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As yet the only woman winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature is the Swedish author of this book. ... Read more

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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. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Absolutey Frickin' Amazing
This is the book of my childhood. I fully intend to reread it soon. I love it.

It is a great book!
"The Wonderful Adventures of Nils..." - is one of the best book written for children. I've red it when I was small, and now I am reading it to my children. I highly recommend this book. Selma Lagerlof got the Nobel Prize in Literatire in 1909. I wish Disney will make cartoon based on this book.

A lovely gift to new parents
My grandmother gave me this book when I had my first child.It's the loveliest, funniest, most imaginative story, and I've already begun to relate it to my son.It simultaneously frustrates and delights me that this story exists.Frustrates because I wish, so badly, that this quality of entertainment was made readily available to children nowadays, instead of the frenetic, crass garbage in the theaters.But, I'm delighted that this book is still in print and translated for the whole world of children to read.

There is a company called Three Sisters who make a mobile for babies that is based on the legend of Nils.I purchased the mobile and this book for a friend who just had a little boy.

Nils Holgerson vs Harry Potter 10:1
The most charming children book after Hans Andersen stories but much more informative and down to earth.
Its charm crosses age barriers anyway and I read it with great pleasure in my 20-ties, 30-ties 40-ties and so on and on.
True, it is very Swedish in its substance but at the same time conveys an universal message of love of someones coutry, respect to traditions and history, contact with nature, understanding of animals.
The story told with a magical power, even greatest sceptics may have a flight with wild goose.

Truly a classic, should be mandatory reading for children
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. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (5)

Sorry to say so, but...
I was disappointed by "Gosta Berling."I have been a fan of Selma Lagerlof ever since I picked up an old, battered copy of the "Ring of the Lowenskjolds" ten years ago at a used book sale.For quite a few years, she was out of print and very difficult to find.I picked up a used copy of "Nils Holgersson" - a Portuguese translation, of all things - about six years ago and I enjoyed it thoroughly as well.But all along, I wanted a copy of the Holy Grail of Lagerlof books, "Gosta Berling."As soon as I noticed this reprint series available through Amazon two years ago I ordered a copy.

I'm sorry to say that I really think that the "Ring" and "Nils" are much better books.I suppose that this is heresy for a Lagerlof lover to say, but when I read "Berling" I felt that I was reading the same story over and over again every thirty pages or so.Particularly the women in the story all seemed the same - all of them young, lovely, graceful, all of them wronged (usually by Gosta), and only distiguishable by whether they were blondes or brunettes.I had trouble telling them apart, a problem that I did not have with the "Ring."It seems a strange comment to have to make about a book written by a woman.

So why four stars?Well, after all, even bad Selma Lagerlof is a whole lot better than the best of most other writers.Just let me add in conclusion that if you like "Berling", you really should read "Ring of the Lowenskjolds" too.

Great!
This book can be mystified and confusing if you end in the first chapter. But if you go on, it's full of symbolistics and imagination is needed. It's a great book, from the way the author wrote and how it is delivered. Don't be tempted to end reading it in the first chapter, because everything will be clear in the end.

Wild Wave of Adventure
Saga is acclaimed by many as her finest work; it is certainly her most popular. Lagerlöf drew on stories of legendary figures in her rural province in south-central Sweden to weave this epic tapestry of passions, her first major published work.

The story revolves around the character of Gösta Berling, who begins the book in despair after drunkenness costs him his post as a country pastor. Through the apparent generosity of the Lady of Ekeby, he falls in with twelve aging "cavaliers" who live in a separate wing of her manor house. In a turn of events that bears the devil's stamp, the Lady is turned away from Ekeby, giving Gösta Berling and the cavaliers full run of the estate and its mines, provided they remain true to their code to do nothing that is "sensible or useful." Let it be said that they succeed in this resolve; whether the community benefits from their mischief is a matter of serious debate.

