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The Summer Book / Tove Jansson;
trans. from the Swedish by Thomas Teal
NY: NYRB, 2008, c1972.
170 p.
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This exquisite book has been read by so many people I feel like it doesn't need any introduction! I've been reading quite a lot of Tove Jansson over the past year, including the entire Moomin series, and her memoir, The Sculptor's Daughter.
I feel like this book has so many of her recurring themes in it, and the feel of childhood and old age being very similar. And the discovery of nature, isolation, quirkiness, being cranky as part of life -- all that appears again here.
This is a beautiful book. Told in 22 chapters, each one a glimpse into the lives of Sophia, 6, and her grandmother, it feels like a spotlight is pointed at various moments of their summer on this island where the family has been going for years. Only her father is there with them.
From trying to keep a cat to finding a new friend, from walking around the island to taking the boat out on the sea in a storm, from isolation to curiosity about a new neighbour, Sophia and her grandmother do it all together.
But I love how the grandmother is realistically old; she gets tired and needs to nap, she can't walk quickly, and she isn't always patient and loving. Sometimes she needs some time to herself to just be quiet and read.
The relationship between the two is wonderful. It's touching, funny, wise, and so engaging. I couldn't stop reading this book. I loved the grandmother so much; and I also loved Sophia who is a curious, lively, brave little girl who explores the island and its flora and fauna with gusto - but she also has a contemplative and imaginative side. She gets angry and loud when she's tired or hungry, or just justifiably mad at something. She doesn't hide any part of herself or feel self-conscious about her life.
It's really a sharply beautiful book that I'll keep and reread. It distills Jansson's unique sensibility into perfect form.
This is a beautiful book. Told in 22 chapters, each one a glimpse into the lives of Sophia, 6, and her grandmother, it feels like a spotlight is pointed at various moments of their summer on this island where the family has been going for years. Only her father is there with them.
From trying to keep a cat to finding a new friend, from walking around the island to taking the boat out on the sea in a storm, from isolation to curiosity about a new neighbour, Sophia and her grandmother do it all together.
But I love how the grandmother is realistically old; she gets tired and needs to nap, she can't walk quickly, and she isn't always patient and loving. Sometimes she needs some time to herself to just be quiet and read.
The relationship between the two is wonderful. It's touching, funny, wise, and so engaging. I couldn't stop reading this book. I loved the grandmother so much; and I also loved Sophia who is a curious, lively, brave little girl who explores the island and its flora and fauna with gusto - but she also has a contemplative and imaginative side. She gets angry and loud when she's tired or hungry, or just justifiably mad at something. She doesn't hide any part of herself or feel self-conscious about her life.
It's really a sharply beautiful book that I'll keep and reread. It distills Jansson's unique sensibility into perfect form.
This was my first adult Tove Jansson book and I absolutely loved it - one to return to over and over, I think!
ReplyDeletekaggsysbookishramblings
Absolutely! So much in it, and just lovely. I saw someone on twitter mention that it would make a great Studio Ghibli film and that just seems perfect!
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