So what about the other stories?

For discussion of John Ajvide Lindqvist's short story collection Låt de gamla drömmarna dö
Post Reply
User avatar
Nightrider
Moderator
Posts: 3546
Joined: Thu Mar 03, 2011 6:02 am
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Contact:

Re: So what about the other stories?

Post by Nightrider » Sat Sep 22, 2012 4:44 pm

The End...

Let The Old Dreams Die is finished and is about to take it's well deserved place on my JAL shelf which is oddly enough made by Ikea.
The read was great with lots of ups and downs. I was happy to note that Mr. Lindquist's work does not strictly stick
to horror/supernatural genre, but finds it's home in just about every literary category available. Good stuff...

Image

Well, now that the book is finished..what's next. Perhaps the enigmatic Novel X whenever it reaches fruition....or English translation of Tjärven....or complete translation of original Swedish edition of Låt De Gamla Drömmarna Dö...or upcoming movie projects...
Whatever it is.... I'll be waiting. 8-)

Image
http://www.aspca.org/

Visit our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/WeTheInfected

Nobody understands...and of course...how could they?

User avatar
danielma
Posts: 1057
Joined: Mon Dec 07, 2009 10:38 pm
Location: Sydney, Australia
Contact:

Re: So what about the other stories?

Post by danielma » Sun Sep 23, 2012 10:48 am

Well I just got back to it...Started Reading Eternal / Love

Only a few pages in, just past the near-drowning, not bad so far...curious to see where it's going with the whole supposedly cheating death angle
My Blog: Toxic Culture
Neon Maniacs: Link

User avatar
a_contemplative_life
Moderator
Posts: 5896
Joined: Sat Aug 15, 2009 2:06 am
Location: Virginia, USA

Re: So what about the other stories?

Post by a_contemplative_life » Sun Sep 23, 2012 11:28 pm

Zeb wrote:I've only read LTODD and Border so far-been too busy to pick the book up!

I loved Border.Reading this was like watching the movie 'The sixth sense' with twists,turns and 3/4 of the way through a huge bombshell!!! Rate this 10/10
Enjoyed "Border" very much. Amazingly constructed story!
Image

User avatar
a_contemplative_life
Moderator
Posts: 5896
Joined: Sat Aug 15, 2009 2:06 am
Location: Virginia, USA

Re: So what about the other stories?

Post by a_contemplative_life » Sun Sep 23, 2012 11:30 pm

BTW, it occurs to me that we should remember to post a comment/review for LTODD at Amazon.com. So far, no one has left any comments.
Image

User avatar
Nightrider
Moderator
Posts: 3546
Joined: Thu Mar 03, 2011 6:02 am
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Contact:

Re: So what about the other stories?

Post by Nightrider » Mon Sep 24, 2012 12:24 am

a_contemplative_life wrote:BTW, it occurs to me that we should remember to post a comment/review for LTODD at Amazon.com. So far, no one has left any comments.
You mean AmazonUK? Good idea...I just left a glowing, well deserved feedback. 8-)
http://www.aspca.org/

Visit our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/WeTheInfected

Nobody understands...and of course...how could they?

User avatar
lombano
Posts: 2993
Joined: Sat Jul 11, 2009 9:56 pm
Location: Xalapa, Mexico
Contact:

Re: So what about the other stories?

Post by lombano » Mon Sep 24, 2012 5:27 am

I've read the first three stories, of which I thought Border was the best and Village on the Hill was the weakest, because the end was pretty conventional, the horror too Lovecraftian*. My only issue with Border was that, perhaps because I'm not familiar with troll folklore, it felt like there was a little too much weirdness springing up on you from all sides but, again, that may just be my unfamiliarity with the relevant folklore. but definitely a good read.


*I've only ever read one thing by Lovecraft, and was unimpressed - I disagree with him 100% in that I think the unknown, utterly alien isn't horrific precisely because it's so alien, remote, unworldly. Real horrors arise from real fears and anxieties, not mumbo-jumbo ancient abominations from other dimensions.
Bli mig lite.

User avatar
EEA
Posts: 4739
Joined: Mon May 24, 2010 5:53 pm

Re: So what about the other stories?

Post by EEA » Mon Sep 24, 2012 3:01 pm

I finally got the book.  Spend this weekend reading it.  I read the stories in order.  Wanted to go straight and read a certain epilogue first but I decided not to.   :)

Border
I liked the story. Nice story.  Like that Rita makes her choice.  Once she knows what her origin is.  What will she do?
Village on the hill
I liked this one too.  Liked the mention of Let The Right One In.  Lacke I think is the one who is quoted at the beginning.  Felt that Joel sort of resembles Lacke.  His relationship with Anita is like the one Lacke has with Virginia.  They both take what they can, afraid to give it all, to exposed themselves to each other.  I take the ending that Joel and everyone in the building is taken in, swallow up by the town, what their lives have become, they all settled in, realized that is too late for them to change what they are.
Equinox
A weird story.  I take from it that the narrator was passing through some crisis in her life.  Still trying to figure out what it was about.
Can't see it!  It doesn't exist!
Don't like the title of the story.  Maybe that what was the story was about.  It was all his imagination, and he lost his mind.  I also think it can be about a miss opportunity, thinking about what could have been but it's not anymore.
Substitute
Scary story.  Felt like the narrator, just wanted to leave the apartment and not here what Matte had to say.  What if everyone is just a substitute?  And not even know it.

User avatar
EEA
Posts: 4739
Joined: Mon May 24, 2010 5:53 pm

Re: So what about the other stories?

Post by EEA » Mon Sep 24, 2012 3:01 pm

I just need to finish the last story. Later I will put what I thought about the other stories. ;)
Last edited by EEA on Mon Sep 24, 2012 6:08 pm, edited 2 times in total.

User avatar
a_contemplative_life
Moderator
Posts: 5896
Joined: Sat Aug 15, 2009 2:06 am
Location: Virginia, USA

Re: So what about the other stories?

Post by a_contemplative_life » Mon Sep 24, 2012 4:17 pm

lombano wrote:I've read the first three stories, of which I thought Border was the best and Village on the Hill was the weakest, because the end was pretty conventional, the horror too Lovecraftian*. My only issue with Border was that, perhaps because I'm not familiar with troll folklore, it felt like there was a little too much weirdness springing up on you from all sides but, again, that may just be my unfamiliarity with the relevant folklore. but definitely a good read.
I'm just always creeped out by these stories where the main character goes through some form of horrifying self-identity metamorphosis.

Like that kid in The Omen who discovers "666" on his scalp.
Image

User avatar
Nightrider
Moderator
Posts: 3546
Joined: Thu Mar 03, 2011 6:02 am
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Contact:

Re: So what about the other stories?

Post by Nightrider » Mon Sep 24, 2012 4:52 pm

Not all stories are on target, but one wouldn't expect that from anthologies of this type. There's at least 5 tales here that offer great brain candy. For me it was specifically Lovecraftian aspect of the "Village on the Hill" conclusion that saved the piece. The unexpectedly demented introduction of a giant tentacled monster menacing our hero from the depths of plumbing was at once absurd and amusing. Good stuff!
http://www.aspca.org/

Visit our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/WeTheInfected

Nobody understands...and of course...how could they?

Post Reply

Return to “Let The Old Dreams Die”