J. Edgar

I watched the Clint Eastwood's latest direction, J. Edgar, but don't have a clue what to think about it. As the name says, the film tells about J. Edgar Hoover, the founder of FBI.
   I don't know is the fault in me or the film, but it didn't caused any emotions in me. It was like staring a wall: it makes you feel just, well, hollow. Mayde it's 'cause I'm not an American. I don't know.
   So, I can't give any review. But if want to see Leonardo DiCaprio in dress, then go ahead.

Some videos

At last for those, who doesn't like english subtitles: now there is a great part of Finnish animation and comedy, Pasila, finally dubed to english. If interested, you can find it from site of Finnish National Television YLE.

Another video is a peak about something that I have also waited: first part of Peter Jackson's The Hobbit. Now I can enjoy (finally) an OFFICIAL trailer.

Animal's revolution

George Orwell's Animal Farm is one of those books: everyone praise it, but I can't see what for. Yes, there was some good notices about power and it's using and it predicted pretty well the future of the Soviet Union. But still it's not more than one of those books which don't have any kind of impact on you.

   For those who haven't ever heard of this book: in Animal Farm animals start to rebel and they depose people and form nation where every animal are equal, at least in the beginning. Orwell who supported socialism, wrote his short novel as a satire about Soviet Union, which he think had forgot basic values of socialism.

Even if the novel based on clever thinking, it doesn't shine with literary merits. Comparisons to animals are too obvious and the text is way too pointing and underlining. It isn't funny or even entertaining. The spark that make you want to read more is conspicuously absent.

Mark: 5

In my bookshelf right now

One of the main battlefields, a city of Tampere, in 1918

• Väinö Linna's 'Under the North Star', parts 2 and 3. It tells about the same family, Koskelas, as the previous novel. Second part is placed around 1918, when there was Civil War. Third part place around Second World War.
• Criminal Minds, seasons 1 and 2. An American police series, which follows a profiler team from FBI's Behavior Analysis Unit (BAU).
• Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Faust. A tragic play about a scholar and a Devil.

Indrotuction

First part of Väinö Linna's trilogy, Under the Northen Star, is a bit confusing reading experiment. It's really slow and some times almost wearing stable, but still some how interesting. I don't know is it Linna's way to write or his accurate character description or what, but underneath a ordinary and prosaic there is a small tone, which makes you want to read more.
   The novel starts when Jussi, a crofter of a local clergyman, examine a marsh going to build his croft on it. The old clergyman gives a premision and with his wife Alma his start to desiccate the marsh and clear fields. The croft is named as Koskela (koski=rapids, -la=common ending in place's names). The whole trilogy follows life's of Koskela's occupants.
   The first part is truly prosaic, slow. Major events are among other things weddings, funerals, confirmations, births, common celebrations... In the beginning the novel tells the life of Jussi, but starts soon to follow the life of his son, Akseli. There is also some other important characters, like a self-educated socialist, taylor Halme and clergyman and his wife and crofter family of Kivivuori (kivi=rock, vuori=mountain), expecially the daughter Elina. Entire village of Pentinkulma (Pentti=Finnish man's name, -n=ending of genetive, kulma=corner) is filled with colourful people.
   The first part doesn't work as a independent novel, there isn't enough happenings to that. It's like a introduction, a beginning for something bigger and darker. That promise can be seen in the last sentences of the novel, which end a beautiful wedding episode: "Finnish summer is beautiful. But short."

Mark:   8 1/2

Banal seriousness

I had never before read any books from Marja-Leena Tiainen and I can promise that there will not be any others. I have better use for my time.
   The book which I read was 'Kahden maailman tyttö' (direct translation would be 'Girl of two worlds'). It tells about, 17 years old Tara, who is an immigrant. She would like to live like normal Finnish girl, but her brother and father have their own plans. In the end Tara has to run away to a shelter.

The novel handles interesting, important and serious issues, like honor violence, but it don't make justice for them. It keeps a processing of those things in the level of newspaper writing. Characters do and think things, but it haven't any kind of affect to the reader.
   The most irritating character is Tara. She's a stereotype of young girl: she is quite good at school, like languages and fashion, dreams about eternal love and looks gorgeous without known it. She also seems to be little indolence: she just wander through the happenings and she only emotion seems to be horror mixed with agony.
Language is almost as horrific as the main character: because it is a book for youngsters, the writer tries to use youthful language, with awful consequences. There is some 'youthfull' expressions in the text, like 'galtsu' (abbreviation from IRC-gallery). Youngsters really don't use this kind of language.
   The novel try to be a serious story about serious subject, but end up to be banal and ridiculous. There's many better ways to spend your time. For example staring a fly on ceiling.



Mark: 4

Ordinary war

A famous cover of "The Unknown Soldier"

VäinöLinna's “The Unknown Soldier” is a Finnish classic. Many quotes from those soldiers have become common phrases in Finnish and our national broadcasting network, YLE, shows every Independent Day a same film, Edvin Laine's black-and-white version about the novel. 

Once “The Unknown Soldier” raised a furor: it was something new and provocative. It bring up many taboos of Finnish culture. Their part of the jeering get Russians, officers and members of the women's auxilitiry service as well as patriotic fervor and the war itself.

“The Unknown Soldier” follows the story of a machine gun company's third platoon. The storyline follows a course of Finnish Continuation War against Russia 1941-1944. Story and characters based on mainly real happenings, war stories and people. Platoon reminds much Linna's own platoon, where he served in Continuation War.

Characters are a colourful punch of people: there is a ladies' man, a coward, a psychopath, a miser, a communist, a bully... “The Unknown Soldier” isn't a portrait about Continuation War, primarily it is a portrait about ordinary people in war. All characters are human: they make mistakes and some questionable things, but they're also loyal and encouraging for one another. They rebel against officers, grumble about almost everything, swear, drink etc.

Rahikainen, Lehto ja Määttä in Edvin Laine's fi

“The Unknown Soldier” is a powerful and impressive tale. Despite of its topic and historical aspect, it has definitely something to give for a modern reader. It's not groundlessly maybe the most important Finnish novel. Different dialects make the novel first hard to read, but soon you use to them and they help you to identify characters. I can warmly recommend it to everyone.

Mark: 9+