-48% $16.49$16.49
FREE delivery May 23 - 28
Ships from: Rain Books Sold by: Rain Books
-48% $16.49$16.49
FREE delivery May 23 - 28
Ships from: Rain Books
Sold by: Rain Books
$7.69$7.69
FREE delivery May 28 - June 3
Ships from: ThriftBooks-Phoenix Sold by: ThriftBooks-Phoenix
$7.69$7.69
FREE delivery May 28 - June 3
Ships from: ThriftBooks-Phoenix
Sold by: ThriftBooks-Phoenix
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Astrid Lindgren: The Woman Behind Pippi Longstocking Hardcover – Illustrated, February 27, 2018
by
Jens Andersen
(Author),
Caroline Waight
(Translator)
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$16.49","priceAmount":16.49,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"16","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"49","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"t2h53CFja59IzmQ%2FPw1gLDtPs02B8DgLdUo7uBHm27RVzhAvs9aZOJ%2F6vhQ4bc2Fr%2FGh2YJzjx%2Bg1Hag%2FLCVGESaebyz%2FjiG92A37UvZjym9o7pwktftZR%2Fq%2F4T5NF%2FBLpPsPjCA%2B5w76ivfzkzcZsC%2Bdqo3o6Dx%2FJMHdf0dJltOhSjFXiRqQDMssvkuBnAA","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$7.69","priceAmount":7.69,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"7","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"69","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"t2h53CFja59IzmQ%2FPw1gLDtPs02B8DgL9jhPJ95GDEM9vMTzYSOS%2Fo7VHBhuKFn7ibm%2FHS7Fk%2FujBzaYis6GNfhapDTkl%2F1FzW0CSU4Zz5TOV3CWW%2FguugVnyWaVe6VUeeQW%2BOHP%2FNjbZEuOYx5eIvUaW7DymbdBKaR%2BDXY4LlmrXU6VZtdi1Cmpa%2Fp757kl","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}
Purchase options and add-ons
A powerful biography of the internationally renowned writer who created one of the most enduring characters in children’s literature, Pippi Longstocking
“[An] Insightful, elegantly written biography of the beloved author of the Pippi Longstocking tales, a complex woman of parts. . . Readers who grew up on Lindgren's stories will find this excellent book irresistible—and often surprising.”—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
The first English-language biography of Astrid Lindgren provides a moving and revealing portrait of the beloved Scandinavian literary icon whose adventures of Pippi Longstocking have influenced generations of young readers all over the world. Lindgren’s sometimes turbulent life as an unwed teenage mother, outspoken advocate for the rights of women and children, and celebrated editor and author is chronicled in fascinating detail by Jens Andersen, one of Denmark’s most popular biographers.
Based on extensive research and access to primary sources and letters, this highly readable account describes Lindgren’s battles with depression and her personal struggles through war, poverty, motherhood, and fame. Andersen examines the writer’s oeuvre as well to uncover the secrets to the books’ universal appeal and why they have resonated so strongly with young readers for more than seventy years.
“[An] Insightful, elegantly written biography of the beloved author of the Pippi Longstocking tales, a complex woman of parts. . . Readers who grew up on Lindgren's stories will find this excellent book irresistible—and often surprising.”—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
The first English-language biography of Astrid Lindgren provides a moving and revealing portrait of the beloved Scandinavian literary icon whose adventures of Pippi Longstocking have influenced generations of young readers all over the world. Lindgren’s sometimes turbulent life as an unwed teenage mother, outspoken advocate for the rights of women and children, and celebrated editor and author is chronicled in fascinating detail by Jens Andersen, one of Denmark’s most popular biographers.
Based on extensive research and access to primary sources and letters, this highly readable account describes Lindgren’s battles with depression and her personal struggles through war, poverty, motherhood, and fame. Andersen examines the writer’s oeuvre as well to uncover the secrets to the books’ universal appeal and why they have resonated so strongly with young readers for more than seventy years.
- Print length360 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherYale University Press
- Publication dateFebruary 27, 2018
- Dimensions6.13 x 1 x 9.25 inches
- ISBN-100300226101
- ISBN-13978-0300226102
"Layla" by Colleen Hoover for $7.19
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover comes a novel that explores life after tragedy and the enduring spirit of love. | Learn more
Frequently bought together
This item: Astrid Lindgren: The Woman Behind Pippi Longstocking
$16.49$16.49
Get it May 23 - 28
Only 2 left in stock - order soon.
$17.79$17.79
Get it as soon as Saturday, May 25
In Stock
$5.94$5.94
Get it as soon as Saturday, May 25
In Stock
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Try again!
Added to Cart
Some of these items ship sooner than the others.
Choose items to buy together.
