quick question

[let me out]

whats your favorite page from the novel???


mine is page 122... imo the only time eli and oskar act like real children

[varamiglite]

I think it's somewhere around page 300. It's the scene where Eli and Oskar are in bed and Eli's pretending to be the cashier at the kiosk.

"Cooooome, cooooom, we have jellybeans and baaannnaaannnaaasss! Probably one of the funniest scenes of any book I've ever read!

[Nightrider]

Great idea. So many good pages in this book...
One section that is quite memorable is on page 346 of US paperback. It takes place after Eli's bleeding/You have to invite me in section.

"Yes. But Oskar..." Eli looked like she was going to say more, but only added an "oh well" and undid the towel knotted around her waist. It fell to the floor at her feet and she stood there naked a few feet away from him. Eli made a sweeping gesture with her hand over her thin body, said: "Just so you know."

It's an important scene with Eli throwing all caution to the wind and risking everything by revealing her true self to Oskar. The discussions that follow this particular sequence are just as significant in deciding the eventual outcome of their relationship. What can I say...It's one of my favorite books.
Vitaly

[Jameron]

I don't know if I have one single page as my favourite, but if pushed I would have to make note of this passage...

"So ... you mean ... you don't get any presents or stuff?"
She stepped closer to him. Her breath wafted onto his face and the city
of light in her eyes was extinguished when she stepped into his shadow.
Her pupils were two marble-sized holes in her head.
She's so sad. So very, very sad.
"No, I never get any presents. Ever."
Oskar nodded stiffly. The world around him had ceased to exist. Only
those two holes, a breath away. Their breaths mingled and rose,
dissipated.
"Do you want to give me a present?"
"Yes."
His voice was not even a whisper. Only an exhalation. The girl's face
was close. His gaze was drawn to her butter-knife cheek.
That was why he didn't see her eyes change, how they narrowed, took on
another expression. He didn't see how her upper lip drew back and revealed
a pair of small, dirty white fangs. He only saw her cheek and
while her mouth was nearing his throat he drew up his hand and stroked
her face.
The girl froze for a moment, then pulled back. Her eyes resumed their
former shape; the city of light was back.
"What did you do that for?"
"I'm sorry .. . I—"
"What did you do?"
Oskar looked at his hand, still holding the Cube, and relaxed his grip on
it. He had been squeezing it so hard the corners had left deep imprints in
his hand. He stretched it out toward her.
"Do you want it? You can have it."
She slowly shook her head.
"No. It's yours."
"What's . . . your name."
"Eli."
"My name is Oskar. What did you say your name was? Eli?"
"Yes."
The girl seemed suddenly restless. Her gaze flitted around as if she were
looking for something, something she couldn't find.
"I'm . . . going now."
Oskar nodded. The girl looked him straight in the eyes for a few seconds,
then turned to go. She reached the top of the slide and hesitated.
Then she sat down and slid to the bottom, started off toward her front
door. Oskar squeezed the Cube.
"See you tomorrow?"

Thanks go to Drakkar for pointing out that there is a translation error where Eli is looking for something, the original says that she is looking for something in her memory that she can't find.

"The girl seemed suddenly restless. Her gaze flitted around as if she were looking for something, something she couldn't find."

"Flickan verkade plötsligt rastlös. Hennes blick flackade fram och tillbaka som om hon sökte efter någonting i minnet, något hon inte kunde hitta. "

"The girl suddenly appeared restless. Her eyes flickered back and forth as if she was looking for something in her memory, something she could not find."

.

Well anyway, that is one of my favourite passages anywhere.

Pedant time:

Page 65 of Låt Den Rätte Komma In (Swedish paperback)
Page 76 of UK Hardback
Page 75 of Kindle eBook

.

[TigerEyes]

Great idea. So many good pages in this book...
One section that is quite memorable is on page 346 of US paperback. It takes place after Eli's bleeding/You have to invite me in section.

"Yes. But Oskar..." Eli looked like she was going to say more, but only added an "oh well" and undid the towel knotted around her waist. It fell to the floor at her feet and she stood there naked a few feet away from him. Eli made a sweeping gesture with her hand over her thin body, said: "Just so you know."

It's an important scene with Eli throwing all caution to the wind and risking everything by revealing her true self to Oskar. The discussions that follow this particular sequence are just as significant in deciding the eventual outcome of their relationship. What can I say...It's one of my favorite books.
Vitaly

i don't have the book with me, but i like this page myself and i agree.

[J.J.]

I don't know if I have one single page as my favourite, but if pushed I would have to make note of this passage...

