Gerard Van Der Waal’s Reviews > Let the Old Dreams Die: Stories > Status Update
Gerard Van Der Waal
is 17% done
I'm reading this book one story at a time between full-length novels. I already read Let the Old Dreams Die straight on the heels of Let the Right One In, which I quite like for its addition of love and warmth to the story it is a sequel to. I just finished the first story, Border. It's well written, and I love that it deals with an old Finnish myth figure. Not really scary. But definitely 4 stars on these first two!
— Jul 12, 2026 11:25AM
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Gerard’s Previous Updates
Gerard Van Der Waal
is 41% done
Substitute. A solid four stars! An original and very well-executed take on Lovecraft's old trope of the narrator being infected by someone else's madness. Also, it feels like a true, original, and sincere depiction of mental illness that the narrator's old friend is suffering from. Having worked for over 10 years at the Salvation Army, I can see someone from the street telling me about people with holes in them.
— 11 hours, 54 min ago
Gerard Van Der Waal
is 35% done
Can't see it! It doesn't exist! Three stars. As expected, very well written and I really wanted to know what was happening with Frank, the desperate paparazzi photographer. I guess he just lost his mind... This one left be a little dumbfounded. I guess I'll search for some discussion on this story for a little more context.
— Aug 22, 2026 11:04PM
Gerard Van Der Waal
is 31% done
Finished Equinox. Three Stars. Very well written. Lindqvist is a master of turning the everyday ordinary into something horrific, which happens in this one, and the story has a nice kind of symmetry to the structure. However, this is one of those short stories that, once it concludes, leaves you wondering what the point was. But otherwise it's a good, short and egaging read.
— Aug 20, 2026 03:21AM
Gerard Van Der Waal
is 23% done
Last night I finished the second story in this collection: Village on the Hill. I really love the description of the main character's descent into madness after he one day discovers that his apartment building is listing over. The guy is obsessed with this new realization, and I really sympathized with him as he gradually came apart... ..and then there's a nice horrific bait-and-switch. Five stars! Also, symbolism.
— Jul 14, 2026 01:46AM