Book Review – The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning
Image: The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning by Len Lantz (CC BY-NC-ND)
Synopsis: Len's Star Rating: 6 out of 10. An enjoyable, short book on decluttering and minimizing that includes personal reflections, shared wisdom and humor.
BY LEN LANTZ, MD / 9.6.2021; No. 48
Disclaimer: Yes, I am a physician, but I’m not your doctor and this article does not create a doctor-patient relationship. This article is for educational purposes and should not be seen as medical advice. You should consult with your physician before you rely on this information. This post also contains affiliate links. Please click this LINK for the full disclaimer.
Star Rating – 6 out of 10
Rating guide: 1 = horrible, 5 = average and 10 = wow
Author
Margareta Magnusson
About the author
Margareta Magnusson was born in Sweden, graduated from Beckman's College of Design and has lived around the world. She is a professional artist, and The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning is her first book.
General description
The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning is a short book on downsizing and minimizing that includes personal reflections, specific advice, wise observations and humor. Margareta Magnusson has experience both going through items after a loved one has died and helping the living reduce their items when moving to a smaller home. The author uses her unique perspective on minimalism to describe not just what to do with items but also why you would reduce your clutter in the first place.
Unique and most important aspects
The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning does spend a small amount of time on the topic of death, which is difficult for many people to consider, whether it is their own eventual death or that of a loved one. More than anything, I think that element sets this book apart from other books on decluttering. The subtitle How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter promises a great deal. I’m not certain that the book delivers on that promise. From a downsizing perspective, I saw the book more as an assortment of tips than a comprehensive strategy. The book is only a little over 100 pages long, so it is a quick and easy read. If I had to use a few adjectives to describe the book after finishing it, I would use the words cute, sentimental, pleasant and helpful. It also is a little quirky because the author added 3 recipes at the end of the book.
Best quotes
“So what is death cleaning? For me it means going through all my belongings and deciding how to get rid of the things I do not want anymore. Just look around you.”
“Aging is certainly not for weaklings. That is why you should not wait too long to start your downsizing. Sooner or later you will have your own infirmities, and then it is damn nice to be able to enjoy the things you can still manage to do without the burden of too many things to look after and too many messes to organize.”
“Death cleaning is also something you can do for yourself, for your own pleasure. And if you start early, at say sixty-five, it won’t seem like such a huge task when you, like me, are between eighty and one hundred.”
“It is hard for me to understand why most people find death so difficult to talk about. It is the only absolutely inevitable happening that we all have in our future.”
Who would enjoy this book?
Readers who are looking for a short, easy, enjoyable read on decluttering would likely enjoy The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning.
Who would not enjoy this book?
Readers who are looking for a strategic, comprehensive manual on decluttering and organizing are unlikely to enjoy The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning. I would instead refer those readers to Spark Joy by Marie Kondo.
Conclusion
The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning is an enjoyable, short book on decluttering and minimizing that includes personal reflections, shared wisdom and humor.