Tove Jansson - A Winter Book

I wanted to read A Winter Book since I read The Summer Book two years ago which impressed me very much. It is a selection of stories by Tove Jansson taken from five different collections with a great introduction by Ali Smith.
The stories are all very personal, you can see the author and her life shining through. Other than in The Summer Book they aren't all set on the tiny rock island which Jansson lived on through large periods of her life but also show the life in the city with her artist parents. The child's view on her world and the world of her parents is often surprising and brilliant, fantastic and exposing. Some of the other stories focus more on relationship with others and self-sufficiency - being (able to be) alone not being a bad option for a good life.

I really liked the book, some of  the stories I liked better than others, of course. In comparison, I enjoyed The Summer Book more: Although also written in short episodes it tells an overall story which I find it easier to relate to. Short stories need to be re-read I guess and A Winter Book is definitely a collection you can come back too.

Tove Jansson, A Winter Book. Sort Of Books, London 2006.