Fantasy and reality of literary fairy tales by Lindgren. Fantasy in fairy tales by Astrid Lindgren

Formation of creative views of Astrid Lindgren Astrid Lindgren strid Lindgren November 14, 1907 January 28, 2002 Stockholm Swedish writer. Lindgren was born into a farming family in an old red house deep in an apple orchard. But Lindgren was in no hurry to publish the story.

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Formation of creative views by Astrid Lindgren

Astrid Lindgren (November 14, 1907 January 28, 2002, Stockholm), Swedish writer. Stories for children “Pippi Longstocking” (1945-52), about the Kid and Carlson (1955-68), “Rasmus the Tramp” (1956), about Emil from Lenneberga (1963-1970), “The Lionheart Brothers” ( 1979), “Ronya, the Robber’s Daughter” (1981) are imbued with humanism. The fantastic adventures of her heroes, distinguished by spontaneity, inquisitiveness and mischief, take place in the real world with its acute contradictions.

Lindgren was born into a family of farmers “in an old red house in the depths of an apple orchard.” Even at school, they prophesied her future as a writer, calling her “the Seventh Lagerlöf from Vimmerby”; She promised herself not to write, just so as not to be like someone. In 1941, her daughter fell ill and, when her mother had used up her entire supply of stories, she asked, calling an unexpectedly strange name: “Tell me about Pippi Longstocking.” The unusual name forced us to come up with the most unusual heroine. But Lindgren was in no hurry to publish the story.

In 1944, she herself fell ill and processed her oral stories, giving one copy to her daughter and sending the second to the publishing house. As Lindgren had hoped, the publishing house, shocked by the extraordinary character and abilities of the heroine, who can lift a horse with one hand and eat a whole cake at once, and, in addition, laughs at benefactors and generally behaves amazingly, rejected the manuscript. But in 1945, Lindgren received a prize for the book Britt-Marie's Lighthearted Heart, and then the following year the revised version of Pippi was also removed. “The Adventures of the Famous Investigative Officer Kalle Blumkvist” (1946) was the next book to be awarded again.

Lindgren became a professional writer. She believed that her childhood gave her the material that later became part of her works. The tramps who repeatedly asked her parents to stay overnight made her think already in childhood that not all people have their own roof; their stories expanded her worldview and taught her to see that the world is populated not only by good people. The theme of the struggle between good and evil, one of the leading ones in her works, was born even then. The writer believed that “you can’t sit and invent stories. You need to immerse yourself in your own childhood.” Only then can you write something that will awaken the child’s imagination. And she considered this the most important task of literature, unique to it, because neither cinema nor television leave much room for imagination.

Imagination, Lindgren rightly believed, is the most important ability of humanity, “after all, everything great that has ever appeared in this world was born first in the human imagination.” In addition, a book for children should develop children's faith in the ability to create a miracle, in its very existence. But the miracle in Lindgren’s works is always born from reality itself, as in the story about the Kid and Carlson, who lives on the roof.

Lindgren did not openly express her program, but tried with her creativity to promote the democratization of social relations, she wanted to see a world without war, where children would not suffer. She wrote for children, and therefore her ideas take on a form that is accessible to children's understanding. So, in the fairy tale “Mio, my Mio!” the hero opposes the evil knight Kato, and brother Lionheart fights against the tyrant Tengil. In Lindgren's works, about medieval times, we are talking not only about the struggle between good and evil, as in all fairy tales of all times. In the features of the enemies of the writer’s positive heroes and in the descriptions of the countries they rule, features of fascism clearly appear, and the characters themselves are similar to modern Swedes.

Specifics of Lindgren's fairy tale craftsmanship

The specificity of Lindgren's fairy-tale mastery lies in the fact that she created fairy tales where real modern boys and girls suddenly acquire fairy-tale properties, like the poor, abandoned girl Pippi, or live a double life in an ordinary city in Sweden in the 20th century. with a telephone, going to school like a Kid; with poverty and misadventures, like Brother Lionheart; with orphanhood, like Mio; at the same time, they have a second world - fairy-tale, fantastic.

Here they are either powerful and heroic themselves (Mio, brother Lionheart), or have assistants and friends endowed with supernatural powers, like the Kid, whose friend Carlson becomes. Fairy-tale heroes of the past flew on magic carpets, in flying chests, etc. Children of the 20th century, familiar with the aircraft of our time, guess the motors, propellers, and control buttons. Lindgren's fiction itself is a world created by the imagination of a contemporary child. Carlson's ideas, for example, are pranks that are possible for an ordinary child with a developed imagination. Lindgren never moralizes. She forces her little readers to see the bad in the examples available to them. The writer's gentle humor creates a special kind atmosphere, where there is no opportunity for the triumph of the evil principle.

However, Lindgren did not abandon trolls, elves, brownies or the spiritualization of the forces of nature, mountains or objects, but she combines this traditionally fantastic with a change in reality through children's fantasy. In her fairy tales, Lindgren followed G.K. Andersen, who knew how to tell amazing stories about ordinary objects, for S. Lagerlöf, who combined in one work a textbook about the nature of Sweden, the real life of the little boy Nils and the story of a flock of geese. However, it does not repeat its predecessors. Lindgren, introducing the reader into the circle of fantasies and emotions of a child, teaches adults to respect his inner world and see him as a person.

The main characters of fairy tales by Astrid Lindgren

Lindgren's largest works are fairy tales: “Pippi Longstocking” (“Boken om Pippi Langs-trump”, 1945-1946), “Mio, my Mio” (1954), “Baby and Carlson, who lives on daxy” (“ Lillebror och Karlsson pa Taket”, 1955 - 1968), “The Lionheart Brothers” (“Brodema Lejon-hjarta”, 1973), as well as stories for children and youth “The Adventures of the Famous Investigator Kalle Blomqvist” (“Masterdetektiven Blomqvist lever farligt”, 1946-1953), “Rasmus the Tramp” (“Rasmus pa Luffen”, 1956) and the trilogy about Emil from Lonneberga (“Emil in Lonneberga”, 1963-1970). Lindgren did not openly express her program, but with her creativity she wanted to contribute to the democratization of social relations, she wanted to see a world without war, where children suffer. She wrote for children, and therefore his ideas take on a form accessible to children's understanding. Thus, in the fairy tale-story “Mio, my Mio!” The hero opposes the evil knight Kato, and the Lionheart brothers fight against the tyrant Tengil. In Lindgren’s works, which use medieval props, we are talking not only about the eternal struggle between good and evil, as in all fairy tales of all times.In the features of the opponents of the writer's positive heroes and in the descriptions of the countries they rule, features of fascism are clearly visible, and the characters themselves are similar to modern Swedes.

