What do you think?
Rate this book
Madicken #1
Mischievous Meg
Meg is continually getting into trouble with the schemes she dreams up
144 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1960
72 people are currently reading
1812 people want to read
About the author
Astrid Lindgren
1,174books3,777followersAstrid Anna Emilia Lindgren, née Ericsson, (1907 - 2002) was a Swedish children's book author and screenwriter, whose many titles were translated into 85 languages and published in more than 100 countries. She has sold roughly 165 million copies worldwide. Today, she is most remembered for writing the Pippi Longstocking books, as well as the Karlsson-on-the-Roof book series.
Awards:
Hans Christian Andersen Award for Writing (1958)
Awards:
Hans Christian Andersen Award for Writing (1958)
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 244 reviews
June 29, 2022
Duh I am named after this book. It is perfection and I am like her
October 25, 2023
4,5 Sterne
Astrid Lindgren hat so schöne Geschichten geschrieben! Auch Madita gehört dazu. Eine sehr schöne Kindheitserinnerung! Besonders die Zeit, in der diese Geschichte spielt � um 1910 � finde ich dabei sehr interessant! Sehr schöne Episoden rund um Madita, ihre Familie und die Schulzeit. Mal zum Lachen, mal zum Schmunzeln, auch mal ernst, aber immer schön! ❤️
Astrid Lindgren hat so schöne Geschichten geschrieben! Auch Madita gehört dazu. Eine sehr schöne Kindheitserinnerung! Besonders die Zeit, in der diese Geschichte spielt � um 1910 � finde ich dabei sehr interessant! Sehr schöne Episoden rund um Madita, ihre Familie und die Schulzeit. Mal zum Lachen, mal zum Schmunzeln, auch mal ernst, aber immer schön! ❤️
September 27, 2015
This is now the third classic Swedish children's book that I've read in German translation, and once again I find, to my considerable surprise, that Swedish stories can survive the transition to this new language intact. I read it, and I'm amazed by the translator's skill, but even more by the fact that it's possible in the first place. It sounds like Madicken! The teasing conversations with her little sister Lisabeth sound the same; the author's ironic asides about the many things that go right past the seven year old heroine sound the same; the wonderful lyrical passages on the beauty of the Swedish seasons sound the same; they've even found a way to translate the sisters' trademark private phrase, which in Swedish is Pilutta dig! and in German becomes Ätsch, Pustekuchen! so that it sounds the same. I really want to sit down and do a detailed comparison with the original to see if I can figure out how the magic works. Somehow, it seems that a skillful translator can usually find German words which keep the prosody more or less unchanged, so you can hear the different voices the way they're supposed to be. This doesn't work in English.
The book consists of a series of loosely connected short stories, spanning a year of Madicken's life, and they are utterly charming. I have trouble saying which bit I liked most, they're all perfect, but maybe the beginning of the winter story. It's the first day when the river has frozen over properly. Madicken and Lisabeth have rushed out of bed as soon as they were alerted to the amazing news, and they've put on their warm clothes and their skates as fast as ever they could. They've promised to be back in time for breakfast. But now they're out on the ice, and Astrid Lindgren does such a good job of describing how wonderful it is to be seven and out skating with your little sister on new ice that's completely shiny and clean because no one else has discovered it yet. They skate and skate and skate.
"We could skate all the way to the farm," suggests Madicken.
"Are we allowed to do that?" asks Lisabeth.
"We wouldn't be allowed to go down the road," says Madicken. "It's too far. But it's much quicker skating, so that's okay."
Lisabeth accepts this extremely dubious argument and they skate off. It turns out that the farm's rather a long way by river too. They go round bend after bend, but it just won't turn up like it's supposed to. Suddenly the girls realize that they're half an hour from home and they're very hungry and they'd promised to be back for breakfast.
"We must be nearly there," says Madicken. "We can't turn round now. I know what. We'll ask if we can buy some eggs."
"But how will we eat them?" asks Lisabeth.
"We can ask them boil them for us," says Madicken.
"But do we have any money?" asks Lisabeth.
"I have two öre in my pocket," says Madicken.
"Is that enough to buy two eggs?" asks Lisabeth.
"Well," says Madicken. "We'll ask how many eggs we can buy for two öre. It'll work out."
So she looks in her pocket, but she can't find the two öre. It's just gone.
"It doesn't matter," she says. "Two öre more or less doesn't make any difference. I bet they'll invite us to stay for breakfast."
Lisabeth isn't so sure about all this, and the farm still hasn't turned up, and she's hungry and cold. She starts crying, but then they go round the next bend and there it is. They take off their skates and knock on the door. The family is already sitting down and eating breakfast.
"Can we buy some eggs?" asks Lisabeth, who's forgotten all the changes of plan. Madicken grits her teeth. Her stupid little sister has just ruined everything!
"How many did your mother tell you to buy?" asks kind Mrs. Karlsson.
"I'm afraid we don't have any money," says Madicken.
"But we're very hungry," says Lisabeth.
"I understand that you are," says Farmer Karlsson, but he doesn't really seem to understand very well, since he just goes back to eating his breakfast without saying anything else. Luckily his wife understand better.
"Would you girls like some porridge?" she asks.
"Oh yes please!" say Madicken and Lisabeth at the same time. They take off their coats and sit down. A moment later they have two steaming bowls of porridge in front of them.
"Porridge is my absolute favorite!" says Madicken politely.
"And is it your favorite too?" Mrs. Karlsson asks Lisabeth.
"No," says Lisabeth, who is very truthful but doesn't like to waste words when she's eating.
"And what is your favorite?" asks Mrs. Karlsson.
"Chocolate pudding and pudding and other puddings," says Lisabeth. Madicken sighs.
"Chocolate pudding means chocolate pudding and pudding means vanilla pudding and other puddings means other puddings," she explains. No one understands what Lisabeth says except her.
For some reason, Mr. Karlsson seems to be sort of laughing without really laughing. Madicken has noticed that people at the farm often do that.
