When the Snow Fell

Joel Gustafsson #3

by Henning Mankell

Joel is growing up. He is getting interested in girls. Just look at his New Year’s 1 — to see a naked lady; 2 — to toughen himself up so that he can live to be a hundred; and 3 — to see the sea. They all look pretty impossible for a motherless boy in Northern Sweden. Especially as his sailor dad is keen to drown his sadness in drink, and all the local matrons are narrowly watching the pair of them.

And then he saves old Simon from a frozen death in the woods, and Joel becomes a local hero.

This is the third title in the popular series of children’s books from this master storyteller. The two previous ones are A Bridge to the Stars and Shadows in the Twilight .

Genres: Fiction, Young Adult, Sweden, Thriller, Ebooks, Relationships, Audiobook

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Henning Mankell was an internationally known Swedish crime writer, children's author and playwright. He was best known for his literary character Kurt Wallander.

Mankell split his time between Sweden and Mozambique. He was married to Eva Bergman, Swedish director and daughter of Ingmar Bergman.

Reviews

[Charlotte Burt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet little book
This is a fairly odd little book.  Joel Gusafsson is a 14-year-old boy whose mother packed a bag and left several years ago.  Joel and his father Samuel live a frugal existence in a small Swedish town in the late 1950s.    When I borrowed this e-audiobook from the library I didn't realise that it was the third one in a series, and I don't think it really mattered.  The plot is fairly pointless and meandering but overall I liked this book, but I am not sure why.

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joel Gustafson makes three important New Year's Resolutions in the cemetery at midnight: (1) he will toughen up and live to be 100, (2) he will see the sea, and (3) he will see a naked lady. Then he sets out to try to make them all come to fruition. Along the way, he introduces us to all the quirky people in his life in the 50's small-town Sweden: a woman without a nose; his father who drinks to excess; his enemy Otto; his friend who runs as fast as the wind, Greyhound; and the beautiful and desirable cashier, Sonja, at the grocery.

My husband and I listened to this audiobook during the six hours of driving we took on a trip last weekend, and the story held us both spellbound. We loved Joel, a boy just moving out of childhood and into adulthood, who was ever hopeful that Greyhound would teach him to kiss and that the mysterious Sonja would appear before him, covered only in transparent veils.

[Liselott · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like Henning Mankell's books, but until now I've only read his crime books about Kurt Wallander, the swedish superintendent at Ystad police force.
'When the snow fell' was at my local library's ' young adult section'. However, I wasn't disappointed. It's a beautifully written, a heartwarming book.
Joel, almost 14, lives in a remote village in north of Sweden where everyone knows everyone. He is his own mum he sais as Jenny his real mum ran away when he was a young child. Joel does all the shopping and cooking so it's ready when Samuel, his dad comes back from the forest. Samuel an ex sailor but now a lumberjack drinks to drown his sorrows and Joel has to pick up the pieces.
Joel's New Years resolutions starts when the first snow falls. This year he made 3 resolutions, at midnight, in the graveyard with the dead as witnesses.
His daily life revolves around his desire to implement his New Years resolutions, how to become tougher and more grown up while trying to deal with the frustrations from school, Samuel and fat old ladies gossiping in the local grocery store.
This book was originally written '96 when teenagers could easily relate to a teenage boy in the fifties.
Though I really liked it, I don't think its a big hit for today's teens.

[Hortensia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cada vez me enamora más el personaje central de esta historia, el ya no tan pequeño Joel, literalmente se me hace adulto delante de los ojos y me conmueve en el proceso. Casi me siento como una habitante del pueblito donde viven los Gustafsson siendo testigo de las venturas y desventuras de Joel y su padre.

Me queda por leer solo un libro más de esta serie y me temo que se me quedará en el corazón.

[Eileen Doyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nicely written coming of age story about a boy in Northern Sweden who has in many ways already grown-up, as he tries to understand the crazy adults who make up his world and his growing curiosity about sex. Definitely not an adventure story, unless your adventures involve lots of snow. Has a similar feel to My Life As A Dog.

[Roy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a magical book written from the perspective of a child. It is a companion piece to 2 books I haven't read yet. It is a young adult novel but is fascinating to all us older children, too.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love anything that Henning Mankell writes.

[mo_organeee · Rating 1 out of 5]

j'ai pas du tout accroché mais fallait bien le finir 1an et demi après :/

[Parisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

احساسات مثل درها بودند؛ جوئل اینرا می‌دانست . غصه اتاق خودش را داشت ، نا امیدی اتاق خودش را و شادی مال خودش را. زندگی مانند راهرو درازی بود. هر دری که پشت سر می گذاشتی، می توانست رازهایی داشته باشد و هر کسی اگر مایل بود می توانست آنرا انتخاب کند یا از آن گذر کند.بعضی از درها را می توانستی بزنی و وارد شوی و بعضی را نه، فقط می توانستی از آنها گذر کنی. اما درهایی هم بودند که ناخواسته برایت باز می شدند، حتی درهایی که به نظر می آمدند قفل اند و هرگز باز نمی شوند. آنها نیز می توانستند غیرمنتظره به رویت باز شوند.


