Astrid Lindgren: Vildtoring och lägereld

by Vivi Edström

Få barn som vuxit upp i Sverige har missat Astrid Lindgren, en av landets mest berömda författare genom tiderna. Men vad är det egentligen som gör hennes böcker så spännande och intressanta? Hur kommer det sig att också vuxna knappt kan förmå sig att sluta läsa Bröderna Lejonhjärta? Vivi Edström, långvarig ledamot i Astrid Lindgrensällskapet och litteraturprofessor, tar sig här an den komplexa frå Vad är det med Astrid Lindgren som berör? Och svaret hon kommer fram till kommer nog förvåna även den mest inbitne av Lindgren-läsare.

Vivi Edström (1923 - 2018) var en svensk litteraturvetare och författare. Hon satt i styrelsen för Astrid Lindgrensällskapet.

Genres: Nonfiction

Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1992

Reviews

[Manybooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

With her 1992 monograph Astrid Lindgren - Vildtoring och lägereled Swedish professor Vivi Edström offers insightful as well as nicely engaging (and equally so never too jargon-heavy, never either too dense or too frustratingly convoluted for readers who do not have a university level background in the humanities and philosophy to both enjoy and to appreciate) critical insights into Astrid Lindgren's writing (but indeed not negatively critical, with critical in this case simply signifying that Edström is with and throughout Astrid Lindgren - Vildtoring och lägereled analysing Lindgren's writing with an academically solid and comprehensive analysis in mind) and with me (since I only know extremely rudimentary Swedish) of course reading Eivor Cormack's 2000 English language translation (Astrid Lindgren: A Critical Study, although I am also kind of interested in one day obtaining and reading the German language translation, Astrid Lindgren: Im Land der Märchen und Abenteuer).

And yes, I have massively enjoyed and have also been rather wonderfully enlightened by Astrid Lindgren: A Critical Study, I have totally found my reading time (on Internet Archive, but I do now definitely want and indeed even need a paper copy of Astrid Lindgren: A Critical Study for my own bookshelves, for my personal library) an absolute and pretty seriously all-encompassing reading delight, with me for the vast majority of Astrid Lindgren: A Critical Study absolutely and totally agreeing with Vivi Edström's assessments re Astrid Lindgren and her oeuvre (except perhaps feeling a trifle annoyed with regard to how The Brothers Lionheart is approached in Astrid Lindgren: A Critical Study, since I have always found this story a bit like Lindgren is supporting both death and also suicide and that I kind of wish that Edström and by extension of course also translator Eivor Cormack would consider discussing this point in Astrid Lindgren: A Critical Study and not just be accepting and glossing over this point with no major questions being asked so to speak). But this and for me very very minor issue with Astrid Lindgren: A Critical Study notwithstanding (and which is why my rating for Astrid Lindgren: A Critical Study is still solidly five stars), yes and indeed, everything penned and being analysed, discussed etc. by Edström/Cormack throughout Astrid Lindgren: A Critical Study is absolutely outstanding, makes total sense, is an astute and spot-on so to speak analysis of Astrid Lindgren and her writing (and with my only but necessary major caveat being that since pretty much ALL of Lindgren's novels, short stories, fairy tales etc. are being quite meticulously and extensively, thoroughly presented and explored in Astrid Lindgren: A Critical Study, there will of course also be many theme and contents related spoilers to be encountered, necessarily so in my opinion, but something to definitely keep in mind).

Finally, according to Vivi Edström's (Eivor Cormack's) introduction for Astrid Lindgren: A Critical Study, while the language Astrid Lindgren uses in her children’s and young adult novels and stories is outstanding, is descriptive, entertaining and as such also engaging, Edström also thinks that Lindgren’s genius and how she so positively affects and engages children worldwide cannot solely be due to her stylistics, due to how she uses and plays with language, since Vivi Edström forcefully points out and states that even majorly sub-par and clumsy translations have proven hugely popular and enjoyable for their intended audiences (and that this is something that I have noticed myself as well regarding Astrid Lindgren). For even though I have personally speaking found many of the English language translations of Lindgren novels much much less enjoyable, much much less descriptive and fun than the German language renditions that were part of my childhood and still rate amongst my personal rereading favourites, I do know and also accept that many of my Goodreads friends have absolutely adored those same English language translations and that even though I really do find them rather stylistically grating, with regard to thematics and contents, these renditions indeed are just as magical as the German language versions of Astrid Lindgren’s oeuvre I oh so much loved as a child and still majorly adore today.

[Joel Resare · Rating 5 out of 5]

Metodiskt och sakligt frågar sig Edström vad som gör Lindgrens böcker så engagerande och populära för generationer av barn. Likheter och skillnader i bibliografin tas upp och analyseras inte bara med Edströms egna slutsatser utan många olika litteraturforskare.

Mycket välskriven och intressant för mig som likt de flesta andra svenskar har läst, sett eller hört sagorna i dess olika former men inte stannat upp och funderat på syften och teman.

[Irene Palfy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very theoretical book about Astrid Lindgren's works. For those interested into literature history especially in swedish literature of 20th century and children's literature. The author put quite some effort into this - and I think she covered practically Astrid Lindgren's whole 'productions'..