The book consists of a series of loosely connected short stories, spanning a year of Madicken's life, and they are utterly charming. I have trouble saying which bit I liked most, they're all perfect, but maybe the beginning of the winter story. It's the first day when the river has frozen over properly. Madicken and Lisabeth have rushed out of bed as soon as they were alerted to the amazing news, and they've put on their warm clothes and their skates as fast as ever they could. They've promised to be back in time for breakfast. But now they're out on the ice, and Astrid Lindgren does such a good job of describing how wonderful it is to be seven and out skating with your little sister on new ice that's completely shiny and clean because no one else has discovered it yet. They skate and skate and skate.
"We could skate all the way to the farm," suggests Madicken.
"Are we allowed to do that?" asks Lisabeth.
"We wouldn't be allowed to go down the road," says Madicken. "It's too far. But it's much quicker skating, so that's okay."
Lisabeth accepts this extremely dubious argument and they skate off. It turns out that the farm's rather a long way by river too. They go round bend after bend, but it just won't turn up like it's supposed to. Suddenly the girls realize that they're half an hour from home and they're very hungry and they'd promised to be back for breakfast.
"We must be nearly there," says Madicken. "We can't turn round now. I know what. We'll ask if we can buy some eggs."
"But how will we eat them?" asks Lisabeth.
"We can ask them boil them for us," says Madicken.
"But do we have any money?" asks Lisabeth.
"I have two öre in my pocket," says Madicken.
"Is that enough to buy two eggs?" asks Lisabeth.
"Well," says Madicken. "We'll ask how many eggs we can buy for two öre. It'll work out."
So she looks in her pocket, but she can't find the two öre. It's just gone.
"It doesn't matter," she says. "Two öre more or less doesn't make any difference. I bet they'll invite us to stay for breakfast."
Lisabeth isn't so sure about all this, and the farm still hasn't turned up, and she's hungry and cold. She starts crying, but then they go round the next bend and there it is. They take off their skates and knock on the door. The family is already sitting down and eating breakfast.
"Can we buy some eggs?" asks Lisabeth, who's forgotten all the changes of plan. Madicken grits her teeth. Her stupid little sister has just ruined everything!
"How many did your mother tell you to buy?" asks kind Mrs. Karlsson.
"I'm afraid we don't have any money," says Madicken.
"But we're very hungry," says Lisabeth.
"I understand that you are," says Farmer Karlsson, but he doesn't really seem to understand very well, since he just goes back to eating his breakfast without saying anything else. Luckily his wife understand better.
"Would you girls like some porridge?" she asks.
"Oh yes please!" say Madicken and Lisabeth at the same time. They take off their coats and sit down. A moment later they have two steaming bowls of porridge in front of them.
"Porridge is my absolute favorite!" says Madicken politely.
"And is it your favorite too?" Mrs. Karlsson asks Lisabeth.
"No," says Lisabeth, who is very truthful but doesn't like to waste words when she's eating.
"And what is your favorite?" asks Mrs. Karlsson.
"Chocolate pudding and pudding and other puddings," says Lisabeth. Madicken sighs.
"Chocolate pudding means chocolate pudding and pudding means vanilla pudding and other puddings means other puddings," she explains. No one understands what Lisabeth says except her.
For some reason, Mr. Karlsson seems to be sort of laughing without really laughing. Madicken has noticed that people at the farm often do that.
May 18, 2019
Please note that for simplicity's sake, I will be using the main character's American name (Meg) throughout, although I personally know her as Madita (from the German translations) and in the Swedish original, she is called Madicken (in the British translations, Madicken is known as Mardie); these all seem to be nicknames for Margaret.
Now the German translations of Astrid Lindgren's Madicken novels (both the first book and its sequel) take their well deserved places amongst my very favourite childhood reads (and even as an adult, I tend to reread them regularly). This here American translation, however, truly and unfortunately leaves much (actually leaves everything) to be desired. And most problematic and for me really rather unforgivable is the salient fact that in Mischievous Meg a whole chapter has been omitted (the entire episode where Meg and her sister Elizabeth first meet Mia and her sister Matti is simply non-existent). Now I guess either the American publisher (Viking Press) or the translator (Gerry Bothmer), or perhaps even both, could not handle or stomach the fact that in this "missing" chapter Meg and her sister Elizabeth loudly and rather joyfully swear at Matti and Mia (who swear right back at them). And aside from this being a wildly entertaining episode (maybe not entirely comme il faut, but oh so much fun, from Elizabeth getting a pea stuck up her nose, to the expressive and in-your-face war of words between the four little girls), this chapter also represents the first face-to-face meeting and confrontation between Meg and Mia and as such, it equally sets the tone for the conflict between the two in the sequel (which is likely also one of the main reasons the sequel has never been translated into American English, a serious lack and shortcoming, as in my humble opinion, the sequel is actually somewhat superior to the first novel, more evocative, dealing with heavier societal themes, and giving especially Meg a chance to truly shine).
Truth be told, reading reviews of Mischievous Meg posted by my GR friends, I was rather and at first almost unpleasantly surprised that they kept mentioning the fact that for an almost ten year old, Meg acts surprisingly naively, innocently and immaturely. And I thought, "wait a minute, Meg is not nine going on ten, but six going on seven." And yes, this all did not make much sense until I actually got my hands on an ILL copy of Mischievous Meg and realised that aside from having left out an entire chapter, translator Gerry Bothmer has also (and for really no legitimate reason whatsoever) aged Meg, that she is definitely described in Mischievous Meg as being nine years old, whilst in the original Madicken novel, and in the German translation, Astrid Lindgren portrays her as much much younger, as only six, although Meg will indeed soon be seven. And that seemingly small and minute change, it is in actual fact not such an insignificant change after all, but a rather massively frustrating and annoying one, as it makes Meg and her funny escapades and shenanigans appear as considerably sillier, less mature and more potentially naughty (as many of them could easily be forgiven a six year old, but not so much anymore a nine year old).
And finally, while Meg is definitely mischievous at times, generally she is not what in German we would call "ungezogen" (deliberately naughty). She is a bit rash, a bit thoughtless, but she is sweet, loving, and for the most part kind to and patient with her younger sister (except perhaps in the Joseph episode, but Elizabeth did bite the head off of the chocolate doll Meg was saving and then refused to apologise). And thus, I even have my issues with Mischievous Meg as the book title, since it makes it appear as though Meg is by nature an unruly and rather naughty unmannerly child, which in my opinion, she simply is not. And it is really too bad that Gerry Bothmer's translation leaves out so much important and in my opinion absolutely necessary content (an entire chapter, that is simply flabbergasting and unacceptable) and strives to even change the age of the main protagonist. It is thus, and in my opinion, really and truly time for a new and updated American translation of both of Astrid Lindgren's Madicken books (one that keeps to author's original text as much as possible, does not arbitrarily leave out entire chapters that might be a bit problematic with regard to American cultural and behavioural norms, and renders characters almost three years older than what they are supposed to be).
