Reader discussion: The Wonderful Adventures of Nils

Public reader discussion about The Wonderful Adventures of Nils in the WeRead Catalog by Selma Lagerlöf.

Lesbians in History: Selma Lagerlöf (born 1858, died 1940)

By annotationDuck6

Selma Ottilia Lovisa Lagerlöf was a Swedish author and teacher, and she seems like she was breaking a lot of barriers. She got her first novel out, *Gösta Berling’s Saga*, when she was 33, and then she became the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature (1909). She also was the first woman to get into the Swedish Academy in 1914, which is wild. What I didn’t know before was how much Sophie Elkan mattered in her life—basically friends and writing partners for years, with them critiquing each other’s work. Lagerlöf even said Elkan really influenced her, but that they would sometimes clash hard about where Lagerlöf wanted her books to go. And I saw that Lagerlöf’s letters to Sophie were published much later, in 1993, which I found interesting but kind of unsure what to do with. Then there’s *The Wonderful Adventures of Nils* (she wrote it for kids at the request of the National Teacher’s Association in 1902). It’s one of her best-known books and it’s been translated into more than 30 languages, so I guess that checks out. Also, the Nobel win itself sounds complicated—the Swedish Academy apparently had some nasty internal fighting before they chose her. She won on 10 December 1909, and the quote about her “lofty idealism” and imagination is pretty intense. And then later she shows up on a 20-kronor banknote in 1991, and there are hotels named after her and her home Mårbacka is a museum.

What’s a children’s book from your childhood that you absolutely love?

By MintCougar

I really liked “Bedtime for Francis.”

To Read The Wonderful Adventures of Nils cheap kickass authors english windows without registering

By StillCamera4275

Steven Thorson—honestly, I’m not sure what to make of this part.

Fiction with no parts that are sad, nasty or upsetting?

By quietsong5

Dad just asked me something that I didn’t really expect to be so tricky. Mum has dementia and she’s also pretty visually impaired, so one of the only things she can still really enjoy is audiobooks. She listens through Alexa/Echo, and she especially likes stories she already knows from her childhood—things like *Anne of Green Gables* and *Black Beauty*. I think it’s partly that familiarity feels comforting, and partly that kids’ books don’t usually get too grim. But lately she can’t handle anything sad or nasty, or even just a bit upsetting. If something like that comes up, Dad ends up having to skip ahead or even skip whole chapters. So he’s asked me whether books like *Pollyanna*, *Heidi*, or *The Famous Five* are basically “safe” from that kind of stuff. I can’t really answer for sure—my memory of *Famous Five* is that there’s always a villain and some kind of danger/peril. For *Pollyanna* and *Heidi*, I’m not sure, but even the TV versions I remember had some kind of adversity the kids have to push through. I keep thinking that a totally adversity-free book would be kind of boring, and nobody would bother writing or reading it. But maybe there’s a niche for this kind of thing and I just don’t know about it. If anyone can suggest books that stay upbeat throughout, I’d really appreciate it—she’s listening most of the day. And I should say it’s not enough if it only ends happy. Even 95% being happy doesn’t really cut it for her. A friend mentioned *Enchanted April*, *Mapp and Lucia*, and *Diary of a Provincial Lady*, but I haven’t read any of them. Has anyone tried those, or can anyone tell me if they’re genuinely okay for this? Non-fiction might technically work, but she can’t really stick with it for long.

Fantasy books for a five year old?

By Sunny_Stamp2001

I’m trying to gently ease my five-year-old daughter into fantasy. I read to her every night, and I’d really like to pick something fantasy-ish for us to share. Does anyone have recommendations for fun fantasy books that are okay for a kid her age? Preferably ones with lots of pictures or really pretty art. A girl main character would be a bonus, but it’s not required. Thanks!

Rec me your favorite books NOT written by an American or British author

By grand-lamp40

I know this place is mostly Anglosphere, but it feels like US American and British writers take over a lot of the discussion here, and I’d really like to get some recs from elsewhere. I also just realized I haven’t been reading enough translated stuff lately. To kick things off: my favorite translated fantasy so far is **Blindness** by Jose Saramago. It’s kind of magical realism with a plague vibe—about a whole country where people suddenly go blind, except for one woman and a dog that sticks right by her. (Also, yeah, it comes with the usual trigger warnings.) I’m into sci-fi too, so if you’ve got translated sci-fi or fantasy, please throw it my way! *Edit: I’ve been told that a lot of the “British” authors I read are actually English, so I’m widening this to include Welsh and Scottish writers as well.*

Since we're on that nostalgia trip right now, let's not forget about this lil' fella and his goose.

By kindWinter3

Nils Holgersson fliegt einfach mit den Gänsen davon. Den Namen von seinem Vater weiß ich noch irgendwie: Holger Nilsson.

