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Let the Right One In #1
Lasciami entrare
A Blackeberg, quartiere degradato alla periferia ovest di Stoccolma, il ritrovamento del cadavere completamente dissanguato di un ragazzo segna l’inizio di una lunga scia di morte. Sembrerebbe trattarsi di omicidi rituali, ma c’è chi pensa all’opera di un serial killer. Mentre nel quartiere si diffonde la paura, il dodicenne Oskar, affascinato dalle imprese dell’assassino, gioisce segretamente sperando che sia finalmente giunta l’ora della rivalsa nei confronti dei bulletti che ogni giorno lo tormentano a scuola. Ma non è l’unica novità nella sua vita, perché Oskar ha trovato un’amica, una coetanea che si è appena trasferita nel quartiere. Con lei instaura un legame speciale. In Eli però c’è qualcosa di strano, il suo viso smunto, i capelli scuri e i grandi occhi. Emana uno strano odore, non ha mai freddo, se salta sembra volare e, soprattutto, esce di casa soltanto la notte... Lasciami entrare è una tenera e crudele storia d’amore, vendetta e vampiri, un racconto fantastico e commovente sul dolore dell’infanzia e la forza dell’amicizia. Un romanzo cult da cui sono stati tratti due film, la pluripremiata versione svedese di Tomas Alfredson e il remake hollywoodiano di Matt Reeves.
461 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2004
3693 people are currently reading
229850 people want to read
About the author
John Ajvide Lindqvist
73 books4,283 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 .
http://us.macmillan.com/author/johnaj...
Russian profile can be found here: https://www.goodreads.com/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 .
http://us.macmillan.com/author/johnaj...
Russian profile can be found here: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 8,560 reviews
December 4, 2013
I finally got my revenge on Sweden. For most of my life I’ve 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’s some random quotes from the BBC news archive :
“Sweden has probably the strongest freedom of information law anywhere in the world.”
“Sweden has one of the best staffed health services in the world. But as a parent, Sweden seems the perfect place to have children.”
“BBC's Joe Wilson on how Sweden became a top athletics nation. What can Sweden teach GB?”
“Sweden says it aims to completely wean itself off oil within 15 years, without building new nuclear plants..”
“In a survey of the 26 most industrialised countries, only Sweden came out better.” (Better at what? Oh… life…love…happiness…)
“Sweden and Denmark show most clearly what spelling reform can do. Sweden has gradually given itself a fairly sound spelling system.” (Yes, spelling reform is important too! Admittedly this didn’t make me as furiously jealous as the other stuff. But still – Sweden. Again.)
“If 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”
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’s 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’s 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!
“Sweden has probably the strongest freedom of information law anywhere in the world.”
“Sweden has one of the best staffed health services in the world. But as a parent, Sweden seems the perfect place to have children.”
“BBC's Joe Wilson on how Sweden became a top athletics nation. What can Sweden teach GB?”
“Sweden says it aims to completely wean itself off oil within 15 years, without building new nuclear plants..”
“In a survey of the 26 most industrialised countries, only Sweden came out better.” (Better at what? Oh… life…love…happiness…)
“Sweden and Denmark show most clearly what spelling reform can do. Sweden has gradually given itself a fairly sound spelling system.” (Yes, spelling reform is important too! Admittedly this didn’t make me as furiously jealous as the other stuff. But still – Sweden. Again.)
“If 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”
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’s 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’s 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 Låt den rätte 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 Låt den rätte 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…soiled and a bit emotionally off-kilter.
That’s the best I can do to describe how this book made me feel. It’s dark, morose and...really…really...REALLY…creepy. Not strange sounds and creaking doors creepy. Creepy 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.
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…well….off.
All of which adds up to a big, fat, musty pants load of CREEPY. Of course, it’s 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 about “outcasts” 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. Here’s Eli from the movie (which I have not yet seen):
good casting because that’s 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’s a shot of Oskar “at play”
Oskar’s 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.
However, as far from normal as Oskar and Eil may seem, the "I'm So VERY Odd" Award goes to Eli’s “Renfield-like” man-servant, Hakan. Hakan’s job, which he does out of *shudder* love for Eli, is to secure the vampire’s 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 “middle of road good.” 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 “I liked it” but didn't love it.
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.
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.
Still, good writing and a very original, character driven vampire tale. A strong 3.0 to 3.5 stars. Recommended.