پسری که روی تختی پر از برف خوابید … هنینگ مانکل … مهناز رعیتی ...۳۷




بزرگ شدن یعنی شگفت زده نشدن، بزرگ شدن یعنی فراموشی تدریجی چیزهایی که در کودکی تو را به شگفتی وا می داشت . او نمی خواست اینگونه بزرگ شود.


پسری که روی تختی پر از برف خوابید … هنینگ مانکل … مهناز رعیتی ...۲

[~Calyre~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

C'est souvent comme ça avec les adultes. Il faut apprendre à interpréter leurs phrases. L'important n'est pas toujours ce qu'on dit. Mais le moment où on choisit de le dire.

Otto n'a toujours pas compris pourquoi les hommes ont deux oreilles et une seule bouche : pour écouter plus et parler moins.

La vie est étrange. Pendant de longues périodes, il ne se passe rien, puis, soudain, tout arrive en même temps. Comme une avalanche.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Henning Mankell, the successful adult mystery writer, is trying his hand at the lucrative young adult market. While the writing in When Snow Fell is evocative and beautiful, it is hard to imagine young readers engaging with this book. Additionally, the setting is the 1950s in a small town in northern Sweden, not a sure-fire attention grabber. Thirteen-year-old Joel Gustafson celebrates his own personal New Year’s Eve when the first snowfall of winter comes with resolutions and all. As always, this year’s snowfall took him by surprise and he sets out to make his resolutions: to live to be a hundred years old which will require him to toughen himself up; to see the sea for the first time; and to see a lady naked. The rest of the book consists of Joel’s adventures in trying to fulfill his resolutions. The book is a mix of the melancholic and laugh-out-loud funny, especially Joel’s exploits to see the young shop assistant, Sonja Mattsson in transparent veils like Salome. Joel is his own mum and takes care of his father since Mummy Jenny left and his father is prone to go on drinking binges. This book might be appropriate for students who like good writing and quiet stories.

[Петър Панчев · Rating 5 out of 5]

Юел опознава любовта
Цялото ревю тук: http://knijenpetar.blogspot.com/2014/...
Юел Гюстафсон отново гори от желание да опознае неизвестното и да получи от живота онази тръпка, която всеки тийнейджър на тринайсет години е готов да изпита. Хенинг Манкел е успял да надгради историята си в третата книга от поредицата. Юел пораства със скоростта на мечтите си, поставяйки си високи цели, независимо от трудностите, които го следват неотклонно. Въпросите стават сложни, отговорите - истински прозрения. От тази книга надникват и моралните дилеми, съпътстващи всеки млад човек с течение на годините. От една страна Юел е морализатор, от друга - невинна душа, затворена в капана на порастването. Малкото момче търси силата, която да го изведе от детинските мечти, без да се налага да плати жестока цена. Един обикновен тийнейджър би се впуснал в безразсъдна гонитба, прескачайки всяко неудобство, препречило се на пътя му. Не и Юел. Тук Манкел е действал директно, вграждайки в героя си добродетел, непривична за малко момче - силата на ценностите. Юел се е обградил със стотици мечти, но не може да подмине с лека ръка пиянството на затъналия в отчаянието си баща.

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviewed by Kira M for TeensReadToo.com

On the first snowfall of the year, 14-year-old Joel always makes his New Year's resolutions.

This year he's made three: live to be 100, patch up his relationship with his father, and see a girl naked.

Life keeps getting in the way, however, of him reaching his goals. His father is a lumberjack who goes on drinking binges and seems unhappy with life. His mother abandoned them years ago. To add to his plate, he's trying to navigate girls, first kisses, bullies, and having a crush on an older woman.

Will Joel reach his resolutions amongst all his problems?

A slower-paced book, but the author does a good job of constructing its main characters. The plot is intriguing and will appeal to middle school boys, who will be able to relate to Joel's struggles. Readers who like realistic fiction and coming-of-age stories will enjoy reading WHEN THE SNOW FELL.

[Angela Schaffer · Rating 1 out of 5]

I chose to read this book because I had read several books from Mankell's Wallander series for a graduate course on Scandinavian Crime Fiction. I was interested to see what Mankell was now writing for young adults. Perhaps because I didn't read this in order of the series, or perhaps because the translation was extremely poor, I was not at all impressed with this novel. The plot was barely present. Further, a lot of the components of this novel fail to follow through. Shouldn't we learn more about Lars, for example? Finally, Sonja's little secret was not cool to me. That's a grown-ass woman and Joel is a little boy. That's not right; that's some weird sexual offender kind of stuff to me. Maybe it's because I'm a mother and a teacher, but that needed to be reported -- not kept as some cool coming-of-age secret. I was a dumb cat with this book; my curiosity was not beneficial and this book disappointed.

