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dorothy_h 's review for:
Mio, min Mio
by Astrid Lindgren
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
At around 10 or 11 years I first read and liked Astrid Lindgren's book, which I think reflects her experiences during World War II through a dark grey, child-friendly filter.
It plunges the reader into three different worlds,. The first world is the loveless day-to-day of the main character as the foster child Karl Anders Nilsson, living in a city with reluctant caregivers but a good friend his age (Ben). Secondly, Karl Anders travels to the idealized realm of Farawayland, with the same beautiful pastoral scenery that we know from Lindgren's other books, as well as magical horses and pure fantasy. Thirdly, the repressive, gloomy Other Land, which can be identified with Nazi Germany, is ruled with a literal fist of iron by Sir Kato.
I don't want to spoil the plot, so I'll leave it at that.
Mio, My Son might not be Lindgren's most popular book. But I think it is a very immersive, very humane book. Aside from moments (like those with Mio's father) that are idealized to the point that they tend toward kitsch, Lindgren's narrator looks for lighter moral grey zones and for compassion even amongst the spies and violence of the Other Land. Besides the protagonist is honest when he feels fear or wants to give up. His constant self-comparison with his friend Ben and desire for things that other children have, too, show that he is not implausibly flawless.
I'm glad I reread the book as an adult.
It plunges the reader into three different worlds,. The first world is the loveless day-to-day of the main character as the foster child Karl Anders Nilsson, living in a city with reluctant caregivers but a good friend his age (Ben). Secondly, Karl Anders travels to the idealized realm of Farawayland, with the same beautiful pastoral scenery that we know from Lindgren's other books, as well as magical horses and pure fantasy. Thirdly, the repressive, gloomy Other Land, which can be identified with Nazi Germany, is ruled with a literal fist of iron by Sir Kato.
I don't want to spoil the plot, so I'll leave it at that.
Mio, My Son might not be Lindgren's most popular book. But I think it is a very immersive, very humane book. Aside from moments (like those with Mio's father) that are idealized to the point that they tend toward kitsch, Lindgren's narrator looks for lighter moral grey zones and for compassion even amongst the spies and violence of the Other Land. Besides the protagonist is honest when he feels fear or wants to give up. His constant self-comparison with his friend Ben and desire for things that other children have, too, show that he is not implausibly flawless.
I'm glad I reread the book as an adult.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, War
Minor: Confinement, Grief