That’s the best I can do to describe how this book made me feel. It’s dark, morose and...really…really...REALLY…creepy. Not strange sounds and creaking doors creepy. Creepy 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.
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…well….off.
All of which adds up to a big, fat, musty pants load of CREEPY. Of course, it’s 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 about “outcasts” 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. Here’s Eli from the movie (which I have not yet seen):
good casting because that’s 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’s a shot of Oskar “at play”
Oskar’s 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.
However, as far from normal as Oskar and Eil may seem, the "I'm So VERY Odd" Award goes to Eli’s “Renfield-like” man-servant, Hakan. Hakan’s job, which he does out of *shudder* love for Eli, is to secure the vampire’s 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 “middle of road good.” 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 “I liked it” but didn't love it.
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.
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.
Still, good writing and a very original, character driven vampire tale. A strong 3.0 to 3.5 stars. Recommended.
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’s no way that a Hollywood movie studio is going to show that messed up tale in it’s original form to audiences in the U.S. Little did I know that even the Swedish producers didn’t have the collective nutsack to give us the full story on how goddamn twisted the book is.
Set in the early ‘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’s developing a pretty good case of homicidal rage because of it. In fact, he’s 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’s 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’s almost a pre-adolescent romance, but things are going off the rails around them. Eli’s version of Renfield is a creepy pedophile who is jealous of their relationship and can’t be counted on to keep Eli supplied with fresh blood. When Eli’s 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’t the scary parts, it’s the way that the ’normal’ people treat each other that will really haunt you.
Set in the early ‘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’s developing a pretty good case of homicidal rage because of it. In fact, he’s 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’s 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’s almost a pre-adolescent romance, but things are going off the rails around them. Eli’s version of Renfield is a creepy pedophile who is jealous of their relationship and can’t be counted on to keep Eli supplied with fresh blood. When Eli’s 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’t the scary parts, it’s the way that the ’normal’ people treat each other that will really haunt you.
November 5, 2022
“Let 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 ‘Let the Right One In’ 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’s 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’s dark, it’s bleak, it’s 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’t 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 ‘Let the Right One In’ 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’s 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’s dark, it’s bleak, it’s 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’t 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 The Readventurer
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 Stolen 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 Stolen 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
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.
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 28, 2021
Me encantó. Un libro en el que el vampiro es el menor de los monstruos comparado con la perversión y desolación de la humanidad. Retrata una Suecia totalmente distinta a la que nos imaginamos como una sociedad ideal. Eli se queda en mi corazón por siempre.
July 3, 2012
I finished reading “Let the right one in” 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’s on the 1001 books list.)
I’ve 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?
“Let the right one in” 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’s arrival in the community, Oskar’s 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.
“Let the right one in” 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’t forget to draw those curtains and only let the right ones in.
I’ve 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?
“Let the right one in” 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’s arrival in the community, Oskar’s 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.
“Let the right one in” 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’t forget to draw those curtains and only let the right ones in.
May 12, 2017
Παράθυρο, σ' ανοίγω:
να μπει το φως, να βγει η ζωή.
Σαίξπηρ, ''Ρωμαίος και Ιουλιέτα''
Αυτό το βιβλίο ήταν για μένα μια αναγνωστική ρουφήχτρα που με τράβηξε στη δίνη της απο τις πρώτες σελίδες.
Διαβάζεται απολαυστικά ακόμη και απο αναγνώστεςπου δεν ειναι λάτρεις της γοτθικής σκοτεινιάς και του ζοφερού σκηνικού-παρόλο που έχει σκηνές σκληρές και αιματοβαμμένες σε τέλεια περιγραφή και αποτύπωση για οργιώδη φαντασία- γιατί καταφέρνει να δημιουργήσει ενα εξαιρετικό λογοτεχνικό αποτέλεσμα ανεξαιρέτως θέματος.
Η ιστορία εκτυλίσσεται στη Στοκχόλμη της δεκαετίας του "80. Μπροστα μας υπάρχει το παγωμένο σκανδιναβικό τοπίο ανάμεσα σε σκοτεινά δάση και απόμερα συγκροτήματα πολυκατοικιών.
Η ουσία της ιστορίας ειναι η ερωτική φιλία που γεννιέται και δυναμώνει,ανάμεσα στον Όσκαρ ενα χαρισματικά διαταραγμένο παιδί και την Έλι μια επιεικώς τρυφερή και δυστυχισμένη ύπαρξη 200 ετών,ενα παράξενο βαμπίρ.
