Let The Right One In, written by John Ajvide Lindqvist, is a very intriguing vampire novel. However, while being an intriguing novel it also has its moments of confusion. While reading the novel the reader may become confused as the novel progresses by days much like that of a journal, yet during each day it jumps around between characters of the novel. This was hard to understand when starting the novel and it did take time to become accustom. One topic in general that was very intriguing in, Let The Right One In, was the topic of homoeroticism. This topic can be found in many vampire novels, however, was so present in, Let The Right One In, that it could be determined that is was an underlying theme of the novel itself.
In the article titled, “Warm-Blooded: True Blood and Let The Right One, by J.M. Tyree, Tyree explores the sexual aspects on the vampire culture. One quote from the article that rang true in regards to Let The Right One In would be, “Classically, being under the spell of a vampire involves effacement by seduction into an exploitative relationship between an omnisexual seducer and a parade of slave lovers—male and female—who are viewed as both interchangeable parts and as natural resources or blood banks. The homoeroticism of vampires, on the other hand, is as longstanding as it is problematic” (Tyree, 1). Tyree goes on then to also discuss the concept of “waiting for the right moment” (Tyree, 2). Both of these statement from Tyree’s article relate to that of the novel. In the novel Hakan is a vampire who is full of homoeroticism. In the beginning of the novel when the reader first learns of Hakan’s nature as not only a murder, but the way in which he kills his prey, leaving no blood (because he is a vampire). The reader gets let into one of Hakan’s murders. He approaches the young boy to ask him the time, but Hakan knows the timing must be right for his plan to work. “Hakan was going to have to hurry. Every second that went by reduced the chance of success… soon it would be too late” (Lindqvist, 22). This shows Hakan’s desire to wait for the right moment to make his attack on his victims. The right moment is crucial if Hakan does not want to be caught for his crimes, not only his crime for killing for blood, but also his crime of pedophilia.
Hakan is a very disturbing character and the character that a reader perhaps focuses the most on while reading the novel. Oskar may be the main character overall, but Hakan is the character that adds the wow factor. Oskar’s obsession with murders proves to be ironic, but Hakan’s life is flat out flabbergasting. The reader is often left with this wow factor in regards to Hakan. In many instances in shock and awe because what the reader is reading is so shocking and disgusting, yet Hakan is what makes the novel what it is. Without Hakan the novel would lack irony and surprise. The ironic part is that one obsessed with murder would cross paths with one who commits murders.
This first scene that was mentioned earlier of Hakan’s fist killing the reader encounters is significant because it is the first glimpse into the twisted mind of Hakan. It shows the reader Hakan before Eli. It also shows the reader this dark side of vampire humanity. One that not only preys on the blood of others, but also the young souls, in the first couple of chapters Lindqvist really paints a pretty clear overall picture of Hakan. The reader also is able to see in detail the homoeroticism and pedophilia that Hakan is taking part in. This is where the reader becomes disgusted with Hakan. In those first few chapters the reader takes on Hakan as a vampire and then takes him on as a pedophile. He begins to look at young boys for sexual acts. This is where the line was drawn in the sand as reader. The concept of killing for blood was one thing in the novel, but when it came down to young boys being his sexual desire, it caused me to lose any intrigue I had for Hakan and transitioned me intrigue over to Oskar. This made me wonder if others lost intrigue in Hakan at this point or before?
The issue of Eli also comes in to play here as well because Eli is a 200 year old vampire who was a man and was castrated. At this point in the novel I lost all interest in the novel what so ever that I had. It lost any sort of humanity. From here on out I had no desire to finish the book because it was way too obscure for my liking what so ever. Then it went into the relationship of Hakan and Eli and I just became disgusted. This is where I would like to know if others had the same feelings in regards to Hakan and Eli?
Lastly, I just would like to know others overall opinion of the novel as a whole? I felt this whole novel was a waste of my time and so farfetched that there was no reliability to the novel. I always find myself looking for something to relate to when I am reading a novel of any kind, and I found nothing in this novel which made it very hard for me to relate to and enjoy reading.
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