Product Description

Considered a masterpiece since first published in 1907, this enchanting, remarkably original work by a Nobel Prize-winning author, records the adventures of a mischievous 14-year-old who is changed into a tiny being, transported across the Swedish countryside on the back of a goose, and learns about nature, geography and folklore.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #941280 in Books
• Published on: 1995-06-13
• Original language: Swedish
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 219 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780486286112
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Review
'Nil's travels give readers the opportunity to learn about Swedish towns, their inhabitants and traditions. This is one of Sweden's best-loved children's books.' -- Folk & Fairy Tales: A Book Guide, Booktrust, Winter 2004

Language Notes
Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Swedish

About the Author
Selma Lagerlof was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature.

Customer Reviews

A classic stumbled upon accidentally.
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!)

The Wonderful Adventures of Nils
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.

A fairy tale that is not what it seems to be.
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.