John Ajvide LindqvistBesprekingen

Had I have know that there was sex trafficking of very underage children in this book, I would not have even started it!

Read this book because Anda Kent reviewed it and it just sounded really interesting. Obv its about vampires, but I think it was a really interesting take on the vampire and vampire literature. I agree that it's one of those books that has some HIGHLY disturbing subject matters in it, but I think it still has a lot to dig at.

I think that as much as my heart bleeds for Oskar, Eli is my absolute favorite character and favorite vampire in literature as far as I have read. I think there are so many ways to read and make sense of this novel- as a coming of age story, about self discovery, about finding your people, about the different ways that families are made, what makes a person a monster...its all in there.

I also wish that we got more of what Eli's story was, but then again, it's so horrifying and themes and things that happened to him when he went from child to vampire is so painful to read that I see why we get so little.

Overall, this is a hard book to read and I am still trying to make sense of it, but if you're okay with difficult literature and disturbing subject matter that still seems to have larger messages and important information under the surface, you may want to consider this one.½

The thing with any novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist is to remember the stages of reading.

https://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/i-am-behind-you-john-ajvide-lindqvist-0

Me: you got the stuff?
John Ajvide: (slides a paper bag labelled “Loving daddies and granddads” across the counter)

Not a bit horror reader, but I really, really enjoyed this all the same. A lot of, you know, horror. I loved how mundanely, boringly fucked up the normal characters were.

Had to pick it up to read the short story that is a "sequel" to [b:Let the Right One In|943402|Let the Right One In|John Ajvide Lindqvist|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327893384s/943402.jpg|928338]. Turns out it was nothing very interesting, and like the shorter stories in this collection one of the weakest in it. The more room Lindqvist takes to build his stories, to slowly increase the anxiety and horror and dread, the better they turn out.

My favorites are two almost novella length stories, Tindalos and Final Processing. The former brings in the Hounds of Tindalos from the Cthulhu mythos. A woman came to the attention of such an entity due to a violent childhood incident, and it spends the next three decades searching for her through time and space, finally locating her as she is in the midst of a collapsing marriage (horror finds horror). The resolution is violent, surprising and satisfying.

Final Processing is a sequel to [b:Handling the Undead|4328472|Handling the Undead|John Ajvide Lindqvist|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328152386s/4328472.jpg|2828796], and resolves the ultimate fate of the "reliving". The ending is a bit problematic, because no way would the location of this resolution be so casually and incompetently guarded, and the nature of the mysterious Stranger must have gotten lost in translation somehow, but up until that point it is an intriguing story.

Other stories of note are The Border, in which a woman discovers that she isn't nearly so human as she was raised to believe, Equinox, in which a lonely woman discovers a dead body in strange circumstances and finds that it wasn't really the best choice to unburden her worries and problems to, and Eternal/Love, in which a near-drowning victim believes he has found the secret to eternal life and wants to share it with his wife. Perhaps you will not be surprised to hear that that does not end well.

That leaves six remaining stories that I wouldn't really recommend bothering with, however they're all fairly short so at least you won't spend much time on them if you do.

Yikes. A descent into madness for the entire family!

A very compelling read. Nothing really new to add to the vampire mythos but an intriguing character study with sympathetic characters. Highly recommended.

I've really enjoyed the consistent pacing and that there were no copouts on consequences.
All around this is a very well written book.
But the plot doesn't go anywhere. No tension arc, no goal, no nothing.
I at no point had the feeling that the story worked towards anything.

It's just a random slice of a drama enriched with unnecessary horror.

There is no consistent explanation of the supernatural elements either.
It's just what the author needed at the moment which sadly is much more apparent here than in the general case of this flaw because it is used just to draw horrific graphic scenes that don't even have some other point to them.

I was intrigued enough by the writing and the setting to keep reading. I usually drop a story quite quickly if it suffers from major flaws but this kept me hooked in an unusual way.
I can see why people might appreciate this kind of story but it just wasn't for me.
Maybe this is a bit like modern art. It is appreciated because it is different not because it is "good"?

Handling the Undead by John Ajvide Lindqvist is a zombie book with a difference. The story begins with the sudden reanimation of thousands of deceased individuals, now referred to as "reliving," before exploring the perspectives of various characters, including grieving families and medical professionals, as they struggle with the emotional and ethical complexities of the situation. Lindqvist combines horror elements with an examination of human nature to explore themes of loss, grief, and our understanding of life and death.

