Let The Right one In
Author: John Ajvide Lindqvist
Review By: Zuul, April 2008
Set in 1981 and arriving accompanied by extravagant claims of reinventing the vampire novel, this translation of a best selling Swedish novel certainly pulls no punches. Forget the glamorous endless hedonistic life style of the blood suckers at the more “romantic” end of the vampire novel genre – this novel is grim.
And by that I don’t mean gritty and realistic, I mean set in a sink hole estate in an ice and snow ridden northern Sweden and featuring lurid details of the predilection of one of the main characters for young boys.
It would not be spoiling the plot to reveal one of the key players is a 200 year old vampire in a girls 10 year old body – with all of the guile and experience that this brings and the full knowledge of how to take advantage of the kind intentions of those coming to the aid of an apparently helpless child.
Eli (the child vamp) becomes friends with Oskar her 10-year old neighbour – a down trodden bullied child looking for a way out of his punishing life. Together they experience a something of a coming of age (for him) and a going of age (if you like) for her through the shared experiences of child abuse, throat ripping exsanguination, arson, murder, bully revenge and Rubik’s cubes.
The only other significant group of characters are a drink-addled group of soaks who hang out at the local Chinese restaurant slowly embalming themselves until the threads of the plot entwine them with the spreading infection and killing spree.
But let’s be clear: though this may sound bleak, this is a real page turner of a novel – you come to care about the characters and their lives, willing them to find some sort of victory and escape. This is not a novel that judges – the characters and their activities no matter how lurid and in some cases obscene are not condemned – merely presented as everyday events. Redemption is not expected or supplied, and somehow this approach makes some of the more fantastical elements of the book seem increasingly believable.
I have a slight issue with the apparent ease with which some of the crimes are committed and with the ineptitude of the at time keystonesque local cops , but for the most part this is a massively entertaining book, framing the key vampire touch stones (invitiations to enter, immortality, sunlight) with a genuinely new and downbeat perspective. For once, though the ending creates a set-up for a sequel, it closes satisfyingly acting as a complete story within itself.
If you think you can stomach some of the more unsavoury elements, then I highly recommend it - though I can’t see the Swedish tourist board being big fans.
4/5
