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styrre's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
c0cia's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
spav's review against another edition
4.0
Outra fermosa historia de Paasilinna na que mistura a natureza lapona, a soidade e uns caracteres un puntiño extraños. O transcurrir da historia é o transcurrir da penosa vida de Huttunen.
Moi recomendable certamente.
Moi recomendable certamente.
anca_m's review
4.0
I read an enthusiastic review to this book, so I was pretty much influenced; I am vulnerable when the person that's recommending it is someone I trust.
Putting that aside, I'll try to put down a few ideas in a coherent way:
This book shouldn't be taken very seriously. It's a little satirical, as it's mentioned on the 4th cover of my edition. There's a lot of banter here. The church, the mental institutions, the police, the bank, the society-they're all joshed more or less.
The relativity of mental health is highlighted - the miller has some strange habits belonging to his nature. It's just that weird thing everyone has (every person that's interesting, I mean). Except his 'little thing' is very loud: he likes howling towards the moon.
There are a bunch of situations that make the amusement of the reader. examples: the miller thinks the winner of an athletics competition is the photographer that got to the finnish line the 2nd; one roommate from the psihiatry institute is there for 10 years pretending he's lunatic in order to get away from enroling to war, a lazy fat woman pretending she's paralytic in order to lay around all day that suddenly finds strenght in her legs when it's not favourable for her to be an invalid & lots more. (don't want to spoil the fun)
The writing is plain, but simple, the main character - Gunnar Huttunen - has this unique personality (and honestly, after you read many books, you begin to forget the names, the specific and the thing the author tries to get to you-and i don't think it's our fault only). He has a naive side - specific to a simple man, and that side keeps him from being a danger for the village, he's hard-working, smart and gentle.
And there's Sanelma horticulture counselor. Her passionate love for Huttunen is simple (only from this point, she's already majorly different from most women in literature), this simplicity is perfectly captured by the author, not at all pathetic, it kindles sympathy. As a matter of fact, their entire relationship is endearing.
The villagers, the miller's neighbours, go from being surprised and intrigued by his nature to being afraid and considering him a real danger for the society, though they unconsciously accept that in their other neighbours and that's the irony here; goes to show the true human nature.
In the end, I'm not sure if we discover the secret the miller has that causes his ups and downs in the mood (at the beginning of the novel) that makes the villagers so intrigued and still, so curious.
Putting that aside, I'll try to put down a few ideas in a coherent way:
This book shouldn't be taken very seriously. It's a little satirical, as it's mentioned on the 4th cover of my edition. There's a lot of banter here. The church, the mental institutions, the police, the bank, the society-they're all joshed more or less.
The relativity of mental health is highlighted - the miller has some strange habits belonging to his nature. It's just that weird thing everyone has (every person that's interesting, I mean). Except his 'little thing' is very loud: he likes howling towards the moon.
There are a bunch of situations that make the amusement of the reader. examples: the miller thinks the winner of an athletics competition is the photographer that got to the finnish line the 2nd; one roommate from the psihiatry institute is there for 10 years pretending he's lunatic in order to get away from enroling to war, a lazy fat woman pretending she's paralytic in order to lay around all day that suddenly finds strenght in her legs when it's not favourable for her to be an invalid & lots more. (don't want to spoil the fun)
The writing is plain, but simple, the main character - Gunnar Huttunen - has this unique personality (and honestly, after you read many books, you begin to forget the names, the specific and the thing the author tries to get to you-and i don't think it's our fault only). He has a naive side - specific to a simple man, and that side keeps him from being a danger for the village, he's hard-working, smart and gentle.
And there's Sanelma horticulture counselor. Her passionate love for Huttunen is simple (only from this point, she's already majorly different from most women in literature), this simplicity is perfectly captured by the author, not at all pathetic, it kindles sympathy. As a matter of fact, their entire relationship is endearing.
The villagers, the miller's neighbours, go from being surprised and intrigued by his nature to being afraid and considering him a real danger for the society, though they unconsciously accept that in their other neighbours and that's the irony here; goes to show the true human nature.
In the end, I'm not sure if we discover the secret the miller has that causes his ups and downs in the mood (at the beginning of the novel) that makes the villagers so intrigued and still, so curious.
bikes_books_yarn's review against another edition
2.0
Spent most of the book thinking - should I DNF this?!?! Then I thought it was getting interesting, but it got weird and then it was over and I was like...Huh. What did I just read?
