Status
Available
Publication
Puffin (1985), Edition: Reprint, 192 pages
Description
Two brothers share many adventures after their death when they are reunited in Nangiyala, the land where sagas come from.
User reviews
LibraryThing member AlCracka
I loaned this to a girlfriend and then she dumped me and then I called her house like every day all "GIVE ME MY BOOK BACK" until she finally left it outside my door so she wouldn't have to talk to me.
I was a pretty big fan of this book.
I was a pretty big fan of this book.
LibraryThing member anderlawlor
I had this subscription to Cricket magazine as a child and I read the first installment of this story and then my subscription ran out and because I was a kid in pre-internet times I couldn't figure out how to find the book. Or even that it was a book. Why didn't I just go to the library and get
Oh how I suffered, not knowing what happened to the two brothers who jumped out of their burning house to what seemed certainly to be their deaths.
Then in 2002, I was working at Dog Eared Books in San Francisco and someone brought this book in to sell. One of the best days of my life. It actually holds up to twenty years of longing.
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the next Cricket? Because that issue of Cricket was stolen from the library. Why didn't I do inter-library loan? Because I don't think they did that for ten year olds in 1981. Oh how I suffered, not knowing what happened to the two brothers who jumped out of their burning house to what seemed certainly to be their deaths.
Then in 2002, I was working at Dog Eared Books in San Francisco and someone brought this book in to sell. One of the best days of my life. It actually holds up to twenty years of longing.
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LibraryThing member surreality
Plot: A relatively complex story for a children's book, told at a good pace. The underlying tension never lets up, though it occasionally fades into the background. Difficult issues are thematized - oppression, the fight for freedom, suicide and loss - and give the book an overall serious
Characters: The characters are deftly sketched and develop throughout the book. The characterization is kept simple to suit the target audience, but goes beyond stereotypes. There's a surprisingly large number of minor characters for a relatively short tale.
Style: Simple enough to keep the book accessible to children, but without down-talking to them. The writing is polished, with beautiful prose and great descriptions of scenery. Atmosphere is built up and suits the scenes.
Plus: The story as a whole. Tackling the topics of death and loss in this way.
Minus: From an adult perspective it's too short.
Summary: A truly wonderful book that isn't only for children.
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atmosphere. The ending is both sad and reassuring, and truly moving. Characters: The characters are deftly sketched and develop throughout the book. The characterization is kept simple to suit the target audience, but goes beyond stereotypes. There's a surprisingly large number of minor characters for a relatively short tale.
Style: Simple enough to keep the book accessible to children, but without down-talking to them. The writing is polished, with beautiful prose and great descriptions of scenery. Atmosphere is built up and suits the scenes.
Plus: The story as a whole. Tackling the topics of death and loss in this way.
Minus: From an adult perspective it's too short.
Summary: A truly wonderful book that isn't only for children.
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LibraryThing member JaneBanks
The Brothers Lionheart by Hans Christian Anderson Medal winner, Astrid Lindgren, is a lovely work of children’s fantasy literature. It tells the epic tale of two young brothers who die in our world and enter the magical land of Nangiyala where they become the Brothers Lionheart. In this world
This story is told from the first person point of view through the eyes of the younger brother Karl, who adores his older brother Jonathan for his courage, kindness, and beauty, but has less faith in himself, often degrading himself for being small and scared. Throughout the fantastical journey we see Karl grow into a brave boy, as the entire tale comes full circle in an inspiring way. The whole book is a wonderful display of emotion. The beautiful connection the two young brothers share really touched me, and one of the illustrations was enough to bring me instantly to tears (I’m such a sap). This is an inspiring book for children, which teaches them the importance of being brave, doing your best, and doing the right thing.
