I haven't read many books of the vampire genre, but after a chance Saturday night viewing of the Swedish movie of the same title and missing the ending, I had to read the book. I subsequently watched the whole movie on DVD.Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist combines a disturbing mix of supernatural and a social commentary on a depressing Swedish suburb in the 1980s. The characters deal with issues such as bullying, alcoholism, drug abuse, pedophilia, crime and a range of emotional connections.
Oskar is a product of divorced parents with their own issues. He is bullied at school and has very few real friends. Then 12 year old Eli moves in next door. Eli is also a social outcast but for a very different reason. Eli doesn't go to school and only comes out at night. Eli is not really a girl but rather a 200 year old vampire who remains looking like a 12 year forever. Eli's need for a supply of fresh blood takes the story into a series of gory murders. Marginalised by their peers, Oskar and Eli become friends. Eli encourages Oskar to fight back leading to a horrifying conclusion.
While Let the Right One In offers the usual vampire lore, the book is ultimately more about the lives of the people living around the vampire. If you haven't read any books of this genre, this could be a good one to pique your appetite for something different.
The violence and concepts in this book are quite confronting so I would not recommend this book to young teens.
A remake movie of this book is currently showing at the cinema. The original subtitled Swedish movie apparently had quite a cult following. Read the book first......
Angela
1 comment:
I recommend this book, particularly if you think vampires have become too cool and ‘at home’ with humans in light of the success of the Twilight and True Blood franchises (although I am a fan of the True Blood TV series).
I found Eli's character very unsettling and thoroughly creepy. Yet John Ajvide Lindqvist is such a nuanced writer that the reader cannot but help have some sympathy for the creature Eli, despite its need for human blood and unpleasant odour (let’s face it, if you go around drinking raw blood and don’t get out much, you would start to get a bit whiffy). Vampires are nasty creatures, but, as evidenced by Eli’s bond with Oskar, their utter alienation from mainstream society mirrors the state of many troubled human souls in modern society. A dark, disturbing and terrific book.
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