Astrid and Veronika by Linda Olsson Summary and Reviews
|
List Price: Our Price: $4.90 You Save: $9.10 (65%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $2.48 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of Astrid and Veronika
Book Review: Captivating story
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a remarkable story of two women who meet under ordinary but perhaps unexpected circumstances. Astrid is practically a recluse who has lived almost her entire life under one roof. Veronika has traveled the world but at the time of their meeting she has retreated from her previous life and rented a secluded home in the countryside of Sweden that is within the view from Astrid's window. The two women have not led similar lives, they are not from similar backgrounds nor are they close in age. Each of them has separate reasons for distancing themselves from people and the world surrounding them. The contact between them begins reluctantly and continues very tentatively. With a very delicate touch and a precise focus, Olsson gradually removes veils of grief and allows the reader to watch a friendship grow between Astrid and Veronika as they share a brief time in the present and gradually share their pasts with each other. This is a very small story, set in a very small time and space, but it is totally captivating. While it is possible to read this novel as a story of one friendship, it also is a story of the power of human interaction to transform lives. Astrid and Veronika spend a relatively short time together, but as they find common ground they rediscover their essential humanity that enables each of them to better connect with their pasts and the world around them. Whether you view the essential common denominator as pain, as endurance or as love may be related to your personal view of the world. The novel is well written with an excellent sense of both characters and setting.Book Review: Spoilers and Questions
Summary: 3 Stars
The story kept me interested and overall I enjoyed it. I was left with several questions thought. Why did Astrid's mother commit suicide? Was Astrid afraid her own husband or her father would abuse Sara? Also, Veronika spoke of needing to face her own mothers abandonment of her, yet it was never addressed in the story, even when her father asked if she had spoken to her mother recently. Also, there was the weird statement at the end where the man says, "Sad the way she went, the old lady. But then, it was her choice" and then Olsson never explains that comment. What was that all about?Book Review: Somber Mood
Summary: 3 Stars
This is the tale of a friendship forged between a younger and older woman during a year in Sweden. The tone of the book is quite somber, despite the blossoming friendship that is at the center of the book. Astrid (the elder) and Veronika are neighbors in a small village who eventually find comfort in sharing their life stories with one another. Both of the women have dealt with tragic life events and you can sense the relief - particularly from Astrid - that sharing their stories brings to them. The story takes place in Sweden, and Veronika's back-story takes place in New Zealand; the settings play an important role in their individual stories. I expected the ending long before it happened, just based on the overall tone and writing. I wish the story had been more "cheerful," for lack of a better word. The friendship was wonderful, but I felt that the somber tone overshadowed it a bit. It was a 'hard' read because the story skipped between the two women and went from the past to the present quite often. It took a while to get the story started and to understand and care about the character. Also, there was a lot left unfinished - I didn't feel that Astrid's story was completely told to us. The book is worth reading though, and recommended.Book Review: Amazing grace
Summary: 5 Stars
Amazing writing. Amazing story. An intimate examination of the synergistic healing balm of amazing grace. Book Review: Tempted by wild strawberries.
Summary: 3 Stars
I was hoping to be as captivated by Linda Olsson's story as I was by her novel's cover photograph. Olsson is a recent creative writing graduate from the University of Auckland. Astrid and Veronika was previously published in New Zealand as "Let me sing you gentle songs" (2005). Set in the frozen landscape of Olsson's homeland, Sweden, it tells the story of two women, Veronika Bergman, a 31-year-old novelist, and her elderly, reclusive neighbor, Astrid Mattson (who is called a witch by the local villagers). The two flatly-drawn characters cultivate a friendship based almost entirely on their own personal losses. Veronika, we learn, has suffered the recent loss of the love of her life, James. Astrid has suffered her father's sexual abuse, then endured a loveless marriage along with the death of her infant daughter. Through their rather implausible relationship, Astrid and Veronika eventually find closure from their painful, secret histories. Friendships have the power to transform us. While Olsson's writing is often elegant, it doesn't deliver the cover's temptation of fresh, wild strawberries. Her narrative is slow and predictable, and her characters' stories never quite seem to draw readers into their heartbreak.
G. Merritt