Finnish Literature

[Eric]

Those of you who have never seen Finnish written, could have a look at this website that gives you a basic idea as to how Finnish "works". Because this is the language that Paasilinna, Sillanp??, Liksom, Kivi, Waltari, Oksanen, Linna, and all the rest, write their literature in:

| Venla - Finnish for foreigners | Free on-line language teaching

[edo]

[...] The problem with roping in current issues to make people buy the book is that these issues may diminish in importance over the years (though I imagine that will take a century in the case of 9/11). Also, that you are already steering the reader in the directions of interpretation which they could perhaps discover for themselves. Will introduction-writers switch over to comparing Akhnaton with Barack when he takes over, I wonder? I wonder whether Waltari had a specific self-absorbed politician, president or king in mind when he wrote the book.

I suppose it's naive, but I felt the foreword was put in because the novel is apposite to such things as the response to 9/11 rather than to sell the book.

My apologies if my prev. post steers anyone into a particular interpretation; I didn't mean to do that, and don't mean to posit Waltari's novel as philosophy rather than literature - though I find it personally very helpful in sorting out a philosophical position. Given my starting point it's most likely impossible for me to discuss the work without dragging in things which are outside the purview of this forum, so I'll leave it at that... edo

[Stewart]

Given my starting point it's most likely impossible for me to discuss the work without dragging in things which are outside the purview of this forum, so I'll leave it at that... edo

edo, by all means, discuss it as you'd wish.

[Eric]

Edo: I'm a great believer in forewords and introductions. I wrote a ten-page one for the last couple of novels I translated.

My only wonder was that if you start criticising Bush, if that is who was meant back in 2002, you might alienate readers who are Republicans, and puzzle others.

As Stewart implies, please don't leave the forum just because people disagree with you. You have to be tougher than that, in this life. I can honestly say that Mirabell and myself have slagged one another off pretty viciously on some threads here, but the sign of being a civilised person is that you stick to your opinions and don't go and hide in a corner and sulk. So no apologies to anyone necessary in this debate.

[Eric]

For those who want to read a little contemporary Finnish literature in English, do have a look at these excerpts, translated by David McDuff from a new work by Olli Jalonen at:

Nordic Voices in Translation: 14 Knots to Greenwich

Plus:

Nordic Voices in Translation: Olli Jalonen

...where there are several numbered follow-up excerpts, plus an interview with Jalonen.

[Liam]

Has anyone heard of or read Elina Hirvonen?

I came across her name online while searching for something else; she was described as a promising young Finnish novelist and filmmaker.

[Stevie B]

I'm curious if anyone has ever heard of a Finnish writer named Maria Peura. I read a brief but positive review of her novel At the Edge of Light. The book looks interesting, but I was hoping to get a second opinion before ordering a copy of it.

[Eric]

Saint Maria Peura



I've not read it, I can't find it in the public library catalogue, but the Independent review looks hopeful:

At the Edge of Light by Maria Peura, trans. David Hackston - Reviews, Books - The Independent

And the New Statesman:

New Statesman - Northern lights

What is encouraging is that this novel looks as if it is not a thriller or crime novel, but has somehow got past the "censor of indifference" and has been published in Britain. The book is published in Britain by the small independent Maia Press, but I'm not sure whether this press still exists now that it has been bought up by Arcadia.

Maria Peura has published three books in Finland with the forward-looking publishing house Teos which has an English-language section to its website:

Teos

There was also a shake-up there a couple of years ago. I hope that Teos remains the independent voice it was. The recession can undermine good intentions.

But suffice it to say that Maria Peura looks to be an interesting name.

[lenz]

Liam, you asked, in another thread about the story "Boman" in the Dedalus Book of Finnish Fantasy (Ed. Johanna Sinisalo, Trans. David Hackston) and what I thought about it. Sorry it's taken so long.

I found "Boman" by Pentti Holappa, in which the narrator's dog talks and grows wings, so full of symbolism and possibilities for critical analysis that I was quite intimidated by it. First, I think it's interesting that the dog's gender is specifically female (making her a bitch - problematic in English!) but the narrator's is not mentioned, although it might be assumed to be male, since the writer is male. For me, this caused some confusion because I kept wondering how his/her reactions to the dog's (Boman's) spoken thoughts and desires might be read differently from different gender perspectives. BTW, do you know the meaning of the name, Boman? It sounds masculine to an English ear. I suppose that, gender aside, the dog's conflicted desires for freedom, friendship, sexual relationships, and home represent the narrator's own state of mind.

Sorry, must stop here, will continue soon.

[Stevie B]

Eric,

Many thanks for the response and the Peura links. The novel's northern Finland setting has me intrigued (as do the positive book reviews and the fetching author photo). I live in Minnesota, a state that was a prime landing spot for many Fins and Swedes in the past. Since I'm a native New Englander, any kind of pro-Scandinavian activity on my part will be looked upon with favor. I'll definitely give this book a go.

[Liam]

I suppose that, gender aside, the dog's conflicted desires for freedom, friendship, sexual relationships, and home represent the narrator's own state of mind.

I think that's a beautiful reading, Lenz.

