The Memoirs of Stockholm Sven by Nathaniel Ian Miller
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
"The captivating story of one man who banishes himself to a solitary life in the Arctic Circle and is saved by good friends, a loyal dog, and a surprise visit that changes everything." --jacket copy
This fictional memoir takes place between 1916 and 1946, mostly on the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard. On my own I would not have picked up this book, but I had to read it for a project at work and I am extremely glad I did because it was a beautiful book. The writing is elegant and the frozen world of the Arctic is stunningly described. This is a story filled with the details of wilderness adventures (polar bears, mining accidents, murder, and a lot of animal carcasses come into it). Despite that, it is a quiet book with a lot of philosophy mixed in and a wonderful cast of characters.
"Fate is empty. Any Arctic explorer or common sailor can tell you this. So you must make the best choices you can, knowing they may lead you astray, but proceeding boldly lest your life become one long monotonous drift between death and your last interesting choice." (p. 170)
Sound sinteresting!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this with the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge