So, if you've seen the movies and thus feel as though there's really no reason to dive into the book at this point, you couldn't be more wrong.
"Why can鈥檛 I be allowed to live? Because you should be dead."
This is so much more than a vampire story. Even in the world of vampire novels this one is head and shoulders above any other modern-day interpretations.
I've read so many reviewers express the heartbreak they felt over Oskar, and while that is a given, it is little Eli that captured my heart and then crushed it. Although the glimpses we were allowed were horrifying beyond compare, I really wish the author would have allowed the readers an even broader view of Eli's backstory. Actually, I would love to read a prequel novel on Eli's life and death prior to our meeting her on the playground with Oskar. And that alone is my only criticism of this beautifully tragic book, although I would hardly describe wanting more as a criticism.
I am a super fan of the movies based on this book, both of them doing a splendid job at reducing this story into the time allotted without completely destroying it's complexion. But, as with all page-to-screen endeavors, the magic is in the details, more so in this story than most. So, if you've seen the movies and thus feel as though there's really no reason to dive into the book at this point, you couldn't be more wrong.
October 15, 2016
Wow!!!!!
One of my all time faves, hands down....
Best writing and characterization I've read in a long time! (Not to mention best horror book--ever.) I am in awe of Lindqvist's ability to write, it is impossible for me to enjoy a book without great writing and the translation was so spot on it did not read like one at all.
Sweden, a place I've never been, became real to me without having to put much of my imagination to work. The streets, stores, housing, woods--everything was laid out so well, as if I was there. And the characters, there were so many of them that I thought I'd be unable to remember them all. Yet, not only could I remember them, they each became very human through his excellent writing. At first I couldn't understand how all these storylines mattered but they came together perfectly, and I was able to follow everything as if I was right alongside each of them, and because they were so real to me it became hard to dislike many of them (except a few-one in particular!) despite all of their flaws. (If you are not a very empathetic person, I can see standing back and judging almost everyone in this book as a bad person--the alcoholics, the jobless, the terribly lost and lonely people, etc. To me that didn't happen one bit...except for the bullies....and the other ONE, because they are human...made so by the amazing writing....it did make me sad for them, but in no way did I find them deserving of my judgement, instead I was hoping strongly for their survival and much better days ahead.)
This was a complex story made simple to read through Lindqvist's superior ability. This is exactly what a vampire book should be.....but it's also so much more.
The story of Eli and Oskar of course took center stage, but the stories of everyone else in the book drew me in as well, especially Oskars mother, and Tommy and his mother. Lacke and Virginia.... The narration throughout the entire book was extremely realistic as well, not once did it feel strained; the conversations were so perfectly written, the way people actually speak; and I could always feel how the characters were feeling. I have found that very rare in books...Lindqvist possesses a magic that is released when you read his words.
There were gross, stomach curdling parts...no one has made me that disgusted by some of the acts committed in years. (This is a book for true horror lovers only!) But, there was also tenderness, a caring for others, and a desire in the reader to see Eli stay "alive"----no matter what had to be done, because we've learned Eli's sad past :(
It is very very late---and I promised to reward myself by watching the Swedish movie version as soon as I was finished, so I will have to return and make a better review....at this moment I don't want the story to end---and I know when the movie is over I'm going to feel lost without Eli and Oskar....I want a sequel (and a long one)!!! How do you move on to another book after this?
Okay...I've watched both versions of the movie (so glad i waited until after the book!) The American one...Sucks. The Swedish one is great--on it's own I would have loved it!....But, like all movies based on books--even excellent ones like this--it leaves far too much out. Make sure to watch the right movie--AFTER reading the book! ... by the way...I'm still grieving my loss of Oskar and Eli...
Finally--the title is from a Morrisey song--as well as a quote at the beginning of this book...love that! It seems he's a huge fan...not only in this book. I hope to find more excellent books by this author, now....and hoping he's working on a big, fat sequel; the smallish sequel in the book leaves plenty (tons) of room for onel!
One of my all time faves, hands down....
Best writing and characterization I've read in a long time! (Not to mention best horror book--ever.) I am in awe of Lindqvist's ability to write, it is impossible for me to enjoy a book without great writing and the translation was so spot on it did not read like one at all.
