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rossram1621's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Karila's sparse description gives way to a weaving of oral stories-- relationship drama, Finnish folklore, and tales of life and death. Discover Karila's northern Finland: a quiet place populated by peculiar characters and creatures that hide in plain sight. This book starts off simply, but before you know it, you'll be wrapped up in all of its intricacies and mysteries.
jesperhauge's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
combito's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
petiteboussole's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
roninil's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
goblincat's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
vasi_uznv's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
niallharrison's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
nini23's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.5
Pienen hauen pyydystys written by Finnish author Juhani Karila was originally published in Finnish in 2019 (Siltala Publishing, Helsinki). Fishing for the Little Pike (Restless Books, 2023) and an alternate title of Summer Fishing in Lapland (Pushkin Press, 2023) are the English translations by Lola Rogers. The edition I have is released by Restless Books.
Juhani Karila has penned a very addictive novel! Even reading the sample provided had me hooked (like the pike on the evocative jacket art, kudos to Jonathan Yamakami) which created such vivid imagery of Lapland (where Karila is from), the visceral viciousness of the biting insects, the wily game of wits with the ancient pike and the futile self-punishing efforts of the bedraggled protagonist Elina Ylijaako. Only after finishing the book did I see the hearty recommendation by Finnish author Johanna Sinisalo on the back cover commending it for being representative of "Finnish Weird at its best, spiced with dry humor and deliciously twisted northern mythology." Ah, so this is a genre 'Finnish Weird' and I am certainly up for more. Sinisalo's own unique Troll: A Love Story also falls into this category, I had wholeheartedly loved that as well.
Elina's home village of Vuopio in Eastern Lapland is filled with delightfully eccentric characters and memories but she returns annually with grim-faced determination for one sole ritualistic purpose: to catch a pike in Pike Pond. Failure to complete this ritual would result in her demise due to a curse. The clock is ticking down so tension is high as we count down the remaining time with her. Other than the aforementioned wily pike and bloodthirsty mosquitoes, she has to deal with inquisitive villagers who have noticed her annual return, swampy hot weather, an agonizingly painful foot injury, a detective from the city tracking her down for murder, an ex to avoid, life and death game of cards with a murderous knacky, an appeal for help from a long dead employee of her family on Dead Man Island using pie as a bribe, deciphering her mother's diary on the secrets of breaking the curse, among other challenges.
The police detective Janatuinen, meanwhile, is discovering for herself that Lapland and its inhabitants, human and otherwise, are mind-boggling. Musti the raskel, oh my goodness! Stay inside on throng night for your own safety, advise the villagers she meets. Have you heard a wraith got into the mayor, these are some of the mystifying conversations Janatuinen gleans from eavesdropping on the townspeople. The village kids give her raskel wrangling tips. The upending and changes to her purpose in Lapland as well as the evolution of her worldviews of the world's boundaries are concomitantly comical yet piercing.
There are elements of clific as Lapland is unseasonably hot and Elina's professor warns that falling in love with biological species also involves mourning those who have gone extinct or facing extinction. Elina herself studied in the School of Forestry and presently works at the Environmental Center.
Although it helps if one were familiar with the Finnish mythology referred to, the various folkloric creatures and mythology are incorporated organically into the story as the plot progresses. We learn, for example, that the way to defeat the freakishly strong ginormous frakus is to make him burst via laughter due to a childhood memory of Elina of her mother. Keeping a raskel as a pet is dangerous, Elina's father warned her, due to the cautionary tale of what happened to Elviira. The making of fetchers is frowned upon by the villagers due to its aftereffects, tells neighbour Asko. What or who is a Slabber Olli? The information, doled out in delightful little bits by the locals, is never extraneous and comes into significant play later. Coupled with wry humour, I love the unflappable locals who regard the supernatural folkloric creatures as much belonging, part of the place's ecosystem landscape as themselves.
