Astrid and Veronika (Paperback)

by Linda Olsson (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
In Swedish novelist Olsson's somber debut, Veronika Bergman returns to Sweden after a childhood following her diplomat father around the world (her mother abandoned the family), and after publishing her first novel titled Single, One Way, No Luggage. She rents a small house in a rural town to work on her second, but in solitude finds herself seized by feverish dreams and paralyzed by the "stillness" of the landscape and the memories of her recently dead fiancé. Reclusive septuagenarian Astrid Mattson, thought by the village to be a witch, takes an interest in Veronika, and the two strike up a friendship based on loss. Against the backdrop of the changing seasons and their small, plangent houses, the two women slowly tell each other their most closely guarded secrets (which concern their mothers and lovers), and venture, tentatively, out of the safety of their routines. Olsson has a clear feel for the emotional wellsprings of both characters, but can't convert her terse lyricism into a fully realized story. (Mar.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Veronika, a 30-year-old Swedish writer, rents a home in a remote village to finish work on her second novel. Her only neighbor for miles is Astrid, a reclusive octogenarian who has earned a reputation (perhaps undeserved) as the village witch. Veronika and Astrid gradually become friends, taking long walks and sipping wine made from the wild strawberries in Astrid's garden. Each shares painful secrets along the way. Veronika abandoned a devoted boyfriend to take up with a bartender from New Zealand. They fell passionately in love, then tragedy befell him, leaving Veronika incapacitated by grief. Astrid endured sexual abuse from her father and a long loveless marriage to a man chosen by him. Until now, she has never told anyone the truth about her infant daughter's death. This is the first novel for Olsson, a native of Stockholm who now lives in New Zealand. Though the pace of her narrative lags at times, readers of Anne Tyler and Jodi Picoult will appreciate the lyrical prose and expert rendering of the themes of heartbreak and loss. Allison Block
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (February 6, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0143038079
• ISBN-13: 978-0143038078
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #13,604 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #45 in	Books > Literature & Fiction > Women's Fiction > Friendship

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Some good things.., May 8, 2007

By	M. Nichols (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Astrid and Veronika meet as neighbors in a small Swedish village. Astrid is a hermit (the "town witch") and Veronika is a writer attempting to finish a novel. As their friendship deepens, the women find that they are each others' inspirations. Both are recovering from tragedies that have touched their lives, and the guilt that accompanies them. Much of the novel involves flashbacks as one character tells the other her secrets.

The book has its charms -- the prose is often lyrical, it moves quickly, and there is some nice location detail in Sweden, Japan, and New Zealand. Unfortunately, though, the plot is fairly obvious and the characterization is flat. At one point Astrid says to Veronika: "You pulled me out into the bright light again, opened my eyes. Made the ice thaw." The author doesn't do enough to plumb the relationship between these two. Most of these declarations don't feel earned. Astrid's character is similarly hard to understand. There is a lot of feminist subtext to her life, but a lot of it doesn't make complete sense.

In addition, the language veers into odd cliches. At one point, Astrid says: "My grandfather looked at me and it was as if we were the only two people in the whole world." Moments like that (there are several) drag the otherwise smooth narrative into soap opera territory.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Captivating story, September 13, 2007

By	Constant Reader (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews

This is a remarkable story of two women who meet under ordinary but perhaps unexpected circumstances. Astrid is practically a recluse who has lived almost her entire life under one roof. Veronika has traveled the world but at the time of their meeting she has retreated from her previous life and rented a secluded home in the countryside of Sweden that is within the view from Astrid's window. The two women have not led similar lives, they are not from similar backgrounds nor are they close in age. Each of them has separate reasons for distancing themselves from people and the world surrounding them. The contact between them begins reluctantly and continues very tentatively. With a very delicate touch and a precise focus, Olsson gradually removes veils of grief and allows the reader to watch a friendship grow between Astrid and Veronika as they share a brief time in the present and gradually share their pasts with each other. This is a very small story, set in a very small time and space, but it is totally captivating. While it is possible to read this novel as a story of one friendship, it also is a story of the power of human interaction to transform lives. Astrid and Veronika spend a relatively short time together, but as they find common ground they rediscover their essential humanity that enables each of them to better connect with their pasts and the world around them. Whether you view the essential common denominator as pain, as endurance or as love may be related to your personal view of the world. The novel is well written with an excellent sense of both characters and setting.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars As beautiful as its cover!, June 10, 2007

By	Lola. M - See all my reviews

This is the story of an unlikely friendship that develops between two women of dissimilar social backgrounds - Astrid, an 80-something recluse, who has never ventured out of her home town in Sweden, and Veronika, 31, who has traveled the world with her diplomat father and makes a living as a writer. When Veronika settles down in Sweden and buys a house opposite Astrid, they get to know each other as neighbours, and over time an intimate friendship develops.

Despite its shortness (250 pages), this is not one of those books that you can gulp down in one sitting. Instead, it is written in a manner that demands measured reading, frequent pauses and time for reflection. Each sentence is crafted with much attention to detail, tempo and mood. You can see that Linda Olsson is a great observer of people, with a fine eye for subtle nuances of body language.

My only criticism of the book is that it feels a bit disjointed at times. The story jumps from present to past as the main characters recount their lives. Just as you become fully engrossed in the plot of the past, however, you are jerked back into the present. Usually, I enjoy books with different layers of narrative, but in this instance - and to the credit of the author's beautiful writing - you become so emotionally invested in the story, you want it to continue on the same time scale. In short, I wish I had the chance to get to know the characters more fully - not just the major defining moments of their past, but also 'the in between'.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed this book for its fluid, beautiful writing and believable characters. ASTRID AND VERONIKA is an unusual tale of love and loss, friendship and healing that will stay with you for a long time.

I look forward to future works by this author.