The Memoirs of Stockholm Sven

De: Nathaniel Ian Miller

Narrado por: Olafur Darri Olafsson

In this "briskly entertaining" (New York Times Book Review), "transporting and wholly original" (People Magazine) novel, one man 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 a restless life in Stockholm to seek adventure in Svalbard, an Arctic archipelago where darkness reigns four months of the year and he might witness the splendor of the Northern Lights one night and be attacked by a polar bear the next. But his time as a miner ends when an avalanche nearly kills him, leaving him disfigured, and Sven flees even further, to an uninhabited fjord. There, with the company of a loyal dog, he builds a hut and lives alone, testing himself against the elements.

The teachings of a Finnish fur trapper, along with encouraging letters from his family and a Scottish geologist who befriended him in the mining camp, get him through his first winter. Years into his routine isolation, the arrival of an unlikely visitor salves his loneliness, sparking a chain of surprising events that will bring Sven into a family of fellow castoffs and determine the course of the rest of his life.

Written with wry humor and in prose as breathtaking as the stark landscape it evokes, The Memoirs of Stockholm Sven is a testament to the strength of our human bonds, reminding us that even in the most inhospitable conditions on the planet, we are not beyond the reach of love.

#1 Indie Next Pick

Finalist for the Vermont Book Award

Longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Briskly entertaining . . . I was reminded more than once of Annie Proulx’s The Shipping News . . . combines a distinctive northerly setting with a cast of likable eccentrics . . . Rather than any creed or belief system, it is Sven’s various friendships, intense but understated, that sustain him and give his life an order and purpose.”—Ian McGuire, New York Times Book Review

“Transporting and wholly original . . . this modern-day Call of the Wild is funny, moving, and ceaselessly compelling.”—People (Book of the Week)

“Ceaselessly brilliant as an arctic sun, The Memoirs of Stockholm Sven illuminates the very nature of human yearning and perseverance. 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.”—Adam Johnson, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Orphan Master’s Son

“Surprisingly humorous, this heartwarming story reminds us that love can reach the iciest depths of our hearts, even in the most inhospitable locations.”—Kirby Beaton, Buzzfeed

“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.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Readers will love the beauty and depth of his story . . . A Swedish trapper relates his unique life with insights about friendship, hardship, and solitude.”—Kirkus (starred review)

“Miller’s prose is lit by sparks of Sven’s somber humor and descriptive elegance . . . Miller's characterization is exceptional and thoroughly engaging, as are the vividly portrayed island denizens . . . Miller has given [Sven] an imagined life told in his own words in this engrossing fictional memoir.”
—Bethany Latham, Booklist (starred review)

Couldn’t put it down

Expecting a survival story, I was instead transported into the tale of a rich life so very different from my own. Well written and beautifully narrated, I was captivated and entertained at a delicious, leisurely pace. Highly recommended.

Just wonderful!

Nothing I didn’t like about this book, which is beautifully written and charmingly narrated. Though the environment is harsh and the times are malignant, the individuals who inhabit the book are so unique, earnest, and sympathetic that it is a joy to hear their stories.

I loved this book.

The story and narrator captured my attention from beginning to end. Miller is an excellent, evocative writer, and the narrator delivered that writing perfectly. I found myself going back over passages so I could write down what I heard. Highly recommended.

Lovely book

Wow I didn’t think I’d like this as much as I did. The prose flows like a beautiful river. The story is amazingly real and the narrator eloquent. I simply loved it!

Singular and significant

If there was ever inspiration for a person to write their own memoir, this is it. Most of us have never thrown ourselves into, or in this case, remove ourselves from our existence and society as dear Sven. This work examines so many aspects of such an experience that the reader cannot help but be enthralled. The human experience is fascinating. I encourage you to read and absorb and ultimately enjoy Sven’s life. Then go write about yourself!