Simon's Family

Rating:
Summary: A novel of great depth and beauty.
Review: A story of mothers and sons, as it says on the cover, and this is true, the Australian edition's title reads "Simon and the Oaks" which makes explicit the impact of the natural word on Simon, a half Jewish boy in Sweden growing up in a loving household with his mother Karin and father Eric. This book is remarkable for one outstanding reason and that is its sensitivity and beauty throughout. The book makes one think that here is a definition of "literature" that which makes this book different from merely "fiction". Much like many Scandinavian novels myths are not far away and it can be seen that the old ways practised in Norway, Sweden and Denmark are still with us in the north where Christianisation was completed in the 11th Century some time after it had been completed in mainland Europe, and its influence was very strong. As such the attempt to eradicate old folk tales and the like was far more difficult, one still sees the old spring festival of "Easter" (pre-Roman, Germanic), having been adopted by the Christian church, practised today conveniently through the date of Christ's death and resurrection. In addition Scandinavia is far from the busy thoroughfare of Central Europe so old traditions and ways of life are still felt in modern times.

This story of Simon and his family, a title also appropriate since the story is as much about them as him, is a beautiful one and its rare nowadays to find novels of such emotional depth and sense of beauty expressed so well and so gently. This is not to say it does not note other painful things in life and so the novel becomes an honest portrayal of life in pre-war and post-war Sweden. Luckily Sweden escaped most of the ravages of the Holocaust because of its neutrality but that doesn't mean its people didn't suffer nonetheless. However, this novel is mainly concerned with the people of the story and their lives, their troubles, angst, problems and so on, the fear instilled by the Nazis is very real and ever present in the minds of Isak and Ruben, Isak's father and wealthy book merchant. The differences between the Jewish life of Ruben and Isak are not stressed so much as their friendship and eventual family bond with the Larsson family (Karin, Eric, Simon).

Even though the natural world forms a part of the story, as it often does in Scandinavian tales, this is not as deeply brought out as the interaction inside the families themselves and so the novel is very human and not infused with the other world of trees, plants and animals which can be found in say "The Forest of Hours".

A novel of great depth and beauty.

Rating:
Summary: A novel of great depth and beauty.
Review: A story of mothers and sons, as it says on the cover, and this is true, the Australian edition's title reads "Simon and the Oaks" which makes explicit the impact of the natural word on Simon, a half Jewish boy in Sweden growing up in a loving household with his mother Karin and father Eric. This book is remarkable for one outstanding reason and that is its sensitivity and beauty throughout. The book makes one think that here is a definition of "literature" that which makes this book different from merely "fiction". Much like many Scandinavian novels myths are not far away and it can be seen that the old ways practised in Norway, Sweden and Denmark are still with us in the north where Christianisation was completed in the 11th Century some time after it had been completed in mainland Europe, and its influence was very strong. As such the attempt to eradicate old folk tales and the like was far more difficult, one still sees the old spring festival of "Easter" (pre-Roman, Germanic), having been adopted by the Christian church, practised today conveniently through the date of Christ's death and resurrection. In addition Scandinavia is far from the busy thoroughfare of Central Europe so old traditions and ways of life are still felt in modern times.

This story of Simon and his family, a title also appropriate since the story is as much about them as him, is a beautiful one and its rare nowadays to find novels of such emotional depth and sense of beauty expressed so well and so gently. This is not to say it does not note other painful things in life and so the novel becomes an honest portrayal of life in pre-war and post-war Sweden. Luckily Sweden escaped most of the ravages of the Holocaust because of its neutrality but that doesn't mean its people didn't suffer nonetheless. However, this novel is mainly concerned with the people of the story and their lives, their troubles, angst, problems and so on, the fear instilled by the Nazis is very real and ever present in the minds of Isak and Ruben, Isak's father and wealthy book merchant. The differences between the Jewish life of Ruben and Isak are not stressed so much as their friendship and eventual family bond with the Larsson family (Karin, Eric, Simon).

Even though the natural world forms a part of the story, as it often does in Scandinavian tales, this is not as deeply brought out as the interaction inside the families themselves and so the novel is very human and not infused with the other world of trees, plants and animals which can be found in say "The Forest of Hours".

A novel of great depth and beauty.

Rating:
Summary: Powerful
Review: I just finished Simon's Family this afternoon. It was a very moving and powerful book for me. It was so intense in parts that I had to put it aside a couple times to let myself really take in what I had experienced from it. Thank you Marianne Fredriksson, I loved this book even more than Hanna's Daughters. Several parts of it actually took my breath away. Highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Powerful
Review: Simon's Family is a story from Sweden, full of magic, myth, and reality. The majestic landscape of towering forests, ancient oaks, and roaring sea sets the stage for a story of family that encompasses not only blood ties but those of race, nationality, and religion. The call of ancient religions weaves its tale throughout the story as the idea of archetypal myth influences present day lives through dream and imagination. The story begins in the 1920's and travels through the horrors of World War II and on into the post war world. The effects of the Holocaust are a theme that runs through the book along with the tolerance practiced by many Swedes. Politics is also a theme that is handled well and is not overbearing. The ideas of fairness and responsibility are influences on the characters's lives that give the book additional depth. The close and inevitable ties that exist between a mother and child are examined in depth with Karin, the loving and kind mother who overcomes her own sorrows to become a mother to several children who become her own. Several of the characters are scared by destructive relationships with parents, and they must overcome these memories in order to become whole in their adult lives. The special relationship that can exist between a mother and son is also well examined with love and perception, and we are left with an overall feeling of wholeness. All in all, this is a lovely book, one filled with myth and magic, but also a perception of the reality of life that is alive and glowing.

Rating:
Summary: A Swedish Family Saga from the 30's to the 50's
Review: The edition (Australian bought- therfore British original)I have gives the title as "Simon and the Oaks",which places an emphasis on one of the mystical facets of this book. The edition I have is one of the sloppiest pieces of editing I have come across in book publishing. Leaving that to one side, the book gives the reader a peek into Swedish family life during the war when Sweden was supposedly neutral, although it let German trains roll through the country on their way to Norway.It also shows life in the post war world. The narrative is choppy, and there are some references to wartime events where the reactions of some of the characters is hard to understand. Perhaps something was lost in translation, but the significance of some of these external events to the narrative was hard to understand. Since the bulk of the novel is set in Gothenburg and parts of Southern Sweden, the book would be better with a map for readers not familiar with points in and around the greater Gothenburg area, and surrounding provinces between the city and Stockholm.

There was an interesting weaving of Old Norse mythology and Sumerian culture, with a dash of Central European Judaism thrown in.

Although the narrative is primarliy concerned with Simon, it is also concerned with his mother Karin, as they both play central roles throughout the novel.

I recommend the novel for the the way it deals with the theme of family dynamics, and also because it offers a glimpse into modern Swedish History.

Rating:
Summary: A Masterpiece in down to earth wisdom
Review: This book ranks among the 10 best titles I've ever read. Not particularly because of the narrative which is dang good, but Marianne Frederiksson has a very gentle way of addressing some of the most important aspects of life in a very gentle way. Family relationships, births, deaths, friendship and overarching question of the maning of life. This is done in a very gentle way as the story unreveals, and after a while i found myself equipped with quite a few thoughts which proved very enlightening to my own life. In the strong description of the lifes of the characters, you can't escape the feeling that life is all about love. Giving words to that feeling is not an easy task, but Marianne Frederiksson certainly achieves excactly that. This book made me realize something that I'd long forgotten about, but nevertheless carried along all the way. At the bottom line life is beautyfull and important. Money can't buy you love. Well in this case it can.