The specificity of Lindgren's fairy-tale mastery lies in the fact that she created fairy tales, fairy tales, where real modern boys and girls suddenly acquire fairy-tale properties, like the poor, abandoned girl Pippi, or live a double life in an ordinary city in Sweden in the 20th century. with a telephone, going to school, like the Kid, with poverty and deprivation, like the Lionheart brothers; with orphanhood, like Mio; time they have another world - fabulous, fantastic. Here they are either powerful and heroic themselves (Mio, take Lionheart), or they can have assistants and friends endowed with supernatural powers, like the Kid, whose friend Carlson becomes. Fairy-tale heroes of the past flew on flying carpets, flying chests, etc. Children of the 20th century, familiar with the aircraft of our time, come up with engines, propellers, control buttons. Lindgren's fiction itself is a world created by the imagination of a contemporary child. Carlson's tricks, for example, are pampering, which an ordinary child with a developed imagination would be afraid of. Lindgren never moralizes. She forces her little readers to see the bad in the examples available to them. The writer's gentle humor creates a special kind atmosphere, where there is no opportunity for the triumph of evil.

The inevitability of the final victory of good is also inherent in Lindgren's stories for youth, and their heroes are the same dreamers as the heroes of fairy tales. Kalle Blumkvist imagines himself as a famous investigator and plays the War of the Scarlet and White Roses with his friends. Rasmus the Tramp idealizes the life of homeless beggars. Lindgren, in stories about real events, also educates his readers: the War of the Scarlet and White Roses is waged between friends according to the rules of highly interpreted chivalry, it is full of the inexhaustible ingenuity of teenagers, destroys obstacles to the state; Rasmus understands the true nature of the tramps. However, Lindgren did not abandon trolls, elves, brownies or the spiritualization of the forces of nature, mountains or objects, but this traditionally fantastic is combined in her with a change in reality through children's fantasy. In her fairy tales, Lindgren followed G.K. Andersen, who knew how to tell amazing stories about simple subjects, for S. Lagerlöf, who combined in one work a textbook about the nature of Sweden, the real life of a little boy Nils and the story of a flock of geese. However, it does not repeat its predecessors. Lindgren, introducing the reader into the circle of fantasies and emotions of a child, teaches adults to respect his inner world and see him as a person.

Pippi Longstocking is the central character in a series of books by Swedish writer Astrid Lindgren.

Pippi is a little red-haired, freckled girl who lives alone in the Chicken Villa in a small Swedish town with her animals: the monkey Mr. Nilsson and the horse. Pippi is the daughter of Captain Ephraim Longstocking, who later became the leader of the black tribe. From her father, Pippi inherited fantastic physical strength, as well as a suitcase with gold, which allows her to exist comfortably. Pippi's mother died when she was still a baby. Pippi is sure that she has become an angel and is looking at her from heaven (“My mother is an angel, and my father is a black king. Not every child has such noble parents”).

Pippi “adopts,” or rather invents, various customs from different countries and parts of the world: when walking, move backwards, walk down the streets upside down, “because your feet are hot when you walk on a volcano, and your hands can be put on mittens.”

Pippi's best friends are Tommy and Annika Söttergren, children of ordinary Swedish citizens. In the company of Pippi, they often get into trouble and funny troubles, and sometimes real adventures. Attempts by friends or adults to influence the careless Pippi lead nowhere: she does not go to school, is illiterate, familiar, and always makes up tall tales. However, Pippi has a kind heart and a good sense of humor.

Pippi Longstocking is one of Astrid Lindgren's most fantastic heroines. She is independent and does whatever she wants. For example, she sleeps with her feet on a pillow and her head under the blanket, wears multi-colored stockings when returning home, backs away because she doesn’t want to turn around, rolls out dough right on the floor and keeps a horse on the veranda.

She is incredibly strong and agile, even though she is only nine years old. She carries her own horse in her arms, defeats the famous circus strongman, scatters a whole company of hooligans, breaks off the horns of a ferocious bull, deftly throws out of her own house two policemen who came to her to forcibly take her to an orphanage, and with lightning speed throws two of them onto a closet. smashed the thieves who decided to rob her. However, there is no cruelty in Pippi's reprisals. She is extremely generous towards her defeated enemies. She treats the disgraced police officers with freshly baked heart-shaped gingerbread cookies. And she generously rewards the embarrassed thieves, who have worked off their invasion of someone else's house by dancing with Pippi the Twist all night, with gold coins, this time honestly earned.

Pippi is not only extremely strong, she is also incredibly rich. It costs her nothing to buy “a hundred kilos of candy” and a whole toy store for all the children in the city, but she herself lives in an old dilapidated house, wears a single dress, sewn from multi-colored scraps, and a single pair of shoes, bought for her by her father “for growing up.” .

But the most amazing thing about Pippi is her bright and wild imagination, which manifests itself in the games she comes up with, and in amazing stories about different countries where she visited with her captain dad, and in endless pranks, the victims of which are idiots. adults. Pippi takes any of her stories to the point of absurdity: a mischievous maid bites guests on the legs, a long-eared Chinese man hides under his ears when it rains, and a capricious child refuses to eat from May to October. Pippi gets very upset if someone says that she is lying, because lying is not good, she just sometimes forgets about it.

Pippi is a child's dream of strength and nobility, wealth and generosity, freedom and selflessness. But for some reason the adults don’t understand Pippi. And the pharmacist, and the school teacher, and the circus director, and even Tommy and Annika’s mother are angry with her, teach her, educate her. Apparently this is why Pippi doesn’t want to grow up more than anything else:

“Grown-ups never have fun. They always have a lot of boring work, stupid dresses and cuminal taxes. And they are also stuffed with prejudices and all sorts of nonsense. They think that a terrible misfortune will happen if you put a knife in your mouth while eating, and so on.”

But “who said you need to become an adult?” No one can force Pippi to do what she doesn't want!

Books about Pippi Longstocking are full of optimism and constant faith in the very best.

And the last thing that needs to be said is about the influence of Astrid Lindgren on Russian children's literature. It should be admitted that the very existence of the wonderful books of the Swedish writer raised the bar of quality in children's literature, changed the attitude towards children's books as second-class literature, the creation of which does not require excessive efforts from the writer, as long as it is coherent and funny (and edifying). Of course, Astrid Lindgren was not alone in this struggle for a good children's book, but her authority and personal example contributed greatly to strengthening the high standards for literature for children.

Astrid Lindgren left an amazing legacy of talented and diverse modern children's literature, which - and this is no exaggeration - came from her books. Thank you to her for this wonderful magical gift to all of us.

Astrid Lindgren's books are also good because you want to return to them, you want to reread them not only as a child, but as an adult. These are fairy tales and at the same time these are stories about children, those who live in the neighboring yard. There is nothing fantastic about them, they just know how to dream, fantasize, and see things that are inaccessible to adults.

