My thanks to Nathanial Ian Miller, John Murray Press and Net Galley for the ARC of THE MEMOIRS OF STOCKHOLM SVEN.
I wasn't sure what to expect when I was offered this novel to read, but I have to say that I am very glad I read it because it is totally unique. It is wonderfully written, the descriptions of the topography of the Arctic are spell-binding and one can actually feel the freezing temperatures and grimy, inhospitable conditions in which Sven lives and works.
I like Sven. It occurred to me that he did not like the company of others and that he is happier alone with his books, particularly when disfigured in a mining accident, yet at times needs company. and feels abandoned when there is no one near, which often continues for years on end. He lives in such a remote place on his own hunting land, that the only people he sees are sailors who deliver his mail and supplies, He would fit into my family beautifully as we're an autistic family and I think we would all sympathise with Sven and totally understand him. Loved it.

I enjoyed this book even more than I had anticipated, so much so that I read it in one day! The story really got going once Sven moved to Spitzbergen and his character was allowed to become more evident. I found the characters to be believable for the time and even likable, despite their obvious weaknesses and faults. The only one who I found to be a bit annoying was Sven's niece. The life that is carefully described for any of the characters is far from easy, this is partly due to the environment, but also because of the social and global political situation, never the less, I was transported back one hundred years to a snow covered landscape and loved every moment of it.

During this pandemic, who hasn’t thought about removing to a more remote location, away from the risks of contamination..
I often think about moving to somewhere remote in the Scottish Highlands, where the scenery is rugged and the population sparse but the story of Sven living in the Arctic fjords of Svalbard makes me reconsider..
Early in his story, Stockholm Sven becomes a miner. After a landslide leaves him with one eye and very badly disfigured, he decides to remain in the remote hinterlands of Scandinavia to avoid the reactions of pity and horror at his appearance. He learns to become a trapper and builds his own hut.
I loved the setting and the descriptions of the snow clad mountains around a few clustered settlements. The characters were well drawn and imbued with a life that made the reader want to stay with them.
Everyone needs companionship, however, and the story is filled with warmth and joy when he interacts with visitors such as MacIntyre, Tapio, the Finnish socialist trapper and his niece and child, whom he brings up as his own daughter.
With a tale set between 1916 and 1946 and based around a real person, if you like Jack London or adventure stories of explorers in the polar wastes, then you will enjoy this.