The Memoirs of Stockholm Sven
- Downloads：9012
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-11-23 11:21:17
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Nathaniel Ian Miller
- ISBN：1668601192
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
A harshly beautiful debut that chronicles one man’s solitary sojourn in an uninhabited fjord in the Arctic circle， after a mining accident leaves him disfigured， and despite everything， his deepened connection to those who love him
In the early 20th century， with the onset of the first World War， Sven Ormson leaves a life of unfulfilled restlessness in Stockholm to pursue a mining position in the bitter， dark cold of northern Scandinavia。 Yet within months， his life as a miner ends abruptly after a tunnel collapse leaves his face and body disfigured。 Seeking only to escape from the sympathetic and disgusted eyes of all who look at him， Sven flees even further north， building a small hut on the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard， one of the most remote inhabitable areas in the Arctic circle。
So begins his life of true isolation—a life constantly at war with hunger and the elements， forcing him to endure some of the most brutal conditions in which a human can survive。 Only with the teachings of an intrepid Finnish trapper， Taipo， and the emotional companionship of MacIntyre， a Scottish geologist with a proclivity for good whiskey， is Sven able to survive his first winter。 But as the years begin to pass in isolation， the arrival of long-forgotten relative will alter the lonely existence to which he has consigned himself and offer Sven the chance for something more。
Written with a rare candor and harnessing breathtaking descriptions of the far north， The Memoirs of Stockholm Sven shows us that isolation can bring us only so far in healing and that the most powerful relationships transcend circumstance。 Miller’s rapturous debut emerges as a masterpiece of empathy and platonic love， even in the most inhospitable conditions in the farthest reaches of the inhabitable world。
In the early 20th century， with the onset of the first World War， Sven Ormson leaves a life of unfulfilled restlessness in Stockholm to pursue a mining position in the bitter， dark cold of northern Scandinavia。 Yet within months， his life as a miner ends abruptly after a tunnel collapse leaves his face and body disfigured。 Seeking only to escape from the sympathetic and disgusted eyes of all who look at him， Sven flees even further north， building a small hut on the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard， one of the most remote inhabitable areas in the Arctic circle。
So begins his life of true isolation—a life constantly at war with hunger and the elements， forcing him to endure some of the most brutal conditions in which a human can survive。 Only with the teachings of an intrepid Finnish trapper， Taipo， and the emotional companionship of MacIntyre， a Scottish geologist with a proclivity for good whiskey， is Sven able to survive his first winter。 But as the years begin to pass in isolation， the arrival of long-forgotten relative will alter the lonely existence to which he has consigned himself and offer Sven the chance for something more。
Written with a rare candor and harnessing breathtaking descriptions of the far north， The Memoirs of Stockholm Sven shows us that isolation can bring us only so far in healing and that the most powerful relationships transcend circumstance。 Miller’s rapturous debut emerges as a masterpiece of empathy and platonic love， even in the most inhospitable conditions in the farthest reaches of the inhabitable world。
Reviews
Janet
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A fantastic and highly entertaining tale of Arctic adventure。 Sven makes a marvelous travel companion。
Chrissie
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3。5 stars
Richard Jackson
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This was on of my favorite reads of 2021。 I finished it in 2 days and was sad when it was over but I had to see what happened on the next page。 I guess I would classify as a very humane/human story which isn't a bad thing at all This was on of my favorite reads of 2021。 I finished it in 2 days and was sad when it was over but I had to see what happened on the next page。 I guess I would classify as a very humane/human story which isn't a bad thing at all 。。。more
Pem Ausbrook
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4 ½
Bailey Tibbitts
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Not a page turner in the usual， suspenseful sort of way， but I found myself unable to put it down。 You’ll laugh， you’ll grieve， you’ll be inspired。 Despite taking place almost entirely in the arctic， it’s a very cozy read。 Prefect for long winter nights :）
Marilyn