Lagerlöf's masterpiece can be enjoyed on many levels. The setting provides a fresh departure from contemporary life, illustrating a simple country existence. Lagerlöf's treatment of characters ranging from peasantry to nobility satisfies the reader's moral sense, as sympathy is extended toward the dispossessed, a harsh light shone on selfish or calloused souls, and a gentle wit bent on those exhibiting minor follies. The cavaliers provide charming foils to the melodrama of Gösta's love interests; to this is added a profoundly supernatural element. The symbolism recalls the power of pagan rites, as well as the consciously Christian theme of forgiveness, while the premise of the saga recalls the Faust legend. Gösta Berling's Saga deserves renewed attention from students and lovers of literature.

Passionate Brillance
This is not the type of book I would usually read. I'm not into romantics, I generally read "geeky" stuff like science fiction, popular science, and your basic information-filled things. But I do step out of my"usual" every once in awhile and read some popular fiction, orsome classic lit. A friend once read a chapter of this book to me, saying:"it's like sitting at a table listening to an old woman tell astory." ..and it *is*. This has become my *favorite* book. The authortranslates the absolute passion of youthful love and tragic pain with apure and beautiful intensity. Within the first few chapters it becomes easyto see why she won an award.

--Gypsy.

A truly romantic story of a time when Gentlemen roamed earth
Gosta Berlings story is set in Sweden, but could have taken place anywhere in the world. It is a historical piece, mostly about an endangered spieces: the gentleman who can love and suffer love. You will enjoy it tremendously. ... Read more

Book Description
When I was five years old I had such a great sorrow! I hardly know if I have had a greater since then.It was then that my grandmother died. Up to that time, she used to sit every day on the corner sofa in her room, and tell stories.I remember grandmother told story after story from morning till night, and we children sat beside her, quite still, and listened. It was a glorious life! No other children had such happy times as we did. . . . ... Read more

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Now I must tell you, Grim, my dog," said Torarin, "that I have heard great news today. They told me both at Kungshall and at Kareby that the sea was frozen. Fair, calm weather it has been this long while, as you well know, who have been out in it every day; and they say the sea is frozen fast not only in the creeks and sounds, but far out over the Cattegat. There is no fairway now for ship or boat among the islands, nothing but firm, hard ice, so that a man may drive with horse and sledge as far as Marstrand and Paternoster Skerries.Download Description
The Treasure is an opposite fairy tale, presenting Prince Charming as he really is: an orphan girl is cleaning fish and foreseeing her life of poverty; a man well-dressed in seductive splendor woos her and offers her ... forever after. There is only one catch: she must betray her sister.Although Selma Lagerlof won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1909, her name is known in this country - if at all - as author of a children's book only. All her other works, including novels and feminist essays, have been unavailable in English for almost fifty years. ... Read more

Product Description
Translated by Velma Swanston HowardDownload Description
And over and around all these cliffs and rocks crawl entangled tendrils and weeds. Trees grow there also, but the wind's power is so great that trees have to transform themselves into clinging vines, that they may get a firm hold on the steep precipices. The oaks creep along on the ground, while their foliage hangs over them like a low ceiling; and long-limbed beeches stand in the ravines like great leaf-tents. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

A Wonderful Journey
A great success both with grown-ups of Swedish descendence and their grandchildren (hard for a Dane to admit).A Swedish "Paradise Lost".

Exciting and good message
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.

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

A fairy tale and a description of Sweden in 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. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Moving and profound.
I have nothing more to add.I don't want to live in a world in which this book goes out of print. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A Teenager's Fairy Tale
This is the first book I have read by the Nobel Prize-winning author, Selma Lagerlof.I found the book to be very easy and enjoyable reading and I look forward to reading more by this author.The problem for me with "The Lowenskold Ring" (a/k/a "The General's Ring") is that it was too brief.The author was able to mix some of the folk culture of rural Sweden of roughly 150 years ago with some morality lessons.The morality lessons tended to deal with greed, pride, and loyalty and they were well enough presented.However, I had the feeling that author squandered an opportunity to say more.Like a journey in which the main character encounters many different types of people, "Lowenskold's Ring" could have been a vehicle to give us several more personalities and issues to confront.

