I have to say the book is ten times more intense than the movie, and it does match up the description of the book – disturbing! There were times I just stop breathing, as it was way too vivid, like I was a witness in those bloody vicious killing scenes. If I have to choose which is better, I will say the book, as the book gives a clearer picture of its name.
Everyone in the book seems more complex than the movie. Everyone is telling their own story but at the same time contributing to the whole frame of the story. The novel takes you in much deeper into the lives of the characters. This is why I love it more than the movie.
Oscar - a brave a little boy at least much braver than the movie only with a little help of Eli, he is fighting back like a real warrior. Oscar represents a number of the teenagers in the world right now, single parent, being bullied at school, low self-esteem. Reading Oscar story is encouraging in some point, as through the story we can see Oscar grows, he is fighting back the villains standing up for himself. Most of the kids in this age (12) are somehow still seeking the attention of their parents. What will happen when they have no one to turn to no one to talk to, especially when they are being bullied at school? Before meeting Eli, the only thing that Oscar can do is stabbing trees imagining he is stabbing his bullies. Saving up money to buy a knife to protect himself. Most of the time he is heading back to an emptied house. The loneliness is killing him inside, no one wants to be friends with him as they are always afraid of being the next victim. Finally, Eli appears in his life.
The lack of parenting increases the eagerness of finding a friend. Having a drunk father, Oscar loses all the hope for his father, having limited choices, in the end he picks Eli, even when he knows Eli is not human but a monster, he is terrified, however, she is the only “person” he could turn to.
Luckily, on the other hand Eli is as lonely as Oscar although there isn’t much description on Eli, not much from her perspective, but we have known enough. The word “vampire” rarely pops up in the book. It was treated as something sacred, something cannot be told. Without much talking about Eli’s previous life, left me wonder how she could manage to survive all these years. The relationship between Eli and Oscar is complicated, there is one moment Eli is leaning towards Oscar’s throat, and she immediately retrieves her head once Oscar touches her face. Maybe this is a long gone touch by someone who is really concerned that stops her. Solitary is the word for Eli, two thousand years, people just come and go by her life, there must be some reasons she settles down with Håkan.
Håkan is another interesting character which the movie did not put too much emphasis on. Owing to the limitation of the movie, it did not clearly portrait the true identity of him. I guess most the people who have watched the movie guessed Håkan is more than a guardian. By looking through Håkan’s life, you will have a much solid understanding of this character and you will be unsettled by his actions.
Everyone in the story has their own problem, nevertheless, they are all linked to one thing – Solitariness. In a way or two they are trying to overcome their difficulties and seeking for someone’s comforts. No one can really survive alone, sometime people are just like parasite, and we need to hang around someone in order to survive. It is just a matter of letting people in and going into theirs.
This is not another typical vampire horror story, it’s way more than “JUST” sheer horror, however, it offers a lot to think about, John Ajvife Lindqvist includes a lot of social issue in this book. Bullying, homosexual, alcoholics, single parenting, paedophile. People may not take this book seriously as there are too of its genre flocking in the market now but I dare say this is the best of its kind.
Reading the book I strongly acknowledged the message of story. John Ajvife Lindqvist just used another approach to bring this whole theme together. No matter the storyline and the way he tells the story I have never found it elsewhere. Although some moments you may just want to put down and book and take a deep breath. You simple just can’t stop yourself from turning the pages. . If you like the movie you will love this book. If you haven’t watched the movie, you will find yourself at a lost for words when you finish it.
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