The Distinctly Competent District Councillor

by Jonas Jonasson

The charming and original story of a small, declining community’s struggle to survive in the shadow of the all-consuming metropolis, from from the multi-million copy bestselling author of The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared.

All over the world, people sleep blissfully in Traumbett beds. Made in Hamburg, they’ve successfully cornered the market everywhere except Sweden, which is why the new owner, Konrad Kaltenbacher Jr, is desperate to expand there.

Seeing an opportunity to attract 800 new jobs back to her small, decaying town of Halstaholm, new district councillor Julia Bäck jumps right into spearheading a persuasive campaign with an unprecedented charm offensive to win the contract over Stockholm. A roundabout is hastily renamed in honor of Angela Merkel and adorned with black, red and gold flowers; a German school is quickly established under the leadership of three elderly pensioners; and the town swimming pool is rapidly transformed into a beerhouse – it had been empty for years anyway!

Julia’s tenacity impresses the German bed boss Konrad Jr… but has she bitten off more than she can chew?

Genres: Fiction, Humor, Contemporary, Audiobook, Novels, Short Stories, Swedish Literature

137 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 12, 2024

About the author

After a long career as a journalist, media consultant and television producer, Jonas Jonasson decided to start a new life. He wrote a manuscript, he sold all his possessions in Sweden and moved to a small town by Lake Lugano in Switzerland, only a few meters from the Italian border.

The manuscript became a novel. The novel became a phenomenon in Sweden, and now it is about to reach the rest of the world.

Reviews

[Verelien · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jonas Jonasson staat bekend om zijn humorvolle en absurdistische romans. En dit keer heeft dit allemaal in een novelle van 140 bladzijde gestopt.

Het lastige aan een novelle is het weinige aantal bladzijdes en hoe je daarin goed uitgewerkte karakters en een afgerond verhaal moet stoppen. Dat is hem gelukt. Oke ik had graag nog iets langer door gewild, maar het was netjes afgerond.

Ik heb meerdere keren hardop gelachen en dit boek met een grote smile op mijn gezicht gelezen. Zijn boeken zijn eigenlijk een beetje van die sterke verhalen waarmee die ene vriend altijd op de proppen komt. Ze komen ongeloofwaardig over, maar het kan wel gebeurd zijn, al lijkt het wel heel onwaarschijnlijk.

Er zaten ontzettend leuke personages in en ook zeer verschillende. Sommige waren heel loveable, andere totaal niet. Je kan niet alle karakters in detail uitwerken in dit aantal bladzijdes, maar je kreeg genoeg van iedereen mee om een beeld van de karakters te krijgen. Sommige waren lekker eigenzinnig of vrij sassy. Heerlijk gedaan! Alle personages in dit boek voegen iets toe.

Een verhaal over doorzetten en niet opgeven. Een boek die je dichtslaat met een glimlach op je gezicht.

Bedankt AW Bruna voor het recensie exemplaar.

[John Hatley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a highly entertaining book. It has a little of everything, above all, Jonasson’s brilliant sense of humour.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a Lovley little read.

The distinctly competent district Councillor is a light, fun, entertaining read. If you're after a short book perhaps to get back into reading or don't have much time, this is a great book for that.

You get to understand the character's personality with only little descriptions as it is only 130 odd page book. You don't feel like you're missing any gaps of information. A well written well-rounded book, would recommend. I quite enjoyed it and would like to read another book from this author.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novella was absolutely bonkers and knew it. Newly minted mayor of down-on-its luck Hastaholm, Julia Bäck, needs to find a way to turn her Swedish town’s prospects around. She settles on persuading a German bedding giant to open its new factory there. What follows is a wholly implausible but broadly delightful romp about the comedic lengths Julia and her ragtag task force are willing to go. For fans of Parks & Rec and those needing something lighthearted and breezy.

[Saar Steverlinck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gelaagde en vinnige feelgood; dat heb ik graag!

