Oliver Freud's philosophical reflections

Fragments and shards of life, until the morning dawns

David Stenfelt

Softcover, soft touch, 276 pages

The philosophical pathfinder – and also the dog – Oliver Fröjd and his owner make a journey together through the mysteries of life to understand something more of what it means to live. They talk about the greatness and fragility of life, its vulnerability and its indescribable beauty.

The struggle is between the fear of leaving what is familiar and the longing for the trust that life wants us well. That life wants development, wants freedom from inhibiting forms of life.

Join this dog and his owner on a thought-provoking and touching journey that revolves around life's big and small questions. "Oliver Fröjd's Philosophical Reflections" is both an essay and an epic about the existence of life in time.

– Too many of us stop doing what we are second best at. At the cost of not blossoming in the way we could.

Oliver Frojd

Votes about the book:

"Wise old dog Oliver Fröjd (Freud!) goes with his master to "Blå Pellevinken", the island in the Småland lake. Here they exchange confidential information about the deepest questions of existence. About the love of fellow human beings being more important than all lofty confessions to religious systems and dogmas. About mysticism as a path to understanding life. About the journey from fear to trust. Master David, a theologian and therapist, has collected the subtle fragments of thought in this unusual book."

Stefan Edman, author

"Read your book. There's a lot to think about in it. One piece of advice I've taken to heart is that explanations kill the conversation. That it's the questions that are important, not the answers and explanations. I've spent my entire professional life here believing that it was the explanation that was the most important thing. I also want to be free as a bird, and now I'm making sure that I have a "void" that can be filled with new insights. Thank you Oliver and David!"

"Finally a book that is not based on a number of steps to a better life. Or do this or that, and it will lead to a happy life. Reading Oliver Fröjd's reflections has meant for me a broader approach to what I have been through, what I am going through and what I think about tomorrow."
Thank you Oliver Fröjd and thank you to his master.”

"I have cried, laughed and been pissed off while reading!"

“Grandma and granddaughter read aloud to each other one chapter at a time and then talk about it. So rewarding!”

“I can't think of a better Christmas present!”

"Just wanted to write and thank you for a great eye-opener to Bo. It is everything! Beautiful depictions and descriptions that take you to a completely different world. Horrible situations that make you angry and feel something incredibly close to you. Beautiful depictions that make you cry both quietly and loudly, funny details that make you giggle in the silence of the night. I haven't finished it yet, but I'm reading a little bit at a time while writing my C-essay. I'm thinking about my future profession as a preschool teacher and all the children I'll meet over the years. Three and a half years of reflecting and studying have given me a completely new outlook on life and children, as well as a greatly enhanced humility towards children. My colleagues and I must never forget that there is so much more than we see and know. If a child is anxious, sad or shows other emotions, we don't always really know why. There may be so much that we don't know. I'm sorry for everything you were forced to experience as a child and I wish you had escaped. "Another time in an inverted world, I wish I had been your lady who could convey some kind of security. But I will take all these thoughts with me into my future professional life. Thank you for having the courage to write this book. It contributes so much understanding, humility and reflection on what different people may have experienced. Keep writing. The world needs writers like you."

"David, thank you for Oliver Fröjd's Considerations. They have given me much comfort, warning, and horror. A life with news and media is extremely short, as is the case for those in constant employment. And I am quite good at self-accusation with the accompanying blaming. Oliver has really drawn out the questions that avoid cold talk and that go beyond "What time is it" and "where is the system". When I recently met a friend after a long time, I opened the conversation with "how are we going to cope?" But now I have a better introduction. "What is it that keeps me from killing myself?" It becomes a conversation about essentials. With horror and sadness I read about your father, about your childhood and about the fear and anxiety. It is just so terrible. It is difficult to take it all in. It hurts inside me as a reader, I sometimes catch my breath. But it is strongly described and it is incredibly strong that you have managed to move on as you have. After reading all this, I feel like I would like to sit down and talk to you. It is instructive even for those who have not gone through the same. The importance of vulnerability. The acceptance that life, the world, people and myself are not as I wish. I share an experience with Oliver, however, the community of the wounded, that it is in the pain and sorrow that we come closest to each other. It feels like a disappointment that only a fifth of us are sympathetic, listening and empathetic. On the other hand, maybe it is not so bad. If each of them affects four people around them. Maybe there is some kind of hope for humanity. Thank you, David!"

"Hi David. I have now read Oliver Fröjd's Philosophical Considerations, bit by bit. It has given me a lot to think about. Thank you for your good reflections. We are moving on the same paths, wrestling with similar questions."

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