The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning
Ratings49
Average rating3.1
An often bittersweet task approached in a friendly way. This book was gently uplifting and oddly refreshing to read.
This is a sweet little book by a lovely Swedish woman who describes herself as between 80 and 100, about her experiences cleaning out after the death of loved ones, and again for herself before she moved to a smaller home. Don't read this for a revolutionary new technique to declutter; read it for the charming stories about her life, the recipes, and the comfort it brings if you are doing this work yourself. I found it very soothing to read as I was cleaning out my mom's apartment after her passing.
I can imagine my Swedish (and German) grandmothers narrating this book, and for me, that is quite the compliment. It's not a how-to. It's a matter-of-fact, simple “why” on making sure that you don't leave a huge burden on the people you leave behind.
More memoir than bulleted list of How-Tos. I like memoirs and it's well narrated, so I enjoyed it. The dildo bit made me laugh. I wish there was an accompanying PDF to the audio with the jam recipes.
Actually 3.5 stars; it's hard to find fault with a book about getting rid of things that is actually so spare and lovely itself.
I enjoy reading takes on minimalism from different countries. This Swedish take is one of the closest to my own personal style than any that I've seen (even more than Konmari). It's not as catchy, but the concept is clear: life a life with an amount of stuff that you won't burden those who come after you with the weight of your stuff.
Having gone through my moms things when she passed (and she went through her moms things when she passed), this concept is quite prominent for me. For those who have never had the misfortunate of sorting through a loved ones life, it's a heavy burden to bear. Finding time to slim down pays dividends now for the living, and later for those still alive.
I enjoy reading takes on minimalism from different countries. This Swedish take is one of the closest to my own personal style than any that I've seen (even more than Konmari). It's not as catchy, but the concept is clear: life a life with an amount of stuff that you won't burden those who come after you with the weight of your stuff.
Having gone through my moms things when she passed (and she went through her moms things when she passed), this concept is quite prominent for me. For those who have never had the misfortunate of sorting through a loved ones life, it's a heavy burden to bear. Finding time to slim down pays dividends now for the living, and later for those still alive.
No surprises: the Swedish author, a woman “between eighty and one hundred years old,” says don't leave a bunch of stuff for your family/friends/loved ones to deal with after you die. But this was fun to read mostly because of the author's blunt style. One example: “It would have been incredibly nice to have had my husband's company to help me get through emptying our home... But it was impossible. He was dead.”
Less a how-to book than a gentle nudge from a sweet Swedish grandmother who's “somewhere between 80 and 100.”