Il meraviglioso viaggio di Nils Holgersson, The Wonderful Adventures of Nils Holgersson by Selma Lagerlof

Il meraviglioso viaggio di Nils Holgersson  , The Wonderful Adventures of Nils Holgersson by Selma Lagerlof is one of the latest and most waited books released by Iperborea Italian publishing house dedicated to North European literature for adults and children.

When I read that they would have released a new version of Nils Holgersson this time completed (I didn't know that my version of 30 and more years ago wasn't completed!) I jumped on my chair.
I read Nils Holgersson many times! when I was little and per months I kept close to me religiously that book presented to me during Christmas.

Nils Holgersson during my childhood age was one of my favorite companions of fantasy thanks also to a beautiful and very well done cartoon.

All my family I remember loved to watch it. Living in a countryside the messages Nils wanted to communicate strong and at the same time understandable to everyone.

This little blond Swedish teenager is transformed one day in a little elf because of an enchantment created for exasperation by the little elf of Holgersson's family.

I just hope you believe in these elves.

They're little creatures and probably you won't never see them.
They live in every house and it depends by the kind of elf you have, they pretend to let you smile with some tricks An example? When a fork falls without explanation from the table, or the door slam but there's no wind. They add a touch of humor in your life.

They are more silent when in a house there are problems. They become meditative.

The little guardian of mr Holgersson's farm lived with this family from a long time being helpful in various ways.

Nils, at home for reading the Sunday Sermon, sees this strange creature and rude as he is with every other creature, he tries all his best for upsetting him.

Pity that the revenge of this little magical creature is the miniaturization of Nils.
Nils doesn't know what to do, and he tries to see if he can sort out this mess.
No: it's impossible. He won't return to be a normal teenager so soon. Now: what to do?

Nils understands a thing: that the enchantment of the little elf left him the possibility of understands what the other creatures says him.
Cows, ducks, he understands every language and he can interacts with them with extreme simplicity being understood.
I can tell you that no one of that animals could tolerate this boy because too rude with them and his parents as well.

Wild ducks passes at some point directed to Lapland calling domestic ducks for joining them.
One of the domestic ducks of mr Holgersson's farm "accepts" the invite: Marten. Why not?

Nils doesn't want to permit that this duck leaves their farm and tries to stop Marten. At the same time he starts to flying with Marten and the rest of the wild ducks in the blue sky.

An amazing, free, wonderful, enchanting trip this one where freedom, open spaces, interaction with the most beautiful, and wild nature is lived in a daily base.

Nils and these ducks will live a lot of confrontations, perils, but there is an extraordinary touch of magic as well with peculiar and beautiful stories.

The dimension of dream is incredible like also the one of travel lived not just like a wanted experience.

Nils didn't want to go anywhere, Nils was just a selfish boy and the desperation of his parents and all farm's animals.

Travel in Nils Holgersson is the discovery of his self. Travel in this book means solidarity, friendship, winning diffidence with real acts of courage and friendship.The one of old duck Akka is a real  community that helps each other. At the end of this travel, we will see Nils' spiritual and human growth. A best teenager for everyone, parents and animals.

Nils Holgersson remains in the story of Sweden and North European Literature, - personally also in my personal story as a child - one of the most beloved classic and a character respected by everyone.

From transportation to coins, you can find Nils and his portentous, young, fresh in every sense message resonating everywhere in Sweden.

Nils speaks of nature and respect for nature, respect for all human being and animals, and important lessons learned for becoming a great good man thanks to the most extraordinary wonderful adventure someone can dream to live!

Highly recommended to everyone, children and adults. Children must return to dream with healthy stories and classics are the most stunning starts. Adults shouldn't never lose the dimension of dream.

There are special sections dedicated at parents and relatives for reading aloud passages of this book.

But...

If you can read all this book, some portion per time every evening to your children when they go to bed it's better. Don't worry because they won't never lose interest and their night dreams will be populated  by beautiful distant lands populated by animals, forests, green.

I thank Iperborea for the physical copy of one of my most beloved children's books.



Anna Maria Polidori