Thank you @sortofbooks for gifting me a copy of The Summer Book by Tove Jansson, translated by Thomas Teal! I've always felt a bit late to the party when it comes to Jansson, as I've never read any of her books for adults and I also never read or watched anything Moomins as a kid! But fear not, I'm catching up now.
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At first The Summer Book felt sort of... meh. I was reading and the prose was lovely, the translation smooth, but I didn't really *feel* it. But then slowly, slowly it started to grow on me. I read it slowly (for me), stretching out the 170 pages over three days, and during that time Sophia and her grandmother began to feel like friends after a while. I wouldn't say it's a book I'll never forget (although it is obviously a cult classic for a reason), but as I read on, I felt enveloped in a blanket of calm which, in this climate, was very welcome.
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There's not a plot, rather The Summer Book is made up of a series of vignettes detailing the life of young Sophia and her family on their little Finnish island. The bond between Sophia and her grandmother, based on Jansson's mother's relationship with her niece, was warm and humorous, exactly as you'd expect between a crotchety old lady and a precocious little girl. The foreword by Esther Freud was really interesting - she visited the island which inspired this book - and I appreciated her insight into the book.
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As I already mentioned, the translation by Thomas Teal is delightful, especially when it comes to the dialogue between Sophia and her grandmother. He really captures the dynamic between them and keeps the book feeling light and wholesome! By the end, when the family is getting ready to leave the island as autumn draws in, I felt like I was being tucked gently into bed, it felt like a perfect closing chapter!
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Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to make enquiries about how I can go about living on my own remote Finnish island!