The Summer Book : A Novel

フィンランド湾に浮かぶ小さな島で一緒に夏を過ごしていた高齢の芸術家と6歳の孫娘。
年の離れた二人の友情は、島の人々だけではなく、島そのものをも包みこんでいきます。
明晰で感傷的な文体で書かれ、ユーモアと知恵に満ちた『サマーブック』は、人生を深く肯定する物語です。

トーベ・ヤンソンは、この本の中に彼女自身の人生と精神の多くを捉えています。
エスター・フロイトによる序文と、パンデミックの最中に祖母になった時点で島に戻ったソフィア・ヤンソン（「ソフィア」のモデルとなっている）によるあとがきが付いています。

この物語は2022年に出版50周年を迎え、グレン・クローズ主演で映画化が進められています。世界中の読者に愛され、批評家や作家たちからも高い評価を受けています。
邦題「少女ソフィアの夏」（講談社）

The Summer Book : A Novel
by Tove Jansson (Author)
Format:Paperback / softback 192 pages
Publisher:Sort of Books
Imprint:Sort of Books
ISBN:9780954221713
Published:29 May 2003
Weight:222g
Dimensions:199 x 133 x 12 (mm)
Pub. Country:United Kingdom

Description
Celebrating 50 years of Tove Jansson's classic, bestselling novelFeatured in the BBC 2 Between the Covers Bookclub Special (Eurovision series 2023)'Distils the essence of summer' Robert Macfarlane'Magical, life-affirming' Elizabeth Gilbert The Worldwide Classic about a tiny island and larger love. An elderly artist and her six-year-old grand-daughter while away a summer together on a tiny island in the gulf of Finland. As the two learn to adjust to each other's fears, whims and yearnings, a fierce yet understated love emerges - one that encompasses not only the summer inhabitants but the very island itself.

Written in a clear, unsentimental style, full of brusque humour, and wisdom, The Summer Book is a profoundly life-affirming story. Tove Jansson captured much of her own life and spirit in the book, which was her favourite of her adult novels. With a foreword by Esther Freud and an afterword by Sophia Jansson (on whom the child 'Sophia' is based) who returns to the island during the pandemic at the point of becoming a grandmother herself.

Includes a 15pp epilogue by Tove's niece Sophia Jansson - the inspiration for 'Sophia' - on a personal and moving return to the island. 'Eccentric, funny, wise, full of joys and small adventures. This is a book for life.' Esther Freud'Tove Jansson was a genius.

This is a marvellous, beautiful, wise novel, which is also very funny.' Philip Pullman