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Karl isn’t sick anymore, and the brothers have their own cottage and horses and a stream for fishing and friendly neighbours and all things are wonderful. But they won’t stay that way for long. An evil warrior has taken over a neighbouring village and forced all its residents into slavery. Soon their own village will fall under the same hands, but not if the Brothers Lionheart can stop it. Here begins a magical adventure full of secrets and betrayal, courage and determination, monsters and evil men, and good friends and two brothers that share an endless unconditional love.This story is told from the first person point of view through the eyes of the younger brother Karl, who adores his older brother Jonathan for his courage, kindness, and beauty, but has less faith in himself, often degrading himself for being small and scared. Throughout the fantastical journey we see Karl grow into a brave boy, as the entire tale comes full circle in an inspiring way. The whole book is a wonderful display of emotion. The beautiful connection the two young brothers share really touched me, and one of the illustrations was enough to bring me instantly to tears (I’m such a sap). This is an inspiring book for children, which teaches them the importance of being brave, doing your best, and doing the right thing.
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LibraryThing member JapaG
Astrid Lindgren is among the best children's novelists (with Tove Jansson and her Moomins), and Veljeni Leijonamieli has to be counted among her best. It tells the story of two brothers, who meet after death in the fabled Nangijala, a place "of campfires and adventures". There they embark upon,
I love Lindgren's way of moving the story along with a fast pace. She has put into her 200 page book a fantasy tale which would take other writers at least three times that long. That makes her a great children's writer (not forgetting her beatiful writing, of course).
The only thing that bothered me a little was the side notion in the book that death could be an answer to life's difficulties. Some troubled children might take that notion a bit too seriously. At least parents should discuss this book with their children when they read it - but that is a mark of a good book as well, I think.
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surprise surprise, a huge adventure.I love Lindgren's way of moving the story along with a fast pace. She has put into her 200 page book a fantasy tale which would take other writers at least three times that long. That makes her a great children's writer (not forgetting her beatiful writing, of course).
The only thing that bothered me a little was the side notion in the book that death could be an answer to life's difficulties. Some troubled children might take that notion a bit too seriously. At least parents should discuss this book with their children when they read it - but that is a mark of a good book as well, I think.
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LibraryThing member ctpress
A wonderful story of brotherly love and self-sacrifice, by swedish children-story-author Astrid Lindgren - it has all the elements of a fantasy, with a dark evil lord, a heroic people who stands against the dictator, a dragon, a dungeon, a traitor.
It can be disturbing for some children as the
I'm not so sure about the ending. In a way I like it as it holds on to the christian idea of heaven (at least in some part, I think) - but it's also a disturbing and somehow unsatisfying ending....
It can be disturbing for some children as the
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novel opens with the death of two boys - that end up in this heavenlike land Nangiyala. So there's a lot of questions the children might ask about heaven here!!!!I'm not so sure about the ending. In a way I like it as it holds on to the christian idea of heaven (at least in some part, I think) - but it's also a disturbing and somehow unsatisfying ending....
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LibraryThing member kk1
A nice, nostalgic bedtime read.
Actually big hit with J (age 8). Read it to himself lots since, and when I woke him up the other morning, he said Traitor (who?) XXXXX so must have been dreaming about it too.
Actually big hit with J (age 8). Read it to himself lots since, and when I woke him up the other morning, he said Traitor (who?) XXXXX so must have been dreaming about it too.
LibraryThing member debnance
Karl is dying. His older brother, Jonathan, comforts him with stories about the hereafter, a place he names as Nangiyala. Oddly, Jonathan dies first and Karl goes a little later. They arrive in Nangiyala, but it is a place of treachery and deceit. Jonathan and Karl have several adventures and then
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die again, this time headed for a new and better afterlife. Show Less
LibraryThing member starbox
This book has the most brilliant beginning. Narrator Karl is ten, living in poverty in yesteryear Sweden...and he's dying. The moment when he overhears this fact, the terror and sadness are allayed by his wonderful older brother promising him a wonderful time 'on the other side'. But this fabled
(Spoiler alert) Yet things don't quite work out that way; after a house fire, in which the elder 'Lionheart' brother, Jonathan, saves his invalid sibling's life, it is in fact he who arrives there first. When Karl eventually meets him, it is in a glorious land, but one ravaged by an evil force...