Now the German translations of Astrid Lindgren's Madicken novels (both the first book and its sequel) take their well deserved places amongst my very favourite childhood reads (and even as an adult, I tend to reread them regularly). This here American translation, however, truly and unfortunately leaves much (actually leaves everything) to be desired. And most problematic and for me really rather unforgivable is the salient fact that in Mischievous Meg a whole chapter has been omitted (the entire episode where Meg and her sister Elizabeth first meet Mia and her sister Matti is simply non-existent). Now I guess either the American publisher (Viking Press) or the translator (Gerry Bothmer), or perhaps even both, could not handle or stomach the fact that in this "missing" chapter Meg and her sister Elizabeth loudly and rather joyfully swear at Matti and Mia (who swear right back at them). And aside from this being a wildly entertaining episode (maybe not entirely comme il faut, but oh so much fun, from Elizabeth getting a pea stuck up her nose, to the expressive and in-your-face war of words between the four little girls), this chapter also represents the first face-to-face meeting and confrontation between Meg and Mia and as such, it equally sets the tone for the conflict between the two in the sequel (which is likely also one of the main reasons the sequel has never been translated into American English, a serious lack and shortcoming, as in my humble opinion, the sequel is actually somewhat superior to the first novel, more evocative, dealing with heavier societal themes, and giving especially Meg a chance to truly shine).
Truth be told, reading reviews of Mischievous Meg posted by my GR friends, I was rather and at first almost unpleasantly surprised that they kept mentioning the fact that for an almost ten year old, Meg acts surprisingly naively, innocently and immaturely. And I thought, "wait a minute, Meg is not nine going on ten, but six going on seven." And yes, this all did not make much sense until I actually got my hands on an ILL copy of Mischievous Meg and realised that aside from having left out an entire chapter, translator Gerry Bothmer has also (and for really no legitimate reason whatsoever) aged Meg, that she is definitely described in Mischievous Meg as being nine years old, whilst in the original Madicken novel, and in the German translation, Astrid Lindgren portrays her as much much younger, as only six, although Meg will indeed soon be seven. And that seemingly small and minute change, it is in actual fact not such an insignificant change after all, but a rather massively frustrating and annoying one, as it makes Meg and her funny escapades and shenanigans appear as considerably sillier, less mature and more potentially naughty (as many of them could easily be forgiven a six year old, but not so much anymore a nine year old).
And finally, while Meg is definitely mischievous at times, generally she is not what in German we would call "ungezogen" (deliberately naughty). She is a bit rash, a bit thoughtless, but she is sweet, loving, and for the most part kind to and patient with her younger sister (except perhaps in the Joseph episode, but Elizabeth did bite the head off of the chocolate doll Meg was saving and then refused to apologise). And thus, I even have my issues with Mischievous Meg as the book title, since it makes it appear as though Meg is by nature an unruly and rather naughty unmannerly child, which in my opinion, she simply is not. And it is really too bad that Gerry Bothmer's translation leaves out so much important and in my opinion absolutely necessary content (an entire chapter, that is simply flabbergasting and unacceptable) and strives to even change the age of the main protagonist. It is thus, and in my opinion, really and truly time for a new and updated American translation of both of Astrid Lindgren's Madicken books (one that keeps to author's original text as much as possible, does not arbitrarily leave out entire chapters that might be a bit problematic with regard to American cultural and behavioural norms, and renders characters almost three years older than what they are supposed to be).
December 20, 2009
We've read it with my daughther following Manny's advice. I never saw such response from my child. She was jumping around her room, laughing out loud, she wanted to discuss every plotline, because they all affected something inside of her.
Most intersting thing is that I never saw such reaction on any fairy-tale book. Common opinion that kids tend to love imaginery worlds, full of fabricated characters. "Madicken" (there is a mess between "madita" and "madicken" titles, but I figured book we've just read is this one)is totally realistic. Even Ultomte (Swedish Santa) is revealed as a Ture, the neighbor. That was a lesson about my daughter for me too.
Anyway the book is unbelievble fun.
Most intersting thing is that I never saw such reaction on any fairy-tale book. Common opinion that kids tend to love imaginery worlds, full of fabricated characters. "Madicken" (there is a mess between "madita" and "madicken" titles, but I figured book we've just read is this one)is totally realistic. Even Ultomte (Swedish Santa) is revealed as a Ture, the neighbor. That was a lesson about my daughter for me too.
Anyway the book is unbelievble fun.
February 2, 2020
Now I do indeed realise (and yes, with a certain amount of sadness and personal annoyance) that aside from Astrid Lindgren's Pippi Longstocking, many (if actually not even the vast majority) of Lindgren's strong and courageous female characters (such as for example Ronia the Robber's daughter and for the two novels I am presently reviewing, Madicken or as she is known in German translation Madita) are not nearly as well known and as universally loved and even all that accepted in especially North America. And quite frankly, albeit I do consider this both problematic and very much frustrating, I am also also not all that surprised regarding this here scenario in particular with regard to Astrid Lindgren's two Madicken novels (since only the first novel has actually been and very poorly in my not so humble opinion translated as Mischievous Meg for the North American market, with an entire chapter in fact omitted for supposedly reasons of puritanism and the unacceptability of little girls swearing and fighting, and that albeit for the British market, both Madicken novels do seem to have been translated as Mardie's Adventures and Mardie to the Rescue, they are both not in current print and as such also rather difficult and often really expensive to obtain used).