Let's talk about Fairy Tales and Fairy-Tale Inspired Fantasy

By StillCamera4275

I’ve been thinking about fairy-tale inspired stuff lately, and it feels like there are kind of two lanes for it. One is when the book pretty much leans on a specific fairy tale (or a couple of them). The other is more like “fairy tale vibe” where it’s not a direct retelling, but it *feels* like a fairy tale anyway. For the first type, it’s usually the familiar characters/plot, just moved around or told from a different angle. Sometimes it’s basically “here’s this story, but in a new situation,” and sometimes it’s more like adding extra layers to the world and people. It’s almost like fairy-tale fanfic, but with actual plot. And honestly, I really like the way mixing the familiar with something new pulls you in. Like you already know the shape of what you’re walking into, but then it’s changed enough that you still get fun surprises. Examples I’ve enjoyed: - **Cinder**: brings Cinderella + some other classics into a sci-fi setting. It doesn’t exactly feel like a fairy tale, but it’s still clearly rooted in them, which makes the changes fun to spot. - **Burning Roses**: looks at characters *after* their fairy tales, and builds a setting around that. The Little Red Riding Hood stuff in particular feels like it’s really digging into the character history rather than just retelling the events. - **Ember**: a more nasty, darker Cinderella. It’s super recognizable, but it’s also genuinely altered in a way that works. - **Heartless**: gives the Queen of Hearts angle some backstory, and it makes me wonder how Alice in Wonderland fits into all this too, but I liked the idea. Fairy tale villains are usually pretty straightforward, so making them more complicated is satisfying. - **Goose Girl**: feels closer to a straight retelling, but the world/characters are more fleshed out. Knowing the original story honestly made me anxious while reading (because I knew what might happen), but that also made me care more. When things went differently, it hit harder since I wasn’t expecting it. Then there’s the second type: fairy tale style. This is where I get stuck a bit trying to explain what exactly makes it feel like that. A lot of the time the prose has this “bad writing” feel to it (at least to me): it can be very storybook-ish, sometimes with head-hopping, and it somehow still works. I used to think it was just “well, fairy tales are old, so we excuse it,” but I’ve read a few newer ones that clearly *do* that intentionally—like they’re trying to create brand-new fairy tales in that same style—and I loved them. A couple examples: - **Tales from the Hinterland**: new fairy tales all done in that fairy-tale voice. They’re fun and they have that darker fairy tale energy where things happen and nobody really freaks out about it. Also yeah, the telling/head-hopping stuff totally works for me here. - **How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories**: uses an in-universe fairy tale that gets retold/adapted multiple times, and it still doesn’t get boring. The rhythm/cadence and the fact you know there’ll be changes makes it work. - **Love Laws and a Locked Heart**: from Fantasy Magazine issue 61. It’s like it’s telling a brand-new fairy tale that feels familiar, but I can’t really explain why it gives me that feeling. And it annoys me that I can’t pin it down, because I definitely liked it. Anyway, sorry for the ramble—if you’ve made it this far, thanks. I’m curious though: do you like fairy-tale inspired books/stories? And if so, what’s your reason? Or if not, what turns you off?

Looking for books with stories within stories

By badger_sharp1488

Not sure why, but these examples hit me: *Death’s End*, *All the King’s Men*, and the ending of *Cities of the Plain*. Thanks!

What books are kids typically assigned to read in school?

By fast-kettle5

I’m really curious about what you mean here by “middle school”—like, in the US that’s around 12–13. How many books did you have to read, and what were they? Did you get reading time during the school day, or was it all homework? I also tried to track down a reading list on a school website in one of the Nordic countries, but I couldn’t find it with Google.

I want to read something like The Hobbit, but without the adventure part

By Strange_Parcel

I just want something comfy and cozy in Hobbiton. Honestly, I’d be totally fine with a Hobbit-style Better Homes and Gardens type of thing.

Something magical, charming, winter-cozy. I am open for children’s books

By key_fast2005

Jan Brett’s picture books are seriously gorgeous. I’ve read a bunch that have this same kind of vibe, like The Mitten, The Hat, The Wild Christmas Reindeer, Annie and the Wild Animals, Christmas Trolls, Trouble with Trolls… and honestly a ton more too!

Kids’ Fantasy Read-aloud Recommendations?

By WalletRed

My two daughters (4 and 6) love chapter books at bedtime. We’ve already gone through a bunch of Roald Dahl and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, and we also have Narnia, A Series of Unfortunate Events, and The Hobbit on our list. I’m kind of stuck though—does anyone have ideas for other exciting, funny, quirky chapter books (fantasy or anything else) that would still work for a younger kid?