[Floor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mijn eerste boek van Jonasson en ben erg gecharmeerd van zijn hoopvolle, humoristische en ietwat sprookjesachtige stijl. De Boer, de Vrouw en de Brandewijn ligt al op me te wachten!

[Ken Fredette · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was good book to read as it was from the heart as far as I could tell. Jonas used all his favorite things to write about to tell this story. He made it funny as he describes what these people went through to get the final contract signed. He takes Konrad Kaltenbacher Jr. and doesn't describe him as a loving person except for his girls. Jonas leaves this part of Konrad until the end. But Julia was a new mayor and made mistakes along the way that put her in troubled with the law. She used everybody to get what she wanted and the contract was signed even after she went to jail. We can ascribe this to Konrad's change in his behavior with Julia.

[Sabrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gute 3,5 Sterne. Sympathische Charaktere, kurzweilige Geschichte, zum Lächeln.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mans vet vad man får. Och slutet är inte vidare svårt att räkna ut. Men det är underhållande och roligt.

[Mojca Rudolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Avtor zapiše, da je želel napisati knjigo o prijateljstvu med ljudmi različnih narodnosti in ta knjiga je njegov mali prispevek k mednarodnemu prijateljstvu. Tako za zaplet zamisli nemškega izdelovalca sanjskih postelj ter malega švedskega mesteca, ki je v popolnem zatonu, s propadlo tovarno, vedno manj prebivalci in ogromno brezposelnostjo, ter novo županjo, ki želi rešiti mesto z nenavadnimi potezami.
In tako dobimo novodobno pravljico. Mičkeno spominja na dela Backmana, najverjetneje zaradi posebnih junakov in zapletov, ki res mejijo na pravljično sfero. Vsi junaki so ali beli ali črno. A vendarle mi je bila ta kratka knjigica strašno všeč. Je ravno prav duhovita, in zeeeelo pozitivna, meni pa se zdi, da prav takšnih zgodb manjka. Več ali manj nam v spominu ostanejo le izjemno težke tematike. Razumem. Žalost in bolečino poznamo vsi in se nas dotakne. A humornih knjig je precej manj, še manj ljudi jih omenja kot priljubljene knjige.
Če sem od tega avtorja zmogla le Tik pred koncem sveta, ostalih pa, kljub večkratnih poskusih, ni šlo, pa sem ob tej neizmerno uživala. Nekaj čisto preprostega, duhovitega, nenavadnega, za popolno sprostitev in za eno pravljico za lahko noč, kajti prebrana je bila v enem samem večeru, nasmeh pa mi je še vso noč plesal na obrazu...

[RolloTreadway · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure why Goodreads is telling me that I'm trying to review a book that hasn't been released. I got it from the library. Hurrah for libraries! Anyway, this was a simple, charming story. Likely won't stay in my mind for long. But it's a nice diversion.

[Clara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Einfach wirklich nicht mein Humor.

[Vivien Behling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mag eigentlich alles an Jonas Jonasson. Diese kleine Geschichte ist leicht zu lesen und bringt einen zum Lächeln.

[Evelien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heerlijk grappig, fijn luisterboek!

[Laurien · Rating 4 out of 5]

knuddig en cute ♡

[Sula Verdievel]

Geluisterd naar dit verhaal
Grappig, ideaal tijdens huishoudelijke klusjes ☺️

[Tammo Meijering · Rating 2 out of 5]

Att läsa denna bok är som att sitta och scrolla insta reels. Hjärnröta rakt igenom. Men vet inte vad jag förväntade mig heller. Berättelsen är i många delar bara obskyr.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Silly, quirky, funny

[Manon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Al jaren geen JJ meer gelezen, maar blijft heerlijk komisch, absurdistisch en feelgood. Waar we allemaal meer behoefte aan hebben, denk ik zo. Meer Jonas Jonasson!!

[Lotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grappig, vlot verhaal. Leuk om te lezen, maar niet heel memorabel. 