I also felt that the language of the author was written for either a younger or less enlightened audience.I can see where the author would do well with children's stories.However, I will end by saying that the book served as an enjoyable activity for the hour or so that it took to read.

Simple and interesting
A Swedish fairy with layers of creativity.A simple and interesting middle-age fantasy story about a ring that inflicts evil upon it's holder until it is restored to it's proper owner.A closer look reveals deeper questions about loyalty, appearances, and morality.

Selma Lagerlof's elegant simplicity
Not many people read Selma Lagerlof any more, which is a pity - she won the Nobel Prize, after all.And if you read the "Ring" you'll understand why.Most of her books are aimed at least ostensibly atchildren; the "Ring" is one of her "adult" books, butlike the children's books it has the same artless simplicity and uninvolvedcharacter of a fairy tale about it.The story at least initially is a sortof picaresque tale built around an old general's ring, but the center ofattention keeps shifting as you read on. One episode effortlessly developsinto another, and fifty pages later you realize how it all holds together,but it is so simple and delightful that you don't notice how far afield thestory has taken you.A real gem. ... Read more

Book Description
Selma Lagerlöf (1858-1940) is one of Sweden's best-loved storytellers.In 1909, she became the first woman - and the first Swede - to win the Nobel Prize for Literature.Her writings are among the treasures of world literature.Her subtle wit and wisdom sparkle with a romantic, legendary cast of characters.

"Why should love only be healed by love?" from "The Ball at Ekeby."

She neither loved nor hated…she understood them all.He that understands does not hate.Love is strong when it has gone through the fire of pain from "The Auction of Bjorne."

This new book includes selections from Lagerlöf's literary works representative of her keen observations, both the profound and the witty. ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from Scandinavian Studies, published by Society for the Advancement of Scandinavian Study on December 22, 1999. The length of the article is 638 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Selma Lagerlof i utlandsperspektiv/Selma Lagerlof Seen from Abroad. Ett symposium i Vitterhetsakademien den II och 12 september 1997.(Review) (book reviews)
Author: Paul Norlen
Publication: Scandinavian Studies (Refereed)
Date: December 22, 1999
Publisher: Society for the Advancement of Scandinavian Study
Volume: 71Issue: 4Page: 495

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Selma Lagerlof's Diary
Please all I need is one copy of her diary, we are distant relatives of hers, PLEASE, PLEASE just one copy??? We will take new or used.

Can't believe it's not in store!
It's great to read about such an interesting person.

Diarie of Selma Lagerlof
This book is so great, Why is it out of print Are you crazy!It's about her youth, and how she spend it. I really want to know, if she really fals in love with that student. Please publishers reprint this book.

VERY ENTERTAINING BOOK
I AM A VERY DISTANT COUSIN OF HERS ON MY FATHERS SID ... Read more

Book Description
The Miracles of Antichrist was written following a trip to Sicily. While there, Selma Lagerlof heard and was inspired by a Sicilian legend: "When Antichrist comes, he shall seem as Christ. There shall be great want, and Antichrist shall go from land to land and give bread to the poor. And he shall find many followers."

Lagerlof was the first woman and the first Swedish author to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, in 1909. She was considered one of Sweden's most beloved authors; the Swedish Academy declared that their recognition of her was "for reason of the noble idealism, the wealth of imagination, the soulful quality of style, which characterize her works."Download Description
And when there was a pause in the music the handsome advocate Favara, who had been dressed in a black velvet coat and a big broad-brimmed hat and a bright red necktie, had gone up to Don Ferrante, and had pointed out over the open side of the square, where Etna and the sea lay. "Don Ferrante," he had said, "you lift us toward the skies, just as Etna does, and you carry us away into the eternal, like the infinite sea." ... Read more

Book Description
A beautiful novela and some of Lagerlf's best tales, many with a Gothic edge. The memorable story, Legend of the Christmas Rose, shows her sympathy with the dispossessed. ... Read more

Product Description
Translated from the Swedish by Velma Swanston Howard. ... Read more