Sven grows up in Stockholm and can't wait to leave. He is an introvert and lives the life of the mind, not finding fellow souls in his social circle. He leaves to take a mining contract in Svalbard but a cave-in leaves him disfigured and without an eye. Fleeing further, he first works as a cook for the miners and hunters and then with the help of a trapper, flees humanity for an isolated fjord where night comes for four months and people are not to be seen.

This then, is the story of Sven's isolation. He occasionally sees sailors bringing him supplies but can go months without a human face or voice. He has a dog for company and there is enough game that he need not ever go hungry. His friends write and sometimes send books and Sven is content.

Then one day a boat arrives and he is shocked to find his sister's daughter arriving with a baby. She is determined to stay with Sven and he agrees although he doesn't think for a minute she will be able to handle the isolation. But she stays for several years, finally going but leaving her child behind for Sven to raise.

This is a debut novel and I'm interested to see what the author will do next. This book is based on a true story of a man who lived in isolation for almost his entire life in the Artic Circle. Few of us can imagine such a life although the recent shutdown due to covid gave many of us a taste of it. We now read stories of how depression has risen in our young people due to that isolation and most had their families around them so it is hard to imagine how Sven handled this for years of his life. This book is recommended for readers of literary fiction.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy!

Unfortunately, this was not for me. I was unable to get past the first few chapters. I believe this is just an issue of my taste not aligning with the story. I recommend others try it!

The memoirs of Stockholm Sven is one of those books that you can't believe is a debut. Personally, books set in the Arctic/Alaska/Scandinavian countries have always fascinated me. People thought my husband and I were crazy to take a trip to Iceland in March, but I wanted to feel that cold, I wanted to see how it is in the harsh winter. I can tell you that it's beautiful, it's worth a trip, and it is nothing like the arctic world in this book. Sven has felt like an outsider for most of his life, always feeling the need to do something else, to find his place, but after a mining accident that leaves him disfigured, he eschews the everyday comforts of living in or near a city and learns how to trap and survive on his own in a barren wasteland. Yet he finds out it's not so barren after all, collecting a kind of family of misfits along the way. It's a very enjoyable read.

This book was a bit of a slow start for me, but my two favorite characters in the story were Charles and Tapio. Both were such wonderful examples of selfless friends who are there for you no matter what., giving of themselves constantly to help Sven, and then Helga and Skuld. We all need friends like those two! Ultimately I enjoyed the book more than I thought I would.

I loved the idea of this book, but it did not live up to the description for me. Ultimately I could not finish it. It was slow moving, and I felt no connection with Sven, or any characters. There was no drama. I realize that this may be someone else’s cup of tea, but not for me. Added it to my “Maybe later shelf.”

Sven lives in the Arctic, a solitary life that is rich because of a few incredible friends. He moves from Stockholm to one of the most remote outposts and then goes even further into the vast land of ice and darkness. He’s a man scarred by life who’s uncomfortable in society. But a few special men and an unexpected family member, fill his life with happiness.

The harshness of the environment is tangible – cold, dark, barren and rough. Sven is not daunted by the tundra, the ice and the threats from Mother Nature. He plods on and it is the warmth of his friends that sustain him. Then there’s also a dog who factors in to Sven’s solitary existence. Who can resist a loyal dog who enriches a man’s life and who breathes canine affection into the book itself.

Few books address the impact of having friends as this book does. These are not city neighbors or suburban friends but unique characters who stand out as true and loyal friends who share their survival techniques, their trapping skills and even their books. They are rich in their own humanity and the bond they share with Sven is what makes this book remarkable.

Loved reading this as a "wintry" read for January. Very interesting format, and unique setting. Interesting to see that this was based on rumors of a real man.

If I didn’t know better, I would think The Memoirs of Stockholm Sven was written in the mid-20th century, very close to the timing of the plot line itself. It has a sophisticated style that reminds one of formal works of fiction from European writers. The American, Nathaniel Ian Miller, is clearly a deft hand at transporting his readers through both time and space.
The book is detailed and paced exquisitely through the first four parts. The events build, and even when they are expected, they are told with a sensitivity and skill that keeps the pages turning.
I found myself genuinely liking Sven, MacIntyre, and Tapio. I can’t say the female characters are quite as successful; unfortunately, that is not unusual in a man’s adventure-type story written by a man. Also, the story seems to drag just a bit in the final part.
The positives far outweigh the negatives in this, Miller’s first novel. I look forward to seeing where his next one takes us.
Thank you to Nathaniel Ian Miller; Little, Brown, & Co.; and NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

<i> Memories of Stockholm Sven<i/> is a fictional story about love between family and friends and how it survives time, physical separation, and even the harshest climatic conditions. <i> Memories of Stockholm Sven<i/> is the debut novel for newspaper and magazine journalist Nathaniel Ian Miller.

Sven Ormson is a frustrated scholar who is relegated to menial jobs in mills. He tries mining, but due to a near fatal accident he is disfigured and decides to confine himself to a life of isolation in a remote fjord in the Arctic. With a loyal dog, he builds a hut and lives alone. The teachings of a Finnish fur trapper, a Scottish geologist and letters from his sister Olga help him survive his first winter. After years of isolation, an unexpected visitor from his past helps Sven build a family of misfits where he finally finds the benefits of love in his life.

