The book is considered a classic of Swedish literature; its total circulation in Sweden alone is 600 thousand copies. One of the most read books in Sweden. In 1990, France received the Prix France Culture as the best foreign book of the year. In 2006, he was nominated in Germany for the Deutsche Jugendliteraturpreis.

The usual simple punishment was that the guilty student was dragged into the shower and kept on a leash under a stream of cold water. There were a dozen ways to put the “new-and-cool” in their place.

During Monastic Night, the teachers went to their rooms and stuck cotton wool in their ears, or put a Wagner record on the record player, or came up with something else, just to see and hear absolutely nothing.

“You will receive your hell here and now, rest assured!” Welcome to the Swedish boarding school!