Sommaren 1985 / Svärtan

[Siggdalos]

Yesterday I finished reading JAL's latest novel, Sommaren 1985 (The Summer of 1985). In short, it's about a group of seven childhood friends who've hung out together during summer vacations on a fictional island (Särsö) in the Stockholm archipelago ever since they were little. In the year the book takes place, in the weeks leading up to Live Aid, all but one have turned 14 and, with puberty being what it is, it's suddenly become important for the boys to try to impress the girls. The former make an expedition to a remote island where they stumble across a dying mermaid, which they take home and hide in an old hot tub, and then in usual order everything goes to hell.

And, well, what can I say. It's really good. JAL himself has on several occasions (including here) described it as being like a quintessence or parody of all the tropes he likes to use in his stories, but I do feel it stands apart well enough from his other books, aside from one or two specific plot elements which I think feel like a repeat of things he's done before. It has all the warmth, sorrow, humor, and fine-tuned depictions of emotions and relationships that you would expect, and I expect the characters will stay with me for some time. If you like his other stories you'll like this one. Simple as.

It's noticeable that the book started out as a short story and then got expanded into a novel. It's a short book--only about 320 pages (I finished it in only a couple of days of fairly leisurely reading)--and the plot is quite simple and straightforward without any added complications or distractions. This is not a bad thing, in fact I found the directness and simplicity of it refreshing. That said, I think the plot is maybe overly predictable in parts; some of the eventual reveals get pretty clearly telegraphed from early on. But then, I don't know that this is necessarily a bad thing either.

For those who are interested in connections between JAL's different stories (like I am), there are a couple of references to Harbour indicating that the stories take place in the same or at least adjacent universes, so that's fun.

[a_contemplative_life]

Thanks for this review. It's been a while since I've tackled any new JAL books. I may need to check this one out!

[Siggdalos]

And here's some great news!

http://johnajvidelindqvist.com/article.php?id=315

Today we can announce that John's book The Summer of 1985 will be made into a TV series on SVT. Amy Deasismont and Melina Maraki have written the screenplay for the series' six episodes. Filming will begin in spring with a planned premiere in 2026.

A production team of renown is behind the project. Amy Deasismont is writing the screenplay together with Melina Maraki as well as directing select episodes. Björn Stein is the series' conceptual director. Anna-Klara Carlsten is the series' producer. Casting is underway, and filming is planned to begin in late spring 2025.

A story about friendship, courage and loyalty
The story takes place in the Stockholm Archipelago in the summer of 1985. Fourteen-year-old Johannes and his friends have always spent their summers together on the island of Särsö. But this summer, everything changes. Puberty shakes the gang and their relationships are put to the test. When a boy is found drowned under mysterious circumstances they are drawn into a mysterious drama that reaches its climax when they discover a wounded and abandoned creature on the island of Svärtan - a creature that resembles a mermaid. The Summer of 1985 develops into a story about friendship, courage and loyalty, and a summer that changes Johannes and his friends forever.

"The screenplays that Amy Deasismont and Melina Maraki wrote were a world I felt I had to discover. To get to make a series about teenagers that's not a teen drama but a coming-of-age thriller with magical elements that takes place the summer I myself was 15 years old is something I've never done before, and that's when I enjoy myself the most."
- Director Björn Stein

"The mix of darkness and humor, the recognition in John Ajvide's on-the-mark characters and the nostalgia of looking back on a life-changing time in life, where what you want to remember and maybe also forget can't be protected against, was what attracted me to the project. I'm so glad to be a part of realizing this story that I'm convinced will appeal to young and old alike."
- Screenwriter Amy Deasismont

"The Summer of 1985 is one of John Ajvide Lindqvist's most fascinating stories - in the fantastical universe in which his stories take place. Where the absurd and supernatural suddenly arises in a natural way in our reality. Considering all of the incredibly talented people behind the project, and the great collaboration that is already in full swing, it is with great pleasure we look forward to the upcoming work. It is my conviction that this series will add something completely new to our repertoire and be enjoyed by a large audience!"
- SVT's drama director Johanna Gårdare

EDIT 2025-04-08: Couple more deets from an interview with Anna-Klara Carlsten in Moviezine.

• Filming starts in May.
• JAL is executive producer, is reading everything and "comes with thoughts and ideas if we ask it of him".
• They're doing the mermaid "in camera" as much as possible, with a complex physical suit designed by Göran Lundström (who did the makeup design in Border) complemented with VFX. A ballet dancer skilled at moving in water has been cast for the role.

EDIT 2025-05-14: From this casting call it looks like the miniseries is going to be titled Svärtan (roughly "the blackness", "the darkness"), after the island where the boys find the mermaid. In JAL's Instagram Live #2 he mentioned that he at one point considered including that name in the title of the book as well. Personally, I think that while Sommaren 1985 is an OK title for the book, the more suggestive Svärtan fits better for the miniseries and gives a better idea of what kind of story it is.

[Siggdalos]

Picture of JAL and Mia dressed up for their cameo role in the series:

https://www.facebook.com/johnajvidelind ... xco5TeDP3l
https://www.instagram.com/johnajvidelin ... 6hfvjCNzl/

(Lanthandel means a rural general store.)

EDIT 2025-06-13: And a picture of @Lilja dressed up as an extra:

https://www.facebook.com/johnajvidelind ... 9boWuVA8jl
https://johnajvidelindqvist.com/article.php?id=343

[Siggdalos]

And here's the main gang, from JAL's site via a local newspaper.

JAL/@Lilja revealed who's who on the Facebook and Instagram page:

Front row from left to right, character and actor's name in parentheses: Mattias (Ture Nerman), Wille (Silas Strand), Helena (Nelly Anderbro), Maria (Jorun Fasth Wallenstein), Johannes (Linus Rogsgård). Back row from left: Felicia (Stina Kristiansen), Hasse (Gustav Lundström Johansson).

Photograph: Johan Paulin/SVT

Looks well-cast to me. I could more or less correctly guess who was who before they revealed the names.