Five Swedish Books You Should Read

Some of my favorite Swedish books all available in English

There is just something I love about Swedish books and films, many of them have a grim realism, are raw, and mysterious. I have read countless Scandi noir and fiction books than I can think of even dating back to when I was a child, obsessed with a storybook titled Pippi Longstocking.

Now I want to share with you some of my all-time favorite books that are all accessible in the English language.

The girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

(Crime fiction)

The first book in the trilogy was released in 2012 by Stieg Larsson. The series starts in Stockholm, Sweden with a journalist called Mikael Blomkvist who is facing trouble with Libel against a big corporation owner Hans-Erik Wennerstrom.

After these events, Mikael is contacted by a representative of The Vanger Corporation about the disappearance of Harriet Vanger who is the grandchild of the CEO Henrik Vanger and went missing 40 years previous, desperate to get his name cleared, Mikael goes to meet the owner Henrik Vanger. The two men came to an agreement if Mikael helps solve the mystery, The Vanger corporation will reveal hard truths about Wennerstrom.

As this goes on a young woman Lisbeth Salander who is a hacker, covered in tattoos and piercings, and has a photographic memory. Lisbeth had serious trauma as a child and had to give up her rights due to mental incompetence. Due to this, the 24-year-old has a guardian who is the sole decision-maker for her and manages her spending. Lisbeth gets a position In Milton Security corporations to investigate Mikael Blomkvist and Wennrstrom. Lisbeth gets drawn into the investigation of the disappearance of Harriet Vanger.

There is also a Swedish Tv series called Millennium based on the book which is equally remarkable.

Doctor Glas by Hjalmar Söderberg

(Fiction, romance)

The book was published in 1905 and is about the life of a Physician who has issues when it comes to love and morality. The book is formatted in a diary form and exhibits his mental state.

A young woman looks for help from Glas as her love life is making her unhappy as well as their intimacy issues. While Glas does what he can to help, the woman's husband, Gregorius who is an untrustworthy clergyman rejects Glas’s interference to take the woman he fell in love with away from the situation but Gregorius declines to give up his marriage and forces his wife to continue having sex with him.

Matters of the rights of women, abortion, assisted suicide are highlighted throughout the book.

The Silver Road by Stina Jackson

(Thriller)

This book was gifted to me through my book review account on Instagram. I was so pleased with this beautiful book. The book received an award in 2018 for being the best Swedish crime novel of the year.

The start of the book immediately gives you a chilling atmosphere. Lina a girl that disappeared three years ago in Northern Sweden after her father Lelle dropped her off at the bus stop for school. Lelle is fixated on finding his daughter as the case is starting to run cold and the police have lost all hope in finding her.

In the summer months when daylight stands tall in the sky, Lelle roams the Silver Road where his beloved daughter vanished.

Let the right one in by John Lindqvist

(Horror fiction)

The book is a vampire fiction that was released by John Ajvide Lindqvist in 2004. The book is set in the 1980s situated in Stockholm and centers around the relationship between Oskar a 12-year-old boy and Eli, a centuries-old child vampire.

The two characters are both victims of their own traumas which brings them close together. The book also draws attention to the evil side of humanity, Bullying, pedophilia, prostitution, and murder.

The book was also adapted into a movie with more than one version.

The 100-year-old man who climbed out the window and disappeared by Jonas Jonasson

(Humour)

The book was released in 2012 and adapted into a movie in 2013. The book is a light-hearted read with a comedic feel. It is about an elderly man Alan Karlsson who awaits in a nursing home for his upcoming 100th birthday.

A party is on the horizon but Alan is disinterested so he decides to climb out the window and go on his own ventures. As his journey unfolds, his past life unveils showcasing a life that helped shape the twentieth century. A

lan is faced with strange occurrences, a few deaths, a nasty thug while a manhunt is taking place.

Thank you for reading, if you want to add to the conversation please comment below talking about your favorite novel.