Bodil Malmsten (1944–2016)

This may be the best book in the series of Bodil Malmsten's log books, which mostly consists of texts and pictures from her blog. This book is the last in this series.

This book delves into Bodil's anger at the Swedish state, at people for not being angry with the state, loss, sadness, homelessness and not being homeless, "The Sopranos", her own writing... It's a ragbag of great stuff.

Bodil may be the best Swedish author alive. When she's dead, she may be the best Swedish author, dead or alive.

This should be obligatory reading.… (more)

Bodil Malmsten is probably the greatest living author in Sweden, today. While this book is all about how she writes - which she dissects in this book, to carefully point out that her only mission is to show how she writes, not how others should write - it contains many great points, quotes and tips that can definitely aid any writer.

She stresses that a very big part of writing is that if you truly want to write, you will. And you should. And, if you're a real writer, you have to write; she states that it's more of a disease than a way to make money or anything else.

The tone of this book is a combination of honest and humble, and I really recommend it to anybody looking to write their own stuff.… (more)

This is the last book that Malmsten has written from Finistère, from where she moved while writing this book, a collection of "logs", as she calls them, i.e. snippets selected by herself as posted on her blog. She writes of her neighbours, of the Evil Internet Operator Orange, of the sea and obsessing a lot. In the best possible way. She is not simple, while taking great care in writing using simple words.

I've often compared Bodil Malmsten with Arthur Rimbaud, and I still believe this comparison to be singularly valid.

She has a very special way of interpreting and exhaling the world around herself, whether it is a seemingly small thing (e.g. the Tape Family, expanding thoughts on words) or seemingly big (e.g. depression, moving, Nicolas Sarkozy's influence on Europe).

The outtakes from her play makes me immediately want to read it.

All in all, a lovely collection of thoughts that does not play into the regular breadth of what being a 60-ish female means. These thoughts alarm and provoke by just being uttered. I really enjoy reading this book, and will most definitely re-read it.… (more)