Lindqvist's true mastery, however, lies in the seamless alternation between action and inner dialogue, which results in an ominous air of tension, and in his ability to paint a vivid picture with his words. The author's portrayal of grief is nothing short of haunting; I found myself holding back tears multiple times.

What sets this novel apart is its unique approach to the undead. If you're seeking a traditionally fast-paced, action-packed zombie story, this book may not be to your taste. Far from the mindless flesh-eaters we're accustomed to, these reanimated beings are imbued with a haunting humanity. Lindqvist doesn't just explore death and resurrection; he delves deep into the recesses of human nature, plumbing fear, loathing, disgust, compassion, love, and the raw, unrelenting ache of grief.

The characters in Handling the Undead are complex and enigmatic, breathing life into a genre often characterised by lifelessness. The strong focus on character introspection does slow the pace of the novel; however, the narrative is complex and intricate, weaving a web that leaves readers constantly on edge. The horror here is subtle, playing upon our deepest fears. Through the lens of the zombie premise, Lindqvist offers a searing commentary on modern society, laying bare its fissures - the isolation, the fear, the fraying of social bonds, and the desperate hope for a better future.

The novel concludes with a degree of ambiguity, which may be off-putting for some readers. Many questions are unanswered, including the ultimate fate of the undead and the nature of the force that seems to be influencing them. Some readers will appreciate the open-ended nature of this finish, while others may prefer a more conclusive resolution.

Overall, Handling the Undead is a thought-provoking and emotionally resonant work that brings a unique spin to the zombie genre, making it a worthwhile read for those seeking a fresh perspective on the undead.

I’m not 100% sure about how i feel about this book to be honest but I do keep finding myself thinking about it!!

The book is slightly bizarre, thought-provoking, and at times a touch baffling, it tears the heart and twists the soul.

This if the first book in a planned 3 part series and i am not sure how long the wait will be before the second instalment.

It was quite a slow drawn out first part of the book and i was close to giving up at one point, BUT I am pleased i persevered as the book picks up steam and the action starts.
I think it is a more psychological horror than blood bath but the book certainly doesn’t shy away from the intense gruesome scenes that take place in the latter part of the book. They are descriptive without being too disturbing and over the top, some you will see coming and some not until it happens which i really liked.

John Ajvide Lindqvist has been called Sweden’s version of Stephen King but I would put this book on a liking to some of Clive Barker’s earlier work, which is in no way a bad thing!

The story takes place not in our world, or not as we see it. All that there is are 4 caravans where the occupants go to sleep in a busy caravan holiday park but wake up to a what appears to be an empty field. All they can see in all directions is flat green grass and pure blue sky, not even a single cloud.

There occupants are an eclectic bunch that are from different walks of life so why were these four families picked up and removed to this strange place? What’s the connection?
In one caravan are the Sundberg family consisting of Peter, a national football superstar, his wife Isabelle, a model and their 6-year-old daughter Molly.
The next caravan is home to Stefan Larsson, a small town store owner, his wife Carina and their young 9-year-old son Emil.
Next there is Lennart and Olof, two farmers who have been together since their wives ran off and left them and their cat, then finally Donald, his wife Majvor who are both retired and their dog Benny.

The book is in 3 parts, Outside, Inside and Beyond and the story is told in alternating parts by each of the characters, even the dog and cat have their parts to play.
The story follows the groups as they explore their new surroundings and their attempts at trying to understand why they have ended up here.
We also get to learn parts of the characters back stories and find out what inner demons they will have to face in the struggle to survive.

Due to the fact this is only book one it leaves a lot of things unresolved and unexplained, like the how and the why, so it will be very interesting to see where the story will go from here.

It is really well written and the translation is extremely good. There are some mentions of a Swedish singer i haven’t heard of but other than that it works well in English.
So all in all, this book won’t be for everyone but I am pleased i finished the book, its well written, most of the characters are believable even though some you don’t care for, the creepiness sneaks up on you and ramps up the internal tensions to inevitable violence, sweeping you along for the ride.

I will defiantly be waiting for book number 2 to be released!

Definitely not as good as Let the Right One In. It's the first book in a trilogy, and I will read the second because I did get invested in the characters. The creep factor of Let the Right One In isn't there for me in this book.

After watching the Swedish film (which I thought was excellent), and the American remake (which, amazingly, was very good), I decided to read the novel.