List of used literature

Astrid Lindgren. Pippi Longstocking / translation by N. Belyakova, L. Braude and E. Paklina. St. Petersburg: Azbuka, 1997
Braude L. Astrid Lindgren for children and youth // Children's literature, 1969. M., 1969. P. 108.
Lindgren A. Pippi Longstocking. Petrozavodsk: Karelia, 1993.
Uvarova I. What’s new in the theater for children // Theater. 1968. No. 8. P. 23.

Children in the works of Astrid Lindgren (on the example of the works “Three Stories about the Kid and Carlson” and “Pippi Longstocking”)

The books by the famous Swedish writer A. Lindgren about Carlson and Pippi Longstocking can easily be called pedagogical. Why? In particular, because their plot is very close to the ordinary reality in which child readers live. Recognizing in books the features of his life, the similarities of his desires, character traits and actions with the motives and actions of the characters, the reader feels a tendency to think about his daily life, to comprehend it more deeply.
In "Baby and Carlson" "Pippi Longstocking" there are no adventures with dragons, wizards, or exploits. On the contrary, the main characters are the most ordinary children, or very similar to them. Of course, Carlson has outstanding qualities - he can fly and lives on the roof. But in his actions, he is no different from an ordinary elementary school child - he loves to play pranks, eat sweets, and quickly moves from one emotion to another.
Pippi is also an ordinary red-haired girl, although she has fantastic physical strength. Like many children, she does not like to study at school and breaks many school rules. Like Carlson, she interacts with typical children who do not have such abilities.
Next we will talk about two types of children's characters by A. Lindgren. These are unusual children (Carlson and Pippi), and ordinary ones (their friends).
Indeed, although Carleson's age is uncertain (he calls himself "a man in the prime of his life"), he can be considered exactly a child - in character, behavior and antics. It is interesting that Carlson’s shortcomings are shown in an exaggerated form; they seem to be deliberately stuck out and exaggerated in him. The writer clearly wanted to express a pedagogical idea: shortcomings are funny, we need to get rid of them. Someone might object: what if readers (children, of course), having read A. Lindgren’s stories, themselves begin to imitate the heroes? Will they throw pots of flowers out of windows, cut up sheets to play ghosts, etc.? But let's figure out who Pippi and Carlson are.
So, who is Carlson? Despite all his unusualness, he is the embodiment of a child with all the characteristics of childhood. He personifies both typical childhood shortcomings and advantages. Yes, he lies, is capricious, gets offended over trifles, brags, overeats. But at the same time, he shows energy, cheerfulness, responsiveness, and selflessness. Carlson is contradictory, and this brings him closer to the real world.
How do readers perceive the stories of Carlson's adventures? Of course, children rather laugh at his actions; they just like to read about his mischief and pranks. But as they grow up, readers begin to laugh at Carlson’s qualities – at his boasting, lies, and gluttony. There is an understanding that all these are human weaknesses, his limitations. Laughing at Carlson, growing children laugh in a sense at themselves, at their own weaknesses and shortcomings. It becomes their “mirror” and helps them realize themselves as a person.
And this is very important, because it develops the ability to look at oneself critically, from the outside. Thus, fairy tales about Carlson educate through laughter and humor. And in the comical situations described by A. Lindgren, there is a seemingly invisible, but important pedagogical meaning. In addition, what you read in childhood affects the rest of your life. After all, childhood impressions are the most vivid and memorable. Thus, A. Lindgren’s books educate not only children, but also adults.
What can we say about Pippi Longstocking? Like Carlson, she has a cheerful and cheerful character, and symbolizes certain childish traits. Like Carlson, she comes up with fun games and punishes cheaters. By the way, the victories over swindlers and swindlers that are described in the books also carry an important pedagogical idea - the idea of justice. Although in a grotesque form, the victory of good over evil is shown.
Pippi does not attend school (attempts to force her to study end in failure), she is illiterate and familiar with adults. However, Pippi has a kind character, she is sympathetic and willing to help others.
The images of Carlson and Pippi embody the dream of freedom. After all, a person, including in childhood, tends to strive for liberation from various restrictions - social, everyday, personal. This dream is connected to the philosophy of freedom and the complex questions that it raises. For example, with the question of the boundaries between personal freedom and the freedom of another person, whether absolute freedom is possible and what restrictions are useful in order to get along with other people, etc.
A. Lindgren raises all these problems in the form of fairy tales. And thereby encourages readers, already in childhood, to begin to comprehend those topics with which he will inevitably deal in later, adult life. This was expressed especially clearly in the theme of loneliness. After all, in fact, both Carlson and Pippi are lonely children. They lack communication, so Carlson meets the Kid, and Pippi meets Tommy and Anika. Despite the freedom that the ability to fly and physical strength give (or rather, expand), “extraordinary children” need communication just as much as all people. And friendships are associated with responsibility for friends.
Lindgren endowed Carlson and Pippi with unusual abilities that set them apart from the rest and give them special advantages. She embodied in her books children's dreams of acquiring those qualities that would allow many desires to be fulfilled. But at the same time, Carlson’s ability to fly and Pippi’s super strength put them in special conditions and raised the question of how to manage these outstanding qualities. It would seem that “unusual children” could become “absolutely free” egoists, indifferent to the desires of other people. However, both Carlson and Peppy use their special abilities not only for themselves, but also to help ordinary children. Thus, in this literary device the writer expressed a very important, humanistic idea - the idea of altruism.
It is noteworthy that both Carlson and Peppy do not go to school. Meanwhile, their lack of basic school knowledge (for example, unfamiliarity with arithmetic) is specifically emphasized in several episodes. For example, in the third fairy tale about Carlson, the Kid tries to teach him addition using the example of the problem about apples. Carlson's smug reaction and lack of understanding is so ridiculous that it evokes a clear understanding of the need for mathematics. And the description of such situations is also a kind of pedagogical technique...
In terms of their independence of thinking and decisive action in critical situations, Carlson and Pippi Longstocking can be called heroes. But these are not fantasy or science fiction heroes. These are precisely children's heroes, not just related to the world of children, but constituting a part of it. This is especially true for Carlson. You can remember with what ingenuity and courage he several times successfully resisted the swindlers Rula and Fila (when they were about to commit a robbery), or the story of the confrontation with Miss Bock. Pippi Longstocking also found herself forced to fight off burglars Bruiser Karl and Blom when they broke into her house. It can be assumed that it was not by chance that A. Lindgren decided to describe these stories in children's books. Stories about the fight against crime were supposed to have an educational effect on children's consciousness, orient the child to the need to fight the criminal world.
In her books, Lindgren also expressed certain psychological ideas. Let us recall, for example, Carlson’s favorite expressions: “It’s nothing, it’s an everyday matter” or “Calm, just calm!” This detached attitude towards troubles is very useful from a psychological point of view. A calm attitude towards problems that a person can develop in himself will help him in a difficult situation to gather strength and find the right solution. And also do not waste your energy and time, feeling sorry for yourself and scolding others. For example, the Kid's worries about the broken steam engine contrast sharply with Carlson's indifference - but also encourage thinking about the value of things. Do things have value in themselves - or is it we ourselves who give them this or that meaning? And if the reason is in our own attitude, then we can control our reactions and not waste our nerves.
In Pippi's desire to maintain her previous way of life, despite the attempts of adults to “socialize” her, one can also find a hidden meaning. Although adults (for example, school teachers) are trying to influence her, to make her an ordinary student, she refuses to obey. Although in an exaggerated form, this expresses the child’s right to his own unique individuality, the desire to be different from others.
Now let's talk about the second category of children in A. Lindgren's fairy tales. These are “ordinary children”, whose presence as characters is necessary both in plot and pedagogical terms.
Carlson's best friend is Baby (real name Svante), who dreams of having a dog. The baby lives in the most ordinary Swedish family, with his parents, older brother Bosse and sister Bethan. He is a well-mannered and polite boy, although sometimes he is stubborn. Thanks to his participation in Carlson's adventures, the Kid learns about the life of a big city. He realizes that in a world that previously seemed cheerful and joyful, there are both abandoned children and criminals. And if so, then it is necessary to develop a certain attitude towards all these non-standard phenomena for his life. And in this choice, the Kid agrees with his friend - they decide to help the child and resist the scammers.
Like his friends (Gunilla and Christer), the Kid embodies the average child, the children of ordinary people. And along with Tommy and Anika (Pippi's best friends) they are a necessary contrast. As they say, everything is learned by comparison - and the story about the communication of very different characters helps to highlight the outstanding qualities of each, his individuality.
Contrasts between “ordinary” and “extraordinary” children are found in situations that are closely related to the laws of social life. With their “subversive activities,” Carlson and Pippi disrupt the ordered adult world. These are individualists who do not recognize the authority and dictates of the collective. So, Pippi ridicules the “charity” of Miss Rosenblum, her caramels for the rich and warm stockings for the poor, the school system of rewards and punishments, Carlson does not recognize the “rules of decency”, addresses Uncle Julius and Miss Bokk as “you”, etc. .
At the same time, the secondary characters (Baby, Tommy and Annika) comprehend the world and themselves. When Carlson and Pippi are preparing to do something unusual (or doing it), they ask questions about the meaning, try to find justification for social prohibitions. For example, the Kid firmly declares to Carlson that theft is unacceptable, while simultaneously strengthening his beliefs on this matter.
How do “ordinary children” feel about the superpowers of “extraordinary” ones? They use them willingly. For example, the Kid willingly and repeatedly moves to the roof with the help of Carlson's propeller, and Tommy and Anika swim with Pippi on a boat. These details express a cherished childhood dream: to be able to do more than what is considered the limit of the possible - to fly, to easily lift enormous weights, to have wealth... But it is noteworthy that “ordinary children” do not idealize their friends. On the contrary, they are trying to exert an educational influence - the Kid explains to Carlson how to handle household appliances, Tommy and Anika persuade Pippi to go to school. Thus, A. Lindgren shows not the one-sided influence of some heroes on others, but their mutual influence. Of course, these attempts to influence do not always end in success. However, the process of communication itself is important, during which, for example, Carlson’s boasting and complacency, and Pippi Longstocking’s thirst for freedom are revealed. And knowing the motivation for the characters’ behavior, the reader gets the opportunity to better understand the reasons for their actions, evaluate them objectively - and also think about their own life...
In addition, thanks to the company of Carlson and Pippi, ordinary children often find themselves in funny situations and participate in various adventures. At the same time, they exhibit the traits of an ordinary law-abiding citizen: fear of breaking the rules, social taboos, and a tendency toward conservatism. And at the same time, they gradually change under the influence of their individualist friends. For example, the Kid stops obeying Miss Bok when Carlson demonstrates to him the possibility of disobedience, and gradually gets drawn into mischief. Tommy and Anika do the same, agreeing to participate in sea adventures with Pippi.
So, in A. Lindgren’s fairy tales, children act as bearers of different behavior options and express the most common traits of a child’s character. At the same time, thanks to the writer’s humor, negative qualities and actions look unattractive, and positive ones - as worthy of imitation. That is why A. Lindgren’s stories can be called not just entertaining, but entertaining and educational.

