Since we enjoyed Backman's book, A Man Named Ove (oo' vuh), we thought we'd read another of his books. This one, however, is very different.
Elsa is an "almost-8-year-old" whose "granny" tells her fairy tales.
These fairy tales involve various characters, eg, "Wolfheart," the wolf boy. And "wurses" which are basically dogs, or at least one dog in Elsa's life.
L read the book mainly through audio-book; and therefore, she didn't catch the spelling of the different "kingdoms" of the fairy tales. I was listening *and* reading, thus, I saw that the spellings of the kingdoms made sense. Eg, Miaudacas - means I dare (the word audacious is sort of embedded), and Mibatalos - means I fight (the word battle is buried in the word). Sound confusing? Yes, it is.
As much as it took to get into this book - the fantasy of fairy tales and what it was all supposed to mean, Backman (author) has a way of spinning tales, and can be quite comical, as well as developing characters that are endearing. (And not just because Elsa ADORES Harry Potter books!!)
This book is not for everyone. Do we recommend it? Mmmm, yes sort of...if you're willing to roll with the fairy tales that interperse with Else's real life.
In the big picture, L and I think that granny was trying to distract her grandchild (Elsa) from a life that was tough. Elsa is smarter than the average kid, and gets picked on, and her parents divorce, and she is bounced between households, and feels a bit unimportant to both her parents, unfortunately. Add some stepparents and a new baby and you get the picture. Granny was trying to help Elsa see that we all have hard times -- we all mourn, we all persevere, we all have fights, we all get past those fights. At least, that's what we took from it.
Most of all, we enjoyed Blackman's writing. And once again, it took at least halfway through the book to see the word "kronor" (money in Sweden) and to know that the world in which Else and Granny and her Mum and everyone else are living is in Sweden (sigh). Are all Backman's books in Sweden? I don't think we'll continue reading more of his books, at least not for a while.
A cool quote from the book: Nietzsche: Don't hate the one who hates, for you risk become like them.
Another cool quote: "People have to tell their stories, Elsa. Or they suffocate."
And a third (last) quote: "Elsa decides that even if people she likes have been shits on earlier occasions, she has to learn to carry on liking them. You'd quickly run out of people if you had to disqualify all those who at some point have been shits." (Yep, I concur!!!!!!!!!)
Okay I lied. Here's one more quote: "We want to be loved. Failing that, admired. Failing that, feared. Failing that, hated and despised. At all costs we want to stir up some sort of feeling in others. The soul abhors a vacuum. At all costs it longs for contact." (This makes me sad...)
Characters: Mum & George, Dad & Lisette, "lady with the black skirt," Alf & Taxi, Maud (cookies) & Lennert (coffee), Britt-Marie and Kent. Sam, Wolfheart, "boy with the syndrome" (yes, that's all we hear him called), and "halfie" (Mum's pregnant and...oh, you just have to read it to understand)
Kingdoms: (warning: possible SPOILERS, if you haven't read the book yet, perhaps read this list later... "you" whoever might be reading this secret blog, lol). Miamas-I love. Miploris-I mourn. Mirevas-I dream (mir is "i see" in spanish). Miaudacas-I dare. Mimovas-I dance. Mibatalos-I fight. We can build Mipardonus on the site of Mibatalos.
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