QUICK REVIEW: I Will Always Find You

I have to admit that I was initially reluctant to try reading a novel written by the so-called "Stephen King of Sweden" as I'm not an avid fan of supernatural/horror stories. I've seen the cinema adaptation of Let the Right One In and I found it rather dull, never mind the hype surrounding its release. Nevertheless, when I read the synopsis for I Will Always Find You, I thought that this would be a kind of novel with a special literary quality, as the protagonist is the author himself, John Lindqvist, in the age of around 20 recently moving to Stockholm from Blackeberg. Of course, this is a fictional novel and the events described are just figments of Lindqvist's rich imagination, but there is a weird sense as in some parts this book has a sense of memoir or autobiography, especially where the author expresses his inner thought process, often with references to other books written by him.

The story revolves around John who is recently established in a small apartment in the center of Stockholm and he intends to earn his living performing magic acts in the street or restaurants/bars etc. John will soon find out that something sinister is happening in his block as his neighbors seem to adopt a dodgy behavior that unsettles the newcomer. And what is the deal with the laundry room? why everyone seems to be so immersed in this specific room?

John will finally discover the truth and begins to experiment with an alternate reality which ultimately helps him to heal old wounds that tormented him for all of his life. As you can conclude there is a rather heavy supernatural dimension to this novel and it can be categorized safely in the horror genre. Lindqvist's prose is flowing smoothly and indeed is reminiscent, at least in parts, of the great Stephen King. Unfortunately, my distaste for all stories incorporating hyper-reality themes made me skip quickly the pages of the last part and I cannot claim that I was all that interested in the plot's outcome. The only reason I would recommend "I Will Always Find You" to a non-horror fiction fan is the aspect that involves the author himself in an otherwise fictional story.