Let The Right One In

The main question here is: why did I pick this book up in the first place?

I was stranded in Evanston (a good answer to any question or accusation), done with one meeting and waiting around for an awkward amount of time until my next one. I needed something to read. Didn't feel like reading a periodical. Saw this book on sale. Remembered a couple of friends loved the movie. Reasoned that it was something decidedly different from my usual fare and bought it.

Of course, I really didn't like it very much at all. I thought at least I'd get a couple of deliciously suspenseful nighttime reads out of it, but I just wasn't into it. It occurred to me somewhere in the middle of this book that I have almost no "scary" books in my past. Of course I read Goosebumps. And Scary Stories. But other than that, I draw a blank. I definitely know the feeling of staying up way too late reading something that's freaking me out, or at least keeping me in suspense. What was it? Goosebumps? (Too long ago.) The Da Vinci Code? (Too many italics. Also too embarrassing.) Harry Potter? (Maybe I should go read the whole series again to make sure.)

But I must admit, I definitely remember my pulse quickening at some points during Dan Brown novels in a way that it never came close to doing during Let The Right One In. Overall, I was left feeling dull. I didn't experience any visceral or emotional response while reading this book. In fact, I just might have turned into a vampire. (Do vampires experience emotion? I'm not up on the trends or the lore.)

It's possible I just had the wrong impression. This book is less about gore and fear and vampires and more about kids growing up. Being bullied, abandoned, neglected; falling in love, developing muscles and independence. You know, that sort of thing. I'm usually into those themes. Here they fell flat for me, though. There were lots of gross details that somehow were only gross - not scary or imagination-firing or compelling. And there were too many different characters vying for my sympathy and investment - whatever small, potentially lovely moments there could have been became just part of the parade.

I do love the title. I have since watched the movie and thought it was beautiful visually and well adapted (those small lovely moments were more recognizable). It also had a knack for making things way scarier by holding back the visual details. Like: focusing on a character in the foreground as something violent and impossible happens in the far background, or in partial shadow. Ooh, shivers!

But back to the book. I would not recommend it, even if you're the type that usually likes to read the book before seeing the movie (I am). It was just one of those reading experiences that never materialized into something worthwhile. I would look forward to reading it, hoping for the best, but then never feel satisfied or engrossed.

Wah-wah. So much for trying new things.

Vampire Side Note: My cousin Alex (7) played an evil genius in his school play last spring. He took on the cackle we know as the laugh of that classic vampire The Count (THREE rotten apples! AH!-AH!-AH!) as one of his character attributes. The funny part: my other cousin Nathanael (1) picked up on the laugh too. So whenever Alex would do it, Nathanael would do the baby version. And they were both really good at it and looked happy as clams when they did it. I mean, that was adorable.