The best and most famous representative of the modern fairy tale genre in children's literature not only in Scandinavia, but throughout the world is Astrid Lindgren. Her books have been translated into more than 50 languages, including Russian.

The future writer grew up in a peasant family, on a farm in the province of Småland. A modest office worker from Stockholm, she entered literature in the late forties as an author of stories for children and youth. Among Lindgren's first books are Pippi Longstocking (1945), the trilogy The Famous Detective Kalle Blomkvist (1946), The Dangerous Life of Kalle

Blomkvist" (1951), "Kalle Blomkvist and Rasmus" (1953); "Mio, my Mio!" (1954). Then the trilogy about Malysh and Carlson, about Emil from Lenneberga, the books “The Lionheart Brothers” (1973), “Ronya, the Robber’s Daughter” (1981) were released. Lindgren's characters are known to children not only from books, but also from film adaptations and theatrical productions.

The Swedish writer diversified the genre palette of modern fairy tales, creating social, detective, adventure, heroic and romantic works. Close to folklore are her collection of fairy tales “Sunny Meadow” and the fairy tale “Mio, my Mio!”

The peculiarity of Lindgren's fairy tales is that she puts the child - the reader or the storyteller - in the place of the hero of the fairy tale. After all, children tend to play in others; they feel lonely and uncomfortable in the indifferent world of adults. From the fairy tale itself in its traditional understanding, what remains in the writer’s work is a kind of longing for this fairy tale, a thirst for magic. So, Prince Mio in reality is a foster child deprived of love and affection who wants to have a father. And it is in his fairy tale that he receives fatherly love, friendship, and the fulfillment of his cherished desires. The Kid felt just as lonely and unhappy, to whom the funny and good-natured, fat man Carlson, inexhaustible with inventions, began to fly, and the Lionheart brothers, moving from a painful everyday life to a magical land. But even in such a magical land, nothing comes for free. The writer forces her little heroes to make an effort, encourages them to take action, to take active action. This is exactly what happens to Prince Mio, who managed to defeat the evil knight Kato.

