The Astrid Lindgren Reading Group discussion

Here is a list of some of the secondary sources and critical studies on Astrid Lindgren and her works. Feel free to list any you know of, including secondary works that, although not on Astrid Lindgren specifically, prominently feature her.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE STUDIES

Astrid Lindgren by Eva-Maria Metcalf

Beyond Pippi Longstocking: Intermedial and International Approaches to Astrid Lindgren's Work by Bettina Kümmerling-Meibauer

Astrid Lindgren: Storyteller to the World by Johanna Hurwitz

Astrid Lindgren: A Critical Study by Vivi Blom Edström

GERMAN LANGUAGE STUDIES

Vergleich von Astrid Lindgrens Lisa aus -Wir Kinder aus Bullerbü- und Madita aus -Madita-, unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der weiblichen Figurendarstellung, ... daraus sich ergebender Konflikte und Chancen by Sibylle Nagel

Astrid Lindgren und die öffentliche Meinung by Sarah Susanne Haag

Astrid Lindgren und die Macht des Märchens by Vivi Blom Edström

Astrid Lindgren, das Paradies der Kinder by Felizitas von Schönborn

Jenseits von Bullerbü. Die Lebensgeschichte der Astrid Lindgren by Maren Gottschalk

Das Astrid Lindgren Lexikon. Alles über die beliebteste Kinderbuchautorin der Welt. by Manuela Bialek

Astrid Lindgren - Werk Und Wirkung: Internationale Und Interkulturelle Aspekte by Svenja Blume

Abendliches Bad in Katthult by Vivi Blom Edström

STUDIES THAT PROMINENTLY FEATURE LINDGREN

Comparative Children's Literature (Kinderliterarische Komparatistik) by Emer O'Sullivan

The Translation of Children's Literature: A Reader by Gillian Lathey

MORE STUDIES THAT PROMINENTLY FEATURE ASTRID LINDGREN

Klassiker der Kinder- und Jugendliteratur. by Bettina Hurrelmann (A German-language collection of critical essays on about twenty-seven different children's literature classics. The essay on Pippi Longstocking is amazing, actually, all of the essays are great. Hard to obtain and very expensive to buy, as it seems to be out of print and quite rare, I would consider photocopying the Pippi Longstocking essay for anyone who is interested)

Zauberkreide: Kinderliteratur seit 1945 (also has quite a bit on Astrid Lindgren, although the author is rather critical of her Brothers Lionheart book, claiming that it glorifies death)

Volksüberlieferung und Jugendliteratur by Alfred Clemens Baumgärtner (this supposedly has a chapter on Astrid Lindgren and folktale elements in her work)

Children's Novels and the Movies by Douglas Street (supposedly has chapters on Astrid Lindgren films)

Komik im Kinderbuch: Erscheinungsformen des Komischen in der Kinder- und Jugendliteratur by Hans-Heino Ewers (has a chapter on Pippi as a humorous/comic figure, I have not read this, but other works by this author are quite intellectually challenging)

In the original manuscript of "Pippi Longstocking" Ur-Pippi, there are certain episodes that really remind one of L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables series. In the episode where Pippi is supposed to be taken to an orphanage and ends up playing tag with the policemen, in the original manuscript, there are two adults sent to talk to Pippi. These not only act very high and mighty, but also insult Pippi's looks, especially her red hair (very similar to Rachel Lynde insulting Anne's red hair, except that in Ur-Pippi, Pippi is not devastated like Anne at the insult and has no problems with her hair being red, she just pays the adults back with equal insults about their own looks, too bad that part ended up being removed). Ulla Lundqvist says in her excellent commentary that the Anne of Green Gables series was one of Astrid Lindgren's favourite series (yay) and that she believes that Pippi's red hair (as well as her imagination) is meant to be somewhat of an homage to Anne, to Montgomery's most famous literary creation.

In the article on Pippi Longstocking in Klassiker der Kinder- und Jugendliteratur: Ein internationales Lexikon, it is noted that the name of Pippi's house "Villa Villekulla" also is likely meant to be an homage or an allusion to the Anne of Green Gables series, as the Swedish translation of Anne of Green Gables was/is Anne på Grönkulla, and that Pippi's looks, chattiness and imagination mirror Anne, but that Green Gables is much less chaotic than Villa Villekulla (although Anne does get into quite a few scrapes and makes Green Gables much more lively and chaotic than it ever was before her arrival).