A Winter Book

Critics

• Alone with the squirrel

  A Winter Book by Tove Jansson, translated by Silvester Mazzarella, David McDuff and Kingsley Hart 192pp, Sort Of Books, £6.99 A woman lives alone on an island. One day, she is surprised to see a fellow resident: "it was a real live squirrel and she h ... (read full critics)

  guardian.co.uk published on Sat, 25 Sep 2010

• Magic in the Gulf of Finland

  Tove Jansson’s The Summer Book had been published before in this country, but when, two years ago, the enterprising Sort of Books reissued it for the first time in many years, it seemed that its moment had come. I pressed it on a lot of people, often ... (read full critics)

  spectator published on Fri, 17 Sep 2010

2 Reviews

• 

  If you liked The Summer Book, you'll love these stories, especially the later ones which, like The Summer Book are set on one of the many islands off the Finish coast. Self sufficiency is the gospel here, quite a fantastic notion now in our fiercely consumer oriented world of today. There are some o ... (continue)

  If you liked The Summer Book, you'll love these stories, especially the later ones which, like The Summer Book are set on one of the many islands off the Finish coast. Self sufficiency is the gospel here, quite a fantastic notion now in our fiercely consumer oriented world of today. There are some out and out gems - The Squirrel and Travelling Light were my favourites plus the one about the iceberg. And the final story about accepting the incapacities of old age, along with the losses of freedom they bring, was very sobering. How can we hope to escape all that if even the intrepid, fearless Tove Jansson has to bow to age? But we do, don't we...

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  Top of the pile said on Feb 7, 2012 | Add your feedback

• 

  Some really lovely descriptions / observations in one of the only two adult books of Jansson's to be translated into English.

  I found a similarity in the writing to Roald Dahl's dark and fatalistic side that doesn't detract, and possibly adds to, the enjoyment of both their stories. Not alway ... (continue)

  Some really lovely descriptions / observations in one of the only two adult books of Jansson's to be translated into English.

  I found a similarity in the writing to Roald Dahl's dark and fatalistic side that doesn't detract, and possibly adds to, the enjoyment of both their stories. Not always flattering, but very honest.
  Especially about the joy / precociousness of being young, the wisdom and frustration at getting old.

  Will definitely look at reading the Summer Book (when its warmer!)

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  goldtop said on Mar 11, 2008 | Add your feedback

Book Details

• Rating:
  (6)
  • 5 stars
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• English Books
• Paperback 192 Pages
• ISBN-10: 0954899520
• ISBN-13: 9780954899523
• Publisher: Sort of Books
• Pub date: Nov 02, 2006

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