Summer Light: A Walk Across Norway

by Andrew Stevenson

Endless summer days and vast Norway is an outdoor paradise almost too good to be true. Andrew Stevenson's affectionate, luminous account reveals the magical appeal of this Scandinavian wonderland as he walks and cycles (and gets stuck in the off snowdrift) across the country from Oslo to Bergen. Staying on clifftop farms, climbing the country's highest mountains or taking a sidetrip for to the north of the Arctic circle, Andrew gets under Scandinavia's skin as only someone who has lived there can. As he introduces a land he loves to the new love in his life, he comes to peace with a country of light - a darkness.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Memoir

235 pages, Paperback

First published April 30, 2002

Reviews

[Marcella · Rating 2 out of 5]

Shockingly bad writing at the beginning gives way to yearning descriptions of glorious, inaccessible Norwegian scenes. I definitely want to go walking, but not with the author.

Also featuring a misleading map at the beginning and a weird attempt to shoehorn personal development at the end. My copy was missing 15 pages.

Basically, only read this if you are already seduced by the romantic concept and just want validation.

[Pascal · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sehr zerstückelt, teils in einer schrecklichen Art zusammengeschrieben. Plötzliche Wechsel in der Geschichte. Dazu eine fehlende Übersichtskarte der Reise. Und die Karte, die dabei ist hat einen zu großen Maßstab, der nicht alle Orte der Reise aufzeigt. Ich kann die guten Bewertungen nicht nachvollziehen. Es gibt wirklich viel bessere Reiseberichte. Ich gab mich durchgequält und nach 2/3 abgebrochen.

[JoJo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would have liked a 4.5 to just praise a book by someone who loves Norway and lets this show through in his storytelling without being gooey. Having just returned from a holiday in the country I wish I had finished this beforehand rather than afterwards as it would have explained much about these strangely inward looking people.

[John Benson · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me awhile to get into this book as it seemed at first just about random hikes that the author had taken with his girlfriend in Norway. A I went along, I began to really enjoy his descriptions as many of these hikes were in the area where the Norway in a Nutshell tour route off the Bergen-Oslo train route. We had taken this trip in 2016 and it helped me to experience what was beyond the boat and train routes that we took. The author had been married before to a Norwegian woman who he was still on good terms with and had operated a travel company there so he had many insights into Norway and its people. It became a much deeper book and in the end I was sad to see it end.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for a book group - topic of where you want to travel. I have Norwegian ancestors, so I have always wanted to go to Norway. This book is about a trek across Norway mostly by foot, but it also includes boats, trains and bikes. It includes some interesting information about customs and culture. It would have been good to have a map of the country while reading this, but it was enjoyable nevertheless. I won't be hiking this route, but I am intrigued by the culture and wonder if it has changed a great deal in the last 20 years - the book was first published in 2002.

[Shortjg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable read about hiking and traveling in Norway. The book includes vignettes from the authors past experience after moving from Canada to Norway. It also is informative about Norwegian culture and the country’s ascendency to becoming one of the richest nations due to oil exports and abundant hydroelectric power. I definitely would recommend reading this before a trip to Norway, particularly if hiking or biking. If not traveling to Norway, skip it.

[Phillip Lloyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought that this was an excellent travelogue of an Adventure across Norway over a Summer (must be some time ago due to the events in the book).
Well written in my opinion with some very good points on Norwegian History, I liked the personal reflection as well.

I would read more from this Author.

[Roberta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found and then read this book just before traveling to Norway. And read it while there - on the Norway in a Nutshell trip and on the Hurtigruten to Kirkenes and back. A perfect book for this trip. I enjoyed it very much, liked the mixture of travelogue, history and personal memory. Highly recommended!

[Todd Rongstad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Essential book if you're planning on wandering around back-country Norway, which I am. Not fine literature but a fantastic job of describing a glorious country.

[Lauren Silberman · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the context of visiting Norway for the first time and loving outdoor adventures, I enjoyed the book. If you don’t meet either of those qualifications, it’s probably not worth your time.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, the 'story' as such was a bit blah, but the narrative of the journey was inspiring. Having seen a small part of the fjords, I'm now encouraged to see more and to walk everywhere, with eyes open, more often! And Svalbad is now on my 'must do' list. Some of the treks were undoubtedly much tougher than described, though, and not to untaken lightly. I'll definitely try some more Lonely Planet books.

[Cj Rey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the most compelling story but it really made me want to go back to Norway and do some walking around in the most stunningly beautiful place I've ever been. Not the crazy hard and painful hikes described in this book, though. I just want to soak in the beauty of the outdoors all day and then relax with a nice meal, a hot bath and a good book.

[Mara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informative and uplifting tale highlighting the beauty and culture of Norway.

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

That is to say, 'read' to somewhere in the middle, and then I had to return it to the library because it was too postcard perfect and romantic blech.

[Skye · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting little read.