The Wonderful Adventures of Nils

A boy who never listened. A journey that made him whole.

Selma Lagerlöf's beloved classic is one of the most enchanting books ever written—a story of a selfish boy, a magical journey, and the slow, painful work of becoming a decent human being.

Nils Holgersson is fourteen years old, lazy, cruel, and thoroughly unlikable. He torments the farm animals, lies to his parents, and has never done a kind thing in his life. One Sunday, he captures a gnome and tries to trick him. The gnome turns Nils into a tiny creature—no bigger than a thumb, able to understand the language of animals, who now despise him.

He tries to beg for forgiveness. The animals mock him. Desperate, Nils climbs onto the back of a barnyard goose named Morten just as the goose takes flight with a flock of wild geese migrating north. The flock does not want him. Their leader, the wise old Akka, is suspicious. Nils must prove himself worthy of staying.

What follows is a breathtaking journey across the length of Sweden: from the southern plains of Skåne to the northern reaches of Lapland. Nils sees forests, mountains, rivers, and cities. He learns the legends of the land—the stories of Kings and trolls, of hidden treasures and ancient curses. He saves animals from predators, rescues a squirrel from a cage, helps a bear escape a trap. Slowly, imperceptibly, he changes.

This is Lagerlöf at her most magical and humane: a novel about the transformation of a monster into a boy, and a boy into someone worthy of love. The Wonderful Adventures of Nils was written as a geography textbook for Swedish schools. It became one of the most beloved children's books in the world.

• First published in 1906–1907, commissioned by the Swedish National Teachers' Association as a geography reader

• The only children's book ever written by a Nobel Prize winner in Literature

• A beloved classic in Sweden, adapted into films, television series, and the long-running anime The Wonderful Adventures of Nils (1980–1981)

Available in multiple formats:

• Paperback & Hardcover: Beautifully designed print editions presenting the complete, unabridged text made to last.

• Ebook: DRM-free EPUB compatible with Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books, and all major e-readers.

• Audiobook: Professionally narrated, complete and unabridged, available on all major audiobook platforms.

A beautifully crafted edition for your shelf, your device, or your ears, or the perfect gift for anyone who knows that the longest journeys are the ones that teach us to become human.

About the Author

Selma Lagerlöf (1858–1940) was a Swedish novelist and short story writer, the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, receiving the award in 1909. She was also the first woman elected to the Swedish Academy, joining in 1914. Born on the Mårbacka estate in Värmland, she drew deeply on the landscapes, folklore, and peasant culture of her native region. The Wonderful Adventures of Nils (1906–1907) was written as a geography textbook for Swedish schools, a commission that allowed Lagerlöf to combine her love of storytelling with her passion for education. Her other masterpieces include The Story of Gösta Berling (1891), Invisible Links (1894), Jerusalem (1901–1902), The Treasure (1904), and The Emperor of Portugallia (1914). She died at Mårbacka in 1940.