Comments (42)

The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning

How to Free Yourself and Your Family From a Lifetime of Clutter
What did you think about this title?
1 to 25 of 42 items
Jan 31, 2024
I was expecting good advice on how to downsize my belongings. What I got was good advice but also a charming almost-memoir from the author, who describes herself as someone between 80 and 100 years old. She has a lot to say about society…
Oct 16, 2023sunnyblonde rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
A quick and useful book when tackling some of the various emotionally charged aspects of decluttering. Unlike most declutterings I refer to Swedish Death Cleaning as decluttering on steroids. This books quickly and thoroughly helps you…
Sep 07, 2023
"It is a short read that helps you think about the meaningful things you want to pass on to your loved ones before you die. It is a great philosophy so that when you do pass on, your loved ones can remember you and not be burdened with so…
Mar 13, 2023lmkt1 rated this title 1 out of 5 stars
The only thing I took away from this book was get rid of your excess goods, don’t wait until you are physically or mentally challenged to do so. After “cleaning” up after relatives and dealing with decades of their “stuff”, there wasn’t…
Jan 23, 2023iloveseaotters rated this title 0.5 out of 5 stars
Completely useless. Wasted so much time trying to find rhyme or reason to this book and found nothing but strange stories.
Jan 19, 2023RSikyta rated this title 1.5 out of 5 stars
If you already know anything about minimizing, this book will be a waste of your time. When it comes to getting rid of clothes, the author says to pull them out and separate them into two piles. Pile 1 stays, pile 2 goes. That's as complex…
Oct 11, 2022sashalee rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Great book. Easy reading and to the point. Got inspired to declutter.
Sep 02, 2022Woolfmn rated this title 0.5 out of 5 stars
Euthanize your dog? Are you kidding me? I didn't like Ms. Magnusson and her weird ideas prior to this part of her story. Now, I am sure I loathe her. What a stupid thing to write. What else do I hate about the author/book? She often refers…
Jun 13, 2022Urbano rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
Sensible and inspiring. I enjoyed the way the author uses gentle humour to help readers examine their relationship to their possessions and take steps to lighten the load those possessions have on both us and the planet.
May 07, 20222old2care rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
I enjoyed this book. This is less regimented than Kondo. A young Kondo talks of things that bring you joy and the comfort of the clothes. This author talks of practically of easing the burden on yourself and of the loved ones that you…
Aug 03, 2021sarasb rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
I read *The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning* by Margareta Magnusson over two years ago. The premise of Swedish death cleaning as presented in the writing has staying power. I value the downsizing concepts presented in the book. …
Sep 10, 2020jennm1968 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
A very easy and gentle read. Well worth the time to read it It's make me consider what exactly my relationship with "stuff" is.
Sep 29, 2019GLJO rated this title 2 out of 5 stars
Not worth the time.
Sep 26, 2019rain_chalice rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Rarely have I enjoyed about doing something so onerous. The author, who is between "eighty and one hundred" has a wonderful and wise voice, humourous and insightful. This small and gentle book is a quick, easy and wholly pleasurable read.…
Sep 23, 2019red_dog_l4987 rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
Reminiscent to Marie Kondo's book to rid of things that don't bring joy and to simplify your life, this book has a different motivation driving it: downsize so survivors who need to come behind and clean up after you leave with better…
Jul 20, 2019Christine55416 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
pretty much the same as all the other cleaning books on reducing your stuff and downsizing. author is between 80-100 years old and tells sweet stories, a quick read.
Jun 19, 2019DanglingConversations rated this title 2 out of 5 stars
A gentle read but not particularly helpful. For those of us who have downsized a few times there is nothing new here. Any generous and thoughtful senior will have done a few sorts of their possessions before they turn 70 and those that…
Jun 16, 2019
I began reading the library copy, but quickly decided to order a copy from Half-price Books Marketplace so that I can highlight parts, write notes, etc., etc. Therefore, I haven't completed the book yet so can't critique the entire work. …
Jun 04, 2019xkoqueen rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Swedish Death Cleaning is a somewhat morbid title, however, author Margareta Magnusson tastefully describes why you might want to clear out your house of unneeded/unwanted clutter instead of leaving it for your surviving family and…
May 14, 2019The_Most_Casual_Observer rated this title 2.5 out of 5 stars
It's amusing that there are several copies missing from the Tulsa library. Do you suppose they're lying around in piles of stuff to be sorted through someday Real Soon Now in peoples' homes? People who didn't read the book? I do.
Mar 26, 2019Joanneli010 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
I loved this book. It's a realist approach to decluttering. This lady is funny, charming and smart. I loved her ideas more then Marie Kondo.
Jan 09, 2019Indoorcamping rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Everything you need to make your world a better place. It's Marie Kondo, but from the other end of life (looking back), and from a Swedish perspective rather than Japanese. It's sweet, it's like a grandma telling interesting stories that…
Jan 07, 2019LPL_PolliK rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
If you're currently into Netflix's "Tidying Up" with Marie Kondo, you should take a look at this little book. The author makes a deeper exploration of what it means to accumulate a lifetime of items (and memories) and how to deal with our…
Nov 21, 2018pamelafrederick rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
This book was a good, quick read. While it isn't exactly eye-opening, it is enormously helpful to consider why we keep and accumulate what we do. I appreciate that she doesn't downsize for the sake of minimalism in and of its self.…
Oct 22, 2018
Please see Summary section for a full review of this book.