Just Finished Reading Handling the Undead

For discussion of John Ajvide Lindqvist's novel Hanteringen av odöda
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shaggles
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Just Finished Reading Handling the Undead

Post by shaggles » Thu Feb 10, 2011 6:30 pm

I just read this in 2 longish sittings (jury duty this week.) I was hesitant at first because I really loved the characters in LTROI but I really enjoyed it. I have some question though.

What does Flora mean when she tells Eva there are 2 ways (or was it places) to go? Is it that if you go voluntarily you go to "heaven" and if not you go someplace else or you just cease to be? How does she know this? Also how does the white catepilar end up on David's stomach?

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Nightrider
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Re: Just Finished Reading Handling the Undead

Post by Nightrider » Sat Apr 30, 2011 10:59 pm

Image

Just got this in the mail..after 3 weeks. Hope it's good.
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Wolfchild
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Re: Just Finished Reading Handling the Undead

Post by Wolfchild » Mon May 02, 2011 2:03 am

It's good. A very different story from LTROI, but still the great handling of character point of view.
...the story derives a lot of its appeal from its sense of despair and a darkness in which the love of Eli and Oskar seems to shine with a strange and disturbing light.
-Lacenaire

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danielma
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Re: Just Finished Reading Handling the Undead

Post by danielma » Mon May 02, 2011 3:38 am

Coming from Harbour and Let the Right One In (still have yet to read Little Star, waiting (in)paitently for English translation), I think Handling is actually John's weakest book

Which isn't saying much considering that even John's weakest is still far more interesting and compelling then most peoples weakest material.

I think what Handling suffers from is the fact that its a really interesting and original idea where you get the feeling he didn't quite know how to sustain it the whole way through. Its that whole idea of "its an interesting idea but in execution something falls flat about it"

Its a good book, and a really fascinating take on Zombies but at the same time I don't know if it came together in the same way that both Harbour and LTROI do. Although (without spoiling) there are some really damn good moments in the book, a certain scene involving drowning in particular.

I'm still interested to see how its gonna work in Film Form (if the Film ever becomes a reality)...Harbour I can see working as a film (although I can see a fair bit of the built in history being trimmed to the basics in Harbour)...but Handling, I'm still wondering how its gonna work as a film (if it ever becomes a reality)
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Nightrider
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Re: Just Finished Reading Handling the Undead

Post by Nightrider » Mon May 02, 2011 12:19 pm

This seems to be one of the few books of his available in hardback. LTROI inhardback costs a fortune just about everywhere, possibly due to it's "collector's item" status. Does anybody here(US) ever got a hold of a hardback copy and is it difficult to find in UK?
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Aurora
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Re: Just Finished Reading Handling the Undead

Post by Aurora » Mon May 02, 2011 2:05 pm

Nightrider wrote:This seems to be one of the few books of his available in hardback. LTROI inhardback costs a fortune just about everywhere, possibly due to it's "collector's item" status. Does anybody here(US) ever got a hold of a hardback copy and is it difficult to find in UK?
I've never seen a hardback copy of this in UK, it is easy to find in paperback however.
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Wolfchild
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Re: Just Finished Reading Handling the Undead

Post by Wolfchild » Wed May 04, 2011 1:14 pm

I got my US-version hardback from Amazon, and I paid a bit more than the $16USD they are asking for it now. ;)
...the story derives a lot of its appeal from its sense of despair and a darkness in which the love of Eli and Oskar seems to shine with a strange and disturbing light.
-Lacenaire

Visit My LTROI fan page.

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Nightrider
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Re: Just Finished Reading Handling the Undead

Post by Nightrider » Wed May 04, 2011 11:16 pm

Wolfchild wrote:I got my US-version hardback from Amazon, and I paid a bit more than the $16USD they are asking for it now. ;)
You mean "Handling the Undead"...I was talking about "Let The Right One In" in hardback, which sells on Amazon as new and starts at $998.93 and used at $98.87!

http://www.amazon.com/Let-Right-One-Har ... 784&sr=8-8
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Wolfchild
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Re: Just Finished Reading Handling the Undead

Post by Wolfchild » Thu May 05, 2011 1:45 pm

Nightrider wrote:
Wolfchild wrote:I got my US-version hardback from Amazon, and I paid a bit more than the $16USD they are asking for it now. ;)
You mean "Handling the Undead"...I was talking about "Let The Right One In" in hardback, which sells on Amazon as new and starts at $998.93 and used at $98.87!

http://www.amazon.com/Let-Right-One-Har ... 784&sr=8-8
$1,000USD? Crikey! What a rip off. Don't do it.

I have one of that edition that I'll sell you for $500. :mrgreen:
...the story derives a lot of its appeal from its sense of despair and a darkness in which the love of Eli and Oskar seems to shine with a strange and disturbing light.
-Lacenaire

Visit My LTROI fan page.

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drakkar
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Re: Just Finished Reading Handling the Undead

Post by drakkar » Thu May 05, 2011 1:57 pm

In Sweden they float around for say 400 - 600 SEK, about 30 - 50 $.

Maybe brought to JAL by courier and signed....
For the heart life is simple. It beats as long as it can.
- Karl Ove Knausgård

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