Smile of the Midsummer Night: A Picture of Sweden

by Lars Gustafsson, Agneta Blomqvist

In Smile of the Midsummer Night , best-selling author Lars Gustafsson and Agneta Blomqvist present a very personal guide to their Swedish homeland. Setting off from the far South, their journey takes them up to Norrland, from the farms of Scania to Laponian, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. But it is the idyllic fjord in Bohulän, located in the Västmanland region, as well as Mälar Lake and Stockholm that they call home. Throughout, Gustafsson and Blomqvist are full of entertaining suggestions for excursions, including journeys through forests and moors where you can take in the odd elk or wolf along the way and visits to August Strindberg’s and Kurt Tucholsky’s graves.

The first work of contemporary travel writing about Sweden by Swedish writers to have been translated into English, Smile of the Midsummer Night  is a loving and poetic ode to this beautiful nation and a must-have for anyone interested in Scandinavia.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction

120 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Lars Gustafsson was a Swedish poet, novelist and scholar. He completed his secondary education at the Västerås gymnasium and continued to Uppsala University; he received his Licentiate degree in 1960 and was awarded his Ph.D. in Theoretical Philosophy in 1978. He lived in Austin, Texas until 2003, and has recently returned to Sweden. From 1983 he served as a professor at the University of Texas at Austin, where he taught Philosophy and Creative Writing, until May 2006, when he retired. In 1981 Gustafsson converted to Judaism.

Reviews

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful little book (nice shape to hold too), if not quite what I was expecting. There are two authors but it is not always clear who is writing - sometimes obviously one of them and at other times "we". It's a series of essays or articles, some of them simply descriptive and others reflecting on the changes in Sweden over the past fifty years or so, including the disappearance of vast swathes of forest (I had no idea of the scale of this), destruction of natural habitats, vanishing rural ways of life and exorbitant city prices. The railway which goes right up into the Arctic Circle sounds wonderful. A thoughtful book from the inside, not really a travel guide but it certainly would appeal to anyone who knows anything about Sweden or would like to visit it.

[Keen Reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a quaint and at times interesting, but often forgettable collection of whimsical thoughts, vignettes, recollections and reflections on many parts of Sweden – most of which would be totally unknown to those living outside of Scandinavia.

Repeated talk of cloudberries, lingonberries, strawberries and basically every other wild berry which seems to grow throughout much of Sweden had my mouth watering. And then there’s the many Swedish bakeries and all the delightful baked goods they offer too, which had me longing to pay a visit to the nearest, wildly overpriced Swedish bakery (about a 45 min drive away). I won’t - I’m happy with my sourdough.

So this was a mixed bag and maybe these are incredibly scintillating in the original Swedish?...but I’m not sure there was quite enough quality or craft in here to justify translating them into English?...

[şiva · Rating 4 out of 5]

v easy to get into, nice little essays if a bit repetitive at times

[John Benson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This small book, written by one of Sweden's most famous poets and his wife, in their retirement years is marketed as a travel book but was originally written for a Swedish audience. Mainly, it is a collection of 30 short essays written individually and bringing out key places and events in Swedish life. It gives you a good understanding of life in Stockholm and in different towns in the country. An enjoyable book, but not really a travel book.

[Karin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice little stories about Sweden, triggering quite a few memories from my childhood.

[Elisabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful little book.

[Merreh65 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anyone who loves Sweden will enjoy this book. Makes me want to revisit.