Miller does a masterful job of knitting all of the characters together in this story. Many of the people are misfits but they appreciate the company those who choose similar lifestyles. They look after each other in a hands-off sort of way, but are always there when needed.

I enjoy the way the story is narrated by Sven. He always seems to in awe of events around him, almost as if he himself is only watching rather than participating. It brings a certain quaint narrative to an otherwise harsh existence. Being introduced to the danger and beauty of the Arctic is a unique aspect of the novel.

The story is slow at times and I occasionally wonder how to continue. However, by the end, when looking at the book as a whole, I love the story and the characters. Even now after finishing the book, I often wonder how they are doing.

I recommend this story to those who like adventure and unique storylines. I give it a 4 on 5. I want to thank NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for providing me with a digital copy of this novel. I provide this review voluntarily.

This is my favorite type of history fiction. I learned so much about something I didn't know about, and I also couldn't stop turning the pages. Can't recommend this enough!

A strange and striking novel of solitary existence in the most unforgiving of landscapes. And yet it’s full of tenderness and affection, largely unspoken but very real, for people and animals. Visual and original.

Sven is 32 years old and isn't interested in working in the mills or even drinking in the pub like many other men his age. Instead, Sven would rather be alone, in his room reading. His tastes are broad but he especially enjoys reading about polar geography and exploration. It seems an ideal place for a man seeking solitude.. When he hears that miners are wanted in Spitsbergen Sven signs on to begin a new life. Along the way he meets a cadre of people who will ultimately help him survive physical trauma and teach him the skills to survive in a harsh, unforgiving atmosphere. Each character is wonderfully drawn and come alive on the page.
This is a marvelous book! Descriptions of the landscape chill your bones, The violence of mining towns is brutal and the solitude of the polar area isn't at all what Sven imagined. Ultimately, this is a story of friendship, family and compassion and learning to accept a helping hand.. It's adventure into the endurance of the human spirit.

Set in the 1900s, Sven leaves his life in Stockholm after realizing how unfulfilled he feels. He starts out as a miner but gives that up after a mining accident leaves him disfigured. He flees to an uninhabited fjord until a visitor arrives & changes the trajectory of his life.

I did find this one slow for most of it. However, when it was interesting, it was REALLY interesting. Parts had me laughing out loud, and other parts had me feeling emotional for Sven. The settings were so unique, as his life leads him to many isolated parts of Nordic countries that I am generally unfamiliar with. I did find it difficult to connect with all the characters, which is what led me to the 3 stars. Thanks to @hachette.audio, @netgalley, @littlebrown and @librofm for my review copies.

While I enjoy historical fiction and literary fiction, this book did not capture my attention as much as I had hoped. I read the first third and enjoyed the character development and getting to know Sven and see what he would do next. The pacing of the book was a bit too slow for me and I didn't feel like it was getting anywhere fast enough.

The Arctic had a way of reminding you that your life was unimportant, expendable, and easily extinguished.

The Memoirs of Stockholm Sven by Nathaniel Ian Miller
Sven 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.

I received this from Netgalley.com.

"Sven Ormson begins his life of true isolation when he builds a small hut on the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard, one of the most remote inhabitable areas in the Arctic circle."

I liked Sven, he is both witty and acrimonious. The descriptions of living in the Artic were interesting as well as the wildlife and Sven's daily struggle to live in such an inhospitable, remote area.

3.25☆

I loved this book! It felt like City of Thieves to me in terms of tone - sort of straightforward writing that will make you laugh out loud and the quirkiest characters to fall in love with. I'll be reading this again! and it will def be on my top ten of 2021.

Confession - I am an armchair/sofa/futon/lying in bed traveler. The world is such a vast, marvelous place full of almost innumerable unique places to discover. The Memoirs of Stockholm Sven by Nathaniel Ian Miller took me on another such journey, this time to the remote Arctic archipelago that is Svalbard. Many thanks to Little, Brown and Company and NetGalley for making this available to me to read and review.

As the title suggests, Sven was born in Stockholm; yet he never truly fit in in this city of his birth, or even with his family, for that matter, but for one sister. In 1916, he departs Stockholm for Svalbard to work for two years as a miner, but life, or fate, has a way of making things happen. He's horribly injured in an avalanche in the mine he is working in, which results in his becoming disfigured. He can no longer work as a miner, but cannot stomach staying in this place where people cannot stand to look at his face without disgust or pity, so he ventures to an even more remote location, where he meets a Finnish fur trapper who teaches him the trade. After some years, he has become accustomed to his life of solitude when the most unexpected of people arrive at his fjord, and with yet another twist, life will never be the same again.

Narrated in the first person by Sven himself, the reader is gifted with the unusual life story of an unusual man. The story is written with stunning beauty and depth, bringing to life Sven and even several minor characters, including the often inhospitable Arctic landscape. The "memoir" is quite like life itself, with many mountains and valleys. It subtly emphasizes how one can find love in even the farthest reaches of the planet, how utterly human we are, and how even the most solitary individual can benefit from companionship. Sven narrates with dry humor even in his darkest days and after the most brutal of life's blows. Although not packed to the brim with endless excitement, it's a tale that will nonetheless keep the reader checking back in for more, wondering what will happen to Sven next. Life will take him both farther and further than one might expect.

Recommend to fans of literary fiction. This one was quite enjoyable.