[rumaysa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very cliche

[Nadia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kort maar krachtig. Weer een leuk verhaal van Jonasson, hoewel zijn kracht wel echt in story telling en achtergrond zit, wat minder goed kan in zo'n kort boek. Wel erg genoten en zó uit.

[Amy apple · Rating 2 out of 5]

A cute story but just didn’t land well for me perhaps due to it not being my type of humour and everything felt really rushed and just over the top ridiculous.

[Erna Wiering · Rating 4 out of 5]

Een origineel en grappig verhaal I n typische Jonas Jonasson stijl

[KC (Lit in Byron) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was exactly the book I wanted to be reading at the beach. Light on the surface, quietly clever underneath, and genuinely fun without tipping into smugness. Jonas Jonasson knows how to write stories that look simple but are actually doing a fair bit of work, and this one zips along with a confidence that makes it easy to trust.

At its heart, this is a story about competence. Not ambition. Not power. Just someone who notices things are broken and wants to fix them. Which, in a world full of chaos, corruption, and noise, feels oddly radical. The lead character isn’t flashy or dramatic. They’re observant, practical, and stubborn in a way that becomes quietly heroic. I found myself rooting for them almost immediately, not because they’re extraordinary, but because they’re decent and capable and unwilling to look away.

The humour is classic Jonasson. Dry, situational, and often tucked into the margins rather than delivered as punchlines. It trusts the reader to catch it. I laughed more than once, but mostly in that internal “oh that’s good” way rather than anything showy. The writing is clean and efficient, which suits the story perfectly. Nothing lingers too long. Nothing overstays. The pacing is tight and deliberate. This really is a little pocket rocket of a book.

What stood out most for me was how warm it is without being sentimental. The characters are quirky and distinct, but never feel like caricatures. Even the more ridiculous moments are grounded in a real affection for people and the messy systems they’re stuck inside. And yes, there’s something deeply satisfying about a story centred on someone who just wants to save their city, not for glory, but because it matters.

This isn’t a book that asks you to think too hard, but it does ask you to notice. About power. About responsibility. About how much difference one competent (or hilariously not), determined person can make. I finished it feeling lighter than when I started, which is no small thing.

If you’re after something heartwarming, gently funny, and sharply paced, especially as a palate cleanser or holiday read, this one absolutely does the job.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kurzweiliger, unterhaltsamer Roman. Dauergrinsen beim Lesen 😁

[Pieter Schoenmaker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kort maar krachtig

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dieses kleine Büchlein hat mich deutlich besser unterhalten, als ich gedacht hätte.

Die kleine Geschichte rund um den Unternehmer aus Hamburg und die schwedische Bürgermeisterin ist ein wenig verrückt, ein wenig unmöglich und irgendwie eine Romcom. Sie lebt von ihren knackig-irren Dialogen und dem abstrusen Humor, der Jonasson bekannt gemacht hat.

Für Zwischendurch eine tolle, anspruchslose Lektüre, die einen nebenwirkungsfrei in gute Stimmung versetzt.

[JEDKEN · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hon har precis blivit komunalråd för en nästa död komun. Vad kan hon göra för att få liv i den igen, ska säga allt. Hon ljuger för på riktigt allt och alla. Med brott, får ett barn och jobba för henne. Hon är en speciell person, som får alla att bli förälskade i henne. 

Han är chef för en säggätte som egentligen ska plantera sig i Stockholm men blir på nått sätt övertalad att den numera tyska svenska landsbygden är bättre.

Men på nått sätt var den ganska bra.

[Annika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finurlig, alldaglig, annorlunda och lättsam. Helt enkelt en väldigt bra bok.

Persongalleri (risk för spoilers och stavfel):
- Konrad Kaltenbachen jr, chef för sängföretaget Traumbett, har 2 döttrar
- Julia, kommunalråd Halstaholm
- Kenneth Karlander, konsult
- Hasse Eriksson, missnöjespolitiker