[Catherine Woodman]

The third in the trilogy about Joel, a 12 year old boy in rural 1950's Sweden (Mankell himself??). This continued to be an odd series from the start to the finish. Joel is not all that likable, nor is his father a model parent (by any means)--in this one he starts to proposition women, and seeing his father as competition. His father also lapses into drinking in this one, and you start to see why Joel has this pseudo-adult persona--he had to take it on. I liked this series over all but I would not recommend it for children. Too bleak.

[Alessandro Rizzolli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joel è un adolescente, ma per certi versi è già adulto.
Joel ha voglia di vedere il mondo, ma vive in un piccolo Paese nel nord della Svezia, dove c'è la neve, dove c'è un fiume, ma dove il mare non c'è.
Joel ha tante paure, ma è anche un ragazzino coraggioso.
Joel ha tante domande, ma giorno per giorno cerca di trovare le risposte.
Joel fa la spesa e prepara la cena, ma sogna di Paesi lontani.
A Joel piace stare da solo, ma a Joel fa piacere stare con la gente.
Joel è un bambino normale, ma è anche un bambino tanto speciale.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thirteen-year-old Jacob lives in small-town 1950s Sweden with his father, a sailor turned logger, in this coming-of-age tale. Jacob is forced to be his "own mother," as he puts it, responsible for the shopping, cooking, and cleaning, as his mother left several years ago. By the end of the story, Jacob has learned a bit about growing up, and a bit about how to still be a kid. Very well written, though the translator's choices seemed odd at some points.

[Linley]

I'm not sure why this book was written. The central character is all over the place, seemingly behaving in a random manner that I just couldn't follow. Was Mankell writing from his childhood experiences? The book only seemed real when Joel need to become a parent to his own father. I hope someone does enjoy it - don't be put off by this review, I read a lot and am rather fussy. The books I like have to have more depth.

[Hani · Rating 5 out of 5]

کتاب خیلی زیبا و روانی هست
محتوا و موضوع داستان خیلی قشنگ بود برای من

[Judy Mcdonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been reading a few books from Swedish authors. This is a young adult book, imaginative and dark with the central character seeming more innocent than I expect a thirteen year old to be. Like me he was born in 1945. I also read Italian Shoes by Henning Mankell, a story about an isolated retired doctor. Mankell gives a good sense of location and creates vivid characters.

[Michael Carlson · Rating 5 out of 5]

It fascinates me that two of Scandinavia's darkest crime writers (Jo Nesbo and Henning Mankell) also write books for children! I haven't read Nesbo's popular Dr. Fart Powder books (!) but I have enjoyed this series of novels from Henning Mankell about Joel Gustafson as nears and then reaches puberty.
They're excellent.

[Ahmad Javadzadeh · Rating 5 out of 5]

جوئل سیزده سالش تمام شده است. اجتماع کوچک شمال کشور که او در آن رشد میکند، برای او مثل لباسهایش تنگ شده است.
جوئل تجربه هیجان انگیزی را شروع کرده است مه انسانها آن را عشق مینامند.
اما مشکل اینجاست که دختر رویاهای او ده سال از خودش بزرگتر است. او برای غلبه بر تمام نگرانیهایش، تصمیم میگرد سلطان موسیقی راک اندرول شود
تا در تمام دنیا مشهور شود و این یعنی رسیدن به . . .

[Ellen Thielen · Rating 2 out of 5]

A departure from his usual detective series, this insight into the life of a 14 year old Swedish boy's life in the 1950s started out slow. After it gained momentum, and more characters, it redeemed itself some.

[Missy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reminds me of Brian Doyle's young male characters but in a Swedish setting. I enjoyed the writing, the characters and the trip to a different place and a different time. Some wonderful passages that I wanted to study and hang on to!

[Sara Carter · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't think I was the target audience for this book. Joel's quest to see a naked woman didn't really do a lot for me but his relationship with his father and friends felt authentic.

[Anezina · Rating 3 out of 5]

i enjoyed it big time......

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short coming of age novel about a Swedish boy in a small village during the 1950's. Funny and sad and enjoyable.

[Mariana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm enjoying this coming of age series of novels about a young boy growing up at the end of the 1950's in a small town in rural Sweden.

[Kieran · Rating 3 out of 5]

A kids book, very do goody. Troublesome child makes good. Hovwever, Mankell writes well enough.

[John Gall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another gem from the late Henning Mankell. I do love his writing, whether crime, or just about people and life, he hits the spot every time. One of my, possibly even most, favourite author.