Top 10 Qestions of the Novel

[intrige]

If that was so Oskar (Eli) ould have thought: "Dad" in the same way he thought of his mom. In some ways at least, if that funny man turned out to be his father. Then that would be a very VERY bad father!

[metoo]

The reason way I ask about Eli dad is because of Oskars observation of the funny man who was an aide to the vampire lord that turned Eli. I could be wrong but I think Oskar makes the connection that this aid might have been Eli dad?

Certainly not. Oskar got Eli's memory, just as had it been his own, including any knowledge about what he saw. If Elias' dad had been in that memory, he would have been thought of as such. i.e. "Father".

[TigerEyes]

The reason way I ask about Eli dad is because of Oskars observation of the funny man who was an aide to the vampire lord that turned Eli. I could be wrong but I think Oskar makes the connection that this aid might have been Eli dad?

Cory, do you think a father would go so far as to castrate their own son? I seriously doubt Oskar ever viewed the funny man as Eli's dad, it was Hakan who he thought would have been his dad. There never was anything about Eli's dad and Nothing makes Oskar think anyone was Eli's dad, just Eli's mother.

[cory]

The reason way I ask about Eli dad is because of Oskars observation of the funny man who was an aide to the vampire lord that turned Eli. I could be wrong but I think Oskar makes the connection that this aid might have been Eli dad?

Cory, do you think a father would go so far as to castrate their own son? I seriously doubt Oskar ever viewed the funny man as Eli's dad, it was Hakan who he thought would have been his dad. There never was anything about Eli's dad and Nothing makes Oskar think anyone was Eli's dad, just Eli's mother.

You are so right! I just read that part on my break at work. Whoever he is....he's creepy.

I also wondered what was in Eli's mouth when Oskar was experiencing Eli memory: Feels saliva run out the corner of his mouth; a little flap of flesh has loosened from the inside of his check...runs his tongue over it....little flap of flesh falls out of Oskar's mouth and...

This is on top of page 274 in the English version. What on Gods earth was in his mouth?? This vampire lord(king?)was sick and twisted. Seems to single out Eli because of his unique beauty.

[a_contemplative_life]

The reason way I ask about Eli dad is because of Oskars observation of the funny man who was an aide to the vampire lord that turned Eli. I could be wrong but I think Oskar makes the connection that this aid might have been Eli dad?

Cory, do you think a father would go so far as to castrate their own son? I seriously doubt Oskar ever viewed the funny man as Eli's dad, it was Hakan who he thought would have been his dad. There never was anything about Eli's dad and Nothing makes Oskar think anyone was Eli's dad, just Eli's mother.

You are so right! I just read that part on my break at work. Whoever he is....he's creepy.

I also wondered what was in Eli's mouth when Oskar was experiencing Eli memory: Feels saliva run out the corner of his mouth; a little flap of flesh has loosened from the inside of his check...runs his tongue over it....little flap of flesh falls out of Oskar's mouth and...

This is on top of page 274 in the English version. What on Gods earth was in his mouth?? This vampire lord(king?)was sick and twisted. Seems to single out Eli because of his unique beauty.

The only thing I can think of is that Oskar is experiencing Eli experiencing Oskar's upper lip in his mouth, but experienced while Oskar is participating in Eli's flashback. Except that Oskar is not really in Eli's past, so Oskar's upper lip is perceived simply as a "flap of flesh." You will note that just after the "flap of flesh" falls out of Oskar's mouth, "Eli's lips left his."

[lombano]

If Eli has such hypnotic abilities at all they would have to be rather ineffective. Hakan proves difficult to manipulate, even going on strike at one point. Had Eli had such abilities he could've made his life much easier. Moreover, there is little real indication of any such abilities, even if limited. Nobody does anything truly out of character - Eli is an urchin and thus the hospital receptionist's reaction isn't particularly surprising, plus, a serious-looking kid walking in alone into a hospital at night is probably facing a bad situaiton in any case, sympathy is not surprising. A natural reaction in such a case is wanting to give the child something - a sweet, a toy, etc. The cancer woman is high on morphine, and probably very lonely, so again, in context, no supernatural abilities are required to explain her behaviour.

She wasn't high on morphine. If anything, she was rather dour and irritated. Until Eli bumped into her arm.

Drugged then, not 'high.'

... so again, in context, no supernatural abilities are required to explain her behaviour.

I agree.

However, JAL points a finger at the receptionist's sudden desire to give Eli something. There's something here.

En tanke, tydlig som ett hörselintryck, blixtrade till i Mauds huvud.
Jag måste ge dig något. Vad ska jag ge dig?

A thought, clear like an aditory sensation, flashed in Maud's head.
I must give you something. What should I give you?

It's unusual but I'm not convinced anything supernatural is implied.

4. What happened to Eli dad?

Probably nothing special. As others have said, Oskar would certainly have known it was Eli's father had he seen him in the vision. Elias, like all the other kids in this book, does not have a close relationship with his father.

9. Was all the money Eli had "given" to him like he says? Our stolen?

Probably a bit of each. The egg was very probably given to him, possibly custom-made for him.

8. Did Oskar subconsciously figure out Eli was a boy befour Eli showed Oskar?

He certainly knew by the time Eli said his name was Elias. My impression is that after the bed scene Oskar suspected Eli had some kind of intersex condition, given the conversation with his teacher.

7. Did Eli and Oskar have sex? Its hinted when Eli ask his teacher "How do they do it" And later when he finds out Eli might be a boy he says "They had...kissed and slept in the same bed and...

Apart from what others have posted, surely Oskar would have realised then that Eli wasn't a girl?

[TigerEyes]

I also wondered what was in Eli's mouth when Oskar was experiencing Eli memory: Feels saliva run out the corner of his mouth; a little flap of flesh has loosened from the inside of his check...runs his tongue over it....little flap of flesh falls out of Oskar's mouth and...

This is on top of page 274 in the English version. What on Gods earth was in his mouth?? This vampire lord(king?)was sick and twisted. Seems to single out Eli because of his unique beauty.

I had the impression it was Elias' lips.