Things you didn't like about the book

[cx1138]

I think it's fine that some of us see Eli as a boy and some of us see Eli as a girl. I think if I would not have seen the movie so many times before I read the book I would think of Eli as a boy too. When I was reading the book all I could see was Lina in the movie talking. It didn't help with in the youtube interview that Lina referred to Eli as a girl. So to me Eli will always be a girl, maybe in transition. I think if Eli were older she might want surgery to finish the job, hard to say. Part of me thinks Eli feels he is a girl now, maybe because the first part of the book Eli acts like a girl and is a girl the entire movie, no way to know Eli used to be a boy unless you read the book or this forum. I don't know why it was left out of the movie, maybe not alienate or think it was too weird for some U.S. audiences? But now re-reading the section about Eli I also see that Eli feels like nothing. Page 171 in my book: "I'm nothing. Not a child. Not old. Not a boy. Not a girl. Nothing." I think this means she feels dead inside. I also think she comes alive a little when she starts loving Oskar and then she becomes his girlfriend.

Back on topic. I also think the zombie Hakan could have been left out without hurting the story at all.

[TigerEyes]

Back on topic. I also think the zombie Hakan could have been left out without hurting the story at all.

if only John would have altered the way Hakan would be doing just so we know how he ended up in the end. But as previous poster said, it was to highlight the relationship between hakan and Eli. Still, really uncomfortable.

[BeMeALittle]

I agree and disagree in respects with Tommy's role, although like you all I didn't always think his character was necessary, he is important for Oskars development as well as the stories, his interaction with Oskar in my eyes is the only other positive interaction he receives besides Eli and the occasional Mr. Avila. His character demonstrates early on a 'brotherly' sort of love for Oskar, Observing the bullying and advising him to fight back. His allowing him to hangout, offering Oskar social interaction and guidance on a greater more personal level than his parents do throughout... highlighting how truly alone Oskar is.
His character development also brings into focus important sub-characters such as Staffan, who in tracking the crimes... keeps us constantly in fear for Oskar and Eli which in turn makes there love all the more exciting.

In my opinion the exchanging of Tommy's blood to Eli makes his relationship with the main characters more intricate, For me, that could have been one of the most suspenseful scenes. Eli's need for blood, her desperation...

"What do you need it for ... what the hell... you're just a kid, you ..." "Are you scared?" "No, I can always ... are you scared?" "Yes." "Of what?" "Of you saying no."

This scene could have went a whole different way, all dependant on each others actions, which made it that much more exciting. I agree there was a lot of useless dialogue involving Tommy, but his important interactions sort of redeem that, I would have liked a little more of Eli's private thoughts, but the mystery surrounding her is part of the beauty.

I for one, at first found the Paedophilia scenes a bit uncomfortable to say the least, but I realised I am reading a horror, there are going to be scenes which both shock and appal. However, I found the scene with the Cats particularly strong. John's description of the attack was at points, too hard to read... I understand that scene helps to reaffirm that cats don't like vampires? but what purpose does that serve? I accept it describes more aspects of vampirism and it's effects but for me that scene is a bit redundant. page filler, it is described perfectly well in the earlier scene at the cancer patients house.

[ofelia]

It's so funny... I feel like JAL didn't put nearly as much intense thought into the book as everyone here does. Not that he didn't have to think about it, just that there are bits that don't make sense when isolated (the cats thing that was never really explained, the tub of blood, etc.) and I'm sure he wasn't expecting people to discuss it so thoroughly Judging by his comments on here as well, his reasoning seems to be subconscious a lot of time... there's certainly symbolism, but even he doesn't know what all of it means, or could mean. And I don't know about you, I like discussing these things, but in the end I really love that almost nothing is clearly black or white in this book, and I like to leave it that way.

Things I didn't like about the book? The pedophilia got me at first, in the library scene particularly, but after I got past that I didn't find anything too horrible, except the one part in the basement. I did think that the part with Tommy in the church was unnecessary, but I thought he added to the story, as all the secondary characters did. I also liked the fact that the pool scene and its aftermath are stated as cold fact. That to me was more stunning than if it had been written play by play. I think that the relationship between Oskar and Eli was pretty well summed up in the scene before Eli leaves, and that it didn't need to be elaborated upon in the pool scene.
I really don't have any complaints. It's not perfect, but in spite of its flaws it's beautiful and original, one of those debuts where you can see what the author needs to work on, but also the clear talent and imagination behind the writing. I wouldn't change any of it

[metoo]

Upon first reading, I didn't have any complaints, and that, I think, is what counts.

Now, as I try to write ff, I have but one: the blood bath.

[danielma]

Its been mentioned here before...but the Tommy subplot was one of the subplots that never gravitated with me. My biggest complaint with the book comes from the mid-section. There is a point in the mid-section where the focus turns to Tommy and I felt it kind of dragged down the plot a little. Thankfully in the final stages of the book it becomes clear why Tommy was there when the book pulls together its plot threads in a Pulp like fashion. But I won't lie, that middle section of the book sort of sagged for me and was the biggest complaint I had against the book. So the Tommy subplot is really my only complaint with the book. Or at least the mid section where the attention goes from Oskar and Eli to Tommy and Steffan...my only complaint with the book is that one complaint.

Zombie Hakan...no this never bothered me. Because it only went to further illustrate the whole contrast between Oskar and Hakan and the fact that one relationship is built on abuse whilst the other is built around pure love from someone who is not just using Eli for his own perverted satsifaction.

The pedophilia didn't bother me either. It actually made Hakan all that much more fascinating to me. For someone who is really a monster, I felt a weird empathy for him...almost a "oh you poor perveted sick bastard"...like when he is justifying to himself that it is okay to be with Eli because of what Eli is...there was apart of me that just always felt "Oh you poor sick bastard"...I don't know its weird to explain, but for as perverted as his actions were, I always had this weird sense of empathy for him that I probably should not have had,

[Jameron]

I can't think of one thing I didn't love about the book, apart from what the OP mentioned ... I wanted moar!!!

I loved Håkan being a paedophile, because he wasn't just a cardboard cut out, and he challenged my preconceptions.

As for Eli, she will always be a girl for me, even though I know that she is genetically a boy. Maybe because Eli was played (brilliantly) by Lina, or maybe because Eli was introduced as a girl in the book, I don't know.

One thing I found good was when John changed the way he referred to Eli once Oskar discovered the truth about her gender, it was from that point on that Eli became 'he'. It grated on me at first, but I'm glad John did that.

.

[Clubmeister]

It's so funny... I feel like JAL didn't put nearly as much intense thought into the book as everyone here does...

I think, the matter is - real artist always says much more, than he intends. And the more talanted artist (or writer), the more difference.
I like an example of our local sloven - mackousko.
http://www.let-the-right-one-in.com/for ... =13&t=4288
I'm sure, he haven't meant even a half of what was discussed afterwards in the topic

[Lucibel]

I would've liked the book even more without:

1) Tommy's subplot. Like some here mentioned, overall it wasn't all that appealing. Story could've gone through without this subplot.
2) Zombie Hakan. It didn't bother me at all. Like stated above, I believe the story could've gone through without it.

And:

3) Having the movie ending instead. Much more beautiful ending.

[lombano]

-The Tommy subplot took too long - it serves a purpose, etc, but it should've been more compact, it wasn't interesting in its own right.
-The way the vampire woman scene was written.
-The tub of blood.
-Undead Haakan, though it might've worked well if differently handled.

The library scene was horrific, but it was very good and adds to the book (in terms of monsters, etc), so although I didn't 'like' it (I nearly gave up on the book then and there) it's definitely good.