And with this all in mind, even though I do indeed rate the German translations of Astrid Lindgren's Madicken novels with five glowing stars and also consider them both childhood and adulthood personal favourites, I really can ONLY recommend reading the Madicken series in either the Swedish originals if you are in fact fortunate enough to be sufficiently fluent in Swedish or in the German translations, which are titled as Madita and Madita und Pims and which in this here edition appear in one handy all encompassing volume. And yes, I personally do suggest actively avoiding especially the one entire chapter missing Mischievous Meg like the proverbial plague (and since I have not been able to as yet locate reasonably priced copies of the British translations, I will only state that according to my own research, the two Mardie books do seem to appear as having been much better and more completely translated than Mischievous Meg, but since I have not actually had the chance to peruse them, I cannot and will not suggest purchasing two novels that the last time I checked online were obscenely expensive even for mass market paperback editions that were described as falling apart and with pages missing).
So what is it about Madita and Madita und Pims that I have always enjoyed, appreciated and yes indeed loved so very much? Is it that main protagonist Madita (Madicken) is imaginative and sometimes a bit mischievous? Yes, but actually and really only very partially so, because what MY OWN AND MAIN personal attachment to Madita and her adventures and escapades (and in both the first and the second novel) always has been, this has considerably more to do with the fact that Madita even with all of her tendencies to making mild mischief and creating a bit of havoc both at home and at school (including possessing a rather interesting and varied store of delightfully imaginative curse expressions that not only Madita but also her little sister Lisabeth are constantly and fondly using) Madita is basically (and to and for me utterly) a young girl with a heart of pure gold and who first and foremost wants to make people happy and is therefore both very much unhappy with and offended by instances and scenarios of social injustice. And while even in the first novel, while even in Madita, Astrid Lindgren always portrays Madita as rambunctious but basically sweet and generous (and generally even when her little sister Lisabeth is being a godawful pest), Madita's social consciousness and her desire for fairness and social justice, this is in particular noticeable in the second novel, in Madita und Pims (where there are many instances of poverty, of bigoted attitudes towards the poor, the infirm etc. being portrayed by Astrid Lindgren, not to mention the depiction of alcoholism and how fathers spending their wages and time gambling or drinking at the local pub can make things horrible and painful for their wives and children).
And yes, in Madita und Pims, Madita although a member of the so-called upper classes of her small Swedish city not only (and from her own volition) often engages in solid and realistic instances of providing help and support to and for those who are suffering and in dire straits (for unlike her journalist father who writes academic articles about helping the poor, Madita and even to an extend her mother put thoughts and ideals into action and actively engage IN HELPING OUT) Madita also does not simply help and provide aid with an attitude of superiority and aloofness, no she actually endeavours to also understand and make friends with those whom her compatriots would probably consider lower and lesser, that she and Mia actually become best friends (once the barriers are down) and when Madita suggests that the family take their maid Alva to the mayor's charity event, she does this first and foremost because she loves Alva and wants to see her happy (and knows how much she loves to dance), and oh boy, do I ever tend to laugh out loud when Madita gets the chimney sweep to come in and publicly dance with Alva (and how this do totally offends ALL of the city's high and mighty and dressed to the gills arrogant "grand ladies").
And with this all in mind, even though I do indeed rate the German translations of Astrid Lindgren's Madicken novels with five glowing stars and also consider them both childhood and adulthood personal favourites, I really can ONLY recommend reading the Madicken series in either the Swedish originals if you are in fact fortunate enough to be sufficiently fluent in Swedish or in the German translations, which are titled as Madita and Madita und Pims and which in this here edition appear in one handy all encompassing volume. And yes, I personally do suggest actively avoiding especially the one entire chapter missing Mischievous Meg like the proverbial plague (and since I have not been able to as yet locate reasonably priced copies of the British translations, I will only state that according to my own research, the two Mardie books do seem to appear as having been much better and more completely translated than Mischievous Meg, but since I have not actually had the chance to peruse them, I cannot and will not suggest purchasing two novels that the last time I checked online were obscenely expensive even for mass market paperback editions that were described as falling apart and with pages missing).
So what is it about Madita and Madita und Pims that I have always enjoyed, appreciated and yes indeed loved so very much? Is it that main protagonist Madita (Madicken) is imaginative and sometimes a bit mischievous? Yes, but actually and really only very partially so, because what MY OWN AND MAIN personal attachment to Madita and her adventures and escapades (and in both the first and the second novel) always has been, this has considerably more to do with the fact that Madita even with all of her tendencies to making mild mischief and creating a bit of havoc both at home and at school (including possessing a rather interesting and varied store of delightfully imaginative curse expressions that not only Madita but also her little sister Lisabeth are constantly and fondly using) Madita is basically (and to and for me utterly) a young girl with a heart of pure gold and who first and foremost wants to make people happy and is therefore both very much unhappy with and offended by instances and scenarios of social injustice. And while even in the first novel, while even in Madita, Astrid Lindgren always portrays Madita as rambunctious but basically sweet and generous (and generally even when her little sister Lisabeth is being a godawful pest), Madita's social consciousness and her desire for fairness and social justice, this is in particular noticeable in the second novel, in Madita und Pims (where there are many instances of poverty, of bigoted attitudes towards the poor, the infirm etc. being portrayed by Astrid Lindgren, not to mention the depiction of alcoholism and how fathers spending their wages and time gambling or drinking at the local pub can make things horrible and painful for their wives and children).
And yes, in Madita und Pims, Madita although a member of the so-called upper classes of her small Swedish city not only (and from her own volition) often engages in solid and realistic instances of providing help and support to and for those who are suffering and in dire straits (for unlike her journalist father who writes academic articles about helping the poor, Madita and even to an extend her mother put thoughts and ideals into action and actively engage IN HELPING OUT) Madita also does not simply help and provide aid with an attitude of superiority and aloofness, no she actually endeavours to also understand and make friends with those whom her compatriots would probably consider lower and lesser, that she and Mia actually become best friends (once the barriers are down) and when Madita suggests that the family take their maid Alva to the mayor's charity event, she does this first and foremost because she loves Alva and wants to see her happy (and knows how much she loves to dance), and oh boy, do I ever tend to laugh out loud when Madita gets the chimney sweep to come in and publicly dance with Alva (and how this do totally offends ALL of the city's high and mighty and dressed to the gills arrogant "grand ladies").
Want to read
March 7, 2016Bilingual friends tell me this is a more accurate translation than my beloved childhood version, , which apparently has whole chapters left out, as well as expurgated content.
May 16, 2013
This is definitely my favourite Astrid Lindgren book. It always reminds me of what my sister and I were like as kids.