If you're here, on Goodreads, reading this review, you know that the written word can create a far more nuanced story-world than the movie, with additonal layers to filter through, and numerous nooks and crannies to be explored. You can only squish so much material into two hours of celluloid.

So we expect more from the original material.

And Let the Right One In doesn't disappoint at all. The MC here, Oskar, is faced with some ethical decisions, and he doesn't always choose wisely. In the movie I felt as if he was an impassive observer, content to let circumstances waft over him.

And the vampire, Eli - we learn far more about the vampire in the novel. I don't want to spoil things, but suffice it feels regret over some of the moral choices it makes, odd for a vampire!

Håkan, the vampire's familiar, is a much larger character in the book..He sticks around far longer, and causes more damage, both to himself and others.

There is a woman who becomes infected, I don't think I spoil things by saying this is a result of a vampire bite. Her story takes up a large portion of the last half of the book. In the film version, she is infected in one scene, and then in another there are consquences. That's about it.

This is not to mention several characters in supporting roles who fleshed out in the novel. The antogonists here face daily pressures, both at school and at home. Loved ones of the larger characters are given personalities and desires. The whole story-world is filled in, rather than alluded to.

All in all, an enjoyable read, one that will stick with me for awhile.

Este libro lo leí hace varios años y me pareció aterrador. En esta segunda lectura repasar los pasajes, reconocerlos, reencontrarme con ellos, me ha confirmado que la premisa es aterradora. Me gusta la forma en la que el autor va llevando a la historia y los personajes, aunque algunos comentarios dicen que los encuentran aburridos, en lo personal los encuentro muy interesantes.

Quizá me hizo falta un poco más "acción" en la sociedad sueca ante un mundo en el que los muertos vuelven a la vida, más que esa tensa calma; pero quién sabe, igual y estoy muy mal acostumbrada a tantas historias de zombies donde todo es caos. Y no es que aquí no lo haya, lo hay y mucho, pero como ya lo dije, es una calma muy tensa, en todo momento parece que las cosas van a explotar y que todos van tranquilos para que esa explosión no sea de escalas mayores.

En fin, me gustan las historias de John Ajvide Lindqvist; siempre encuentro un terror muy humano, algo que rompe de manera muy profunda y que es horroroso. Y ahora que volví a este libro, no me decepcionó.

Hasta ahora las novelas de Lindqvist no me han decepcionado, y ésta no es la excepción. Su terror es siempre humano, lleno de miedos y de dolor que sobrepasan lo sobrenatural; en cada una de sus novelas ha logrado transportarme, en este caso estuve en el desolado Domaro.

En realidad, no creó justo que a Lindqvist se le comparé con King, ambos son escritores, sí de terror, pero muy distintos, y cada uno merece un lugar especial dentro de este género.

El único pero que le pongo a esta novela, nada tiene que ver con la novela misma, sino con la traducción, bastante "local" a mi gusto y con varias erratas, me pregunto si la versión impresa tiene el mismo problema. Volviendo a la traducción, no entiendo por qué las editoriales insisten en traducir sólo al español de España y enviarlo a otros países donde no tenemos los mismos modismos.

Great movie

Cinematic and gruesome. Nuanced depiction of love and not-love, and of the inherent sociopathy of children and vampires.

Very enjoyable read.

Die Autorin und ehemalige Polizistin Julia Malmros benötigte für ihr nächstes Buch die Unterstützung des Hackers Kim Ribbing. Das Mitsommerfest verbringen sie in den Schären. Dann hören sie Schüsse. Auf einer Nachbarinsel werden der Unternehmer Helander und seine Gäste grausam ermordet. Nur Astrid, die Tochter der Helanders, kann sich retten. Julia und Kim rufen die Polizei. Doch das, was sie sehen mussten, veranlasst sie, eigene Nachforschungen anzustellen, die Kim bis nach Shanghai und Kuba führen. Julias Ex Jonny Munther ist nicht erfreut über diese privaten Ermittlungen. Wer steckt hinter diesen Auftragsmorden und was ist das Motiv?
„Refugium“ ist der Auftaktband der Stormland-Trilogie.
Der Schreibstil des Autors John Ajvide Lindqvist ist einfach fesselnd. Neben dramatischen Szenen blitzt aber auch immer wieder Humor auf.
Mir haben die Protagonisten gut gefallen. Julia Malmros hat sich einen Namen als Krimi-Autorin gemacht, als ihr ein besonderes Buchprojekt angeboten wird, dass sich dann leider zerschlägt. So lernt sie Kim Ribbing kennen, der eine schreckliche Vergangenheit hat, über die er nicht sprechen mag. Seinen Hass kann ich nachvollziehen, denn zwischendurch erfahren wir immer mehr darüber, was ihm widerfahren ist. Aber auch die anderen Personen sind interessant.
Bei den Ermittlungen gibt es immer neue Wendungen, da die unorthodoxe Informationsbeschaffung neue Verbindungen ans Licht bringen. Manche Menschen kriegen einfach den Hals nicht voll und ihre Gier treibt sie in dunkle, illegale Geschäfte.
Ein unterhaltsamer und spannender Thriller.

