The Summer Book
The Summer Book by Tove Jansson, published by New York Review of Books on May 20, 2008, is a literary work presented in English with 184 pages. This book captures the essence of summer through twenty-two vignettes that explore the relationship between a six-year-old girl named Sophia and her grandmother, who is nearing the end of her life. Set on a small, unspoiled island in the Gulf of Finland, the narrative unfolds as they navigate the joys and challenges of their surroundings, reflecting on themes of life, death, and love.
Readers will find a rich tapestry of experiences as Sophia and her grandmother engage in activities that highlight their companionship and the beauty of nature. They explore the coastline and forest, build boats from bark, and delve into discussions that resonate across generations. The Summer Book offers insights into family life and the complexities of human relationships, all while immersing readers in the vivid sounds and sights of a summer spent in close connection with the natural world. Translated from Swedish by Thomas Teal, this edition invites readers to experience Jansson’s unique perspective on life and the seasons.
Official synopsis Publisher
Now a major motion picture starring Glenn Close and directed by Charlie McDowell
In The Summer Book Tove Jansson distills the essence of the summer—its sunlight and storms—into twenty-two crystalline vignettes. This brief novel tells the story of Sophia, a six-year-old girl awakening to existence, and Sophia’s grandmother, nearing the end of hers, as they spend the summer on a tiny unspoiled island in the Gulf of Finland. The grandmother is unsentimental and wise, if a little cranky; Sophia is impetuous and volatile, but she tends to her grandmother with the care of a new parent. Together they amble over coastline and forest in easy companionship, build boats from bark, create a miniature Venice, write a fanciful study of local bugs. They discuss things that matter to young and old alike: life, death, the nature of God and of love. “On an island,” thinks the grandmother, “everything is complete.” In The Summer Book, Jansson creates her own complete world, full of the varied joys and sorrows of life.
Tove Jansson, whose Moomintroll comic strip and books brought her international acclaim, lived for much of her life on an island like the one described in The Summer Book, and the work can be enjoyed as her closely observed journal of the sounds, sights, and feel of a summer spent in intimate contact with the natural world.
The Summer Book is translated from the Swedish by Thomas Teal.
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