October 13, 2022
uwielbiam astrid, jej błyskotliwy styl pisania, jej humor zupełnie naturalny i czasem subtelnie nienarzucający, a czasem absolutnie przekomiczny, wrażliwość � zauważanie rzeczy i sytuacji umiejętność oddania ich istoty, bez "przegadywania". apselutnie prześwietna książka.
"kocha kajsę w inny sposób, a lisabet w inny sposób, bardzo, bardzo, bardzo!
� a powiedz, kogo ty kochasz? � pyta madika.
� ja też kocham lisabet bardzo, bardzo, bardzo, na wszystkie sposoby � odpowiada lisabet (...)"
"kocha kajsę w inny sposób, a lisabet w inny sposób, bardzo, bardzo, bardzo!
� a powiedz, kogo ty kochasz? � pyta madika.
� ja też kocham lisabet bardzo, bardzo, bardzo, na wszystkie sposoby � odpowiada lisabet (...)"
November 23, 2015
This book reminded me why A. Lindgren was my favorite author when I was a kid. Her books just radiate such warmness.. And humor is amazing. There were some serious themes in this book also: poverty, alcoholism, insanity. Madita goes into my favorites shelf like most of other Lindgren's books.
November 6, 2021
Fainuolė Madikė, labai ją įsimylėjau.
March 21, 2016
Sometimes you shouldn’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good. The great Manny Rayner extols this book, published in Swedish in 1960 as Madicken, in both the original Swedish and its German translation. The English translation is supposed to be sub-par; however, I really enjoyed the adventures of 9-year-old Meg Peterson, a girl with too much imagination and too little sense, as she attempts to replicate parachuting out of an airplane, portraying Pharoah’s daughter discovering Moses amongst the bulrushes, or “skating� on a frozen river much too far from home. Too often, Meg shanghaies her 5-year-old sister Betsy into her wild schemes.
Written by , best known for , Mischievous Meg features a heroine unlike the unrealistically well-behaved storybook children; Meg gets up to all kinds of mischief, despite her best intentions. However, I have to admit that I didn’t enjoy the book � whether because of the translation or because of the book itself or because I read it in paperback rather than listened to it on Audible � as much as I did Lindgren’s . As with The Children of Noisy Village, I was at home sick when I devoured Mischievous Meg in a single morning, but it wasn’t as delightful.
Like The Children of Noisy Village, Mischievous Meg is set in a rural Sweden before automobiles became ubiquitous and before radio and television. What a delight to see Meg and Betsy play at being pirates or elegant ladies or the biblical Joseph! At the risk of sounding like an old lady, it’s sad how much has been lost to television, the Xbox, and the Internet. So I’ll take my own advice and not let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Mischievous Meg provided a welcome balm when I was in bed sick, and that’s good enough.
Written by , best known for , Mischievous Meg features a heroine unlike the unrealistically well-behaved storybook children; Meg gets up to all kinds of mischief, despite her best intentions. However, I have to admit that I didn’t enjoy the book � whether because of the translation or because of the book itself or because I read it in paperback rather than listened to it on Audible � as much as I did Lindgren’s . As with The Children of Noisy Village, I was at home sick when I devoured Mischievous Meg in a single morning, but it wasn’t as delightful.
Like The Children of Noisy Village, Mischievous Meg is set in a rural Sweden before automobiles became ubiquitous and before radio and television. What a delight to see Meg and Betsy play at being pirates or elegant ladies or the biblical Joseph! At the risk of sounding like an old lady, it’s sad how much has been lost to television, the Xbox, and the Internet. So I’ll take my own advice and not let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Mischievous Meg provided a welcome balm when I was in bed sick, and that’s good enough.
January 6, 2025
Астрид си е Астрид 🩷
Обожавам всичко, излезнало изпод творческото перо на тази лудетина!
Обожавам всичко, излезнало изпод творческото перо на тази лудетина!
April 14, 2015
I liked it, but it bothered me that her mother was always so mean to that neighbour boy. I'm sure he just wanted to have fun and play with her. Just because he was poor didn't mean she had to be so rude. He just liked playing with her and doing fun things. No need to be so stuck up. Her daughter always did much worse things on her own, after all, like jumping off the roof with an umbrella, but all he did was make a funny joke about a ghost.
April 23, 2015
I mentioned in my review of that there was a summer that my cousin and I read through all of the Astrid Lindgren books (or at least the ones that were shelved at the local library.) I could always remember the events in this one - but couldn't place which book it was. I spent the entire time reading this internally shouting, "I remember this scene." Just lovely.
Read
December 5, 2024"Saulė lauke,danguj,saulė širdy,saulė viduj."
July 28, 2024
Third reading: Anselm was so taken with this book after I read it aloud in February that he begged me to begin it again immediately; I always refuse these types of requests, but he settled for buddyreading it. This was delightful, and I was again pleasantly surprised to see how many words he didn't struggle with. Astrid Lindgren is just his speed right now. He was so motivated to read that he would try to finish his math lessons quickly in order to earn an extra 5 minutes of Mischievous Meg.
Second reading: This time I read it aloud to my three children and two friends during an extended visit, hopefully the start of a new tradition! The world of the book seemed as engrossing to them as it did to me, and the older children especially enjoyed reading between the lines and figuring out what was really going on when Meg saw a ghost or blamed all mishaps at school on a single classmate named Richard.
Original review:
Is Astrid Lindgren in fact the most incredible author ever to have penned children's books? Because even this random obscure one is an absolute gem.
I saw it in a list of "other works by this author" and thought it sounded fun -- especially because I have a dear friend, not much inclined to mischief, of the same name (hi, Meg!) -- so I interlibrary loaned it on a whim.
There is a lot of the same charm and humor that you find in the Pippi and Noisy Village books, but this one is also entirely its own thing. We get a tender portrait of the relationship between two sisters, nine-year-old Meg and five-year-old Betsy, and their family's quiet life that is considerably enlivened by Meg's adventures and antics. As I've come to expect with Astrid Lindgren, the psychology of the child characters is absolutely on point: she describes the thoughts, motives, and feelings of both girls with a wit, sympathy, and (above all) accuracy that made me laugh out loud again and again. Oh, it's all so, so true! These are no generic child characters that could pass for pretty much any age from 5 to 10, but finely delineated, recognizable likenesses of two girls who are precisely 9 and precisely 5.
