A friend of mine recommended the film of this to me (which I have also reviewed) and, having thoroughly enjoyed it, I bought the book. Despite knowing the gist of the story (the film is reasonably true to the book), there was plenty more in the book to expand the characters and really draw you into the narrative. Whether you've seen the film or not, you'll be drawn into the eery, sparse Swedish landscapes and you'll feel genuine attachment to and empathy for the characters. You'll obviously enjoy this if you're a fan of the vampire genre, but it's such an original use of the genre that, regardless of your opinion of vampire novels (or in particular if you think the genre is getting stale) you'll find something here for you. My friend who recommended it liked it so much he has a line from it tattooed on his arm. That, if nothing else, should prove it's a powerful novel.