In the fairy tale “Mio, my Mio!” Nature itself also lives and acts. Animals, grass, trees, mountains help Mio and his friend. Captivating descriptions of nature make the modern storyteller related to Andersen and Topelius. Here are poplars with silvery leaves, their tops touching the very sky, so that the stars light up right on their tops. Here are marvelous snow-white horses with golden manes and hooves. Magic shepherd's flutes help friends in trouble, a spoon feeds itself, an invisibility cloak saves from persecution, that is, all folklore symbolism is evident here. And the old well whispers folk tales to the little heroes in the evenings. And at the same time, everyday life and reality are constantly mixed into the fabulous atmosphere. The boy Mio finds it difficult, scary, at times he despairs and cries, but still accomplishes his feat, becoming a real hero.

Lindgren's fairy tales differ from folklore sources in their greater psychologism and detailed development of characters. However, their endings, as in the story of Mio, lead to the traditional moral lesson: the victory over the evil knight was achieved through love and friendship.

Childhood, as the writer said in one of her interviews, is not an age, but a state of mind. Therefore, her fairy tales are addressed not only to children, but also to adults, and they speak to children in a serious, “adult” language. A similar attitude towards children, the ability to talk with them about important adult problems, is manifested in many of Lindgren’s works. Thus, the book “Brothers Lionheart” talks about the inevitability of death, about the loss of loved ones. Pippi leads the fight for justice: she is kind and resourceful, she knows how to protect the weak and offended. The harsh reality is shown in "Rasmus the Tramp", which is about an orphanage. The social aspect is constantly present in Lindgren’s work, and the writer believes that children should be told the truth, even when it comes to the most difficult and unpleasant things. In the case of Rasmus, reality dispels the child's rosy dreams of vagrancy. At first Rasmus has fun with the real adult tramp Oscar, but then he sees what kind of life this is: hunger, lack of rights, cruel treatment of others. The life of a tramp is a dog's life. And only having found his home and family, Rasmus understands what true happiness is: “With a small, dirty, thin hand, Rasmus stroked the logs of his home” - this is how this story ends.

With her hero Emil, Astrid Lindgren returns back to the farm, to the country of her childhood, drawing the funny and absurd pranks of this cheerful boy: “Emil from Lenneberga”, (1963) “New tricks of Emil from Lenneberga” (1966), “Emil from Lenneberga is still alive” Lönnebergs! (1970). A more romantic fairy tale is “Ronya, the Robber’s Daughter” - about two children, a boy and a girl. The heroes, despite the enmity that separates their parents, fierce robbers, carry friendship and mutual devotion through all trials. Young Romeo and Juliet do not die in the fight against evil, but emerge victorious. Astrid Lindgren's children represent hope for goodness and justice. The theme of love for nature, closeness to it and the ability to live in it is heard again in this book.

Based on folklore traditions and using the best examples of literary fairy tales of the past, Astrid Lindgren created a modern fairy-tale world of childhood with very real features: loneliness, orphanhood, social problems of a big city, but also help, compassion, friendship, joy and laughter.

If you lay out all of Astrid Lindgren's books in one row, they could encircle the globe three times along the equator.

Astrid Lindgren is the recipient of many awards and honorary titles, including the H. C. Andersen Prize, the Grand Gold Medal of the Swedish Academy, the "Alternative Nobel Prize" ("For the Right Lifestyle") and the Lego Prize.

An asteroid, a Swedish satellite and a crater on Venus are named after Astrid Lindgren.

Astrid Lindgren's last major work was the fairy tale "Ronya, the Robber's Daughter", written in 1981.

Two literary prizes are awarded annually in honor of Astrid Lindgren.

The life and work of Astrid Lindgren

Once on a wonderful May day, little Astrid was playing with her sister Stina. The air trembled with heat, the stream gurgled, the bird cherry blossomed, and everything around seemed so extraordinary to the girls. Even an ordinary earthworm. Astrid and Stina thought that he might well be an enchanted prince and tried to disenchant him. With a kiss, of course! But either the prince was too bewitched, or the girls were not real princesses, the experiment failed. But many years later, Astrid Lindgren described this incident in the book “Fun in Bullerby.” Friends Fox and Anna are playing in the bird cherry thickets.

“At that very moment I saw a frog and said:
- Oh, my little enchanted frog!
And she quickly grabbed it. After all, everyone knows that most frogs are enchanted princes.<...>
- OK! - I said. - If so, you will have to kiss him to break the spell.
“Ugh, disgusting,” Anna grimaced.
But I said that if in the old days all the princesses were as fools as she, then even now there would be enchanted princes in our ditches."

Astrid Lindgren always remembered her childhood as a very happy time, filled with games and fun. She was born in 1907 at the Näs estate in the small Swedish town of Vimmerby. And her name was Astrid Eriksson then. The family lived in a small red house, like many in Sweden, surrounded by a beautiful apple orchard. Her parents did not own the estate, but only rented it, but thanks to hard work their farm flourished. Although there were workers in the house, mom Hannah and dad Samuel August worked from morning until late at night. Mom weaved, spun, milked cows, prepared cheese and butter, baked bread, managed maids and farm laborers. Dad cultivated the land. The soil in Småland (the name of the province where Vimmerby is located) is infertile, rocky, and before plowing the field, the peasants had to remove a lot of stones from it. Samuel-August even received a diploma “for conscientious work in clearing arable lands of stones and boulders.” He also raised pedigree cattle and received awards for his stallions and bulls.

Children were also taught to work from childhood. There were four of them in the family: Gunnar, Astrid, who was born a year after him, Stina, who was four years younger than Astrid, and Ingeierd, nine years younger. From the age of six, their duties included picking nettles for the chickens and thinning turnips in the field. Then Astrid described this field work in her stories. As they got older, they helped harvest the bread. Astrid recalled how hard it was for her to walk across the field behind the mower and knit sheaves. But she never even thought about taking time off from work. Ericsson's children obeyed their parents unquestioningly.
And yet the children still had enough time to play. And they played excitedly, binge-watching, forgetting about lunch and dinner. “How come we didn’t play until we died?” - the grown-up Astrid was surprised. They ran, jumped in the hayloft, swam in the lake. Yard buildings became either a haven for pirates or a lair for robbers. Astrid's main playmate was her brother Gunnar, who was closest in age. But they also played with the children of the farm laborers who lived in Nas, and with the grandchildren of the pastor who came for the holidays.
Astrid recalls her childhood in detail in the trilogy about the children from Bullerby. “Oh, what a fun life we have!” - the girl Fox repeats every now and then. Living in a peasant estate - what could be better for a child? It's amazing to bottle feed a newborn lamb with milk! Have fun staying up until twelve on New Year's Eve with your friends! It's great to walk home from school along the stone fence!

