A review by andrewspink
The Wonderful Adventures of Nils by Selma Lagerlöf

adventurous informative medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

The main interest of this book for me is that it gave some interesting insights into how the Swedes see themselves in relation to society, nature, religion, agriculture industry, etc. It is apparently a children's classic which many Swedes have grown up reading. In addition to the (literal) overview of the various provinces in Sweden, it contains a lot of myths and legends. Although written for children, it is not too childish, although the two-dimensionality of the characters is occasionally a bit irritating.  The translation I read also had some irritating errors ('straight West' instead of 'due West' for example), but was mostly good. Worth reading if you want to understand Scandinavia a bit better.