"So ... you mean ... you don't get any presents or stuff?"
She stepped closer to him. Her breath wafted onto his face and the city
of light in her eyes was extinguished when she stepped into his shadow.
Her pupils were two marble-sized holes in her head.
She's so sad. So very, very sad.
"No, I never get any presents. Ever."
Oskar nodded stiffly. The world around him had ceased to exist. Only
those two holes, a breath away. Their breaths mingled and rose,
dissipated.
"Do you want to give me a present?"
"Yes."
His voice was not even a whisper. Only an exhalation. The girl's face
was close. His gaze was drawn to her butter-knife cheek.
That was why he didn't see her eyes change, how they narrowed, took on
another expression. He didn't see how her upper lip drew back and revealed
a pair of small, dirty white fangs. He only saw her cheek and
while her mouth was nearing his throat he drew up his hand and stroked
her face.
The girl froze for a moment, then pulled back. Her eyes resumed their
former shape; the city of light was back.
"What did you do that for?"
"I'm sorry .. . I—"
"What did you do?"
Oskar looked at his hand, still holding the Cube, and relaxed his grip on
it. He had been squeezing it so hard the corners had left deep imprints in
his hand. He stretched it out toward her.
"Do you want it? You can have it."
She slowly shook her head.
"No. It's yours."
"What's . . . your name."
"Eli."
"My name is Oskar. What did you say your name was? Eli?"
"Yes."
The girl seemed suddenly restless. Her gaze flitted around as if she were
looking for something, something she couldn't find.
"I'm . . . going now."
Oskar nodded. The girl looked him straight in the eyes for a few seconds,
then turned to go. She reached the top of the slide and hesitated.
Then she sat down and slid to the bottom, started off toward her front
door. Oskar squeezed the Cube.
"See you tomorrow?"

Thanks go to Drakkar for pointing out that there is a translation error where Eli is looking for something, the original says that she is looking for something in her memory that she can't find.

"The girl seemed suddenly restless. Her gaze flitted around as if she were looking for something, something she couldn't find."

"Flickan verkade plötsligt rastlös. Hennes blick flackade fram och tillbaka som om hon sökte efter någonting i minnet, något hon inte kunde hitta. "

"The girl suddenly appeared restless. Her eyes flickered back and forth as if she was looking for something in her memory, something she could not find."

.

Well anyway, that is one of my favourite passages anywhere.

Pedant time:

Page 65 of Låt Den Rätte Komma In (Swedish paperback)
Page 76 of UK Hardback
Page 75 of Kindle eBook

.

Yeah, that's also one of my favourite. And one of the best, saddest scenes from the movie ^__^

[Awes]

I really like the part of the first attack, from the dreams of Jocke about a new life, to the carefull description of the death, very impactant.

All the kiosk scene brought me one of the biggest smiles I ever had reading a book, and I find it nice untill the end, with the hug and Eli's reaction.

Those and the "be me a little" parts are my favourite.

[a_contemplative_life]

I think it's somewhere around page 300. It's the scene where Eli and Oskar are in bed and Eli's pretending to be the cashier at the kiosk.

"Cooooome, cooooom, we have jellybeans and baaannnaaannnaaasss! Probably one of the funniest scenes of any book I've ever read!

Yes, I agree...