Your most enjoyable read... (not favourite but enjoyable)

By Lucky_Card61

I’ve got a bookshelf full of TBR stuff that’s all the “important” well-written, super themed books that people always call masterpieces. You know the type—stuff that shows up in threads where folks just list their favorite and/or prize winners. But I’m more curious about what’s actually been fun to read for you. “Enjoyable” to me can be totally different from “favorite.” Like, favorite books are often meaningful and hit hard, but they also make you think and pay attention. I want to know what you read that you just had a good time with—no big effort, no needing tons of brainpower to get it. So yeah: books that aren’t necessarily profound or perfectly crafted, just ones you enjoyed in the most straightforward way. What would you pick?

What's the most intellectual, literary fantasy novel?

By PinkFeather30

It kind of reminds me of other literary classics, where it gets into a bunch of stuff like philosophy, mythology, psychology, spirituality, all that.

What are some of the "classics" from around the world?

By orbitriver80

In my Lit classes here in America, it feels like we mostly stick to American classics. Even when you take the more advanced classes that branch out, it’s usually British or Irish stuff. So I’m honestly not sure—what are some “classic” books from other parts of the world?

Readers from around the world!, what books are classic/ famous on your country?

By kettle_ancient1977

I’m pretty curious—every country seems to have its own culture. I was wondering what books are considered classics in your country, or what was really popular or important at some point.

Books about tiny people (i.e. The Borrowers, Wee Free Men, Truckers, Indian in the Cupboard, The Rats of NIMH, etc.)

By midnightcarrot1972

I’ve always been kind of obsessed with the thought of tiny people (or small creatures) living right under everyone’s noses. When I was younger, The Borrowers was the one that really hooked me. Any other books like that where the characters are only a few inches tall and it’s basically the same “big world” setting—nothing fairy-magic if possible, though I guess I could be persuaded. Also, wow, thanks to everyone who replied—there were a ton of suggestions I hadn’t run into before. I haven’t checked every title in the answers closely, but it looks like most of them match what I was hoping for. Here’s what I’m saving for later / sharing: - The Borrowers (and sequels) - Wee Free Men (maybe the whole Tiffany Aching stretch) - Truckers (trilogy) - Indian in the Cupboard (and sequels) - The Rats of NIMH (and sequels) - The Littles - Redwall (multiple times… regrettably) - The Doll People - Midnight in the Dollhouse - Carpet People - Gulliver’s Travels - The Bees (Laline Paul) - Watership Down - Mistress Masham’s Repose - The Little People (Steven Millhauser) - The Menyms - Toby Alone & Toby and The Secrets of the Tree - Mouse Guard - The Mouse and the Motorcycle - The Witches (Roald Dahl, apparently only at the end) - Dragon’s Egg (Robert L. Forward) - Abel’s Island - House of Tribes - Anna and the Mini Man - Through the Hidden Door - The Minpins - Stuart Little - Voyage of the Fox Rider - The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents - The Cricket in Times Square - Duncton Wood - Beautiful Darkness - The Mouse and His Child - Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat - Tumtum and Nutmeg - The Sixty-Eight Rooms - The Beautiful Culpeppers - Toots and the Upside Down House - The Dollhouse Caper - Johannes Cabal and the Blustery Day - The Spiderwick Chronicles - When the Dolls Woke - The Rescuers - The Small People (Thomas Ligotti) - The Little Grey Men - Maus - The Tale of Desperaux - The Magicians of Caprona (couldn’t find much about “little people” stuff on wiki) - The Brambly Hedge books - The Borribles - Munmun (didn’t read much, but the premise sounded great) - Little Wanderers: The Everlasting Seasons

Children’s book from 1950s - Young boy who got a disease and shrunk to the size of a bird – Built a little “saddle” for him to fly on the back of the bird – Went on a spying Mission

By rhymechapter1973

I read a kids’ book back in the late 1950s and I can’t shake the memory of it, but I’m not 100% sure. The story had a young boy who got some kind of illness and ended up shrinking down to about bird size. He had a bird—maybe a carrier pigeon, or he met one—and they basically made a little saddle so he could ride on the bird’s back. What I remember most is that it seemed like he was kept out of the weather somehow, which was kind of neat. Then they go on some sort of mission together, and it felt like it was hinting at spying into Germany before World War II, though the book might not have actually said it outright. I also remember it being pretty dangerous and that bad weather made it harder. At the end I think he grows back to normal, but I might be mixing that up with something else. If anyone has an idea what this could be, I’d really appreciate it.

Book with an inches tall protagonist

By littlemirrorrapid

I really like the concept of a tiny character going on some kind of adventure. I don’t even care if they’re naturally small (like a rat) or if it’s just a regular person who’s been shrunk down somehow. And as for size, I’m picturing maybe around a foot tall at the biggest.