Sweden, a place I've never been, became real to me without having to put much of my imagination to work. The streets, stores, housing, woods--everything was laid out so well, as if I was there. And the characters, there were so many of them that I thought I'd be unable to remember them all. Yet, not only could I remember them, they each became very human through his excellent writing. At first I couldn't understand how all these storylines mattered but they came together perfectly, and I was able to follow everything as if I was right alongside each of them, and because they were so real to me it became hard to dislike many of them (except a few-one in particular!) despite all of their flaws. (If you are not a very empathetic person, I can see standing back and judging almost everyone in this book as a bad person--the alcoholics, the jobless, the terribly lost and lonely people, etc. To me that didn't happen one bit...except for the bullies....and the other ONE, because they are human...made so by the amazing writing....it did make me sad for them, but in no way did I find them deserving of my judgement, instead I was hoping strongly for their survival and much better days ahead.)
This was a complex story made simple to read through Lindqvist's superior ability. This is exactly what a vampire book should be.....but it's also so much more.
The story of Eli and Oskar of course took center stage, but the stories of everyone else in the book drew me in as well, especially Oskars mother, and Tommy and his mother. Lacke and Virginia.... The narration throughout the entire book was extremely realistic as well, not once did it feel strained; the conversations were so perfectly written, the way people actually speak; and I could always feel how the characters were feeling. I have found that very rare in books...Lindqvist possesses a magic that is released when you read his words.
There were gross, stomach curdling parts...no one has made me that disgusted by some of the acts committed in years. (This is a book for true horror lovers only!) But, there was also tenderness, a caring for others, and a desire in the reader to see Eli stay "alive"----no matter what had to be done, because we've learned Eli's sad past :(
It is very very late---and I promised to reward myself by watching the Swedish movie version as soon as I was finished, so I will have to return and make a better review....at this moment I don't want the story to end---and I know when the movie is over I'm going to feel lost without Eli and Oskar....I want a sequel (and a long one)!!! How do you move on to another book after this?
Okay...I've watched both versions of the movie (so glad i waited until after the book!) The American one...Sucks. The Swedish one is great--on it's own I would have loved it!....But, like all movies based on books--even excellent ones like this--it leaves far too much out. Make sure to watch the right movie--AFTER reading the book! ... by the way...I'm still grieving my loss of Oskar and Eli...
Finally--the title is from a Morrisey song--as well as a quote at the beginning of this book...love that! It seems he's a huge fan...not only in this book. I hope to find more excellent books by this author, now....and hoping he's working on a big, fat sequel; the smallish sequel in the book leaves plenty (tons) of room for onel!
May 12, 2016
For some reason, I thought this was a YA tale. Where the hell did I get that from? I purchased it anyway, about 2 years ago, but just haven't had the chance to read it yet. Recently, I saw the audio available at my library, so I downloaded this bad boy and, wow-what fun!
There are thousands of ratings and reviews on this book, plus there's a movie, so what more can I contribute to this conversation? Not that much! I enjoyed the main characters, I enjoyed how the issues dealt with herein-bullying, alcoholism, pedophilia were introduced and discussed, and I definitely enjoyed the ending! There were a few weird side plots going on and it never became clear to me how they connected with the main one, but I ended up enjoying those too.
I would like to say that the narrator, Steven Pacey, was freaking AWESOME. He was immediately added to my favorite narrators list.
Overall, this book was fun, (it was definitely not YA and it dealt with the vampire issue, (and other issues), in a realistic and interesting way.
Recommended for fans of vampire fiction!
There are thousands of ratings and reviews on this book, plus there's a movie, so what more can I contribute to this conversation? Not that much! I enjoyed the main characters, I enjoyed how the issues dealt with herein-bullying, alcoholism, pedophilia were introduced and discussed, and I definitely enjoyed the ending! There were a few weird side plots going on and it never became clear to me how they connected with the main one, but I ended up enjoying those too.
I would like to say that the narrator, Steven Pacey, was freaking AWESOME. He was immediately added to my favorite narrators list.
Overall, this book was fun, (it was definitely not YA and it dealt with the vampire issue, (and other issues), in a realistic and interesting way.
Recommended for fans of vampire fiction!
November 2, 2023
"Don't let them in. Once they're inside they have more potential to hurt you. Comfort yourself. You can live with the anguish as long as it only involves yourself. As long as there is no hope."
Initial Thoughts
"Always read the book first" or so the saying goes. Well I'm breaking one of the golden rules of literature by reading this one...John Ajvide Lindqvist's Let The Right One In. A novel that has had not one, but two adaptations that I've managed to watch. The original, and in my opinion superior, Swedish version and a surprisingly good American remake (Let Me In).
Something I really liked was that despite having a romance element it still managed to maintain a level of gritty realism and moments of chilling horror. Every time I hear mention of love and vampires I get those horrible flashbacks of Twilight that I just can't erase from my mind despite the hundreds spent on therapy! But glad to say that Let The Right One In was nothing like that.
So after seeing both movies I've got to admit I've been putting this one off. For me it usually ruins the reading experience when you know exactly what's going to happen in a story. Fingers crossed there's still a few surprises left in store for me.
