Reviews - Moominsummer madness,

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481 reviews for:

Moominsummer madness,

Tove Jansson, Tove Jansson

4.25 AVERAGE

valvalentine's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: N/A

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: N/A

ashleylm's review against another edition

5.0

I have to confess: I love the Moomins. I think they're remarkable, and pretty much unlike anything I've ever read. (Except now I'll compare them to other books!) They're a bit like Pooh, in the sense that this is a special place, unrelated to other concerns. They're a bit like the Hobbit, in the sense that the author manages to create entirely new creatures that seem perfectly plausible. They're a bit like the Wind in the Willows, with that wistful earnestness (interspersed with comic high jinks). But they really are their very own, very special thing.

I would not start with this one (unless you're at a cabin and it's all you have to read). I recommend starting with Finn Family Moomintroll (listed as book #3 here), since neither the 1st short book nor the 2nd really show the author's full potential. Start with #3 and work your way through this one to the end (and then go back if you're a completist).

This particular volume has some extra resonance for me as theatre is my great love and I run a community theatre company, but really, each of the works in this sequence are excellent. They're heartbreaking and bittersweet for no apparent reason, while being absolutely comic, and it's an exceptional achievement.

I've re-read this many, many times, so the date is approximately my first read.

(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s). I feel a lot of readers automatically render any book they enjoy 5, but I grade on a curve!