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Written in the first person and completely told by Sven， this was such an enjoyable read。 When a mining accident mars Sven's face， he sets off for the solitary life as a trapper in the Artic。 As other misfits join him， the tale grows rich with companionship and love。 It's quite an adventure of nature and humanity。 Written in the first person and completely told by Sven， this was such an enjoyable read。 When a mining accident mars Sven's face， he sets off for the solitary life as a trapper in the Artic。 As other misfits join him， the tale grows rich with companionship and love。 It's quite an adventure of nature and humanity。 。。。more
Kristin Martini
，
I don’t know how I even came across this book， but it was just delightful。 I listened to it in the middle of the night while nursing my newborn and while you may think a book about a man’s largely solitary life in the Arctic fjords would be isolating， I found Sven and his island of misfit companions to be incredibly welcoming and warm。 It’s also filled with queer characters which I did not expect but loved。 The narrator is fantastic。
Kip Kyburz
，
I was expecting a book in a similar vein to A Whole Life， but this book was so much more。 A novel not only of solitariness， but also a novel of family， found family， growth， acceptance of self and very poor cabin building。 Sven's growth from emotionally callous young adult to caring uncle to physcially callous adult to father figure， all while yearning for the deep north was deeply engaging。 I was expecting a book in a similar vein to A Whole Life， but this book was so much more。 A novel not only of solitariness， but also a novel of family， found family， growth， acceptance of self and very poor cabin building。 Sven's growth from emotionally callous young adult to caring uncle to physcially callous adult to father figure， all while yearning for the deep north was deeply engaging。 。。。more
Mitchell
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A wonderful companion to The Birthday Boys。 Thank you so much。
Pcox
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True to description
Chaya Nebel
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I call this a setting in search of a narrative。 It feels like the author loves this area of the world and set out to write a novel around it。 The story was so-so， with some ups and downs， but not enough to hold me very interested。 The characters， including Sven， are a little inscrutable， and not very relatable。 The story is told well， though， with lots of atmosphere and focusing mostly on the stark， cold setting。
Amy Hietapelto
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Fantastic！ I loved this book！！！
Sally Grey
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Pretty good。 Exotic settings & characters abound， hand in hand with deep questions
Teena
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FULL DISCLOSURE - I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway。 I am happy that I did。 I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and I chose to give it a 5-star rating。 I cannot find anything to fault with this novel， in fact。 There were a few harrowing pages when I thought I may slam the book shut and refuse to keep reading， but I had faith in the author， and he did not let me down。 For anyone interested in books about the polar regions， I would highly recommend this one。 It's also just a great story， with ex FULL DISCLOSURE - I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway。 I am happy that I did。 I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and I chose to give it a 5-star rating。 I cannot find anything to fault with this novel， in fact。 There were a few harrowing pages when I thought I may slam the book shut and refuse to keep reading， but I had faith in the author， and he did not let me down。 For anyone interested in books about the polar regions， I would highly recommend this one。 It's also just a great story， with excellent character development。 It is not predictable so it never feels boring and it definitely kept me engaged。 Highly recommend this book！！ 。。。more
Kelly_Hunsaker_reads 。。。
，
Although I love the setting and the descriptions of it were vivid and real， I wasn't a big fan of this book。 I found the character as cold and disconnected as place， and that didn't work for me。 Although I love the setting and the descriptions of it were vivid and real， I wasn't a big fan of this book。 I found the character as cold and disconnected as place， and that didn't work for me。 。。。more
Denise
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This is a book which grows on you。 When I first started reading it， I wasn't sure I was going to actually finish it。 Then I read a bit more and the characters and their development intrigued me。 I thought it a wonderfully rendered character driven novel， introducing most of us to a stark world we will never first hand experience。 Nicely done。 This is a book which grows on you。 When I first started reading it， I wasn't sure I was going to actually finish it。 Then I read a bit more and the characters and their development intrigued me。 I thought it a wonderfully rendered character driven novel， introducing most of us to a stark world we will never first hand experience。 Nicely done。 。。。more
