Per Anders Fogelström wrote “City of My Dreams,” a novel that captures life in late 19th-century Stockholm. It follows a group of working-class individuals striving to build their lives in a growing and changing city.
The story centers on Henning, a young man who arrives in Stockholm seeking a better future, and the people he meets along the way. The book paints a vivid picture of the struggles, hopes, and everyday life of the time.
Per Anders Fogelström wrote “City in the World,” which is the final book in his series about Stockholm. It follows the Henning family and their descendants as they navigate life in the city after World War II.
The story captures their personal struggles and triumphs in a rapidly changing world, showing how the city and its people evolve together. Stockholm itself feels alive in this book, with its streets and neighborhoods forming the backdrop for the characters’ lives.
“Doctor Glas” by Hjalmar Söderberg is about a physician in Stockholm who becomes entangled in a moral crisis when a woman seeks his help to escape her oppressive husband, a pastor.
The doctor is torn between his feelings for her and his ethical boundaries as he considers an extreme solution. The story is set against the backdrop of early 20th-century Stockholm, with its societal expectations and hidden struggles.
Leif G. W. Persson’s “Between Summer’s Longing and Winter’s End” explores the story behind a mysterious suicide of an American journalist in Stockholm.
It seems straightforward at first, but it leads to a deeper conspiracy involving Cold War politics and secrets that powerful people want buried. The book unfolds through multiple perspectives, showing the complexities of both the characters and the city they inhabit.
“Snabba cash” by Jens Lapidus is a gritty crime novel that dives into Stockholm’s dark underworld. It follows three characters—a wannabe socialite, a Serbian mob enforcer, and a coke dealer—whose lives intersect in a dangerous game of ambition and survival.
The book explores themes of greed, betrayal, and the cost of chasing a lifestyle that feels out of reach. Lapidus paints a vivid picture of both the city’s affluent neighborhoods and its criminal underbelly.
“The Red Room” by August Strindberg is often seen as the first modern Swedish novel. It follows Arvid Falk, a young civil servant, as he leaves his government job to pursue a career in writing.
The book paints a vivid picture of Stockholm in the late 19th century, exposing corruption, hypocrisy, and the struggles of artists and intellectuals.
The title refers to a gathering place where characters from different walks of life debate politics, art, and society, showcasing the energy and contradictions of the city.
The book “Let the Right One In” by John Ajvide Lindqvist tells the story of a bullied boy named Oskar who forms a bond with Eli, a peculiar girl who moves into his neighborhood. As their friendship grows, Oskar discovers Eli’s dark secret—she is a vampire.
Set in a bleak Stockholm suburb during the early 1980s, the novel blends chilling horror with the tender connection between two outsiders.
The novel “The Serious Game” by Hjalmar Söderberg follows the story of Arvid and Lydia, whose youthful love is thwarted by circumstance. Years later, they meet again, both trapped in unhappy marriages, and their passion reignites.
Set in early 20th-century Stockholm, the book explores their attempt to reconcile love with the constraints of society and personal choices, all against a backdrop of a city changing with the times.
The book “Alone” by August Strindberg is a reflective and introspective story about a man living in solitude in Stockholm after returning to the city.
Through his daily walks and observations, he explores his thoughts on life, art, and society while finding beauty in the ordinary moments of urban life. Strindberg uses the streets and sights of Stockholm as a backdrop to frame the narrator’s inner world.
The book “The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden” by Jonas Jonasson follows Nombeko, a young woman from South Africa who accidentally ends up in Sweden with a nuclear bomb.
The story is full of absurd twists as she crosses paths with eccentric characters, including twins who are technically one person and a militant republican. It blends humor with an outrageous plot, leading to a rather unexpected connection to the King of Sweden.