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The Memoirs of Stockholm Sven

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The Memoirs of Stockholm Sven

By: Nathaniel Ian Miller
Narrated by: Olafur Darri Olafsson
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Summary

 Set in the decades between the two World Wars, 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.

In 1916, Sven Ormson leaves Stockholm to seek adventure in Svalbard, an Arctic archipelago where darkness reigns four months of the year, where he might witness the splendor of the Northern Lights one night or be attacked by a polar bear the next. After a devastating accident while digging for coal, Sven heads north again and ends up on an uninhabited fjord living in a hut he builds, alone except for the company of a loyal dog, testing himself against the elements. Years into his routine isolation, the arrival of an unlikely visitor sparks a chain of events that brings Sven into a family of fellow castoffs and determines the course of the rest of his life.

Inspired by a real life character and written with wry humour, in prose as beautiful as the stark landscape it evokes, The Memoirs of Stockholm Sven is a testament to the strength of human bonds, reminding us that even in the most inhospitable conditions, we are not beyond the reach of love.

(P) 2021 Hodder & Stoughton Limited©2021 Nathaniel Ian Miller 20th Century Fiction Historical Fiction World War I Polar Region
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Critic reviews

A striking first novel . . . an unusual, surprisingly witty tale, with a memorable central character
Picaresque, gentle and slyly humorous; the glacial beauty of the northern landscape is the backdrop to arresting horrors, concealed passions, and a lifetime of kindnesses - all superbly rendered by Miller: a joy to read
A kind of Odyssey, complete with dogs worthy of Argos and a few precious human companions, this spare and unusual novel plumbs the dark side of polar narratives
Both a polar adventure and a consideration of what makes our lives worth living
The magic of The Memoirs of Stockholm Sven is in its defiance of dark expectations . . . some of the most convincing portrayals I've seen of human beings creating connection and kindnesses despite their brutal circumstances and unhealed wounds
In attempting to inhabit the uninhabitable, one man shows us that no place is inhospitable to the human heart, and in delivering this searing portrait, Nathaniel Ian Miller ascends to the firmament of today's most exciting young novelists
This novel's hard-won wisdom, droll humor, and offhanded insights about human nature will pierce you to the core
Miller's prose is lit by sparks of Sven's somber humor and descriptive elegance . . . Miller's characterization is exceptional and thoroughly engaging . . . vividly portrayed
Captivating ... Miller offers a marvelously detailed look at a way of life and a profession practiced in an extreme environment, and though purportedly based on a historical figure, the character's colorfully rendered experiences are the stuff of powerful dramatic fiction
Readers will love the beauty and depth of his story... A Swedish trapper relates his unique life with insights about friendship, hardship, and solitude
Transporting and wholly original . . . Inspired by a real man, this modern-day Call of the Wild is funny, moving and ceaselessly compelling
All stars
Most relevant
A wonderful book by Miller, beautifully read by Darri. I enjoyed every moment. Darri's Icelandic tones are perfect, I wish more books set in the Nordic area were read by people who live there. His reading brings the book to life.
Hard lives lived in a tough landscape, which seems to seep in around the words. Lives of solitude lived with a few close people they cannot do without. A story of humanity, love and friendship, wilderness and a dog. The perfect accompaniment to long winter evenings. If your curiosity has brought you this far. put your ear buds in and sit back. You won't be disappointed.

A wonderful book.

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Loved everything about this book. The pace, the sentiment. A life I am thankful to have experienced.

Was sorry it had to end!

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Written in the First person, and without much description of landscape, the story is a strangely gripping tale of emotional survival with the aid of distant friends.

Strangely gripping

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