Ύπαρχουν επίσης δυο παρέες που συνθέτουν το μακάβριο παζλ της εξέλιξης. Μια παρέα ενηλίκων αλκοολικών και μια άλλη που αποτελείται απο νεαρούς παραβατικούς εφήβους.
Ξεκινούν οι αποτρόπαιες δολοφονίες που λίγο πολύ αφορούν την αρχή μιας ανατριχιαστικής και παρανοϊκής σχέσης και συνεχίζονται δραματικά ως την τελική αιματοβαμμένη κορύφωση.
Πάνω στο χιόνι του ζοφερού μας τοπίου ο συγγραφέας μεταφέρει με εξαιρετική και ματωμένη γραφή πολλά μηνύματα για τη ζωή των σύγχρονων ανθρωπων,αξίες,ιδεώδη,αρετές,καταστάσεις και βαθύτερες έννοιες που απλώνονται και επιδρούν με αλλεπάληλες συνέπειες και αλλοιώσεις στις ψυχές και το μυαλό των ανθρώπων της ιστορίας μας αλλα και στην ευρύτερη κοινωνία.
Εχουμε λοιπόν, βαθιά και συγκινητικά πρότυπα φιλίας,ανθρωπιάς και πίστης.
Θλιβερές μοναχικές υπάρξεις φοβισμένες όχι απο το θάνατο μα απο την ίδια τη ζωή.
Προβληματικά παιδιά που καταδυναστεύουν και τυραννούν κάποια άλλα γιατι το οικογενειακό τους περιβάλλον ειναι τοξικό.
Αγάπη σε ολες τις εκφάνσεις και σε όλες τις ηλικίες με διαφορετικό τρόπο έκφρασης και θλιβερής απόγνωσης.
Και βέβαια ακόμη και το βαμπίρ που πρωταγωνιστεί και είναι ένα κακόμοιρο πλάσμα, δαιμονικά καταδικασμένο σε μια επίγεια κόλαση, αισθάνεται και βιώνει τον κόσμο μέσα απο παιδικά μάτια και αγνές προθέσεις.
Ειναι ενα δυνατό και ωμό θρίλερ. Αλλά αξίζει να διαβαστεί. (Σίγουρα θα δω την ταινία).
Καλή ανάγνωση.
Πολλούς ασπασμούς.
να μπει το φως, να βγει η ζωή.
Σαίξπηρ, ''Ρωμαίος και Ιουλιέτα''
Αυτό το βιβλίο ήταν για μένα μια αναγνωστική ρουφήχτρα που με τράβηξε στη δίνη της απο τις πρώτες σελίδες.
Διαβάζεται απολαυστικά ακόμη και απο αναγνώστεςπου δεν ειναι λάτρεις της γοτθικής σκοτεινιάς και του ζοφερού σκηνικού-παρόλο που έχει σκηνές σκληρές και αιματοβαμμένες σε τέλεια περιγραφή και αποτύπωση για οργιώδη φαντασία- γιατί καταφέρνει να δημιουργήσει ενα εξαιρετικό λογοτεχνικό αποτέλεσμα ανεξαιρέτως θέματος.
Η ιστορία εκτυλίσσεται στη Στοκχόλμη της δεκαετίας του "80. Μπροστα μας υπάρχει το παγωμένο σκανδιναβικό τοπίο ανάμεσα σε σκοτεινά δάση και απόμερα συγκροτήματα πολυκατοικιών.
Η ουσία της ιστορίας ειναι η ερωτική φιλία που γεννιέται και δυναμώνει,ανάμεσα στον Όσκαρ ενα χαρισματικά διαταραγμένο παιδί και την Έλι μια επιεικώς τρυφερή και δυστυχισμένη ύπαρξη 200 ετών,ενα παράξενο βαμπίρ.
Ύπαρχουν επίσης δυο παρέες που συνθέτουν το μακάβριο παζλ της εξέλιξης. Μια παρέα ενηλίκων αλκοολικών και μια άλλη που αποτελείται απο νεαρούς παραβατικούς εφήβους.
Ξεκινούν οι αποτρόπαιες δολοφονίες που λίγο πολύ αφορούν την αρχή μιας ανατριχιαστικής και παρανοϊκής σχέσης και συνεχίζονται δραματικά ως την τελική αιματοβαμμένη κορύφωση.