Maybe you wonder how a girl from an ordinary peasant family could become a great writer? The fact is that Samuel Augustus and Hannah were not ordinary peasants. Hannah planned to become a teacher in her youth. Samuel Augustus used to rise before dawn to read, and spared no expense in educating his children. And when Astrid was asked where her talent came from, she answered that she grew up in the shadow of great love. Samuel Augustus loved Hannah so much that a glimpse of his feeling was enough for all their four children. “Every morning began with my father’s prayer - he blessed God for sending him this miracle wife, this miracle love, this miracle feeling,” the storyteller recalled.
She described her first acquaintance with books as a miracle. It happened in a small kitchen in the house of a cattle breeder and a maid from Nas. They had a daughter, Edith, who often played with Astrid and Gunnar. And then one day Edith offered to read a book to them. It was the fairy tale "The Giant Bam-Bam and the Fairy Viribunda." “I was completely stunned and had an insatiable thirst for reading!” - said the writer. The next day, Astrid was waiting for Edith at the house so that she could read to her again. Of course, Edith did not have her own books; she borrowed them from the library. Astrid didn't have them either. When, already as a schoolgirl, she received her first book “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” as a gift, she was beside herself with happiness! You see, it was a great joy for a little peasant girl to have her own book.

At the age of seven, Astrid was enrolled in first grade at Vimmerby Primary School. She liked to study, and even more liked it, slowly returning from school to the farm with her brother and friends. Along the way, they told each other different stories, splashed through puddles and, of course, played mischief. When Astrid was ten years old, a very joyful event happened for her: she received access to the school library. And she began to read, “everything that was there”: “Robinson Crusoe” by D. Defoe, “Treasure Island” by R.L. Stevenson, books by A. Dumas, M. Twain, J. Verne, “wonderful books for girls” - “Pollyanna” by E. Porter and “The Little Princess” by F. H. Burnett and many, many others. Their heroes became living girls and boys for her. Together with them, she experienced their sorrows and joys, participated in all their adventures. And, of course, together with her brother and sisters she played Becky Thatcher, Tom Sawyer, Anne of Green Gables, Jim Hawkins and others.
After graduating from elementary school, Astrid went to a real high school, where her brother Gunnar and best friend Madiken were already studying. Astrid's favorite subject was Swedish. Her teacher read Astrid's school essays more than once in class. And one of them - “Life on our farm” - just imagine, was published in the local newspaper! After this, thirteen-year-old Astrid was jokingly called Selma Lagerlöf from Vimmerby. “But I myself decided that I would never be a writer,” recalled Astrid Lindgren. At about the same age, Astrid suddenly realized that her childhood was over. “I remember how painful it was in our souls when we realized that we no longer knew how to play.”
At the age of sixteen, Astrid Eriksson graduated from school with good grades. And after some time she got a place in the newspaper Vimmerby Tidning, because the town had already heard about her literary abilities. She answered calls, corrected texts and wrote short reports about everything that happened in the area: births, weddings and funerals. She also wrote a number of articles “Let’s go for a walk,” describing her travels to various parts of Småland. She took these walks in the company of Madiken and other friends.

Astrid Eriksson worked at the newspaper for two years. Then she was forced to leave Nas. Astrid was eighteen years old, she was expecting a child, but did not want to get married. You see, staying in Vimmerby would mean becoming a target for daily gossip. Astrid decided to move to Stockholm. There she rented a room in a boarding house and began taking shorthand and typing courses. And then she got a job as a secretary in the radio department of the Swedish Book Trade Center. Her salary of 150 crowns was only enough to pay for an uncomfortable room and food. And Astrid had to save as much as she could to save money for trips to Copenhagen, where she temporarily left her son Lars with a foster family. “All those years, Lasse lived well,” the writer said. “I, on the contrary, felt bad. After all, I had to live in Stockholm, complete my education, get a job, and look for an opportunity to take Lasse with me.” Perhaps Astrid Lindgren would never have become a world famous writer if not for this dramatic event. Having to live away from her son, without seeing him grow up, was a very strong experience for Astrid. And subsequently she was especially keenly concerned about the troubles of other children, she wanted to help all of them - orphans, sick, lonely and simply experiencing some kind of grief, which in childhood always seems so great.

Astrid took Lasse in three years later, when his adoptive mother in Copenhagen became seriously ill. By that time, Astrid had gotten a job as an editor at KAC (Royal Automobile Club) and there she met Sture Lindgren. In the spring of 1931, Sture and Astrid got married. And three years later, the youngest daughter Karin was born, and the future writer plunged headlong into the worries and joys of motherhood.

At that time in Sweden, most mothers did not work, but did housework. But even “if they all said that they wanted to go to work, I still wouldn’t go to work. For me in those years, it was natural to stay at home with the children,” Astrid admitted. She wanted to constantly be with the children, to see how they play, what they read, how they grow. Instead of sitting on a bench watching the children play, Astrid played herself. She found that the joy of play returned to her. Together with Lasse, she climbed trees in Karlberg Park and went down the slide. "I suspect she had as much fun as I did!" - Lasse recalled.

What do children love most? Astrid Lindgren says:
Fishing.
Jump in the hay.

Play pirates, robbers and Indians.

Set up secret huts and headquarters.

Tell each other scary stories.

Celebrate Christmas.

Climb trees and roofs.

Sometimes Astrid told Lasse and Karin stories about her childhood, about Småland. Her grandmother Ida and father Samuel Augustus were wonderful storytellers, and Astrid adopted their gift. One day Karin fell ill with pneumonia and had to lie in bed for a long time. In the evenings, Astrid told her stories. And one day Karin asked: “Tell me about Pippi Longstocking!” You probably know who this Pippi is. But Astrid didn't know. She had to make it up! And since the name was so unusual, the girl turned out to be special too. Mom told Karin about the adventures of the strongest girl in the world until Karin recovered. And then for a long time - to my daughter’s friends who came to visit specifically to listen to these stories.

And then something happened that Astrid Lindgren said with a laugh: “As a writer, I am a product of the whim of nature.” Slipping on ice, she twisted her ankle and was forced to spend two weeks in bed. And since idleness was not in her rules, she decided to write down stories about Pippi. She wanted to give the manuscript to Karin for her tenth birthday. Would you like this gift? I think Karin was delighted! And Astrid sent her next story to a book competition for girls, organized by the young publishing house Raben and Sjögren. The jury awarded her story “Britt-Marie Pours Out Her Soul” second place. It was 1944, Astrid was thirty-seven years old.