Customers who viewed this item also viewed
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
Editorial Reviews
Review
“A touching biography of [Pippi Longstocking’s] creator Astrid Lingren sheds new light on the genesis of her most celebrated creation. . . she continues to inspire fresh generations to follow in her outsize footsteps.
—Lydia Slater, Harper’s Bazaar
“Lindgren is an absolute gift to a biographer. She was an industrious letter writer and diarist, and her life both reflected and embodied some of the most significant political and social shifts of the 20th century. . . [Andersen] is masterful at elucidating the accumulative private sorrows that shaded the inner life of this industrious woman, who wrote such enduringly exuberant stories.”
—Claire Allfree, Daily Telegraph
“Literary critic Jens Andersen recounts the celebrated author’s fascinating life and work . . . a detailed and thoughtful volume.”—Meghan Cox Gurdon, Wall Street Journal
“[An] Insightful, elegantly written biography of the beloved author of the Pippi Longstocking tales, a complex woman of parts. . . Readers who grew up on Lindgren's stories will find this excellent book irresistible—and often surprising.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Filled with photos and remarkable details from Lindgren’s voluminous diaries, Andersen’s biography is a delight.”—Publishers Weekly
“Andersen incisively and resonantly chronicles the evolution of Lindgren’s progressive work and its impact, along with her influence as a children’s-book editor and environmental activist, bringing to new light a writer as empowered and exhilarating as her most cherished creation.”—Booklist, starred review
“If one woman could embody the trajectory of the 20th century, I nominate Astrid Lindgren. She emerges from this absorbing biography as a feminist, writer, campaigner for children’s rights, visionary humanist, and a model of the intelligent life well-lived.”—Meg Rosoff, international best-selling author
“This is the definitive biography of the author of Pippi Longstocking. Astrid Lindgren emerges as a fully formed artistic, political, and social figure: a Scandinavian modernist who produced works of world literature.”—Seth Lerer, author of Children's Literature: A Reader's History, from Aesop to Harry Potter
“It is no small achievement to have brought to life an author already so alive in the minds of her readers, but Jens Andersen has done it. This is a wonderfully sympathetic and intimate portrait of a writer we all thought we knew.” — Morten Høi Jensen, author of A Difficult Death: The Life and Work of Jens Peter Jacobsen
“Andersen tells Lindgren’s story with befitting adroitness and charm. This biography will raise the care and interest with which scholars and admirers alike approach Pippi Longstocking for years to come.”—Heather Klemann, Yale University
—Lydia Slater, Harper’s Bazaar
“Lindgren is an absolute gift to a biographer. She was an industrious letter writer and diarist, and her life both reflected and embodied some of the most significant political and social shifts of the 20th century. . . [Andersen] is masterful at elucidating the accumulative private sorrows that shaded the inner life of this industrious woman, who wrote such enduringly exuberant stories.”
—Claire Allfree, Daily Telegraph
“Literary critic Jens Andersen recounts the celebrated author’s fascinating life and work . . . a detailed and thoughtful volume.”—Meghan Cox Gurdon, Wall Street Journal
“[An] Insightful, elegantly written biography of the beloved author of the Pippi Longstocking tales, a complex woman of parts. . . Readers who grew up on Lindgren's stories will find this excellent book irresistible—and often surprising.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Filled with photos and remarkable details from Lindgren’s voluminous diaries, Andersen’s biography is a delight.”—Publishers Weekly
“Andersen incisively and resonantly chronicles the evolution of Lindgren’s progressive work and its impact, along with her influence as a children’s-book editor and environmental activist, bringing to new light a writer as empowered and exhilarating as her most cherished creation.”—Booklist, starred review
“If one woman could embody the trajectory of the 20th century, I nominate Astrid Lindgren. She emerges from this absorbing biography as a feminist, writer, campaigner for children’s rights, visionary humanist, and a model of the intelligent life well-lived.”—Meg Rosoff, international best-selling author
“This is the definitive biography of the author of Pippi Longstocking. Astrid Lindgren emerges as a fully formed artistic, political, and social figure: a Scandinavian modernist who produced works of world literature.”—Seth Lerer, author of Children's Literature: A Reader's History, from Aesop to Harry Potter
“It is no small achievement to have brought to life an author already so alive in the minds of her readers, but Jens Andersen has done it. This is a wonderfully sympathetic and intimate portrait of a writer we all thought we knew.” — Morten Høi Jensen, author of A Difficult Death: The Life and Work of Jens Peter Jacobsen
“Andersen tells Lindgren’s story with befitting adroitness and charm. This biography will raise the care and interest with which scholars and admirers alike approach Pippi Longstocking for years to come.”—Heather Klemann, Yale University
About the Author
Jens Andersen is an award‑winning author whose works include a highly acclaimed biography of Hans Christian Andersen. He lives in Denmark and serves as literary critic for several Danish newspapers. Caroline Waight is an award‑winning freelance translator from Danish and German.
