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juushikaTitle: Let Me In (Let The Right One In/Låt den rätte komma in)
Author: John Ajvide Lindqvist
Translator: Ebba Segerberg
Published: New York: Thomas Dunne Books, 2007 (2004)
Rating: 4 of 5
Page Count: 472
Total Page Count: 73,539
Text Number: 217
Read For: interest in the book after watching the film, borrowed from the library
Short Review: Oskar is a twelve-year-old boy who is bullied at school; Eli, a vampire who has been twelve for a very long time. When the two meet, Oskar has the chance to gain independence from his tormentors, but their friendship is troubled by the difficulties of Eli's blood-feeding existence. Though blandly written and overlong, the central characters and the friendship and violence which unites them makes this book an eventual success. It's not an unusual vampire novel, but Let The Right One In has unexpected charm and I recommend it.
Much of the time, Let The Right One In is slow and unremarkable. The writing style is outright bland, but as this is a translated work it's impossible to know if that's the fault of the author or the translator. There's a wide cast of characters, the plot tends towards overly complicated, and the pacing is slow, all of which make for a detailed and realistic story with such a sedate pace that there's often little sense of urgency or direction. Near the end of the book this changes: faster pacing and some tension tie together the plotlines in a swift, sometimes hectic conclusion. The extremes of pacing are an odd combination, and neither feels like the right fit for the book.
Despite the pacing, the central characters make the novel an eventual success. The friendship between Oskar and Eli, and Oskar's concurrent personal growth, is surprisingly moving. Here the detail and slow pacing serve the story well: the characters are realistic and the friendship progresses at a measured and meaningful pace. As a child, Eli is something of a twist on the vampire trope; her combination of innocence, amorality, and pathos is unusual and interesting. Finally, the violence which follows Eli interrupts the slow pacing with gruesome action, keeping the reader on his toes and providing delicious contrast to the book's more mundane aspects. Let The Right One In is not an accomplished novel, it wants editing and a smoother pace, and yet it has unexpected charm. Eli and Oskar are just real enough, just interesting enough, that their identities, struggles, and friendship bring this book to life. I recommend it.
Review posted here on Amazon.com.
Author: John Ajvide Lindqvist
Translator: Ebba Segerberg
Published: New York: Thomas Dunne Books, 2007 (2004)
Rating: 4 of 5
Page Count: 472
Total Page Count: 73,539
Text Number: 217
Read For: interest in the book after watching the film, borrowed from the library
Short Review: Oskar is a twelve-year-old boy who is bullied at school; Eli, a vampire who has been twelve for a very long time. When the two meet, Oskar has the chance to gain independence from his tormentors, but their friendship is troubled by the difficulties of Eli's blood-feeding existence. Though blandly written and overlong, the central characters and the friendship and violence which unites them makes this book an eventual success. It's not an unusual vampire novel, but Let The Right One In has unexpected charm and I recommend it.
Much of the time, Let The Right One In is slow and unremarkable. The writing style is outright bland, but as this is a translated work it's impossible to know if that's the fault of the author or the translator. There's a wide cast of characters, the plot tends towards overly complicated, and the pacing is slow, all of which make for a detailed and realistic story with such a sedate pace that there's often little sense of urgency or direction. Near the end of the book this changes: faster pacing and some tension tie together the plotlines in a swift, sometimes hectic conclusion. The extremes of pacing are an odd combination, and neither feels like the right fit for the book.
Despite the pacing, the central characters make the novel an eventual success. The friendship between Oskar and Eli, and Oskar's concurrent personal growth, is surprisingly moving. Here the detail and slow pacing serve the story well: the characters are realistic and the friendship progresses at a measured and meaningful pace. As a child, Eli is something of a twist on the vampire trope; her combination of innocence, amorality, and pathos is unusual and interesting. Finally, the violence which follows Eli interrupts the slow pacing with gruesome action, keeping the reader on his toes and providing delicious contrast to the book's more mundane aspects. Let The Right One In is not an accomplished novel, it wants editing and a smoother pace, and yet it has unexpected charm. Eli and Oskar are just real enough, just interesting enough, that their identities, struggles, and friendship bring this book to life. I recommend it.
Review posted here on Amazon.com.