The following year, Astrid Lindgren submitted her Pippi Longstocking to another publishing competition. The story won first place. And when the book was published, it sold 20,000 copies in the first two weeks alone! Never before has a children's story caused so much controversy and delight. Fierce discussions about raising children erupted in newspapers and magazines. Some believed that the book was dangerous for them and would lead to mass disobedience. Others, on the contrary, argued that freedom and games are necessary for children to develop normally. Astrid herself refrained from participating in the discussions. But thanks to these controversies, the book became more and more popular. And Raben and Sjögren began publishing all her books.
Astrid Lindgren published on average two or three books a year! Maybe you don't think this is too much? But for twenty-five years, she also headed the children's book department of the Raben and Sjögren publishing house. And she also created many plays and scripts! How did she manage to do this?

Astrid Lindgren usually wrote her books early in the morning - while still in bed! She woke up at five in the morning and could devote three hours to creativity, and at eight she already started sorting out the mail. In the afternoon, Astrid worked at the publishing house. Sitting in bed early in the morning, Astrid wrote down her inventions in shorthand, and then typed them out on a typewriter, made changes, and retyped them completely. Interestingly, when taking shorthand, she used her own code, which no one can read to this day!

Correspondence took up a lot of time. Astrid received letters from children all over the world and tried to answer each of them. But there were also business papers. On average, she received 150 letters a week. Fresh letters lay in huge bags, which gradually became a familiar piece of furniture in the writer’s apartment. In the end, she even had to hire a secretary to handle the correspondence. They say that when Astrid met Tove Jansson, they talked all evening long. The most pressing topic of conversation was how to “be able to answer all the letters from readers without going crazy?” Both writers believed that children should be taken seriously and that it is unacceptable to deceive their expectations.

Imagine, almost all of Astrid Lindgren's works have been filmed. And she always participated in the selection of actors, came to the set and, of course, wrote scripts for all films. And she herself came up with songs that sounded from the screens. In Sweden, these songs are very popular; both children and adults know them by heart! For example, this one:

"Carlson, Carlson, the best Carlson in the world! Carlson, Carlson! Carlson has arrived!"

By the time Astrid became the grandmother of her own six grandchildren, she was already called the grandmother of all the children on the planet. And she was an amazingly gentle, wise and sympathetic grandmother. Astrid's opinion was so significant for the Swedes that, at seventy years old, she suddenly found herself at the center of the country's political life. She criticized Sweden's tax system, opposed the use of nuclear power and raised the issue of animal cruelty in agriculture. Not all of her dreams became reality, but each of her endeavors raised a storm in public life. Thus, Sweden was the first in the world to introduce a law abolishing corporal punishment of children thanks to Astrid’s “No to violence!” speech.

All of Astrid Lindgren's work is imbued with the same idea - to give children a safe world in which they can grow up calmly. Astrid probably understood children so well because she remembered her own childhood so well. Astrid knew what children all over the world needed - unconditional love, security, the joy of communicating with parents, brothers and sisters. And in her books she described parents who give their children all this. The mothers in her books bake buns and make cocoa in the morning. And if quarrels occur, they always find the right words. Like the mother of five-year-old Lotta from the book “Lotte from Buzoterov Street”. When Lotte admits that she cut her jumper with scissors and wants, but cannot, ask for forgiveness, her mother asks her:

"- And if I also ask for forgiveness? If I say this: forgive me, dear Lotte, for all those times when I acted stupidly with you.
- Well, then I can say “sorry”! - Lotte responded passionately."

Favorite characters

Pippi Longstocking

You might be interested to know that there are two Pippi's. The one that is known and loved all over the world is the second one. You probably think that this Pippi is the most mischievous and lively girl in the world! But no! First, Astrid Lindgren came up with an even more hooligan image. But in her first story (the one she gave to her daughter Karin) there was so much absurdity, and Pippi behaved so provocatively that Astrid rewrote the story for the competition, softening or removing some points. By the way, the first version of the book, “Great Pippi,” was recently published in Sweden.
For the Swedes, the image of Pippi is forever associated with the image of actress Inger Nilsson. She played the main role in the television series about Pippi, directed by Ulle Helbum. Inger Nilsson filled Pippi's character with such kindness, responsiveness and love that without a doubt you forgive the red-haired rebel all her mischief.

Carlson, who lives on the roof

Astrid's daughter Karin came up with more than just Pippi Longstocking. Once she asked her mother to come up with a fairy tale about Mr. Party, who comes to visit children when there are no adults around. Astrid composed the fairy tale “In the Twilight Land” about a kind little man who flew to sick children to console them. A few years later, Mr. Vecherin returned, but in such a form that he had to find a new name. He became so “unbearable, self-willed that he could hardly be tolerated! He himself, without a doubt, considered himself a handsome, thoroughly intelligent and moderately plump man in the prime of his life,” wrote Astrid Lindgren. And she called him Carlson-on-the-roof (almost exactly the same as they once called the shoemaker from Vimmerby - Carlson-on-the-barrel).
Thanks to Lilianna Lungina's translation, Soviet children fell in love with Carlson more than any of Astrid Lindgren's other characters. It was the translator who filled the text of the story with phrases that you have heard many times: “Calm, just calm” and “Trifles, an everyday matter.” Then Soyuzmultfilm released two cartoons about Malysh and Carlson, which your grandparents, and then your mom and dad, admired. Since then, Carlson, with all his whims, insults and pranks, seems sweet and dear to us. Perhaps the children adore him because, despite his bad character, the Kid still loves him.

Madiken from Junibacken

Anne-Marie Ingström, Astrid's best friend, came up with this name for herself. Together they climbed trees and roofs, Madiken taught Astrid to fight. And then the writer borrowed some features of her friend and their childhood games for the books.
The fictional Madiken lives with her father, mother and sister Lisabeth in the Yunibacken estate (literally - June Hill). Madiken is “so quick to come up with inventions that before the pig has time to blink an eye, she’s already got it ready - invented!” How do you like this, for example? Madiken takes his dad's umbrella and jumps off the roof with it. But not just like that, but imagining yourself as a soldier leaving the plane! Or, coming home from school wearing only galoshes, he blames his classmate Rickard, as well as many other pranks. True, it soon becomes clear that there has never been a tomboy with that name in her class. But in general Madiken is a kind and sensitive girl. It is she who saves her classmate, “lousy” Mia, from cruel punishment, who stole the teacher’s wallet and bought sweets for herself and other children.
By the way, the Fairy Tale Museum in Stockholm is called “Junibacken”, and its symbol is a girl with a large black umbrella.