Πάνω στο χιόνι του ζοφερού μας τοπίου ο συγγραφέας μεταφέρει με εξαιρετική και ματωμένη γραφή πολλά μηνύματα για τη ζωή των σύγχρονων ανθρωπων,αξίες,ιδεώδη,αρετές,καταστάσεις και βαθύτερες έννοιες που απλώνονται και επιδρούν με αλλεπάληλες συνέπειες και αλλοιώσεις στις ψυχές και το μυαλό των ανθρώπων της ιστορίας μας αλλα και στην ευρύτερη κοινωνία.
Εχουμε λοιπόν, βαθιά και συγκινητικά πρότυπα φιλίας,ανθρωπιάς και πίστης.
Θλιβερές μοναχικές υπάρξεις φοβισμένες όχι απο το θάνατο μα απο την ίδια τη ζωή.
Προβληματικά παιδιά που καταδυναστεύουν και τυραννούν κάποια άλλα γιατι το οικογενειακό τους περιβάλλον ειναι τοξικό.
Αγάπη σε ολες τις εκφάνσεις και σε όλες τις ηλικίες με διαφορετικό τρόπο έκφρασης και θλιβερής απόγνωσης.
Και βέβαια ακόμη και το βαμπίρ που πρωταγωνιστεί και είναι ένα κακόμοιρο πλάσμα, δαιμονικά καταδικασμένο σε μια επίγεια κόλαση, αισθάνεται και βιώνει τον κόσμο μέσα απο παιδικά μάτια και αγνές προθέσεις.
Ειναι ενα δυνατό και ωμό θρίλερ. Αλλά αξίζει να διαβαστεί. (Σίγουρα θα δω την ταινία).
Καλή ανάγνωση.
Πολλούς ασπασμούς.
July 14, 2020
“What 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.”
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’s 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’t help but be moved and subsequently root for their friendship.
It’s 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’m seeking out “good” 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’s 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’s a terrifying concept, that lack of control, and yet he depicts it all so perfectly.
One of the best vampire novels I’ve 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’s 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’t help but be moved and subsequently root for their friendship.
It’s 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’m seeking out “good” 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’s 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’s a terrifying concept, that lack of control, and yet he depicts it all so perfectly.
One of the best vampire novels I’ve ever read. It was exactly what I hoped it would be! 4.5 stars.
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.
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’t 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’t 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 Let the Old Dreams Die 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 Let the Old Dreams Die 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!
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!
July 16, 2025
The last 20% of this book brought up the rating for me. I couldn't quit reading at the end!
This was a creepy and disturbing look into having the main character of a vampire as a kid. I enjoyed this concept and it sure was unpleasant at times.
Eli, our vampire is actually 200 years old but looks 12. And this helps her out when looking for her next meal.
Her friendship aka weird parent/child relationship with Håkan was just wrong, wrong, wrong.
And Håkan
Let the Right One In did have some issues for me in regards to the pacing of the book and similar names.
Jonny, Jimmy, Tommy, Johan, etc. Good grief, you get the idea. I was losing who was who at times with all the extra characters.
Some of the extra in this book could also have been removed. The pacing lost its focus when the chapters with Tommy occurred or even the chapters of Lacke, Morgan and the drunken crew came about.
But the writing of John Ajvide Lindqvist was still fierce and brutal, and I loved that part.
Let the Right One in has disturbing topics, violence and intense bullying of Oskar.
This book is not for the light hearted. If you enjoy vampires, gore and chilling moments that sear into your brain, then look no further then checking out this bloody, gore fest.
This was a creepy and disturbing look into having the main character of a vampire as a kid. I enjoyed this concept and it sure was unpleasant at times.
Eli, our vampire is actually 200 years old but looks 12. And this helps her out when looking for her next meal.
Her friendship aka weird parent/child relationship with Håkan was just wrong, wrong, wrong.
And Håkan
Let the Right One In did have some issues for me in regards to the pacing of the book and similar names.
Jonny, Jimmy, Tommy, Johan, etc. Good grief, you get the idea. I was losing who was who at times with all the extra characters.
Some of the extra in this book could also have been removed. The pacing lost its focus when the chapters with Tommy occurred or even the chapters of Lacke, Morgan and the drunken crew came about.
But the writing of John Ajvide Lindqvist was still fierce and brutal, and I loved that part.
Let the Right One in has disturbing topics, violence and intense bullying of Oskar.
This book is not for the light hearted. If you enjoy vampires, gore and chilling moments that sear into your brain, then look no further then checking out this bloody, gore fest.
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!
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