The book paints a sweet picture of Swedish life in 1960 -- a more up-to-date picture than in Noisy Village, but still offering a delightful glimpse of traditional Sweden. The girls enjoy waffles in bed, a Christmas smörgåsbord, a picnic with meatballs and cinnamon buns; their mother cleans the house top to bottom before Christmas, and they sing and dance around the tree; they collect postcards in an album and send cards for Easter. The adults take part in the story, and occupy Meg's consciousness, in a way that they don't in the world of Noisy Village, and one of the loveliest things about the book is Meg's delight when, at a few different points, her whole family is together -- everything is perfect now, she thinks.
Second reading: This time I read it aloud to my three children and two friends during an extended visit, hopefully the start of a new tradition! The world of the book seemed as engrossing to them as it did to me, and the older children especially enjoyed reading between the lines and figuring out what was really going on when Meg saw a ghost or blamed all mishaps at school on a single classmate named Richard.
Original review:
Is Astrid Lindgren in fact the most incredible author ever to have penned children's books? Because even this random obscure one is an absolute gem.
I saw it in a list of "other works by this author" and thought it sounded fun -- especially because I have a dear friend, not much inclined to mischief, of the same name (hi, Meg!) -- so I interlibrary loaned it on a whim.
There is a lot of the same charm and humor that you find in the Pippi and Noisy Village books, but this one is also entirely its own thing. We get a tender portrait of the relationship between two sisters, nine-year-old Meg and five-year-old Betsy, and their family's quiet life that is considerably enlivened by Meg's adventures and antics. As I've come to expect with Astrid Lindgren, the psychology of the child characters is absolutely on point: she describes the thoughts, motives, and feelings of both girls with a wit, sympathy, and (above all) accuracy that made me laugh out loud again and again. Oh, it's all so, so true! These are no generic child characters that could pass for pretty much any age from 5 to 10, but finely delineated, recognizable likenesses of two girls who are precisely 9 and precisely 5.
The book paints a sweet picture of Swedish life in 1960 -- a more up-to-date picture than in Noisy Village, but still offering a delightful glimpse of traditional Sweden. The girls enjoy waffles in bed, a Christmas smörgåsbord, a picnic with meatballs and cinnamon buns; their mother cleans the house top to bottom before Christmas, and they sing and dance around the tree; they collect postcards in an album and send cards for Easter. The adults take part in the story, and occupy Meg's consciousness, in a way that they don't in the world of Noisy Village, and one of the loveliest things about the book is Meg's delight when, at a few different points, her whole family is together -- everything is perfect now, she thinks.
February 25, 2024
Kaut kā man ne visai patika atsevišķas vietas grāmatā, un vispār - teksts jau kārtējo reizi lika aizdomāties, ka Lindgrēnas grāmatas bērniem mūsdienās diez vai tiktu publicētas tieši tādā versijā, kā savulaik, neizraisot sašutumu un šūmēšanos sabiedrībā.
Lasot priekšā, dažas vietas grāmatā man gribējās izlaist (un es arī izlaidu), un mani mocīja sirdsapziņa, lasot bērnam priekšā fragmentu, kur viena maza meitenīte otrai bļauj: "Sadod pa purnu!", kad tā kaujas ar trešo. Ne jau kaušanās pie vainas, tas jau saprotams, ja pa reizei arī meitenes izkaujas, bet tas "purns" - brrr. Esmu pārāk konservatīva droši vien, bet manā skatījumā nav vietas tādiem izteicieniem bērnu grāmatās un es negribētu, lai mani bērni tādus vārdus samācās un lieto :D
Arī nodaļa par Ziemassvētkiem mulsināja - nu negribējās man vēl bērnam caur gr��matu atklāt, ka Zsvētku dāvanas sarūpē vecāki,bet rūķis ir kaimiņš.
Lai gan grāmata stāsta par septiņgadīgu meiteni, un tieši šī aspekta dēļ to izvēlējos lasīt priekšā bērnam, kas ir līdzīgā vecumā ar grāmatas varoni, teksts man nešķita šim vecumam īpaši atbilstošs. Mulsināja arī daudzās atsauces uz Bībeles motīviem, un kopumā pārņēma sajūta, ka Lindgrēnas grāmatas ir nedaudz par vecmodīgu mūsdienu bērniem.
Jau pēc Karlsona izlasīšanas manī iemājoja ne īpaši patīkamas pārdomas par izlasīto, un šobrīd ir tā, ka es pat nezinu, vai vēlēšos vēl kādu no šīs rakstnieces grāmatām lasīt bērniem priekšā un vispār - šo grāmatu izlasīt līdz galam... Ja nu vienīgi jāmēģina pārlasīt "Mio, manu Mio", jo atceros, ka šis stāsts bērnībā man ļoti patika.
Lasot priekšā, dažas vietas grāmatā man gribējās izlaist (un es arī izlaidu), un mani mocīja sirdsapziņa, lasot bērnam priekšā fragmentu, kur viena maza meitenīte otrai bļauj: "Sadod pa purnu!", kad tā kaujas ar trešo. Ne jau kaušanās pie vainas, tas jau saprotams, ja pa reizei arī meitenes izkaujas, bet tas "purns" - brrr. Esmu pārāk konservatīva droši vien, bet manā skatījumā nav vietas tādiem izteicieniem bērnu grāmatās un es negribētu, lai mani bērni tādus vārdus samācās un lieto :D
Arī nodaļa par Ziemassvētkiem mulsināja - nu negribējās man vēl bērnam caur gr��matu atklāt, ka Zsvētku dāvanas sarūpē vecāki,bet rūķis ir kaimiņš.
Lai gan grāmata stāsta par septiņgadīgu meiteni, un tieši šī aspekta dēļ to izvēlējos lasīt priekšā bērnam, kas ir līdzīgā vecumā ar grāmatas varoni, teksts man nešķita šim vecumam īpaši atbilstošs. Mulsināja arī daudzās atsauces uz Bībeles motīviem, un kopumā pārņēma sajūta, ka Lindgrēnas grāmatas ir nedaudz par vecmodīgu mūsdienu bērniem.