The flashbacks to the past, particularly between childhood sweethearts Jausia and Elina or of Elina's mother, were particularly effective in layering background understanding and meaning to understanding the stakes of the present. My only slight disappointment was that Elina's self-inflicted curse is due to a young romantic love that didn't work out through nobody's fault. There was always an element of self-flagellation to Elina - while I do appreciate that she needed to forgive herself for not 'sticking to the plan,' Jausia's behaviour at her mother's funeral didn't exactly inspire confidence. It's disingenuous of him to blame her for him not being able to go to New York to create art, saddled with kid(s) and being stuck back in Vuopio. Young love, who keeps to their brash naive promises? I have little sympathy for guys who can't keep it in their pants. I think I would have preferred if young Elina was tangled up blaming herself for not being able to protect her mother from the town's prejudice or somehow she evoked some magic to prevent her mother of dying from cancer and it backfired.
The novel ends with leaving the unique checkpoint to Lapland. Emerging out blinking, I'd like to say "Thank you for the tour, Juhani Karila, I really enjoyed it."
Finnish is a notoriously difficult language so thanks too to Lola Rogers for the English translation.
Juhani Karila has penned a very addictive novel! Even reading the sample provided had me hooked (like the pike on the evocative jacket art, kudos to Jonathan Yamakami) which created such vivid imagery of Lapland (where Karila is from), the visceral viciousness of the biting insects, the wily game of wits with the ancient pike and the futile self-punishing efforts of the bedraggled protagonist Elina Ylijaako. Only after finishing the book did I see the hearty recommendation by Finnish author Johanna Sinisalo on the back cover commending it for being representative of "Finnish Weird at its best, spiced with dry humor and deliciously twisted northern mythology." Ah, so this is a genre 'Finnish Weird' and I am certainly up for more. Sinisalo's own unique Troll: A Love Story also falls into this category, I had wholeheartedly loved that as well.
Elina's home village of Vuopio in Eastern Lapland is filled with delightfully eccentric characters and memories but she returns annually with grim-faced determination for one sole ritualistic purpose: to catch a pike in Pike Pond. Failure to complete this ritual would result in her demise due to a curse. The clock is ticking down so tension is high as we count down the remaining time with her. Other than the aforementioned wily pike and bloodthirsty mosquitoes, she has to deal with inquisitive villagers who have noticed her annual return, swampy hot weather, an agonizingly painful foot injury, a detective from the city tracking her down for murder, an ex to avoid, life and death game of cards with a murderous knacky, an appeal for help from a long dead employee of her family on Dead Man Island using pie as a bribe, deciphering her mother's diary on the secrets of breaking the curse, among other challenges.
The police detective Janatuinen, meanwhile, is discovering for herself that Lapland and its inhabitants, human and otherwise, are mind-boggling. Musti the raskel, oh my goodness! Stay inside on throng night for your own safety, advise the villagers she meets. Have you heard a wraith got into the mayor, these are some of the mystifying conversations Janatuinen gleans from eavesdropping on the townspeople. The village kids give her raskel wrangling tips. The upending and changes to her purpose in Lapland as well as the evolution of her worldviews of the world's boundaries are concomitantly comical yet piercing.
There are elements of clific as Lapland is unseasonably hot and Elina's professor warns that falling in love with biological species also involves mourning those who have gone extinct or facing extinction. Elina herself studied in the School of Forestry and presently works at the Environmental Center.
Although it helps if one were familiar with the Finnish mythology referred to, the various folkloric creatures and mythology are incorporated organically into the story as the plot progresses. We learn, for example, that the way to defeat the freakishly strong ginormous frakus is to make him burst via laughter due to a childhood memory of Elina of her mother. Keeping a raskel as a pet is dangerous, Elina's father warned her, due to the cautionary tale of what happened to Elviira. The making of fetchers is frowned upon by the villagers due to its aftereffects, tells neighbour Asko. What or who is a Slabber Olli? The information, doled out in delightful little bits by the locals, is never extraneous and comes into significant play later. Coupled with wry humour, I love the unflappable locals who regard the supernatural folkloric creatures as much belonging, part of the place's ecosystem landscape as themselves.
The flashbacks to the past, particularly between childhood sweethearts Jausia and Elina or of Elina's mother, were particularly effective in layering background understanding and meaning to understanding the stakes of the present. My only slight disappointment was that
The novel ends with leaving the unique checkpoint to Lapland. Emerging out blinking, I'd like to say "Thank you for the tour, Juhani Karila, I really enjoyed it."
Finnish is a notoriously difficult language so thanks too to Lola Rogers for the English translation.