A bit CS Lewis, but the reader can't help seeing similarities with the rise of Nazism: evil overlords in helmets building walls, enforcing curfews, issuing death sentences and despoiling the villagers; locals turning traitor...albeit with dragons, sea serpents etc adding to the drama.
Certainly a religious sub-text, which the reader can engage with or ignore.
And an absolutely brilliant and beautiful ending, which takes the reader (who thinks all is now well) entirely by surprise. Fabulous!
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other world is no land of angels and harps, but an adventurous world of sagas and campfires, the land of Nangiyala.(Spoiler alert) Yet things don't quite work out that way; after a house fire, in which the elder 'Lionheart' brother, Jonathan, saves his invalid sibling's life, it is in fact he who arrives there first. When Karl eventually meets him, it is in a glorious land, but one ravaged by an evil force...
A bit CS Lewis, but the reader can't help seeing similarities with the rise of Nazism: evil overlords in helmets building walls, enforcing curfews, issuing death sentences and despoiling the villagers; locals turning traitor...albeit with dragons, sea serpents etc adding to the drama.
Certainly a religious sub-text, which the reader can engage with or ignore.
And an absolutely brilliant and beautiful ending, which takes the reader (who thinks all is now well) entirely by surprise. Fabulous!
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LibraryThing member WeeTurtle
A fairly serious children's book that has parallels with real life and was under some controversy for it. The books opens with our introduction to the younger of two brother, who is sickly, and his older brother, adored by everyone. (Spoiler) Both brothers die and the bulk of the story is their
It's a lovely book, but feels dark at times because of the atmosphere of war happening in the land of the afterlife. It's difficult to describe, but as a books it manages to be both happy and sad at the same time, charming in it's way, but feels very down to earth for a story told in an imaginary land. Jonathan is the ideal hero and little Karl tries to help him confront the evil they find in the land of the Sagas.
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adventure in the afterlife.It's a lovely book, but feels dark at times because of the atmosphere of war happening in the land of the afterlife. It's difficult to describe, but as a books it manages to be both happy and sad at the same time, charming in it's way, but feels very down to earth for a story told in an imaginary land. Jonathan is the ideal hero and little Karl tries to help him confront the evil they find in the land of the Sagas.
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LibraryThing member electrascaife
A boy dies while saving his chronically ill little brother from a fire, and the younger one follows him in death soon after. They find themselves in an afterlife world just as the older boy had described in tales to the younger, and they fight on the side of good against the evil tyrant of the
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land. It's a sweet story and very well told, and I very much enjoyed it right up to the ending, which make me deeply uncomfortable. The close relationship between the boys is lovely up to a point, but I'm troubled by the message sent to young readers at the end. Vague, I know, but, well, spoilers. Show Less
LibraryThing member bookwyrmm
A very unique children's fantasy about life after death.
LibraryThing member AKBouterse
"You can be envious and still be a good man at the same time."
Re-reading this wonderful book was really great. This is one of the first books I remember reading that really transported me to another world. When my teacher read this book to my class, everyone was completely absorbed in the story.
Re-reading this wonderful book was really great. This is one of the first books I remember reading that really transported me to another world. When my teacher read this book to my class, everyone was completely absorbed in the story.
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We stopped class for a whole day to finish this book. I felt that same felling reading it even now. This book has a wonderful tale to tell that it conveys through dark themes, unlike other children's books. I'm really glad I read this again because I feel like this book, like other important books helped shape me into the person I am today. I think about this book and its message a lot and if you decided to read this I can almost guarantee you will feel the same way. Show Less
Subjects
Awards
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1975
Physical description
192 p.; 5.08 inches
ISBN
0140319557 / 9780140319552