A beautiful, understated examination of platonic love and profound friendship from the Nordic maestro, The Summer Book basks in the glow of a long Finnish summer as an elderly artist and her young granddaughter begin to develop a devoted bond.
An elderly artist and her six-year-old grand-daughter while away a summer together on a tiny island in the gulf of Finland.
As the two learn to adjust to each other's fears, whims and yearnings, a fierce yet understated love emerges - one that encompasses not only the summer inhabitants but the very island itself. Written in a clear, unsentimental style, full of brusque humour, and wisdom, The Summer Book is a profoundly life-affirming story.
Tove Jansson captured much of her own life and spirit in the book, which was her favourite of her adult novels. This new edition, with a Foreword by Esther Freud, sees the return of a European literary gem - fresh, authentic and deeply humane.
Publisher: Sort of Books
ISBN: 9780954221713
Number of pages: 192
Weight: 222 g
Dimensions: 196 x 128 x 34 mm
Edition: Main
This slim, wise masterpiece... is both unsentimental and heart-melting, and I read it every year. - Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love, Guardian
It is like looking through clear water and seeing, suddenly, the depth ... Jansson was a writer who knew the proper magnitudes of our small worlds. - Ali Smith
The Summer Book's limpid style belies a deep psychological subtlety...Rereading it now, it feels like a survival guide. - Melissa Harrison
Tove Jansson was a genius. This is a marvellous, beautiful, wise novel, which is also very funny. - Philip Pullman
This is a wonderful, life-affirming, spirited book. Reading it was a tonic. - Chris Stewart (author, Driving Over Lemons)
It's hard to describe the astonishing achievement of Jansson's artistry . . . a perfection of the small, quiet read. - Ali Smith, Guardian, Book of the Week
The Summer Book is a marvellously uplifting read, full of gentle humour and wisdom. - Justine Picardie, Daily Telegraph
Eccentric, funny, wise, full of joys and small adventures. This is a book for life. - Esther Freud
A marvellous book.... The prose is sublime: plain, but not oppressively so. - Independent on Sunday
Few books since Robinson Crusoe have evoked the joys of island living so powerfully as this Finnish novella. - Jonathan Heawood, Observer
A wonderful novel to devour in the sunshine . . . full of charm and character. - Benedicte Page, the Independent
An odd but beautiful novel which blends humour and poetry with detailed observation of tiny things. - Georgia Metcalfe, Daily Mail
Every so often, a book is published that captures something in us. . . . The Summer Book is one of those. - Rachel Simhon, The Daily Telegraph
I loved this book. It is the perfect summer read, light, captivating, enchanting and brilliantly written. We get to know Sophie and her grandmother through their relationship. What makes it so wonderful is the... More
A beautifully told and wonderfully atmospheric story about a summer. A woman and her granddaughter share a summer on a wild Scandinavian island and learn about life and humanity from each other. Magical, simple and... More
A heart warming, sweet tale depicting long lost summers on an Island in Finland. The central theme is the poignant relationship between a grandmother and a small child, revealing the similarities between growing up... More
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