Book

City in the World

📖 Overview

City in the World follows multiple generations of a Stockholm family through Sweden's post-WWII period. The novel is the final installment in Per Anders Fogelström's five-part City series chronicling life in the Swedish capital. The story centers on the descendants of Hennings and Lotten as they navigate the rapid social changes and modernization of 1960s Stockholm. Their personal stories intersect with major cultural shifts as Sweden enters a new era. As the concluding volume of the City series, this novel explores themes of progress, tradition, and the human cost of urban development. The contrast between old and new Stockholm serves as a backdrop for examining how individuals adapt to an evolving society.

👀 Reviews

Limited English-language reader reviews exist for this book (Stad i världen), as it has not been widely translated from Swedish. Swedish readers appreciate how it concludes Fogelström's City series by tying together multiple generations of Stockholm families from 1860-1968. Many note its detailed portrayal of Stockholm's transformation through urbanization and social changes. Some readers found the 1960s portion less engaging than earlier books in the series, citing too many new characters and a loss of the intimate family focus that characterized previous entries. Goodreads (Swedish edition): 4.07/5 stars from 334 ratings Reader quotes: "The series ends beautifully but I miss the closeness to individual characters from the first books." - Goodreads reviewer "A fitting end that shows how Stockholm evolved from poor migrant city to modern metropolis." - Swedish book blog No Amazon or English-language reviews are currently available.

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🤔 Interesting facts

🌟 The City series was written between 1960-1968, marking a pivotal decade in Swedish literature when social realism was at its peak 🌟 Fogelström worked as a librarian and journalist before becoming an author, experiences that greatly influenced his detailed historical research and storytelling style 🌟 Stockholm experienced its most significant modernization period during the timeline covered in this book, including the controversial demolition of the Klara district, which Fogelström actively protested 🌟 The entire City series spans 100 years of Stockholm's history, following five generations of the same family from 1860 to 1968 🌟 The author's meticulous attention to historical accuracy led him to conduct extensive research in city archives, study old newspapers, and interview elderly Stockholm residents to capture authentic period details