Admittedly, it took me a few pages to get into Let Me In. Once I fell in love with Oskar and Eli I couldn't get enough of their story. Being a twelve year old sensitive boy, Oskar is the subject of daily bullying at school. He dreams of murderous revenge far beyond his sad and lonely years. At night he takes a hunting knife into the woods and repeatedly stabs trees, imagining the soft and penetrable flesh of his school yard enemies. Meanwhile, Eli is a mystery. With a strange way of speaking and no history to speak of, Eli fascinates Oskar to the point of obsession. He finds himself in love with a strange girl who only comes out at night, repeatedly says she neither a girl nor boy, and can solve puzzles she has never seen before in the blink of an eye. Who is she? Then the murders begin. Gruesome and strange, victims are drained of blood. Is Eli to blame?
A running theme through Let Me In is the absence of father figures. Eli has a fake father. Tommy has a fake step-father. Oskar's dad has divorced his mom and is living an alcohol-soaked life outside of town. I wanted to pay attention to the mothers for I hoped they would be the unspoken heroes of Let Me In.
Not so much.
As an aside, I appreciated the literary references of Plato, Dante, Pyramus, Thisbe, and King Minos.½

Le vicende narrate ruotano attorno ad un crocevia di solitudini che si accavallano (Oskar, Tommy, i bulletti, gli ubriaconi, i genitori di Oskar, Hakan). Al centro c'è Eli, bambino-vampiro senza sesso né età, che un atto di crudeltà estrema ha proiettato al di fuori dell'umanità, del tempo e di sé stesso, in uno spazio senza orizzonti dove l'aberrazione è quotidiana normalità.
È infatti la solitudine la vera protagonista del libro e la principale causa di orrore, tanto che il gelo nordico che fa da sfondo alla storia è quasi un'emanazione meteorologica del freddo dell'anima che essa suscita. La condizione di vampiro è orribile proprio perché concentra in un solo individuo una tale carica di solitudine da renderlo un mostro assetato di socialità, ma nello stesso tempo incapace di costituire delle relazioni interpersonali che non siano violente e distruttive.

Anche Oskar è assetato di amicizia e rapporti sociali normali ma le prospettive sono fosche: la metamorfosi in una forma anemica di vampiro è già iniziata anche in lui (colleziona articoli di giornale che parlano di efferati delitti, medita di colpire con un coltello i bulletti che lo maltrattano) e tra le palazzine popolari della periferia sembra non esserci spiraglio per la redenzione.

Ecco perché la vicenda di Oskar ed Eli è straordinaria.
In un fragilissimo equilibrio di tempi e distanze, queste due singolarità si sfiorano, si annusano, si scontrano e infine si accettano.
Non è tanto una storia d'amore o di lotta per la sopravvivenza, non solo almeno, quanto piuttosto un percorso adolescenziale di ricerca della propria identità che può essere colta solo nel riflesso di un rapporto interpersonale sincero e duraturo.
Eli lo dice chiaramente ad Oskar: "Io non sono niente. Non sono una bambina. Non sono una vecchia. Non sono un ragazzo. Non sono una ragazza. Non sono niente". Chi non riesce a costituire una propria identità nel confronto con l'altro è condannato all'oblio e alla morte, spirituale prima che fisica (si pensi al gruppo di amici alcolizzati e in particolare alla relazione fuori tempo massimo fra Lacke e Virgina).
È tutto qui il nucleo pulsante di questo romanzo.

È apprezzabile anche la prospettiva razionalistica in cui viene inquadrato il fenomeno del vampirismo (ereditata dal romanzo di Richard Matheson [b:Io sono leggenda|10209389|Io sono leggenda|Richard Matheson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1346956824l/10209389._SY75_.jpg|19273256]) e la descrizione delle sensazioni interiori di Virginia che subisce la trasformazione, entrambi elementi che giocano a favore di un'ulteriore umanizzazione della figura del vampiro.

