Astrid Lindgren

[Wolfgang]

It's interesting to see that although she was mentioned many times, there's no topic dedicated to her and her books (or I missed it).

Why I start this thread in the first place, the French-German station airs a ballett version of "Pippi Longstocking" tonight, but it's already available on the mediathek.

[Chrissie777]

The only Lindgren books that I really enjoyed were "Saltkrokan" and especially her "Kalle Blomquist" books which are rather blytonesque.
"Pippi Longstocking" was too surreal for me.

[Anita Bensoussane]

I borrowed the Pippi Longstocking books from the library as a child. They were fun to read but I didn't go on to buy them. It used to fascinate me that Pippi's plaits stuck out sideways instead of hanging down.

[Chrissie777]

It's interesting to see that although she was mentioned many times, there's no topic dedicated to her and her books (or I missed it).

Which Lindgren books did you like when you were a child?

[Chrissie777]

It used to fascinate me that Pippi's plaits stuck out sideways instead of hanging down.

She could lift up a horse.

[Anita Bensoussane]

True, but I was more intrigued by her plaits! I liked the monkey too.

[Wolfgang]

It's interesting to see that although she was mentioned many times, there's no topic dedicated to her and her books (or I missed it).

Which Lindgren books did you like when you were a child?

Actually I didn't read that much. I loved the "Pippi Longstocking" films, but I was disappointed by the books. I think I liked the "Saltkrokan" (Seacrow Island) films as well, but never read the books. I don't think I liked the Emil of Lönneberga films, so I didn't read the books. I read and watched "Ronia, the Robber's Daughter", but I wasn't too impressed by "Karlsson on the roof". I think I both read and watched "The Brothers Lionheart". I wasn't too impressed watching "The Six Bullerby Children"; I think I watched them occasionally. I can't remeber ever watching "Kalle Blomkvist".

[Chrissie777]

I can't remember ever watching "Kalle Blomkvist".

Wolfgang, the 3 old Swedish movies from 1947, 1953 and 1957 were aired on ZDF almost every year in the 1980's and 1990's. Fortunately I recorded them and later transfered them to DVD, because only the 2nd and 3rd film are now available on commercial German DVD's.

https://www.amazon.de/dp/B079BF87FW/ref ... -7-catcorr" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Unfortunately they didn't release the first (and best) one from 1947.

https://www.fernsehserien.de/meisterdet ... -blomquist" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

https://www.fernsehserien.de/filme/kall ... efaehrlich" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

https://www.fernsehserien.de/filme/kall ... rster-fall" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Chrissie777]

Two or three years ago my friend from Duesseldorf sent me the war time journals of Astrid Lindgren and I was very impressed with them:

https://www.amazon.de/dp/3550081219/ref ... oks&sr=1-1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

What I didn't know: even though Sweden stayed neutral during WW II, the German army crossed their country via rail in order to get to the northern Scandinavian countries.
So once I had finished Lindgren's war time journal, I wanted to read autobiographies about Astrid Lindgren and there are 4 or 5 different ones.
I didn't care for the one written by Margareta Stroemstedt, but really enjoyed reading the two others written by Jens Andersen and Birgit Dankert. They also mentioned the movies based on her books.

[ShenValleyLewis]

I've been using Lindgren as bedtime reading for my (now 9 y.o.) daughter. We both enjoyed all the Pippi Longstocking books a good deal, as well as Ronja the Robber's Daughter. Rasmus and the Vagabond was enjoyable, but not on the same level, and the ending was rather strange and disappointing.

[Chrissie777]

When your daughter will be one or two years older, I can highly recommend to read the Bill Bergson trilogy of books (Kalle Blomquist he's actually called in the original Swedish books and in the German translation).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astrid_Lindgren" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

"Saltkrokan" is another lovely children's book and was filmed as a Swedish TV series.

[ShenValleyLewis]

When your daughter will be one or two years older, I can highly recommend to read the Bill Bergson trilogy of books.

Thank you! Unfortunately, it seems these have not been reissued in some time - old copies are fairly expensive. I've added the first book to my list of children's books to watch for, however.

[Machupicchu14]

I've been using Lindgren as bedtime reading for my (now 9 y.o.) daughter. We both enjoyed all the Pippi Longstocking books a good deal, as well as Ronja the Robber's Daughter. Rasmus and the Vagabond was enjoyable, but not on the same level, and the ending was rather strange and disappointing.

I remember growing up reading and watching the Pippi Longstocking books! Such fond memories of those!
It's so beautiful to know both your daughter and I enjoy Lindgren's stories!
I remember studying her for my Swedish literature class (although I had to concentrate on Tove Jansson - the writer of the Moomin series) and it was incredible delving deep into her story and the analysis of Pippi Longstocking
If I ever had children one day, after Enid Blyton, Lindgren would definitely be the writer whose books wouldn't be missing from my shelf.

[Chrissie777]

When your daughter will be one or two years older, I can highly recommend to read the Bill Bergson trilogy of books.

Thank you! Unfortunately, it seems these have not been reissued in some time - old copies are fairly expensive. I've added the first book to my list of children's books to watch for, however.

Maybe you'll find them in a second-hand bookstore one day. They are rather blytonesque.

[RDMorrell]

I was introduced to Pippi Longstocking by a teacher reading it to the class. I then borrowed it from the school library and was eventually given a Puffin paperback copy of my own. I didn't get the sequels, Pippi Goes Abroad and Pippi in the South Seas, until I was an adult. However, I think I may have borrowed them from the school library as a child.

One of the stand-out memories for me was Pippi's word for maths: "pluttification". (At least, that's how the translator rendered whatever the Swedish version of this word was.) I loved that word and still do. I also thought it was pretty cool (if a bit unrealistic) how she was able to live on her own as a child. Her friendship with Tommy and Annika was rather sweet. She brought out a more adventurous side in them, but they in turn maybe helped her be a bit better grounded.

I have only ever read the Pippi books by Astrid Lindgren. I haven't read any of her other works, although I think I have seen the odd other book by her available in bookshops.

Incidentally, a fascinating fact I learned about Lindgren a few years ago (courtesy of Journal 68 - might have been in an article by Wolfgang, actually!) is that she brought Enid Blyton to Sweden, and two of her sisters were involved in translating many of Blyton's books into Swedish. So that's a pretty cool connection that she has with Enid.