Was any one else disappointed with the sequal?

For discussion of John Ajvide Lindqvist's novel Låt den rätte komma in
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gattoparde59
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Re: Was any one else disappointed with the sequal?

Post by gattoparde59 » Wed Jan 10, 2018 10:02 pm

Sequel? More like a short story that happened to mention Oskar and Eli. I didn't like the way it ended and I consider it to be the weakest story in the collection I read. I much prefer the ending to the original novel. In some sense it wasn't an ending but a beginning for a young person.

Oh, and welcome to the Forum Oskarthearsonist. :)

I'll break open the story and tell you what is there. Then, like the others that have fallen out onto the sand, I will finish with it, and the wind will take it away.

Nisa

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OskarTheArsonist
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Re: Was any one else disappointed with the sequal?

Post by OskarTheArsonist » Wed Jan 10, 2018 10:25 pm

gattoparde59 wrote:
Wed Jan 10, 2018 10:02 pm
Sequel? More like a short story that happened to mention Oskar and Eli. I didn't like the way it ended and I consider it to be the weakest story in the collection I read. I much prefer the ending to the original novel. In some sense it wasn't an ending but a beginning for a young person.

Oh, and welcome to the Forum Oskarthearsonist. :)
Ya I agree it was not much of a sequel more like the “finished ending”. And thank you 😁
"the quieter you become, the more you are able to hear"

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Jameron
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Re: Was any one else disappointed with the sequal?

Post by Jameron » Thu Jan 11, 2018 12:33 pm

Hopefully no-one finds the following rambling too presumptuous or insulting, my unfounded opinion...

It may not be apparent in the short story Let The Old Dreams Die but this too is slightly auto biographical. When I say "too" I am referring to Let The Right One In as the other story. As we know from certain posts here on WTI, Oskar is John and Eli is Mia (John's wife), metaphorically. Where Mia (Eli) saved John (Oskar) from his faltering life. Both Let The Right One In and Let The Old Dreams Die are dedicated to Mia; "To Mia, my Mia" and "For Mia, still" respectively. I think this is more than just John's sentimental attachment to his original novel carrying over the dedication to his wife. In either the foreword or afterword (I can't remember which) to the book Let The Old Dreams Die, John talks about "Eternal/Love" and how that reflects his sudden realisation that death will force us to part from the one we love the most. In the short story Let The Old Dreams Die we have Stefan and Karin who, in my opinion, also represent John and Mia. From the story we know that Stefan and Karin's ages are more distant than is usual, so too with John and Mia. With Stefan's terminal illness, we also know that Stefan and Karin are facing the same dilemma that John's mind was briefly struggling with; having to lose the one you love. In Let The Right One In Eli faced a similar dilemma with Oskar, "Would you want to … become like me?" was Eli's solution to Oskar growing old and dying while Eli remained chained to life.

So, as with Let The Right One In, Let The Old Dreams Die is also a glimpse of John and Mia. A love note from John's beautiful mind.

As I said before, I hope no-one thinks I've overstepped the mark. I may just be overthinking it.

.
"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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Re: Was any one else disappointed with the sequal?

Post by gattoparde59 » Thu Jan 11, 2018 1:46 pm

Jameron wrote:
Thu Jan 11, 2018 12:33 pm
Hopefully no-one finds the following rambling too presumptuous or insulting, my unfounded opinion...

It may not be apparent in the short story Let The Old Dreams Die but this too is slightly auto biographical. When I say "too" I am referring to Let The Right One In as the other story. As we know from certain posts here on WTI, Oskar is John and Eli is Mia (John's wife), metaphorically. Where Mia (Eli) saved John (Oskar) from his faltering life. Both Let The Right One In and Let The Old Dreams Die are dedicated to Mia; "To Mia, my Mia" and "For Mia, still" respectively. I think this is more than just John's sentimental attachment to his original novel carrying over the dedication to his wife. In either the foreword or afterword (I can't remember which) to the book Let The Old Dreams Die, John talks about "Eternal/Love" and how that reflects his sudden realisation that death will force us to part from the one we love the most. In the short story Let The Old Dreams Die we have Stefan and Karin who, in my opinion, also represent John and Mia. From the story we know that Stefan and Karin's ages are more distant than is usual, so too with John and Mia. With Stefan's terminal illness, we also know that Stefan and Karin are facing the same dilemma that John's mind was briefly struggling with; having to lose the one you love. In Let The Right One In Eli faced a similar dilemma with Oskar, "Would you want to … become like me?" was Eli's solution to Oskar growing old and dying while Eli remained chained to life.

So, as with Let The Right One In, Let The Old Dreams Die is also a glimpse of John and Mia. A love note from John's beautiful mind.

As I said before, I hope no-one thinks I've overstepped the mark. I may just be overthinking it.

.
No, not presumptuous or insulting. :)

I was actually thinking of the autobiographical details when I commented on this question. The story is interesting from that perspective, but does not change my opinion. I still much prefer the original novel and just about everything else written by J. A. Lindqvist. Maybe "Let the Old Dreams Die" is too autobiographical?

I'll break open the story and tell you what is there. Then, like the others that have fallen out onto the sand, I will finish with it, and the wind will take it away.

