While dreaming of a Scandinavian travel, you can get your fill of inspiring books about this atmospheric region. From the Nordic Noir crime thrillers to thoughtful classics, you will find more than enough options to enhance your knowledge and cure wanderlust. And now that you are ready to discover this atmospheric region, check the top 7 books written about Scandinavia below.
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The Millennium Trilogy by Stieg Larsson
Nordic Noir has become an independent genre of itself, while the Millennium Trilogy is one of its most famous representatives. This hugely popular series of books by Swedish author Stieg Larsson needs no introduction. Even if you don’t know the book, you have definitely heard about the movie with the same name.
The trendy Södermalm district of Stockholm is the location for the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series. Its psychologically unstable heroine, genius computer hacker Lisbeth Salander, starts the war against corrupt politicians, human traffickers, and sex abusers by using the most violent and extreme methods. While following the protagonists’ footsteps, you feel involved in the guided walking tour of Södermalm.
The Almost Nearly Perfect People by Michael Booth
Finding a really good book written about Scandinavian culture is not an easy thing to do. The Almost Nearly Perfect People written by Michel Booth has changed the situation for good. Instead of relying on the second opinion, the author explores the local cultures of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland using his own observations. While describing the great things about living in these countries, he tries to be objective. Even more importantly, he tries to be funny and sarcastic by reminding us that shit also happens in the Scandinavian region.
The Wallander detective series by Henning Mankell
Troubled police officer Kurt Wallander, the protagonist of this series of books, explores racism, crime, and corruption in the Swedish society. Every story goes through the prism of the detective’s battles against his own demons. The murder mysteries are set in the small town of Ystad, the suburbs of Skane in southern Sweden. Thus, the reader is given an opportunity to take a cycle tour to Ales Stenar, namely the place Wallander goes when he needs time to think.
The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson
The author describes the adventures of Allan Karlsson, the man who decides to leave a care home and wants to get more from life on his hundredth birthday. By following his hapless journey, we realize that this feisty old man’s background is more interesting than it seems. The narration takes place in Malmköping, a small town in Sweden. This location encourages atmospheric descriptions of the local beauty and funny moments with some of the modern leaders.
The Harry Hole Thrillers by Jo Nesbo
Jo Nesbø is one of the most popular Scandinavian mystery writers. His series of stories is considered to be among the world’s best-selling crime fiction works. The narration is focused on Harry Hole, a Norwegian detective with a messy private life who manages to solve a bunch of grisly crimes. Detailed descriptions of Oslo reflect a mysterious atmosphere in all 12 books in the series. Thus, the reader can explore the darkest sides of the city without actually seeing them.
The Summer Book by Tove Jansson
While Nordic writing is better known for its thrillers and mysteries, it still has something to offer to romantics. The Summer Book written by Tove Jansson is a lovely story about the relationship between a prickly old woman and her six-year-old granddaughter Sophia. After her mother’s death, the young girl has to spend the whole summer with her grandmother, who lives alone on the remote island in the Pellinge archipelago in the Gulf of Finland. While the accent is made on feelings and emotions rather than actions, the location aims to show the inner tranquility of the major characters. Throughout the narration, both Sophia and her grandmother begin to understand each other and bond through the prism of their love for the island.
Nordic: A Photographic Essay of Landscapes, Food and People Hardcover by Magnus Nilsson
A selection of Magnus Nilsson’s photographs aims to demonstrate the Scandinavian beauty in all its expressions. The author has been taking photographs for more than twenty years, so he has lots of interesting information about Nordic people and local culture to share with us. Being a famous chef and sommelier in Sweden, Nilsson pays special attention to the Scandinavian cuisine.
Top 7 Books Written About Scandinavia – The Bottom Line
As they say, it doesn’t take much to fall in love with Scandinavia. One book can be enough to spark a fascination with this region. Hopefully, the Scandinavian authors will provide you with the great start of a new reading journey.
Top 7 Books Written About Scandinavia, written sxclusively for Daily Scandinavian by Amanda Dudley. Amanda is a top-level editor at EssayUSA. Her experience as a writer has given her the required expertise to work on complicated tasks. Amanda also heads a team of professional writers dedicated to providing unparalleled quality in terms of content.
Feature image (on top): Photo by Priscilla Du Preez / Unsplash