Customer Reviews

Rasmus and the Vagabond

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I must have read this book 100 times as a kid. I remember checking it out from my school library so many times that the librarian told me I should go out and buy a copy to have forever. I wish I would have taken her advice as it is now out of print. I recently found a copy at our public library and had the pleasure to read it aloud to my 7 and 9 year old boys. It was great to see them enjoy this tale as much as I had. I would read two chapters a night and every night it was the same old thing... "Just one more chapter Dad???" Reading about Rasmus and Oscar again after all of these years was like meeting up with old, long-lost friends.

Astrid Lindgren's book "Rasmus and the Vagabond is one of the strongest literary memories of my childhood. My family had a copy on our shelves for years until recently and I have been seeking a copy everywhere. Not just for nostalgia's sake, but out of a love for the writing. Rasmus is an orphan living a state home with a somewhat tyrrannical staff. He is made to pick nettles for the orphanage's chickens one day and finds a silver coin. This is a portentious event for Rasmus as he strikes out from the orphanage after resigning himself to never being taken in as an adoptee. On the road he finds himself lonely and sleeping in a hayloft with unknown companionship. The "Vagabond," discovers rasmus and treats him to a share of his breakfast and then a share of the wandering life of a vagabond as they run into adventure after adventure. Their discovery that they share a common stigma for run of the mill people for noone likes a hobo or an orphan. Out of this coincidence, grows a strong bond that ends in a scene of home that both wanderers not only need, but dream of. This is a book well written and exciting to the last with the elements of surprise, suspense, and comedy to capture the minds and spirits of adults and children alike

I read this book several times when I was young. It brings together 2 people who society has forgotten. They both turn out to be great human beings. This book has adventure suspense and a great ending.

One of Astrid Lindgren's best books, deserves to be better known and more widely circulated. The characters are realistic, and the story carries them through difficult times into an ending that is satisfying as it is surprising. Bravo!

Rasmus is a likeable boy stuck in an orphanage because the prospective parents that come always pick the curly haired girls. He runs away and meets a vagabond named Oscar, and then the adventures begin. This book has it all - warmth, humour, danger, excitement, wonderful characters, and an ending that is deeply satisfying. I loved this book as a child and have bought several since as presents for other children. A hardcover edition holds a place of honor on my bookshelf. If you have a heart, you will love this book.

This is one of the best books I have ever read. Its like a kid running off and joining the circus. Like going to the animal shelter and always seeeing the puppys or kittens getting to go home. This will take you back to simpler times, that I miss. I felt this is a great book for any kid to read. I read this at least 20-30 times and still am reading it! A+ A+ A+

This delightful book was one of my favorites as a child, read again and again. I used to wish I were an orphan so I could run away from the orphanage and have Rasmus' adventures! As an adult I bought myself a copy and have read and enjoyed it again. I always found this book and Mischievous Meg much more enjoyable than the Pippi books, which are so popular. To the reader who is looking for a copy: try ebay!

I am tempted to call this Astrid Lindgren's best, but it is probably a matter of personal taste, since her other books are also unsurpassinglyly delightful. Anyway, it is my favorite,though "Ronia the Robber's Daughter" is a close second. I found this in the library and was as enthralled by it as my children were, surprising myself by tearing up at its perfect, heartwarming ending. The hobo "Paradise Oscar - God's Best Friend" is a charming, colorful, and unforgettable character. He befriends Rasmus, a wistful and plucky little boy who has run away from the orphange to escape a beating. The two proceed to have exciting adventures that will keep any young child begging for "one more chapter please!" A perfect book like this should never go out of print, and I was delighted to note that this little-known treasure has been brought back.

My wife ordered this book for my grandson. It was one that she had read as a child and wanted to share the experience with him.