Book of the Week - Let the right one in, John Ajvide Lindqvist

None of this week’s releases particularly appeals to me, so for my book of the week I am going back three years to the first novel of Swedish author John Ajvide Lindqvist. “Let me in” is one of the films of the moment, and is based on the novel “Let the Right One In”, which was published in the UK as a hardcover by Quercus in 2007. This novel was previously filmed in Swedish and released under the same title in 2008, when it was the choice of many critics as film of the year (and also one of my favourite films of the year, though I don’t claim any great cinematic expertise!). I picked a copy up after seeing the Swedish film, and it has proved to be a good investment so far. By all accounts “Let me In” is true to the novel and similar to the Swedish version; it marks the return of Hammer Horror to the cinema and has also received positive reviews. I suspect that without the success of the film, the book would not have proved particularly collectible, but at present it would be difficult to find a fine copy for under £50, and signed copies are well into three figures. Any further increase in price will probably depend on greater success for the film, but vampire literature is an interesting sub-genre and this may prove to be a significant book in the field in the long term.

“It is autumn 1981 when the inconceivable comes to Blackeberg, a suburb in Sweden. The body of a teenage boy is found, emptied of blood, the murder rumored to be part of a ritual killing. Twelve-year-old Oskar is personally hoping that revenge has come at long last---revenge for the bullying he endures at school, day after day.But the murder is not the most important thing on his mind. A new girl has moved in next door---a girl who has never seen a Rubik's Cube before, but who can solve it at once. There is something wrong with her, though, something odd. And she only comes out at night.”