Linda Olsson
Paperback | Pages: 259 pages Rating: 3.72 | 7032 Users | 1243 Reviews
Be Specific About Epithetical Books Astrid and Veronika
| Title | : | Astrid and Veronika |
| Author | : | Linda Olsson |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Deluxe Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 259 pages |
| Published | : | February 6th 2007 by Penguin (first published August 26th 2005) |
| Categories | : | Fiction. Cultural. Sweden. Book Club. Contemporary. European Literature. Swedish Literature. Novels. Scandinavian Literature |
Relation In Favor Of Books Astrid and Veronika
Many thanks to Jenny for telling me about this lovely novel by Swedish born novelist,Linda Olsson.
Veronica, is a young writer who came to New Zealand - rented a small house in a small village in Sweden. She was hoping to reconcile a recent tragedy while finishing her latest novel.
She had dreams of the beach and sea every night - but most mornings only a fragment remained.....yet the feelings lingered all day. It struck her that her own memories seemed more clear in this new unrelated environment.
Veronica would sit at her computer for hours each day - in touch with the past which she thought was going to be easy to write - but that wasn’t so. The book she set out to write became increasingly elusive.
In the meantime Veronica becomes friends with her neighbor- Astrid - who was in her 80’s. Astrid, a reclusive woman, who has lived in this village her entire life, was living with a painful secret from her past.
A beautiful friendship develops over meals - wine - music - walks - strawberry’s & mushroom picking in autumn - and talks....sharing sensitive stories with one another.....comforting each other’s quiet suffering.
Early in their friendship- Veronica gave Astrid one of her previous novels. She says:
“It feels like such a long time ago since I wrote it. Perhaps it is a little like having a child. You are there to protect it and look after it, you suffer with it and rejoice with it.
But in the end you have to let it live it’s own life. Step back and let it free. And hope that it will fare well”.
Astrid responded by saying, “yes, we must let go of even the most precious things”.
I had remembered those quotes - for their own merits - ( even thinking of a few authors I’ve interacted with who could take a lesson)....lol...
but as I read the rest of this book - those quotes took on a more specific powerful
meaning.
Veronica and Astrid have a beautiful companionship. Their age difference adds a rich quality. The village where they live - with the seasons changing gives us a quiet reflective novel.
The writing creates an melancholic aura which becomes peaceful reading....the seasons are great supporting characters in their own rite.
....from candles glowing on the snow in winter, duckings in the summer, darkness in the houses at night, sipping teas, the rivers, birch, cherry and apple trees,
flowerbeds along the fence, daffodils among the weeds, the warmth of the kitchen, smells from cooking - etc.
A small novel - 246 pages.... A sensitive powerful woman’s friendship...beautifully written!!!
Point Books Conducive To Astrid and Veronika
| Original Title: | Let Me Sing You Gentle Songs |
| ISBN: | 0143038079 (ISBN13: 9780143038078) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Setting: | Sweden |
Rating Epithetical Books Astrid and Veronika
Ratings: 3.72 From 7032 Users | 1243 ReviewsRate Epithetical Books Astrid and Veronika
Many thanks to Jenny for telling me about this lovely novel by Swedish born novelist, Linda Olsson. Veronica, is a young writer who came to New Zealand - rented a small house in a small village in Sweden. She was hoping to reconcile a recent tragedy while finishing her latest novel. She had dreams of the beach and sea every night - but most mornings only a fragment remained.....yet the feelings lingered all day. It struck her that her own memories seemed more clear in this new unrelatedHow does a book marry the coldness of a Scandinavian landscape with the warmth of unexpected friendship? No other book since The Enchanted April has had the ability to soften my somewhat sardonic view of female friendships.This book makes me long for an Astrid of my own.Perhaps I'll need to be patient ... gather more years on myself ... and become an Astrid to someone else.
This is a beautifully written book about memory and facing the difficult memories in order to feel and live again. Olsson has a very descriptive style and I love the way she writes about the changing sky especially. Water (and its various incarnations) is a powerful metaphor for her.Favorite passages:"... when I listen to my own words, I realise that they tell a different story from the one I have carried all these years. ... I think that if we can find the words, and if we can find someone to
A beautiful, wonderfully written story about two women; one at the beginning of her life, the other at the end of her life, who meet and because of this discover hope and love again. This book is written in such a way that I want to go back and copy parts of it; so poetic and grand.I recommend this book for anyone who has felt a loss and the accompanying hopelessness that goes along with it. It may just provide you with the spark of hope you needed or the breath of love that was always there.
I liked this book both because of the beautiful and unusual nature of the friendship that the author creates among the two women and because of the oddly serene tone and pace of the writing. Whereas most books propel you forward via an urgent pace and dramatic or suspenseful plot elements, this book unfolds gently and sympathetically and then relies upon your genuine interest in and intimacy with the characters to keep you turning pages.Even when the characters are reliving traumatic events, the
Maybe this book is one that came at the right time for me, but I really really liked it and slowed down my reading so I would not finish it. It is about a friendship between a younger and an older woman in a small town in Sweden. They both are healing from events in their past. Each chapter begins with a line or two of poetry which I liked. I also liked the author's descriptions of light and of food. The author is Swedish but now lives in New Zealand and the book is set in both places, but
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