Nisa

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metoo
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Re: Was any one else disappointed with the sequal?

Post by metoo » Thu Jan 11, 2018 3:25 pm

Jameron wrote:
Thu Jan 11, 2018 12:33 pm
It may not be apparent in the short story Let The Old Dreams Die but this too is slightly auto biographical. When I say "too" I am referring to Let The Right One In as the other story. As we know from certain posts here on WTI, Oskar is John and Eli is Mia (John's wife), metaphorically. Where Mia (Eli) saved John (Oskar) from his faltering life. Both Let The Right One In and Let The Old Dreams Die are dedicated to Mia; "To Mia, my Mia" and "For Mia, still" respectively. I think this is more than just John's sentimental attachment to his original novel carrying over the dedication to his wife. In either the foreword or afterword (I can't remember which) to the book Let The Old Dreams Die, John talks about "Eternal/Love" and how that reflects his sudden realisation that death will force us to part from the one we love the most. In the short story Let The Old Dreams Die we have Stefan and Karin who, in my opinion, also represent John and Mia. From the story we know that Stefan and Karin's ages are more distant than is usual, so too with John and Mia. With Stefan's terminal illness, we also know that Stefan and Karin are facing the same dilemma that John's mind was briefly struggling with; having to lose the one you love. In Let The Right One In Eli faced a similar dilemma with Oskar, "Would you want to … become like me?" was Eli's solution to Oskar growing old and dying while Eli remained chained to life.

So, as with Let The Right One In, Let The Old Dreams Die is also a glimpse of John and Mia. A love note from John's beautiful mind.
That Let the Old Dreams Die is autobiographical is obvious. Stefan and Karin are quite closely modelled upon John and Mia, although S&K are a couple of decades older than J&M.

That LtROI is autobiographical is also true, Oskar is John. But while Mia may have "saved" John much like Eli saved Oskar, I don't believe that Eli is Mia. Eli is Eli.
Also refer to my signature.
But from the beginning Eli was just Eli. Nothing. Anything. And he is still a mystery to me. John Ajvide Lindqvist

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Jameron
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Re: Was any one else disappointed with the sequal?

Post by Jameron » Fri Jan 12, 2018 10:56 am

metoo wrote:
Thu Jan 11, 2018 3:25 pm
That Let the Old Dreams Die is autobiographical is obvious. Stefan and Karin are quite closely modelled upon John and Mia, although S&K are a couple of decades older than J&M.
Really? Is it that obvious? I must be slow on the uptake then :lol:

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"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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metoo
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Re: Was any one else disappointed with the sequal?

Post by metoo » Fri Jan 12, 2018 12:56 pm

Jameron wrote:
Fri Jan 12, 2018 10:56 am
Really? Is it that obvious? I must be slow on the uptake then :lol:
It might be obvious to me because I have access to a text by JAL that you might not have, where he talks about some events in his life. The text is the script to a radio program called Sommar, broadcast in Sweden in 2006. It is included in the Swedish anthology Låt de gamla drömmarna dö, from which only the title story has been published in English.

I’ve also read or listened to some interviews in Swedish that complete the picture.
But from the beginning Eli was just Eli. Nothing. Anything. And he is still a mystery to me. John Ajvide Lindqvist

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metoo
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Re: Was any one else disappointed with the sequal?

Post by metoo » Fri Jan 12, 2018 9:03 pm

By the way, there is a sequel to the sequel as well. Sort of. Just as LtODD isn’t a true sequel to LtROI, What Kept You So Long in the anthology Seize the Night isn’t a true sequel to LtODD. But it does straighten out an open question...
Yes, Stefan and Karin did meet Oskar and Eli, and they survived the encounter.
But from the beginning Eli was just Eli. Nothing. Anything. And he is still a mystery to me. John Ajvide Lindqvist

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Re: Was any one else disappointed with the sequal?

Post by OskarTheArsonist » Fri Jan 12, 2018 9:29 pm

metoo wrote:
Fri Jan 12, 2018 9:03 pm
By the way, there is a sequel to the sequel as well. Sort of. Just as LtODD isn’t a true sequel to LtROI, What Kept You So Long in the anthology Seize the Night isn’t a true sequel to LtODD. But it does straighten out an open question...
Yes, Stefan and Karin did meet Oskar and Eli, and they survived the encounter.
Thank you!!! I will check it out tonight. 😁😁😁
"the quieter you become, the more you are able to hear"

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Re: Was any one else disappointed with the sequal?

Post by OskarTheArsonist » Sat Jan 13, 2018 1:25 am

metoo wrote:
Fri Jan 12, 2018 9:03 pm
By the way, there is a sequel to the sequel as well. Sort of. Just as LtODD isn’t a true sequel to LtROI, What Kept You So Long in the anthology Seize the Night isn’t a true sequel to LtODD. But it does straighten out an open question...
Yes, Stefan and Karin did meet Oskar and Eli, and they survived the encounter.
Im actually having trouble finding the book. Could you send me a link to the right one? There are 2 books called seize the night bolth by authors other by John
"the quieter you become, the more you are able to hear"

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