Personally, I interpreted Boman as a Christ-like substitute for all animals, knowing that Holappa is a hardcore environmentalist. One of the points the story so beautifully addressed (I thought) was people's need and appropriation of animals, as opposed to the animals' need and appropriation of people. Not just for food and other things, but even on an emotional level: why do people need pets, after all? Because animals provide almost constant companionship, that's why, while people (even the ones that you love) have lives of their own and can leave you at any time.

That, I thought, was a beautifully-handled moment in the short-story--the dog leaving her master, of her own will and for "personal" reasons.

Another theme the story touches upon is the fate of marginalized beings, of which animals are certainly the biggest multitude. It was, in a way, rather idealistic that an outcast animal and an outcast child should come together in this way, but then again, it's an allegory (and a Christian one at that), so I guess stringent rules need not apply here.

[Eric]

Is anyone actually reading any contemporary Finnish literature in translation right now? I'm not, but keep thinking about doing so. Anyone recommend anything beyond Oksanen, Holappa and Paasilinna? Anything been translated into English recently? Prose or poetry, for that matter. Did anyone end up reading the Hirvonen or Peura books? I'm sure there's lots going on in Finland, but we don't hear much about it, even in neighbouring Sweden.

[Stevie B]

Eric, I'll answer your question with a question. I, too, am interested in reading a Finnish novel, but haven't decided whether to go contemporary (Mikael Niemi) or more old school (Vinna). Do you know anything about Aino Kallas? The name has popped up a couple of times lately, and I saw a book on sale recently entitled Estonian Tales. Thought this might be up your alley.

[accidie]

A belated thanks to Eric for mentioning the North Wind site.

Of the relatively few books from Finland I've read all but two were originally in Swedish. I'm curious whether this reflects a bias in translation or whether it's simply chance that I happened upon the books I did. (The two from Finnish were Dark Paradise by Liksom, which I liked very much, and Fool's Paradise by Konkka, which was the first book I've given up on halfway through since attempting to read James Herbert.)

[Liam]

Do you know anything about Aino Kallas?

Aino Kallas is one of my favorite short-story writers of all time. I have also read her longer novella-lenth piece The Wolf Bride (?) and loved it.

See if you can find a used copy of The White Ship on amazon (there was also a reprinted version of it circulating around, if memory serves me right); I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Gertruda Carponai is one of the best short-stories (included in the collection) I have EVER read. A brilliant psychological study as well as a Christian allegory; I wish somebody filmed it already.

[Eric]

It's already 6th December there now. Where? Whose Independence day is that? It doesn't matter a whole lot now, but around 1940 it was rather important. Why will the Finns be playing the tune of the Estonian national anthem a lot today? What was Mannerheim's mother-tongue? Which language did he therefore speak worst: Finnish, German, Swedish or Russian? Who was Mannerheim, anyway? Where are Sortavala and Viborg? Where were they in 1935? What are they called now? Who was Otto Ville Kuusinen? Who was his piano teacher, and what did this man do later in life? Who was Erkki Tuomioja's grandmother and who is he? You've heard of Schindler's List, what about Tiitinen's? Which Finns have won the Nobel Prize for Literature? Is it physically possible to sit in a room where the air temperature is above the boiling point of water? Where is Valamo and what is it? Are Finnish and Hungarian mutually intelligible? What does that expression mean? What does Iittala make: lifts, fighter planes, or glass? Who does Johan Bäckman resemble: Lenin or Oliver Hardy? Who is he, anyway? What is the name of the Finnish president? Is she a blonde, a brunette, or a gingerbread? What is the majority language on Ahvenanmaa? Which countries does Finland have a land border with. Sweden, Estonia, Norway, Denmark, Russia, Latvia, Belarus? Do they have prohibition in Finland? Have they ever had? Do more people speak Swedish or Russian in Finland today? Is Finland a parliamentary democracy?

That's enough general knowledge questions about... Which country was it again? If you know anything about it, try the quiz.

[Eric]

The Runeberg Prize for Literature. You will all know who Runeberg was, but here is the shortlist for this year's award. There are novelists, poets and essayists:

Prose

Olli Jalonen -"Poika kirja"
Pekka Manninen - "Kiima kangas"
Tiina Raevaara - "Ei tunne sinua vierelläni"
Miina Supinen - "Apatosauruksen maa"

Poetry

Eva-Stina Byggmästar - "Vagga liten vagabond"
Harry Salminiemi - "Texas, sakset"

Essays

Tommi Melender - "Kuka nauttii eniten"
Antti Nylén - "Halun ja epätoivon esseet"

So there you are. If you can't read Finnish, or don't live in Finland, few of the titles or authors will mean anything to you. But if any of these authors or books ever get translated, then at least it's on record that they had been spotted in early December 2010, thanks to various websites.

[mesnalty]

Harry Salminiemi - "Texas, sakset"

It's interesting that he doesn't use the Finnish spelling, Teksas. Any idea why that is?

[Eric]

Pecause he is daking the biss, bresumably, and toesn't want glever-ticks spoiling his vun.

[Eric]

The bit you (and I) didn't notice, Mesnalty, was that I'd perpetrated a typo, and that his name is Salmenniemi (Soundspit or Straitcape, if translated). But reading the reviews, I fear that he's just another clever dick who likes to confuse and confound with a lot of so-called postmodernistical profundity which, when it boils down to it, is just mucking about with words by someone eager to become famous.