Dan McMichael
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Kind of like Moby Dick this was inspired by a true story。 It is touching。 A very shy bookish man pretty much hates his factory worker life in Stockholm and dreams of the adventures he reads about constantly to escape the drudgery of his everyday life。 His sister Olga knows all this and finds that he could go to Spitsbergen and mine coal。 And he does it。 There he is at the northernmost tip of inhabited civilization and he gets horribly injured in an avalanche in the mine。 He recovers with the los Kind of like Moby Dick this was inspired by a true story。 It is touching。 A very shy bookish man pretty much hates his factory worker life in Stockholm and dreams of the adventures he reads about constantly to escape the drudgery of his everyday life。 His sister Olga knows all this and finds that he could go to Spitsbergen and mine coal。 And he does it。 There he is at the northernmost tip of inhabited civilization and he gets horribly injured in an avalanche in the mine。 He recovers with the loss of an eye and a horribly disfigured face。 He soldiers on even more reclusive and monastic than ever with even less confidence in his own worth。 And yet he lives。 He makes friends way up there with a peculiar Scotch Geologist Bibliophile。 He is befriended by a hard drinking suspicious Ukranian Jew sympathetic to the communist revolution。 He meets a Finnish trapper named Tapio and learns to Trap and Hunt in the endless night of winter。 He stays in touch with his sister Olga and her family。 He comes to own a Dog that he loves。 Eventually his niece Helga and her daughter comes there to live with him partly to escape her own melancholy。 After long celibacy he falls in love with a lady。 The horror of the First world war creeps in through the news of letters and the knowledge of friends。 It is a journey。 He does not think much of himself but in the end you will think come to appreciate him far more than he appreciates himself。 。。。more
Amanda
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This is probably 4。5 stars for me-not perfect， but really likeable， and the setting was amazing。
Livio
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This was a surprisingly pleasant read！ Sven’s journey in the Arctic kept me hooked all the time。 He comes across some unique and likable characters， and amazing places。 Miller gives enough background on them so you understand their motives， why one chooses a life of isolation and manages to remain sane in such a harsh place。 All this without sounding boring。 I also enjoyed the different rivalries between Swedes， Norwegians， Finns， Russians and how they find a way live in harmony in the archipela This was a surprisingly pleasant read！ Sven’s journey in the Arctic kept me hooked all the time。 He comes across some unique and likable characters， and amazing places。 Miller gives enough background on them so you understand their motives， why one chooses a life of isolation and manages to remain sane in such a harsh place。 All this without sounding boring。 I also enjoyed the different rivalries between Swedes， Norwegians， Finns， Russians and how they find a way live in harmony in the archipelago。 。。。more
Irene
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I have been reading a lot of non-fiction recently and until I remembered this was historical fiction， I was utterly convinced it was a memoir。This was an enjoyable read overall， with a surprising amount of queer characters。 It was atmospheric and an interesting look at the life of a trapper in an isolated Norwegian island in the Arctic Circle。 My only complaint is that if you're going to write about someone who's lost one eye， you need to remember that and make it part of their daily life。 Not o I have been reading a lot of non-fiction recently and until I remembered this was historical fiction， I was utterly convinced it was a memoir。This was an enjoyable read overall， with a surprising amount of queer characters。 It was atmospheric and an interesting look at the life of a trapper in an isolated Norwegian island in the Arctic Circle。 My only complaint is that if you're going to write about someone who's lost one eye， you need to remember that and make it part of their daily life。 Not once did Sven have depth perception problems and bump into things， or trip over a rock and fall， or anything of the sort。 There was also a bit too much emphasis on what he looked like and not enough on how he got around。 Other than that， I really liked how the story developed。 。。。more
Nicole
