Customer Reviews

Wonderful Adventures of Nils

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Though this story easily deserves 5 stars, it suffers slightly due to the author's agenda (she was commissioned to write a geography book for children). Knowing this, it is easy to hurl criticism at those chapters that seem to exist solely for the purpose of education. Nonetheless, once this minor fault (and I am not really sure you can call it a fault) is recognized, the story of Nils is a fantastic one, seemingly not at all distant from native folklore and fairy tales, rich with an earthiness that simply doesn't exist in modern children literature. Of course, Lagerlof does more then simply make a modern day fairy-tale. There are passages here that are simply too delightful for description; one which comes to mind is a gathering of all the animals to celebrate the coming of spring--the image and significance crafted by the author are bound to stay with the reader for a life-time. I haven't read anything else by Lagerlof, and only found this book by accident at a local vendor. If I have any complaint it is that Dover does not offer the sequel to this work (at this writing anyway), though apparently another publisher offers it at a much higher price. I think anyone who enjoys folktales/folklore and whimsical animal fantasies (I.E. Wind in the Willows, the Moomin books, etc.) will find this book very rewarding and enjoy the opportunity to read an unknown classic (in Sweden, Nils actually appears on their money!)

My dad read me this book when I was just young in Swedish. He is from Sweden and wanted his children born in America to know the culture and history of his homeland. That is what this book is about. It's actually a story of the geography of Sweden from the south up to the north. Taken from the view of a young trouble maker,who shrunken, rides on the back of a wild goose you get to experience the adventure with him. A delightful, delightful book.

When you read this book if you read it by yourself or to your children it pulls you right in. The beautiful destriptions of the land gives you a geographic picture. The stories give you good examples and the whole book gives you something that you will never forget. This is a book you want to read over and over.

While the book itself is phenomenal, and there's not enough praise I can give it, the hardcover edition sold by Amazon (ISBN 978-0863151392) is an *abridged* edition of the book. The description does not state that explicitly, and its listed along other editions, some of them (based on the number of pages) are full ones.

So I'd wholeheartedly recommend buying this book -- just get a softcover edition instead, or look for an older hardcover one.

Nils is a typical troublemaker in a village in southern Sweden who pulls the tails of cats, throws rocks at geese etc. Then he finds a gnome and teases him as well, but the result is that he is shrunk to the size of a sparrow so all the creatures he was mean to can get their own. Too ashamed to show his new self to his family, he travels with the wild geese on their annual migration to Lapland.

What follows is a picaresque and description of the natural world of Sweden from the south to the north in terms of the environment, the animals and the life that they lead. The flock of geese is a matriarchy led by the experienced and assertive Akka. In his travels, Nils learns helplessness and helping others and has many adventures involving magic flutes, a castle with rats and an underwater city. He also learns respect and admiration for the animals and the natural world.

This is a children's story with some features rarely found in other books (such as the matriarchy and the focus on the natural without too much "magic" - although the animals do talk) which makes it memorable.

It's a wonderful, kind-hearted tale. I readed in Russian and am delighted to find it in English. Will pull children in as well Harry Potter did. In my opinion it's an even better book. It's kinder for one, and it celebrates nature.

This is a wonderful book--This edition has BEAUTIFUL illustrations. Nils has one harrowing adventure after another and he also changes from a selfish boy to one who treats animals and other people with care and concern. All this while also teaching the geography of Sweden--an added bonus. It does involve him being bewitched until he learns his lesson so if you have strong feelings about this sort of fantasy you wouldn't want it, but to those who are OK with fairy tale level fanstasy you should find it enchanting.

This is an amazing book that gives so much information on the environmental features of Sweden that adults as well as children will be fascinated by the tale.

I read this book in my childhood. One of my favorite books. I recommended this one for many my friends and they all agreed. As I remember, the author received a Nobel prize.

An exciting tale from a Swedish author written in 1907. A boy shrinks and rides the farm gander as they journey with a flock of wild geese on their yearly migration. Great geography of Scandinavia. The many adventures of a boy who learned how to be kind and aide those in need.
This book came to my attention from the photographer Frans Lanting in his introduction to his collection of animal images in "Eye to Eye". He read The Wonderful Adventures of Nils during his youth in Holland and stated how this particular children's book made a deep impression "of becoming an advocate for animal needs". I use this book in my reading tutoring program. Great story.