Dal punto di vista stilistico, la narrazione procede per accostamenti di quadri sostanzialmente statici. L'autore viene dalla TV e lo si percepisce nell'architettura del racconto e nello sviluppo framentario delle singole parti. La prosa è scorrevole e funzionale alla narrazione anche se risulta piú adatta ad esprimere i toni delicati e intimistici della prima parte piuttosto che quelli piú cupi e gore delle pagine finali. Il contorno di boschi e foreste contribuisce poi a immergere tutto il racconto in una suggestiva atmosfera di fiaba nordica.

Insomma un romanzo apprezzabile con una interessante storia originale, una discreta capacità di introspezione psicologica e uno stile piano ma gradevole.
Non un capolavoro ma una lettura soddisfacente.

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Precedente: Oltre il confine, da [b:Trilogia della frontiera: Cavalli selvaggi - Oltre il confine - Città della pianura|9703443|Trilogia della frontiera Cavalli selvaggi - Oltre il confine - Città della pianura|Cormac McCarthy|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1318451951l/9703443._SY75_.jpg|979259]
Successivo: [b:Blade Runner: Ma gli androidi sognano pecore elettriche|18281003|Blade Runner Ma gli androidi sognano pecore elettriche|Philip K. Dick|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1413841956l/18281003._SY75_.jpg|830939]

Definitely a good book that kept my interest with a new twist on the vampire genre. Unfortunately it was also very strange with a lot of pedophilia and “piss balls”, and a very odd cast of characters that were all flawed, some slightly to some highly. You had everything from the over protective divorced mother, to the group of do nothing drunkards not to mention the absentee drunkard father, to the glue sniffing juvenile delinquent, to the sadistic bully and his friends, not to mention the vampires and Hakon…I don’t even know how to describe him and what he became…I don’t think one of the characters had anything positive to contribute to society or ever even cracked a smile. What a miserable lot. The book had potential, I think it just really missed its mark, cutting a lot of the really oddball stuff would have helped make it a lot better…I mean, who even comes up with the concept of a piss ball, and talks about it so much…

A must read for fans of the vampire genre

If your thing is vampires, then this is a must for your collection. It took me far too long to get to it, but I'm glad I finally did. The vampires are classic in nature--no team Edward here, and whether intentional or not, there's an underlying commentary on gender identity that makes this more than another vampire novel.

Algo muy extraño está ocurriendo en Estocolmo: en medio de una inusual ola de calor, la gente se da cuenta de que no puede apagar la luz ni los aparatos eléctricos. De repente, una noticia sacude a la nación: en la morgue los muertos están resucitando. ¿Qué es lo que quieren? Lógicamente, volver a casa...

Ésta es, sin duda, su novela más original y misteriosa: comienza a finales de verano, cuando llega a la isla de Domaro, un pintoresco archipiélago del mar Báltico, Anders, un joven devastado por la misteriosa desaparición de su pequeña hija Maja dos años atrás. Una mañana de invierno, la niña echó a andar por el mar helado y jamás se la volvió a ver. Esa tragedia acabó con el matrimonio de Anders y le convirtió en un hombre asocial y atormentado por los remordimientos. Él cree que su única posibilidad de redención es volver al lugar donde ocurrió la tragedia y, de la manera que sea, encontrar el hilo que le ayude a traer de nuevo a su hija entre los vivos. Lo que Anders ignora es que la desaparición de Maja sólo es uno de los innombrables misterios que envuelven a Domaro, un lugar maldito desde la noche de los tiempos.

I can’t believe it took me two weeks to finish this book, I gotta get back on top of my reading. And it wasn’t because it was bad, I just didn’t have the time or energy to read for some reason. Though had the book been amazing maybe that would’ve helped.

I mean, I enjoyed it, but … now that I’m finished with it I don’t know what it was trying to say to me. There were some supernatural elements in it but they were not explored at all and in a way maybe the book would’ve been better without them? Or maybe they weren’t there at all? I don’t know, honestly.

Since the characters were born just a few years after me I enjoyed reading about their online life, because it made me nostalgic for when I was growing up. I also really liked the friendship between the two girls for the same reason.

However the parts at Skansen (both the first page and the ending) just seemed over-the-top to me and there was a bit too much from the perspective of a pedophile for me to really praise this.