Jau pēc Karlsona izlasīšanas manī iemājoja ne īpaši patīkamas pārdomas par izlasīto, un šobrīd ir tā, ka es pat nezinu, vai vēlēšos vēl kādu no šīs rakstnieces grāmatām lasīt bērniem priekšā un vispār - šo grāmatu izlasīt līdz galam... Ja nu vienīgi jāmēģina pārlasīt "Mio, manu Mio", jo atceros, ka šis stāsts bērnībā man ļoti patika.
May 16, 2024
3,5 tähteä
Ainakin tämä ensimmäinen Marikki-kirja on luettu minulle joskus lapsena ääneen ja olen lukenut ala-asteella myös Marikki ja Kesäkummun Tuikku -kirjan, mutta silti Marikki on jäänyt itselleni hieman etäiseksi hahmoksi ja kirjasarjaksi Lindgrenin tuotannosta.
En tiedä, onko syynä jonkinlainen arkisuus ja tavallisuus, joka ei sitten ole kiinnostanut niin paljoa kun vaihtoehtoisesti voisi lukea maailman vahvimmasta tytöstä tai ryövärimetsästä. Mutta sympaattinen kirjahan tämä oli joka tapauksessa!
Kirja kuvaa osuvasti myös eri yhteiskuntaluokkia: naapurin Nilssoneilla ei ole juuri joulukoristeita saatika joululahjoja, kun taas Kesäkummussa juhlitaan yltäkylläisesti.
En muista yhtään, mitä ajattelin pienempänä kirjan Raamattu-aiheisista leikeistä ja muista uskontoa sivuavista asioista, ehkä en sen kummemmin mitään, en nimittäin ainakaan muistanut, että Marikki ja Liisa leikkivät Raamatun tarinoita. Mutta eipä siinä varsinaisesti mitään pahaa ole, ajankuvaa sekin.
Täytyy varmaankin lukea myös tuo toinen Marikki-kirja.
Ainakin tämä ensimmäinen Marikki-kirja on luettu minulle joskus lapsena ääneen ja olen lukenut ala-asteella myös Marikki ja Kesäkummun Tuikku -kirjan, mutta silti Marikki on jäänyt itselleni hieman etäiseksi hahmoksi ja kirjasarjaksi Lindgrenin tuotannosta.
En tiedä, onko syynä jonkinlainen arkisuus ja tavallisuus, joka ei sitten ole kiinnostanut niin paljoa kun vaihtoehtoisesti voisi lukea maailman vahvimmasta tytöstä tai ryövärimetsästä. Mutta sympaattinen kirjahan tämä oli joka tapauksessa!
Kirja kuvaa osuvasti myös eri yhteiskuntaluokkia: naapurin Nilssoneilla ei ole juuri joulukoristeita saatika joululahjoja, kun taas Kesäkummussa juhlitaan yltäkylläisesti.
En muista yhtään, mitä ajattelin pienempänä kirjan Raamattu-aiheisista leikeistä ja muista uskontoa sivuavista asioista, ehkä en sen kummemmin mitään, en nimittäin ainakaan muistanut, että Marikki ja Liisa leikkivät Raamatun tarinoita. Mutta eipä siinä varsinaisesti mitään pahaa ole, ajankuvaa sekin.
Täytyy varmaankin lukea myös tuo toinen Marikki-kirja.
May 13, 2023
Den här boken liksom de andra Astrid Lindgrens böckerna är min barndom. Har int läst Madicken på flera år, kändes så härligt nostalgiskt att komma tillbaka o träffa de alla.
Madicken är absolut en utav mina favorit karaktärer av Astrid Lindgren. Så mycket att jag till och med klädde ut mig till Madicken i lågstadiet då vi firade Astrid Lindgrens 100 års jubileum i skolan.
Madicken är absolut en utav mina favorit karaktärer av Astrid Lindgren. Så mycket att jag till och med klädde ut mig till Madicken i lågstadiet då vi firade Astrid Lindgrens 100 års jubileum i skolan.
March 23, 2025
Aš vaikystėje A. Lingren skaičiau per mažai! Taip mėgaujuosi garsiai sūnui skaitydama ir apgailestauju, kad jam neteko to tikrojo mano vaikystės kaimo, kur už kalno pas kaimyną pėdini obuolienės, o pas tą už keturių namų, ten prie žemuogių kalnelio varai kiaulę pas kuilį. Ūgiu pati vos didesnė už tą kiaulę.
Lingren knygose išlikęs tas lėtas ir organiškas gyvenimo ratas, kurio laikui bėgant darosi vis labiau ilgu.
Anikė, Kalis, Ronja, Emilis - man jie visi iš to pačio tikro viensėdžio tipo kaimo.
O kad jau pavasaris nitriai stumiasi šiltyn, tai ruošiuos kaip ir kasmet savo vasaros must tritomį išsitraukti: T. Janson "Vasaros knyga", A. Lingren "Mes Varnų saloje" ir R. Bradbury "Pienių vynas".
Lingren knygose išlikęs tas lėtas ir organiškas gyvenimo ratas, kurio laikui bėgant darosi vis labiau ilgu.
Anikė, Kalis, Ronja, Emilis - man jie visi iš to pačio tikro viensėdžio tipo kaimo.
O kad jau pavasaris nitriai stumiasi šiltyn, tai ruošiuos kaip ir kasmet savo vasaros must tritomį išsitraukti: T. Janson "Vasaros knyga", A. Lingren "Mes Varnų saloje" ir R. Bradbury "Pienių vynas".
April 15, 2022
When I'm stressed and have no time or brainpower for reading, I reread Astrid Lindgren books - she has the best worlds to just escape into for a bit. Wish I'd found the Madita ones when I was a kid, I would've loved them so much.
October 20, 2016
What an absolute treasure! This book was charming from beginning to end. Meg and Betsy remind me of two of my darling daughters, ages 4 and 2 respectively, and what they would be like in 3 years. So many little gems in this book. It's definitely a book that loves children.
November 4, 2019
Ensimmäinen kirja jonka luin. Olin tällöin viisivuotias. Pidin sitä lapsuuden läpi lempikirjanani. Nyt aikuisena päätin lukea uudestaan ja luulin ajan kullanneen muistot. Ehei, tämä on oikeasti hyvä kirja. Vähän ehdin saada kiinni siitä fiiliksestä mikä minulla oli 27 vuotta sitten tätä lukiessani.