The Story
The story follows Oskar through the the frozen streets of Blackberg in Sweden. The twelve year old boy cuts a lonely figure. Mercilessly bullied at school and without any real friends he dreams of one day getting revenge on those that target him in the school playgrounds. It looks like he's headed down a very dark path.
"They could give a number of reasons for why they had to torment him; he was too fat, too ugly, too disgusting. But the real problem was simply he existed, and every reminder of his existence was a crime."
Things are about to change for young Oskar however, when he meets a strange young girl called Eli outside his rundown apartment. The pair share a bond, in that they are both lonely, and a friendship starts to bloom. But something is just not quite right about her. Outside in her bare feet in the freezing snow, she barely feels the cold, and is as agile as a cat. But when you're a lonely boy and a good-looking girl is interested then you can certainly look past these things.
Over the course of the novel Eli's story is slowly revealed and you probably know which way it's headed but just in case you don't I'm keeping my big mouth shut on this occasion. If you've seen the movie, there's way more in store for you here as they cut an absolute coffin load of stuff out and changed a lot of things.
The Writing
I'm happy to say that Lindqvist departs from the modern vampire script of sickening romance aimed at the teenage audience and instead gives us something gritty and pretty frightening. The backdrop of working-class Stockholm is grim and cold. Perfect for this narrative as the environment contrasts starkly with the budding friendship between Oskar and Eli, which provides moments of real beauty.
But fear not, there is a fair amount of blood and gore contained in these pages with a constantly mounting sense of dread simmering beneath the surface.
"One thought kept going through his head like a stubborn guitar riff. Dead is dead. Dead is dead. Dead is dead."
There's always a chance that books that weren't originally written in the English language will loose something in translation. But there's none of that here. The writing flows and is extremely readable that helps to create an fantastic atmosphere. I really got a sense of the isolation and harshness that inhabits the location in winter. You really do feel it and I'd recommend this as a perfect read for the frozen months.
I've got to say that although the supernatural aspect of the novel is provided by a Vampire, the most horrific aspects were for me of a human nature. Not going to spoil things by going into it, but the author really pushes the boundaries with some very dark issues. It goes much further than the movie that's for sure, so be warned.
The Characters
Let the Right One In, at its heart, is less about vampires and more about two lonely souls from very different worlds who find solace and friendship in one another. Oskar is isolated by the constant bullying and Eli struggles to find her place in the world. Their relationship is truly fascinating and of course the book delves further than the movie. Through each other they find something special and there's moments that really touched my dark soul. Just don't tell anyone.
The author works some real magic here by making a vampire a sympathetic character while still maintaining the truly dark aspects. Like I said, were not delving into the realm of twilight here so fear not. It's reminiscent of what Mary Shelley achieved in Frankenstein and I defy anyone who says they don't feel at least a shred of empathy for the vamp.
The rest of the supporting cast comprises Hakan, a seedy man in a raincoat who looks after Eli, a group of older alcoholics who meet at a local bar and a local teenager. The majority of these are absent from the movie so there's a whole host of plotlines that were completely new to me. All of them are realistic with visible flaws as they've not been put through the Hollywood glamour lense. It's hard to say any of them were likeable but all were intriguing.
The narrative does cut between them, and this may be a bit much for some readers, but I've got to say I thoroughly enjoyed it. Anyway, Lindqvist succeeds in pulling them all together at the end to produce a cohesive conclusion, which I'm sure you'll enjoy.
Final Thoughts
Let the Right One In is a vampire story like no other. So if you think you've had as much as you can stand of these creatures of the night, then think again. This is not Hollywood and you're not going to find a moody teenage heartthrob inhabiting these pages. This is dark and gritty stuff but still contains a lot of heart to drive a stake through. Different from any other vampire story I've read and for me succeeds in all the aspects where Twilight failed. It balances scenes of chilling horror with a tale of heartwarming friendship in convincing fashion. So all the stars for this baby!
And for those who have seen either of the two movies, I'd still urge you to give this a go. You're getting so much more and the feel is very different. In fact, this is one instant where I'd be tempted to watch the movie first. That way you won't be disappointed and the book will fill in the blanks left in the film as it provides a whole lot of backstory.
And just so you know, I would recommend the original Swedish movie before the remake. It definitely has more going for it. But if you're not a fan of subtitles then the American remake ain't bad either.
Before I go, I just discovered there's a connected short story to Let the Right One In that provides a bit of an epilogue. It's called Let the Old Dreams Die and it's supposed to be really good. So now to track that down! And if anyone has any recommendations for other stuff by this author leave me a comment.
