The Wonderful Adventures Of Nils And The Further Adventures Of Nils Holgersson [Paperback]

Selma Lagerlof (Author), Joan Liffring-Zug Bourret (Editor), Melinda Bradman (Editor), and Dorothy Crum (Editor)

Book Description

Unabridged two books in one. Lagerlof's famous tales of a young boy who, while flying on the back of a wild goose, learns important lessons about protecting the earth and living creatures. A classic.

Editorial Reviews

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

"If you have learned anything at all from us, Thumbietot, you no longer think that the humans should have the whole earth to themselves," said the wild goose, solemnly. "Remember you have a large country and you can easily afford to leave a few bare rocks, a few shallow lakes and swamps, a few desolate cliffs and remote forests to us poor, dumb creatures, where we can be allowed to live in peace. All my days I have been hounded and hunted. It would be a comfort to know that there is a refuge somewhere for one like me."

"Indeed, I should be glad to help if I could," said the boy, "but it's not likely that I shall ever again have influence among human beings."

Product Details

• Paperback: 408 pages
• Publisher: Penfield Press (June 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1572160365
• ISBN-13: 978-1572160361
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #629,427 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Wonderful Adventures of Nils, November 1, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Wonderful Adventures Of Nils And The Further Adventures Of Nils Holgersson (Paperback)

Selma Lagerlöf is best known in America and worldwide for her masterpiece children's' stories: The Wonderful Adventures of Nils and The Further Adventures of Nils. Originally commissioned by the Swedish National Teachers' Society to teach introductory geography to young Swedish schoolchildren, these adventures, first published in 1906-1907, take flight when Nils, a Swedish imp, is magically reduced to elfin size, gets astride a gander who joins a flock of wild geese that fly a route covering the significant geographical and historical sites of all of Sweden. Along the way, they encounter the consequential elements of survival, both socially and environmentally: predator and victim, friend and foe, the land and its users. Told in a series of narratives, these adventures demonstrate this Nobel-prize-winning author's skill at defining the sublime in simple, everyday existence.

Much of Selma Lagerlöf's work is rooted in her childhood experiences at the ancestral home, "Mårbacka." In her Memories of Mårbacka, she recounts the flight of one of Mårbacka's ganders who joins a flock of wild geese and returns during the next seasonal migration, proudly bringing new family and friends to share the domestic trough, only to come to a horrific end at the hands of the wicked housekeeper. The emergence of these childhood impressions coupled with adult wisdom suggests the appeal of the adventures of Nils to both children and adults. Life at Mårbacka might be noted as a modest-genteelness, holding casual acquaintance with the nobility and some deference from the peasantry. Family and household staff were a source of entertainment and amusement; the imaginative enchantment of storytelling was a main diversion.

Of the many concerns in these adventures still appropriate today is that of the environment expressed by the wild goose: "If you have learned anything at all from us, Thumbietot, you no longer think that the humans should have the whole earth to themselves," . . . "Remember you have a large country and you can easily afford to leave a few bare rocks, a few shallow lakes and swamps, a few desolate cliffs and remote forests to us poor, dumb creatures, where we can be allowed to live in peace."

This combined edition, from 1917 translations of the two adventures, is sixth in a series of reprints from Penfield Press of the works of Selma Lagerlöf. Others include: Invisible Links, Girl from the Marsh Croft, Memories of Mårbacks, Scandinavian Kings and Queens, and Gösta Berling's Saga. Forthcoming is Words of Love and Wisdom by Selma Lagerlöf, a book of selected excerpts from her major works.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding bridge between folklore and modern children lit, July 17, 2000

By 

C. Moon (Valley Village, CA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Wonderful Adventures Of Nils And The Further Adventures Of Nils Holgersson (Paperback)

I just finished the second volume of the Adventures of Nils this morning and feel it is worth a second review having digested the entire work. There are many levels at which this book is amazing, though it should not be thought of as being without faults (I have given it a 4/5 with good cause.) Nils is many things--at times it seems little more than an excuse for collecting various folklore, anecdotes, traditions and geography (some of which is fascinating, some of which is frustrating) while at other times Lagerlof displays a tremendous ability at story telling that can not help but compell even the least emotional of readers. Who, for instance, would not want to be able to communicate with animals or experience their adventures? But this is just where the second volume of the work becomes even more effective than the first as Nils tries to decide which world he wants to live in. Akka (the goose leader) even asks that the boy not forget to leave some quiet and undisturbed places for animals to live in peace, should Nils become a human being again (how's that for ecological relevancy?)

Nils is highly moralistic piece grounded in a more down to earth sensibility than we are accustomed to today, however I doubt anyone will find themselves unable to see the values and sentiments expressed here, for these are universal: Along Nils travels he learns about loyalty, benevolence, the value of friends, and perhaps more importantly the difficulty of having to part with friends.

In addition, as if some testiment to the author's emotional commitment to the story, she herself appears in the last chapters of the book and ties it in to her own love of the old country and her parents, now gone. While the faults in this book are very obvious, they are also superficial and they do not (nor could they) mar the great investment by the author in this truly skillful piece of children's literature.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Truly a classic, should be mandatory reading for children, January 23, 2002

By 

Minh Chau - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Wonderful Adventures Of Nils And The Further Adventures Of Nils Holgersson (Paperback)

I first stumbled accross this book many years ago, when i was 10. At that time, the book seem extremely thick and it was in Vietnamese, even though i read a lot, this book was so special to me, that i never forget the story. It is a very simple plot, but with amazing skill, the author made it a wonderful book to read, while some of the concept are very basic, it also promote peace, among all living things, not just human, promote awareness of the nature that surrounded us, and it will no doubt help many young boy to grow mentally, make them more mature and more understanding to other. Now, at age 20, 10 years after reading this book, i finally found the book again, in an English version, this book surely will help to cheer anyone up through a rainy day (perfect time to sit and read this book). Buy it for yourself, or your kid, they will love it.