Product details
- Publisher : Yale University Press; Illustrated edition (February 27, 2018)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 360 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0300226101
- ISBN-13 : 978-0300226102
- Item Weight : 1.5 pounds
- Dimensions : 6.13 x 1 x 9.25 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #345,634 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #27 in Scandinavian Literary Criticism (Books)
- #105 in Children's Literary Criticism (Books)
- #1,727 in Author Biographies
- Customer Reviews:
Customer reviews
4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
45 global ratings
How customer reviews and ratings work
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on Amazon-
Top reviews
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
Reviewed in the United States on October 21, 2021
Came in excellent condition. A fascinating biography that is illustrated with photos throughout. This is a perfect and fitting Christmas gift for my writer daughter who has just moved to Sweden!
Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2018
Amazing life about the creator of one of my favorite fictional characters as a child.
Reviewed in the United States on October 13, 2018
Have loved Astrid Lindgren, ever since reading the magical Bullerby Children aged 8, but knew nothing about her.
This extremely vivid, readable biography takes her from growing up in the 20s to a strict, religious farming family; a happy childhood, first job as a local reporter...then disaster after falling pregnant by her older, married boss. One feels much of the sadness that comes through in her work emanates from the child's first years (born and fostered out in Copenhagen to avoid detection, with only occasional visits.)
Marriage meant that she eventually recovered her son; meanwhile her writing was taking off, notably with Pippi Longstocking - a cheerful tale in the gloomy post-War years. And meanwhile Lindgren was gaining international acclaim (and censure); was facing family problems and becoming involved in politics...
Read the whole book in a day as it's fascinating!
This extremely vivid, readable biography takes her from growing up in the 20s to a strict, religious farming family; a happy childhood, first job as a local reporter...then disaster after falling pregnant by her older, married boss. One feels much of the sadness that comes through in her work emanates from the child's first years (born and fostered out in Copenhagen to avoid detection, with only occasional visits.)
Marriage meant that she eventually recovered her son; meanwhile her writing was taking off, notably with Pippi Longstocking - a cheerful tale in the gloomy post-War years. And meanwhile Lindgren was gaining international acclaim (and censure); was facing family problems and becoming involved in politics...
Read the whole book in a day as it's fascinating!
Reviewed in the United States on May 8, 2019
Excellent
Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2018
This excellent biography reveals the woman behind so many of the world's best loved books. We learn about Astrid Lindgren's world, and her many lives, from writer, to children's writer, to editor, mentor, and later activist. She recreates her childhood in many books, but has her own bumps along the way, including the rocky beginning as a mother to an illegitimate child.
Her active imagination spawns the incredible Pippi, but, she goes on to write other books, some based on ancient legends and poems, such as the Tomten (another beloved book). In the meanwhile, she crosses paths with another Swedish writer, Tove Jaanson, who does the illustrations for the Hobbit. This book also includes the worship of Lindgren by German children's writers, and her own role in helping to mentor and foster love of books among the recovering nations of Europe after World War II. As a widow, she comes to revel in her "aloneness" and surmises that loneliness is very much a part of the human condition. My favorite parts of this book were not so much Lindgren's personal life, but her professional life: I did not know to the extent that she mentored, edited, and fostered such creativity among others. This book can be both a biography and an insight into the writer's craft and the role of editors in making changes (even to Pippi!).
Her active imagination spawns the incredible Pippi, but, she goes on to write other books, some based on ancient legends and poems, such as the Tomten (another beloved book). In the meanwhile, she crosses paths with another Swedish writer, Tove Jaanson, who does the illustrations for the Hobbit. This book also includes the worship of Lindgren by German children's writers, and her own role in helping to mentor and foster love of books among the recovering nations of Europe after World War II. As a widow, she comes to revel in her "aloneness" and surmises that loneliness is very much a part of the human condition. My favorite parts of this book were not so much Lindgren's personal life, but her professional life: I did not know to the extent that she mentored, edited, and fostered such creativity among others. This book can be both a biography and an insight into the writer's craft and the role of editors in making changes (even to Pippi!).
Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2018
What a wonderful read! Of course the story of a woman who lived and wrote and managed to thrive through some of the most difficult times of the 20th century is going to be full of inspiration. And to have it be quite a page turner is delightful. Those who have read her books know she knew how to speak for children's right to personhood but may not realize how ahead of her times and how still relevant she was on issues such as the environment and gender equity. I hope this book serves to raise consciousnesses all over again in Lingren's inimitable way.
Reviewed in the United States on April 8, 2018
For a woman who lived through two world wars and much personal tragedy, I was inspired by Astrid's tenacity and pluck. She created Pippi Longstocking in the midst of the darkness of WWII, delighted in the perspectives of children, and championed animal and human welfare in her old age. May we all have the courage to live with her mindset that transformed the darkness around us into moments of wonder.