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*Received as an ARC， thank you* I have to say， I was unsure I would enjoy reading about a solitary man and his life in 1916， but I was pleasantly surprised！ The author managed to reel me in and keep me hooked throughout Sven’s whole story！ Both harsh and heartwarming， you get to know Sven and his companions through the years so well that you feel like you could join him at his little table and carry on a conversation with no trouble！ I enjoyed this book！
Marvin
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DNF at 70%。 Interesting at first then became boring。
KimM
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This charming novel is very much a character-driven story。 I chose it because i'm on a bit of a Nordic reading kick。 It definitely delivers。 Sven is a wonderfully unique individual and so is his sister。 The story follows Sven's life from young adult in his home town to his life as a coal miner and subsequently his life as a hermit in the arctic circle。 However， this life is interrupted by a strange and unexpected visit that teaches Sven that maybe living all alone was not really what life meant This charming novel is very much a character-driven story。 I chose it because i'm on a bit of a Nordic reading kick。 It definitely delivers。 Sven is a wonderfully unique individual and so is his sister。 The story follows Sven's life from young adult in his home town to his life as a coal miner and subsequently his life as a hermit in the arctic circle。 However， this life is interrupted by a strange and unexpected visit that teaches Sven that maybe living all alone was not really what life meant for him。 Lots of history， arctic survival facts， and a peek into a world that is rarely seen。 I would highly recommend this book to fans of Nordic literature， Eowyn Ivey and dogs。 Audiobook provided courtesy of NetGalley and Little， Brown and Company 。。。more
Laura Phelps
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I ❤️ Sven so very much。 This is beautiful！ （Thank you NetGalley）。
Nancy
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The Arctic had a way of reminding you that your life was unimportant， expendable， and easily extinguished。 from The Memoirs of Stockholm Sven by Nathaniel Ian MillerSven Ormson of Stockholm was sure he was destined for greatness， inspired by books about polar exploration。 The bookish boy was instead relegated to a life in the mills performing repetitious and mechanical jobs， returning home lose himself in his books。 He was a loving brother to Olga， and then a loving uncle to her children， even b The Arctic had a way of reminding you that your life was unimportant， expendable， and easily extinguished。 from The Memoirs of Stockholm Sven by Nathaniel Ian MillerSven Ormson of Stockholm was sure he was destined for greatness， inspired by books about polar exploration。 The bookish boy was instead relegated to a life in the mills performing repetitious and mechanical jobs， returning home lose himself in his books。 He was a loving brother to Olga， and then a loving uncle to her children， even becoming their nanny。 When they no longer needed him， Olga suggested he find work with a mine in Arctic Spitsbergen。 Perhaps he would find the life he was seeking。In 1916， Sven leaves his homeland for the frozen north。 He discovers that mining is horrendous， lonely work， with little of the romance and adventure he had hoped for。 Then， a geologist seeks him out， having heard that Sven was that rare creature–a bookish man。 Charles McIntyre becomes his first friend–“more like a patron than a friend”–introducing him to books and music。A mining accident left Sven’s face brutally rearranged， horrifying people， and he resolved to live alone。 He moves to an even more isolated location， eventually becoming a fur trapper in a lonely cabin， enduring the long isolated， dark winters with only a dog for a companion。 The Finnish trapper Tapio tutors him in trapping and Arctic survival–and in politics。 His friends teach him how to survive bodily and spiritually。Sven struggles with isolation and depression， survives， and makes a life。Olga’s daughter turns up unexpectedly with a two-month-old infant in her arms。 Helga is another who can’t fit into ‘society。’ It is her turn to struggle through the dark long Arctic night。 Eventually， they discover like-minded misfits who bring love into their lives。Sven narrates his story through WWII， the shifting politics of the outside world impacting even the frozen climes he has made his home。I loved Sven’s story。 I am a sucker for a good narrative voice and an invitation into a character’s internal life。 Sven’s language quite sophisticated and he has the ability to consider his own life with detached amusement。 I came to love his friends–human and canine–and family。 The Arctic setting， the long nights and endless days， the Arctic bear and fox and seal are vividly rendered， as are the frontier settlements filled with Swedes， Finns， and Norwegians。“A life is substantially more curious， and mundane， than the reports would have it，” Sven notes。 The novel was inspired by a real Stockholm Sven who became a hermit after his face was mutilated in an accident。 Miller takes a few sentences from life and gives us a richly imagined being。 Sven’s story is at once idiosyncratic and alien， but his humanity and struggles to fit in and find a meaningful life is universally relatable。I received a free egalley from the publisher through NetGalley。 My review is fair and unbiased。 。。。more