Emil from Lönneberga

“Do you know what Emil once threw out of Lönneberg?” Astrid Lindgren's three-year-old grandson couldn't stop screaming, but when he heard his grandmother's question, he immediately quieted down. Of course, who wouldn’t want to know what Emil did? And Astrid began to tell... Emil was her favorite hero. According to the writer, he was more like herself than anyone else. And while talking about the pranks of the mischievous man, Astrid turned to her father’s memories of Småland at the beginning of the 20th century. And some of the pranks she described also happened in reality: Samuel August heard about them in his own childhood.
Oh, this Emil! He looks - blue-eyed and wearing a cap with flax curls - like an angel, but you won’t find another such rascal in all of Småland. Either he will raise little sister Ida on a flagpole instead of a flag, or he will get his head stuck in a porcelain tureen. But this is not out of malice! Emil has a kind heart and a gentle character. To his credit, it must be said that he always thinks about others. I even specially placed a mousetrap under my dad’s chair so that a hungry rat wouldn’t bite off my dad’s finger.

Lionheart Brothers

In 1973, Astrid Lindgren wrote a book that caused the same storm of emotions and controversy as Pippi Longstocking. It was a fairy tale "The Lionheart Brothers", and it talked about love and death. Astrid believed that these were the topics that most concerned people all over the world, including children. And there is no need to remain silent about death just because it is difficult or not customary to talk about it. Can you imagine, after the book was published, Astrid received many letters from terminally ill children. For them, reading the story became a great support.
Almost the entire action of the story takes place in Nangiyal, a country where the little sick Suharik and his older brother Jonathan end up after death. Jonathan would have lived on and on, but he died in a fire while saving his brother. And in Nangiyal, his courage and kind heart come in handy. After all, the Valley of Thorns was captured by the evil and cruel Tengil, who, with the help of the dragoness Katla, keeps its civilians in obedience. And only Jonathan can defeat Tengil and Katla. What about Sukharik? The coward, who was afraid to take a step without his brother, becomes a real Lionheart, and without his help Jonathan would not have been able to cope!
Astrid Lindgren said that she first saw the Lionheart Brothers at a screen test, where they were choosing a boy for the role of Emil from Lönneberga. She noticed how little Janne Ohlsson, who was terribly slowed down by the filmmakers, climbed onto his older brother's lap, and he kissed him on the cheek. This is how the heroes of the fairy tale about brotherly love appeared.

The Magical World of Astrid Lingren

The old Näs estate, where the writer spent her childhood, now houses a research center and museum. And nearby, in the Park "The World of Astrid Lindgren" you can meet Pippi Longstocking, Emil from Lönneberga, Madiken, Ronja and many other Astrid characters! In the very setting that you imagined many times when reading her books.
But it all began with a small public garden, created by caring parents for their children. In 1981, the first building appeared - the Katthult farm, where Emil lives, and then the idea was picked up by entrepreneurs and the Vimmerby commune, and gradually the small entertainment turned into a huge fairy-tale park, which annually welcomes more than 400,000 guests from all over the world. Have you been to “The World of Astrid Lindgren” yet? No problem! Let me tell you what you can see here.
Here is Buzoterov Street, with the yellow house where Lotta’s family lives, here is a street with tiny houses, one of which belongs to Boyka Kaisa’s grandmother. Here is a small, small town - an exact copy of the center of Vimmerby with a square and a fountain, and with alleys along which the famous detective Calle Blumkvist sneaked with his gang, and with a small confectionery shop where Pippi bought 18 kilograms of caramels. I almost forgot, you can go into small houses, they will be just the right size for you. Not the house of little Nils Carlson! In it you will feel like the same kid as this brownie, because the furniture in his house is so huge that not every child can climb onto the chair!
And who is this sitting on the bridge in an old cloak and with a fishing rod? Yes, this is Rusk the Lionheart! This means his brother Jonathan is somewhere nearby, because we are already in the Cherry Valley. Just be careful, the Valley of Thorns is teeming with the terrible soldiers of Tengil! And here is the robber's castle, split in two by lightning on the night that Ronia was born. Here are Mattis, and Borka, and their gangs of bandits, who have been feuding for so many generations. Will Ronye and Birk manage to reconcile their fathers? But now the bright yellow, slightly rickety Villekula villa with a lemonade tree and Pippi the horse in the yard appeared. On the ceiling are pancakes and Mr. Nilsson's paw prints. But Pippi herself is not visible. Of course, she's on a ship! Together with Tommy, Annika and his dad, he swims around the lake and sings at the top of his lungs! And here is the clean, tidy Junibacken estate. Charming girls Madiken and Lisabeth live here. Of course, like all Astrid Lindgren's heroes, they also sometimes play pranks. And if you're lucky, you'll see Madiken jumping off the roof with daddy's black umbrella.

Specifics of Lindgren's fairy tale craftsmanship

The specificity of Lindgren's fairy-tale mastery lies in the fact that she created fairy tales where real modern boys and girls suddenly acquire fairy-tale properties, like the poor, abandoned girl Pippi, or live a double life in an ordinary city in Sweden in the 20th century. with a telephone, going to school like a Kid; with poverty and misadventures, like Brother Lionheart; with orphanhood, like Mio; At the same time, they have a second world - fabulous, fantastic.

The main characters of fairy tales by Astrid Lindgren

Pippi Longstocking is the central character in a series of books by Swedish writer Astrid Lindgren.

Pippi is a little red-haired, freckled girl who lives alone in the Chicken Villa in a small Swedish town with her animals: Mr. Nilsson the monkey and the horse. Pippi is the daughter of Captain Ephraim Longstocking, who later became the leader of a black tribe. From her father, Pippi inherited fantastic physical strength, as well as a suitcase with gold, which allows her to exist comfortably. Pippi's mother died when she was still a baby. Pippi is sure that she has become an angel and is looking at her from heaven (“My mother is an angel, and my father is a black king. Not every child has such noble parents”).

Pippi's best friends are Tommy and Annika Söttergren, children of ordinary Swedish citizens. In the company of Pippi, they often get into trouble and funny troubles, and sometimes - real adventures. Attempts by friends or adults to influence the careless Pippi lead nowhere: she does not go to school, is illiterate, familiar, and always makes up tall tales. However, Pippi has a kind heart and a good sense of humor.

But the most amazing thing about Pippi is her bright and wild imagination, which manifests itself in the games that she comes up with, and in the amazing stories about different countries where she visited with her captain dad, and in the endless pranks that the klutzes become victims of. -adults. Pippi takes any of her stories to the point of absurdity: a mischievous maid bites guests on the legs, a long-eared Chinese man hides under his ears when it rains, and a capricious child refuses to eat from May to October. Pippi gets very upset if someone says that she is lying, because lying is not good, she just sometimes forgets about it.

But “who said you need to become an adult?” No one can force Pippi to do what she doesn't want!

Books about Pippi Longstocking are full of optimism and constant faith in the very best.

Astrid Lindgren left an amazing legacy - talented and diverse modern children's literature, which - and this is no exaggeration - came from her books. Thank you to her for this wonderful magical gift to all of us.