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The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter

by Margareta Magnusson

Other authors: See the other authors section.

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingMentions
8114827,253 (3.36)30
Home Design & Déco Self-Improvemen Nonfictio HTML:A charming, practical, and unsentimental approach to putting a home in order while reflecting on the tiny joys that make up a long life.
In Sweden there is a kind of decluttering called döstädning, meaning "death" and städning meaning "cleaning." This surprising and invigorating process of clearing out unnecessary belongings can be undertaken at any age or life stage but should be done sooner than later, before others have to do it for you. In The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, artist Margareta Magnusson, with Scandinavian humor and wisdom, instructs readers to embrace minimalism. Her radical and joyous method for putting things in order helps families broach sensitive conversations, and makes the process uplifting rather than overwhelming.

Margareta suggests which possessions you can easily get rid of (unworn clothes, unwanted presents, more plates than you'd ever use) and which you might want to keep (photographs, love letters, a few of your children's art projects). Digging into her late husband's tool shed, and her own secret drawer of vices, Margareta introduces an element of fun to a potentially daunting task. Along the way listeners get a glimpse into her life in Sweden, and also become more comfortable with the idea of l
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» See also 30 mentions

English (44)  Italian (1)  German (1)  Dutch (1)  All languages (47)
Showing 1-5 of 44 (next | show all)
Absolutely delightful. Not a how-to book. Feels like a visit with a witty, interesting, young-at-heart elder who loves to tell stories about her life. I listened to the audiobook, which was excellent. ( )
  Laura400 | Dec 30, 2023 |
This really should have been a short essay instead of a 117-page book that sells for $19.

It's very repetitive, and the author rambles a lot, including various stories about her family that added nothing to the "book."

It is most definitely not a how-to, despite what the back cover claims.

The message is a good one, though: Declutter and organize now, because you'll die eventually, and no one else will enjoy doing your chores for you.

There are a couple minor swear words, and weird sexual references that were clearly unnecessary. The author is not a Christian, so various unbiblical ideas are referenced, also. ( )
  RachelRachelRachel | Nov 21, 2023 |
A quick cute read but it wasn’t filled with steps of how to do it like the Marie Kondo books. ( )
  kayanelson | Apr 30, 2023 |
I enjoyed this little book. I ordered myself a copy after I lost my father a few months ago. I suppose my father was a death cleaner! I don't know what he would have thought of that label, but he taught me a lot about not accumulating and holding onto "stuff" and about handing things down while you're still living so you can see your loved ones enjoy those things! My own home is too cluttered and I feel I have far too much stuff! Time to be inspired by my father's lessons and by Margareta Magnusson's wise words and do the hard work and find joy in a more minimalist lifestyle! ( )
  LynnHansen | Mar 26, 2023 |
A remarkable, inspiring, and useful little book - especially for people over a certain age, myself included. I finished it in one afternoon. Unabashed frankness about the subject of death is so refreshing. The Swedish author makes such a great point, while reminding us a few times throughout the book that she is between 80 and 100 years old! Great sense of humor too! Her suggestions on "death cleaning" (no need to be shocked at the phrase at all...) are so reasonable and completely up my alley. I agree with everything she says. Has to be done (for everybody's sake) - and better earlier than later. It's simply rude to leave a mess for somebody to take care of when we are gone - when we can easily do it the decluttering ourselves while we still can. ( )
1 vote Clara53 | Jan 21, 2023 |
Showing 1-5 of 44 (next | show all)
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» Add other authors

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Margareta Magnussonprimary authorall editionscalculated
Seuß, RitaTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Stevenson, JulietNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
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Epigraph
Putting your house in order, if you can do it, is one of the most comforting activities, and the benefits of it are incalculable.
--Leonard Cohen, The New Yorker
Dedication
To my five children
First words
Foreword: The only thing we know for sure is that we will die one day.
I am death cleaning, or, as we call it in Swedish, dostadning.
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(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
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Home Design & Déco Self-Improvemen Nonfictio HTML:A charming, practical, and unsentimental approach to putting a home in order while reflecting on the tiny joys that make up a long life.
In Sweden there is a kind of decluttering called döstädning, meaning "death" and städning meaning "cleaning." This surprising and invigorating process of clearing out unnecessary belongings can be undertaken at any age or life stage but should be done sooner than later, before others have to do it for you. In The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, artist Margareta Magnusson, with Scandinavian humor and wisdom, instructs readers to embrace minimalism. Her radical and joyous method for putting things in order helps families broach sensitive conversations, and makes the process uplifting rather than overwhelming.

Margareta suggests which possessions you can easily get rid of (unworn clothes, unwanted presents, more plates than you'd ever use) and which you might want to keep (photographs, love letters, a few of your children's art projects). Digging into her late husband's tool shed, and her own secret drawer of vices, Margareta introduces an element of fun to a potentially daunting task. Along the way listeners get a glimpse into her life in Sweden, and also become more comfortable with the idea of l

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