"Oskar..."
It was coming from the window. He opened his eyes, looked over. He saw the
contour of a little head on the other side of the glass. He pulled off the covers but
before he managed to get out of bed Eli whispered,
"Wait there. Stay in bed. Can I come in?"
Oskar whispered: "Yes ..."
"Say that I can come in."
"You can come in."
"Close your eyes."
Oskar shut his eyes tightly. The window opened and a cold draft blew into the
room. The window was carefully closed. He heard how Eli breathed, whispered:
"Can I look now?"
"Wait."
The sofa bed in the other room creaked. His mom had gotten up. Oskar was still
keeping his eyes shut as the blanket was pulled off and a cold, naked body crept
in beside him, pulled the covers back over them both, and curled up into a ball
behind his back.
The door to his room opened.
"Oskar?"
"Mmm."
"Is that you talking?"
"No."
His mom stayed in the doorway, listening. Eli lay completely still behind his
back, pushing her forehead in between his shoulder blades. Her breath ran
warmly down the small of his back.
His mom shook her head.
"It must be those neighbors." She listened for another moment, then said, "Good
night, sweetheart," and closed the door.
Oskar was alone with Eli. He heard a whisper behind his back.
"Those neighbors?"
"Shhhh."
There was a creaking sound as his mom got back into the sofa bed. He looked up
at the window. It was closed.
A cold hand crept over his stomach and found its way to his chest, over his heart.
He put both his hands over it, warming her hand. Eli's other hand worked its
way under his armpit then up over his chest and in between his hands. Eli
turned her head and laid her cheek between his shoulder blades.
A new smell had entered the room. The faint smell of his dad's moped when it
was fully tanked. Gasoline. Oskar bent his head down and smelled her hands.
Yes, the smell was coming from her hands.
They lay like that for a long time. When Oskar could tell from his mom's
breathing that she had fallen asleep again, when the lump of their hands was
warmed through and starting to get sweaty, he whispered:
"Where have you been?"
"Getting some food."
Her lips tickled his shoulder. She loosened her hands from his, rolled over on her
back. Oskar stayed in the same position for a moment and looked into Gene
Simmons' eyes. Then he turned onto his stomach. Behind her head he imagined
the tiny figures in the wallpaper eyeing her with curiosity. Her eyes were wide
open, blue-black in the moonlight. Oskar got goosepimples on his arms.
"What about your dad?"
"Gone."
"Gone?" Oskar couldn't help raising his voice.
"Shhh. It doesn't matter."
"But. . . what... is he-?"
"It. Doesn't. Matter."
Oskar nodded, signaling that he wasn't going to ask her any more questions, and
Eli put both her hands under her head, staring up at the ceiling.
"I was feeling lonely. So I came here. Was that OK?"
"Yes. But... you don't have any clothes on."
"I'm sorry. Is that disgusting?"
"No. But aren't you freezing?"
"No, no."
The white strands in her hair were gone. Yes, she looked altogether healthier
than when they met yesterday. Her cheeks were rounder, the dimples more
pronounced, when Oskar joked and asked:
"You didn't happen to walk past the Lover's kiosk or anything?"
Eli laughed, then made her voice very serious and said with a ghostly voice:
"Yes, I did and you know what? He poked his head out and said: 'Coooome ...
coooom ... I have candy and ... banaaaanas.
Oskar buried his face in the pillow. Eli turned her head toward his and
whispered in his ear: "Cooome . . . jelly beans .. ."
Oskar shouted: "No, no!" into the pillow. They kept doing this for a while. Then
Eli looked at the books in his bookcase and Oskar gave a synopsis of his favorite:
The Fog by James Herbert. Eli's back glowed
white like a sheet of paper in the dark as she lay there on her stomach in bed and
studied the bookcase.
He held his hand so close to her skin that he could feel the warmth from it. Then
he contracted his fingers and walked them down her back whispering,
"Bulleribulleri bock. How many horns are sticking . . . up?"
"Mmm. Eight?"
"Eight you say and eight there are, bulleribulleribock."
Then Eli did the same to him but he was not at all as good at telling how many
fingers there were as she was. On the other hand, he was much better at rock,
paper, scissors. Seven to three. Then they played again. He won nine to one. Eli
started to get a little irritated.
"Do you know what I am going to pick?" Yes.
"How?"
"I just know, that's all. It happens all the time. I get a picture in my head."
"One more time. I won't think this time, just choose."
"You can try."
They played again. Oskar won easily with eight-two. Eli pretended to be
enraged, turned to the wall.
"I'm not playing with you. You cheat."
Oskar looked at her white back. Did he dare? Yes, now that she wasn't looking at
her he could do it.
"Eli. Will you go out with me?"
She turned around, pulled the covers up to her chin.
"What does that mean?"
Oskar stared at the spines of the books in front of him, shrugged.
"That. . . you would want to be together with me."
"What do you mean 'together'?"
Her voice sounded suspicious, hard. Oskar hurriedly said: "Maybe you already
have a guy at your school."
"No, I don't... but Oskar, I can't. I'm not a girl."
Oskar snorted. "What do you mean? You're a guy?"
"No, no."
"Then what are you?"
"Nothing."
"What do you mean, 'nothing'?"
"I'm nothing. Not a child. Not old. Not a boy. Not a girl. Nothing."
Oskar pulled his finger down the spine of The Rats, pinched his lips together and
shook his head. "Will you go out with me or not?"
"Oskar I'd really like to but... can't we just be together like we already are?" ...
yes.
"Are you sad? We can kiss, if you like."
"No!"
"You don't want to?"
"No, I don't!"
Eli frowned.
"Do you do anything in particular with someone you're going out with?"
"No."
"It's just like normal?"
"Yes."
Eli looked suddenly happy, folded her arms over her stomach, and gazed at
Oskar.
"Then we can go out. We can be together."
"We can?"
"Yes."
"Good."
With a quiet happiness in his belly, Oskar kept studying the titles of the books.
Eli lay still, waiting. After a while she said:
"Is there anything else?"
"No."
"Can't we lie down together again like we did before?"
Oskar rolled around so his back was against her. She put her arms around him
and he took her hands. They lay like that until Oskar started to get sleepy. His
eyes felt sandy; it was hard to keep them open. Before he slid off into sleep he
said:
"Eli?"
"Mmm?"
"I'm glad you came over."
"Yes."
"Why... do you smell like gasoline?"
Eli's hands gripped more tightly around his hands, against his heart. Hugged.
The room grew larger all around Oskar, the walls and ceiling softened, the floor
fell away, and when he felt the whole bed floating in the air he knew he was
asleep.

[Ash]

p.117ish
"She leaned her head against his shoulder and they stood like that. Her breath against his shoulder.
They held each other without saying anything. Oskar closed his eyes and knew: this was big."
A bit of an understatement if he knew what was to come.

[DarkGuyver]

I would have to say page 349 to 350, the note Eli left for Oskar revealed how empty Eli's existance had been before s/he met Oskar.