What I am doing wrong.

For discussion of John Ajvide Lindqvist's novel Låt den rätte komma in
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ltroifanatic
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What I am doing wrong.

Post by ltroifanatic » Sun Aug 14, 2016 11:28 pm

Like so many of us,I try to get people to read this book but what I'm doing wrong is giving them too much information about it.I usually start with a simple explanation.It's a love story.But I don't leave it there.I then tell them its got a vampire in it.So far so good.Oh they're kids.Peoples eyes are usually looking for an escape route by then.Oh and one of them isn't a girl but a castrated boy.By now people are thinking "get me out of here".Oh and did I tell you about his helper?I look up and people are not making eye contact and backing away slowly.By the time I get to the part where I must sound like a babbling crazy man.Raving about how many things this beautiful story touches on (Swedish politics of the 80's,gender,parenting,etc) I look up and I stand there alone.From now on I'm going to keep it simple and they can find these things out by themselves..Thanks.Stay infected.
Please Oskar.Be me for a little while.

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dongregg
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Re: What I am doing wrong.

Post by dongregg » Mon Aug 15, 2016 12:28 am

In 2009 I read a review of the film. I only remembered that the reviewer mostly liked it, that it was about a boy and a vampire girl, and that the reviewer didn't like the way it showed the girl climbing. Oh, and I remembered the name of the film. It gave me the creepy idea of Who is the right one? Who is the wrong one? IOW, I knew jack about the film until I saw it on ShowTime in 2013.

The take-aways:

Don't tell people more about LTROI than they will remember 5 minutes later.

Tell people about LTROI. I would not have watched it if I hadn't read that review, even though it gave me zero understanding of what LTROI is about.

For me it was the title alone that did the heavy lifting.
“For drama to deepen, we must see the loneliness of the monster and the cunning of the innocent.”

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Drakeule
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Re: What I am doing wrong.

Post by Drakeule » Mon Aug 15, 2016 2:09 am

Seems you're telling them the story rather than getting them to read it. We know it's a good book, but if someone told you: "Hey, there's this awesome book about a castrated vampire boy who lives with a pedophile and falls in love with a bullied boy." People will look at you funny.

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EEA
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Re: What I am doing wrong.

Post by EEA » Tue Aug 16, 2016 11:35 pm

I was apprehensive in reading the book since I don't like horror stories or vampires or zombies. So I forgot about it. I was interested in seeing the movie when I read Roger Ebert's review but I forgot about the movie until I remember that there was a movie that was the opposite of the "Twilight" movie.
So finally one day I decided to buy the book on the Kindle and I read it in three days and then I wanted to find more information about the book and about the movie. Then I found the forum and joined it.
Still I don't like vampires or zombies. :lol:
No one in my family likes to read so I do not suggest any book since they will not be interested.

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dongregg
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Re: What I am doing wrong.

Post by dongregg » Wed Aug 17, 2016 12:09 am

Besides, if I may intrude film stuff in Novel Topics, the film was in such limited release in the U.S. that reviews, lists, and word of mouth is about the only way people hear about it.

I've abandoned the notion that talking about it raises the wrong kind of expectations. Why? Because most Americans don't have the patience for a film of such high quality. Therefore, our personal experiences of trying to get people to like it is indistinguishable from people who see it with no expectations and don't like it anyway. Or at least who don't love it as we do. The same thing on both sides of the equation cancel out.

So I continue to be a champion of the film and talk about it to anyone I can. Word of mouth trumps silence.
“For drama to deepen, we must see the loneliness of the monster and the cunning of the innocent.”

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Ash
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Re: What I am doing wrong.

Post by Ash » Mon Aug 22, 2016 9:18 am

I suppose it's human nature to want to share something good with others. But let's face it, the novel is way too weird and challenging for most people. Add to that the fact that when most people are far more concerned with joining in populist trends with mass approval, an obscure novel from an obscure author from an obscure country isn't really going to do it for them.
You can shout praises from the hilltops but you can't make people like what you like, no more than you can make somebody love you. It just doesn't work that way.

JERRY: So, did you buy that electric toothbrush I was telling you about?
ELAINE: No.
JERRY: How come? I told you - It's fantastic!
ELAINE: Eh, I like mine.
JERRY: I've had yours, I'm telling you - this one is ten times better! Don't you believe me?
ELAINE: I don't want it.
JERRY: I don't understand this. Why wouldn't you want to get something that's better if I'm telling you it's better? And it's not a little better - it's much better.
ELAINE: It doesn't matter to me.

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Jameron
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Re: What I am doing wrong.

Post by Jameron » Mon Aug 22, 2016 12:33 pm

Have you tried hypnosis? That might work ;)

.
"For a few seconds Oskar saw through Eli’s eyes. And what he saw was … himself. Only much better, more handsome, stronger than what he thought of himself. Seen with love."

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Drakeule
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Re: What I am doing wrong.

Post by Drakeule » Mon Aug 22, 2016 5:07 pm

Nice analogy, Ash. Sounds like me trying to convince a Stephen King fan that if you like him you'll love JAL.

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