I read that this was written in Finish, translated to French and then English. Maybe something was lost in the translations?
I just couldn't work up care for this book.
Loved the cover art.
I read that this was written in Finish, translated to French and then English. Maybe something was lost in the translations?
I just couldn't work up care for this book.
Loved the cover art.
mcfade28's review against another edition
3.0
I unfortunately didn't connect much with this book. It follows an unusual hermit of a man, who purchases a local mill and manages to aggrevate most of the locals through his peculiarities. He falls in love with a charming but innocent young woman but his issues continue to escalate with the villagers.
I didn't really connect with the writing style. The original Finnish version was translated into French, then again into English, so I'm not sure if the translation was flat, or if it was true to the original style.
I didn't really connect with the writing style. The original Finnish version was translated into French, then again into English, so I'm not sure if the translation was flat, or if it was true to the original style.
kittymamers's review against another edition
2.0
olin alati veidi kahtlustanud, et see on üks väheseid raamatuid (kui mitte ainus) mu koduses riiulis, mida ma pole kordagi läbi lugenud. hankisin suure õhinaga, et oo, veel lugemata Paasilinna, aga ei olnud üldse see, mida ma Paasilinnalt ootasin, ja sinnapaika ta jäi.
see ei ole endiselt üldse see, mida ma Paasilinnalt ootan. nii ängistav ja õudne raamat, kus kõigil läheb kogu aeg halvasti, kurjad ei saa karistust, lõpp on puha traagiline ja nalja ei tehta üldse.
lugu hullust möldrist, kes ei saa kogukonnalt mõistmist ja kellel ei lasta rahulikult omaette hull olla, vaid torgitakse teda alailma. ja ta ei ole lihtsalt veidrik, keda asjatult hulluks peetakse, selge vaimne häire on olemas, toime tulla tal sellega keegi ei aita ja nii ta läheb. kohati justkui antakse lootust, leidub paar sõpra ja üks nainegi, kes teda ära ei põlga, aga naine on ses loos kindlasti kõige mõistlikum tegelane ja ütleb, et hulluga tema lapsi ei saa, mõtle, kui on pärilik.
raamat pole muidu üldse halvasti kirjutatud ja toredaid hubaseid kodu (taas)(üles)ehitamise stseene on - mulle need Paasilinna kuldsete kätega mehed ikka meeldivad, kuni nuga või kirves käepärast, seni saavad ehitatud nii metsaonnid kui terved kirikud (ei, siin raamatus kirikut ei ehitata, aga vahel tal juhtub) ja püütud-küpsetatud nii kalad kui tõhusam jahisaak.
aga kas ma ütlesin, et lõpp on traagiline. kogu see lugu on traagiline.
see ei ole endiselt üldse see, mida ma Paasilinnalt ootan. nii ängistav ja õudne raamat, kus kõigil läheb kogu aeg halvasti, kurjad ei saa karistust, lõpp on puha traagiline ja nalja ei tehta üldse.
lugu hullust möldrist, kes ei saa kogukonnalt mõistmist ja kellel ei lasta rahulikult omaette hull olla, vaid torgitakse teda alailma. ja ta ei ole lihtsalt veidrik, keda asjatult hulluks peetakse, selge vaimne häire on olemas, toime tulla tal sellega keegi ei aita ja nii ta läheb. kohati justkui antakse lootust, leidub paar sõpra ja üks nainegi, kes teda ära ei põlga, aga naine on ses loos kindlasti kõige mõistlikum tegelane ja ütleb, et hulluga tema lapsi ei saa, mõtle, kui on pärilik.
raamat pole muidu üldse halvasti kirjutatud ja toredaid hubaseid kodu (taas)(üles)ehitamise stseene on - mulle need Paasilinna kuldsete kätega mehed ikka meeldivad, kuni nuga või kirves käepärast, seni saavad ehitatud nii metsaonnid kui terved kirikud (ei, siin raamatus kirikut ei ehitata, aga vahel tal juhtub) ja püütud-küpsetatud nii kalad kui tõhusam jahisaak.
aga kas ma ütlesin, et lõpp on traagiline. kogu see lugu on traagiline.
corahlouise's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
antiaaveiga's review against another edition
3.0
Está entretenido, no lo leería por placer pero está bien como libro obligatorio