December 11, 2023
Ihana Marikki ja Liisa. Aivan ihastuttava kuvaus omasta ajastaan. Itsellä tämä sijoittuu Lindgrenin tuotannosta kakkoseksi Ronjan jälkeen.
19.12.2022 Marikki 🤍
11.12.2023 Marikille aina viisi tähteä 🥰
19.12.2022 Marikki 🤍
11.12.2023 Marikille aina viisi tähteä 🥰
July 21, 2021
I never liked Madicken when i was a kid. I thought she was very rue and mean to everyone. But i loved the movie and the dresses, the scenery etc.
Reading this again as an adult i can see how fun it really is and im not as annoyed with Madicken. Its an ok story really!
Reading this again as an adult i can see how fun it really is and im not as annoyed with Madicken. Its an ok story really!
June 22, 2016
Nog steeds in het kader van mijn missie "alle Astrid Lindgren boeken lezen", was het nu de beurt aan "Madicken". Hoofdpersonage is de bijna 7-jarige Madicken, die samen met zusje Lisabet, haar ouders en een reeks huisdieren in Junibacken woont. Madicken is de soort jonge enthousiaste sloeber, vol fantasie, die doet vooraleer ze nadenkt en nadien met de gevolgen wordt geconfronteerd. Op deze manier weet Lindgren zonder zeer belerend over te komen deze "moraal van het verhaal" aan de (jonge) lezers over te brengen. In korte hoofdstukjes, die zich afspelen over alle seizoenen heen en waarin veel Zweedse tradities aan bod komen, worden de avonturen van Madicken en Lisabet verteld. Hoewel het duidelijk een kinderboek is, verveelt het boek voor volwassenen niet, omdat er bijzonder veel elementen in zitten die kinderen niet zullen oppikken maar die volwassenen dan herkenbaar zullen vinden. Zo is er bijvoorbeeld de moeder van Madicken die niet wil dat Madicken omgaat met Abbe, de zoon van de buren, omdat ze ooit ruzie heeft gehad met de ouders of omdat zijn vader drinkt. Of zo is er de absolute wens van Madicken dat haar ouders "niet moe" zullen zijn met kerst - een niet mis te verstane boodschap in onze huidige tijden waarin de helft van de werknemers moe en gestresseerd thuis zit�
Van genoten. Opnieuw een pareltje van Astrid Lindgren. 4,5 sterren, omdat ik "Pippi Långstrump" en "Bröderna Lejonhjärta" toch net iets van een ander kaliber vond.
Van genoten. Opnieuw een pareltje van Astrid Lindgren. 4,5 sterren, omdat ik "Pippi Långstrump" en "Bröderna Lejonhjärta" toch net iets van een ander kaliber vond.
October 31, 2024
*4.5, nostalgische *5
obwohl meine mutter mir das buch mal vorgelesen hat, sind mir allem voran die bilder aus der serie und den filmen noch vor augen, denn die habe ich geliebt und rauf und runter geschaut. das buch ist in sehr einfacher sprache gehalten (das kam mir natürlich früher nicht so vor) und hat den ein oder anderen problematischen, insbesondere rassistischen, aspekt. alles in allem ist es aber eine wunderschöne geschichte, madita grundsätzlich eine emanzipatorische heldin (auch wenn sich einiges darüber sagen liesse, dass sie "wohl ein junge hätte werden sollen" und "rauft wie ein junge"). die familie und die kindheit auf birkenlund mögen idyllisch und fast verklärt sein, aber madita verschliesst nicht die augen vor der wirklichkeit und kommt auch mit anderen lebensweisen und den problemen der ärmeren leute in berührung. allem voran ist ihr vater eine grossartige figur und präsenz, die ich auch noch gut in erinnerung hatte. eine wunderbare kindheitserinnerung, die mich ein bisschen in träumen von sommern auf birkenlund hat schwelgen lassen und das perfekte buch war für einen urlaub in schweden. auf zu teil zwei!
obwohl meine mutter mir das buch mal vorgelesen hat, sind mir allem voran die bilder aus der serie und den filmen noch vor augen, denn die habe ich geliebt und rauf und runter geschaut. das buch ist in sehr einfacher sprache gehalten (das kam mir natürlich früher nicht so vor) und hat den ein oder anderen problematischen, insbesondere rassistischen, aspekt. alles in allem ist es aber eine wunderschöne geschichte, madita grundsätzlich eine emanzipatorische heldin (auch wenn sich einiges darüber sagen liesse, dass sie "wohl ein junge hätte werden sollen" und "rauft wie ein junge"). die familie und die kindheit auf birkenlund mögen idyllisch und fast verklärt sein, aber madita verschliesst nicht die augen vor der wirklichkeit und kommt auch mit anderen lebensweisen und den problemen der ärmeren leute in berührung. allem voran ist ihr vater eine grossartige figur und präsenz, die ich auch noch gut in erinnerung hatte. eine wunderbare kindheitserinnerung, die mich ein bisschen in träumen von sommern auf birkenlund hat schwelgen lassen und das perfekte buch war für einen urlaub in schweden. auf zu teil zwei!
December 29, 2023
Jako velká fanynka Lindgrenové jsem doufala v druhé, trochu víc holčičí Děti z Bullerbynu, ale nedočkala se. Madynka je asi 7-8 letá holčička, která vyrůstá na švédském venkově společně s mladší sestrou a společně zažívají každodenní prostá dětská dobrodužství. Skákání s deštníkem ze střechy, plavení se ve škopku na řece, dětská rvačka, Vánoce... Tam podobnost s Bullerbynem končí. Příhody Madynky nejsou zdaleka tak univerzální a hravé jako ty dětí z Bullerbynu. Víc se tu operuje s křeťanstvím a holčičky mají dost nesympatickou prudérní matku, která ohrnuje nos nad chudým, ale hodným chlapcem ze sousedství. Kapitoly jsou většinou dost dlouhé, takže se úplně nehodí na samostatné čtení pro začínající čtenáře. Ani jako předčítaná pohádka Madynka u nás nezabodovala. Zajímavé je, že jako v jedné z mála dětských knih se tu zlehka naťukne problém alkoholismu, což není na škodu.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 244 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.