LKay
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I loved this book！ I usually take some notes while reading to collect my thoughts along the way but I couldn’t put this down even for a second。 This was such an adventure and it was filled with so many characters that I came to love。This book is a journey to a remote， desolate place。 It’s so hard to imagine how life can thrive there， and while the Arctic can be unforgiving， it’s also beautiful - it’s the amazing love and kindness of the people Sven meets that allows him to grow and survive。 For I loved this book！ I usually take some notes while reading to collect my thoughts along the way but I couldn’t put this down even for a second。 This was such an adventure and it was filled with so many characters that I came to love。This book is a journey to a remote， desolate place。 It’s so hard to imagine how life can thrive there， and while the Arctic can be unforgiving， it’s also beautiful - it’s the amazing love and kindness of the people Sven meets that allows him to grow and survive。 For all of the hardships and struggles he endures in the unflinching cold， there are moments in this book that are so warm it felt like my heart could burst。I received an ARC of this book from Little， Brown and Company， and I’m so pleased to have finished it right before publication day！ Read this book！ 。。。more
Booksandcoffeepleasemx
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𝘗𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭， 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘧𝘶𝘭！What an amazing and unique adventure。A story about survival， love and finding yourself told in an unusual and beautiful way。 It was funny， moving and memorable。Thank you Libro。fm and Hachette Audio for this ALC。The Memoirs of Stockholm Sven by Nathaniel Ian Miller releases tomorrow October 26， 2021。𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦: 𝘍𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯， 𝘏𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘍𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯， 𝘈𝘥𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴， 𝘊𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴。https://www。instagram。com/booksandcof。。。 𝘗𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭， 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘧𝘶𝘭！What an amazing and unique adventure。A story about survival， love and finding yourself told in an unusual and beautiful way。 It was funny， moving and memorable。Thank you Libro。fm and Hachette Audio for this ALC。The Memoirs of Stockholm Sven by Nathaniel Ian Miller releases tomorrow October 26， 2021。𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦: 𝘍𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯， 𝘏𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘍𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯， 𝘈𝘥𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴， 𝘊𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴。https://www。instagram。com/booksandcof。。。 。。。more
Cindy （groundedinreads）
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Interesting time frame and setting。 The story was good but I had a hard time getting into it。 3。5⭐️
JP
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I imagined this would be an endearing tale of a man who sought out the arctic alone and found peace and meaning。 But alas I couldn’t be more wrong。 This was so much more。 The writing is so good that I hesitate to try to tell how good it was with my inadequate words。 Sven is troubled almost since birth and doesn’t seem to know what he wants。 He finds himself in the arctic and struggles with…。 Well everything。 He will have doubts， challenges and close friendships。 I really enjoyed this and it was I imagined this would be an endearing tale of a man who sought out the arctic alone and found peace and meaning。 But alas I couldn’t be more wrong。 This was so much more。 The writing is so good that I hesitate to try to tell how good it was with my inadequate words。 Sven is troubled almost since birth and doesn’t seem to know what he wants。 He finds himself in the arctic and struggles with…。 Well everything。 He will have doubts， challenges and close friendships。 I really enjoyed this and it was very different than my standard favorites。 I chose to listen to this book on audio and loved Olafur Darri Olafsson as the narrator。 This was 10 hours and 41 minutes of easy listening。 I highly recommend this。 Thanks Little， Brown and Company via Netgalley。 。。。more
Sarah Gay （lifeandbookswithme）
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