Thanks for reading and...cheers!
February 4, 2018
No spoiler review.
I have had this book on my shelf for a few years and I dubbed 2018 as the year I was going to check some boxes that needed to be checked.
This book had been recommended to me countless times-in fact, *every single time* I ever mentioned that I am a huge fan of vampire lit.
So I bought this with huge anticipation and BIG expectations since everyone I respect as a horror reader has rated it 4-5 stars.
My first thoughts are on the writing. For me, this is the first time a translated book stood out as being obviously translated from its original language. I'm sure there was nothing lost in translation and the writing is fluid and beautiful-I can't quite put my finger on what it was that triggered it but once that switch was flipped, it stayed on-I was very aware of it, somehow.
Also, major props to Lindqvist for great character development-this is clearly his wheelhouse.
Story-wise this is dark, dark, really dark subject matter. At times, I felt like skimming or turning away because Lindqvist doesn't shy away from the graphic, obscene, uncomfortable details that I honestly, don't want to know.
And sometimes I questioned if certain things (pedophilia) was even necessary to the story. I mean, if in the sense it added to the creepiness, then YES-it certainly did but in the sense of adding to the story, I could easily do without it. (and I did skim through one scene, actually-make that two. Just too much for me and also why I docked it a star)
I loved how this book stands totally alone in some ways-for being a part of vampire lore, it borrowed from some typical vampire-ish legends but it also took the genre and flipped it on its head-there is tons of originality here. TONS
The relationship between Eli and Oskar was my favorite part of this tale--also I really enjoyed reading about Virginia and her transformation-that will go down, easily, as the scariest, most realistic vampire transformation I've ever read.
The ending of this book was the best part, 1. Because it's perfect and 2. because I was ready for this to be over--not something I would choose to read again, actually. It's not a feel good story at all.
But, this is a gold standard book for fans of horror and more specifically, fans of vampire lit. If you haven't read it, add it to your short list.
Now to watch the Swedish version of the movie!
I have had this book on my shelf for a few years and I dubbed 2018 as the year I was going to check some boxes that needed to be checked.
This book had been recommended to me countless times-in fact, *every single time* I ever mentioned that I am a huge fan of vampire lit.
So I bought this with huge anticipation and BIG expectations since everyone I respect as a horror reader has rated it 4-5 stars.
My first thoughts are on the writing. For me, this is the first time a translated book stood out as being obviously translated from its original language. I'm sure there was nothing lost in translation and the writing is fluid and beautiful-I can't quite put my finger on what it was that triggered it but once that switch was flipped, it stayed on-I was very aware of it, somehow.
Also, major props to Lindqvist for great character development-this is clearly his wheelhouse.
Story-wise this is dark, dark, really dark subject matter. At times, I felt like skimming or turning away because Lindqvist doesn't shy away from the graphic, obscene, uncomfortable details that I honestly, don't want to know.
And sometimes I questioned if certain things (pedophilia) was even necessary to the story. I mean, if in the sense it added to the creepiness, then YES-it certainly did but in the sense of adding to the story, I could easily do without it. (and I did skim through one scene, actually-make that two. Just too much for me and also why I docked it a star)
I loved how this book stands totally alone in some ways-for being a part of vampire lore, it borrowed from some typical vampire-ish legends but it also took the genre and flipped it on its head-there is tons of originality here. TONS
The relationship between Eli and Oskar was my favorite part of this tale--also I really enjoyed reading about Virginia and her transformation-that will go down, easily, as the scariest, most realistic vampire transformation I've ever read.
The ending of this book was the best part, 1. Because it's perfect and 2. because I was ready for this to be over--not something I would choose to read again, actually. It's not a feel good story at all.
But, this is a gold standard book for fans of horror and more specifically, fans of vampire lit. If you haven't read it, add it to your short list.
Now to watch the Swedish version of the movie!
September 20, 2018
I really liked this book though or maybe because it deals with topics everyone is concerned with: human relationsship, friendship, being mobbed, memories on schooldays, growing up, divorced parents, gender orientation and everday life. You simply care for story of the main characters (Eli, Oscar, Tommy, Locke/Virginia). The book is written in a modern way. After the first pages you know there's a master story teller at work with his descriptions of different locations and changing of the perspectives. Of course there also is horror, lots of it actually. You will have many eerie and nailbiting moments when devouring the story and sucking in its gist. There is also a great ending! In my opinion a modern horror classic and absolute must read. Compelling until the very end. Very symbolic and interpretable in many different ways (like a classic should be). This is a book that really gives new impulses to traditional vampire stories. One of the best and cleverest books I've read for a long time. Absolutely recommended. You won't regret it!
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